Joe D Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 Hi, I'm looking some advise. I was out on Saturday decoying crows and pigeons. as I shot some birds I was putting them on skewers and bulking up the pattern also had one on a flapper. But I noticed that the dead birds on skewers was putting birds of. They were set for the decoys wings out gliding in and then just before they were with in range they flared off. I pulled in the dead birds out of the pattern and was just left with the decoys out and they seemed to commit much better. Any ideas as to why real birds would be putting them off? Surely they should do the opposite and have them coming in more confidently. Any suggestions appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 If they would come into the pattern once you brought them in, I would say it was how your presented the dead birds Are the skewers you use to prop them up shiny or do they reflect with the light somehow which.may put them off ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe D Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 No they are just the wooden bbq skewers, I was pretty meticulous when presenting them also as I tried it a few times and each time the same result. Very strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 I would say it was just a coincidence. How can you be certain that it was the dead birds putting them off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 It would be unlikely to be the dead birds causing incoming birds to flare off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 It would be unlikely to be the dead birds causing incoming birds to flare off. + 1......like a lot of the lads we have had plies of birds up side down, feathers every where and they still have come in to land. If birds have been shot at the day before they could will be a bit twitchy!!...Just put it down to one of those things and keep shooting.. TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berettacocker Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 You pulled the dead birds in, shooting started again, job done. Usually bringing the plastics in is what you'd try first, once you had real birds in pattern. Pigeons can be a nightmare in heavily shot areas at times and at other times will be trying to land when your packing up! I used to shoot with an old fella who used to use painted bottles and coys made from wellingtons when he was young! He said there was only him and another man who decoyed pigeons for miles around and the birds would pour into these coys! Everyone else would be shooting Rabbits and thought he was crazy to be wasting shells at pigeons. Little did they know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 There's no better decoy than a shot bird set up on a cradle . Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul T Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 My guess would be the incomers couldn't see a space to land so flare off and circle round again, Removing the dead ones maybe created that space they needed ...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berettacocker Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 My guess would be the incomers couldn't see a space to land so flare off and circle round again, Removing the dead ones maybe created that space they needed ...?+1 pigeons need a clear landing area, and don't like flying over top of birds on the ground. This is probably to avoid colliding with taking off birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 There is something in the theory that the pattern needed to be cleared out a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuy Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 There's no better decoy than a shot bird set up on a cradle . Harnser +1 got to agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 +1 pigeons need a clear landing area, and don't like flying over top of birds on the ground. This is probably to avoid colliding with taking off birds I don't think this is true. I have studied some of my pigeon shooting videos and I often notice pigeons flying over the decoys on the ground. I also don't think pigeons flare off at distance if there isn't a clear landing area. I think they will still try to land amongst the decoys if they really want to, but they may end up landing too far out or skirting the edge of the pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 Lots of interesting points of view; We venture out from the hide to collect dead birds in the quiet spells and add them to the front of the pattern placing them at the head of each side leaving the gap clear. We spread the wings so that the white bars are visible. So far I have never noticed birds being put off because of dead ones on the ground. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berettacocker Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 I don't think this is true. I have studied some of my pigeon shooting videos and I often notice pigeons flying over the decoys on the ground. I also don't think pigeons flare off at distance if there isn't a clear landing area. I think they will still try to land amongst the decoys if they really want to, but they may end up landing too far out or skirting the edge of the pattern.. " if they really want to " the birds approached the coys to feed, see something they didn't like so veered off. How often do you see birds fly over main pack of coys to land at front of pattern ? Not very often I'd say. If you scattered the coys in big circle how many would land in middle of circle ? None I'd say! Their pigeons after all, not Vultures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 Someone is going to have to try this out then. A wide circle of 40 decoys set up with a camera videoing the action! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 I've got my tin helmet on already. Yickdaz, have you got yours on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 There's no better decoy than a shot bird set up on a cradle . Harnser spot on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe D Posted May 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 Thanks for all the theories folks, and I would agree with practically all of them. But as god as my witness it was the strangest thing I've noticed from not just the pigeons coming in but the crows also. I think i am going to go with Paul T and say that there may not have been a decent landing area because of over crowding. Although I felt there was so lesson learnt, every days a school day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 Have spent many years watching pigeons dropping into fields . There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to what they will or will not do to get in . If you spend some time watching the birds flighting onto a field and landing to feed you will see them coming from all points of the compass and droping onto the field willy nilly . They do like a bit of space and tend not to drop in to close to a feeding bird ,seems that there are some feeding etiquette rules that they like to obey . If there is a decent wind blowing then they do become more predictable and they tend to want to land into the wind . A good wind is with out a doubt the best time to shoot pigeons ,simply because they are more predictable on their approach . Don't put your decoys to close together ,I find that they decoy better if the coys are at least two good paces apart . Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe D Posted May 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 I agree Harnser, I only had 6 shell pigeon decoys out and 6 crow decoys out so I had them well spaced to try and give the illusion of a bigger feeding pack. They were easy 10-15 feet apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosd Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 (edited) To be honest, I actually don't see the problem here! We all agree that what works one day may not work the next. You noticed the birds not committing or flaring away, you made a change and the birds started coming in; That's what decoying is all about isn't it? Edited May 22, 2014 by Cosd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 . " if they really want to " the birds approached the coys to feed, see something they didn't like so veered off. How often do you see birds fly over main pack of coys to land at front of pattern ? Not very often I'd say. If you scattered the coys in big circle how many would land in middle of circle ? None I'd say! Their pigeons after all, not Vultures! Your point was that pigeons don't like flying over others on the ground. You said nothing about pigeons landing thereafter. I bet I could get pigeons to commit into the middle of a circle of decoys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muncher Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 Two things I find with decoying pigeons and crows they need to be separated either birds don't like the other in there pattern I also find if I have a pigeon upside down they don't like it and will flair off . Your presentation of the dead birds was off for some reason and on another day will work like a charm . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berettacocker Posted May 22, 2014 Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 Your point was that pigeons don't like flying over others on the ground. You said nothing about pigeons landing thereafter. I bet I could get pigeons to commit into the middle of a circle of decoys. good luck with that one , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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