marsh man Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 Now the harvest is well underway, how has your stubble shooting been up to now ? one rape field I go was a standing crop 2 days ago , yesterday they combined it and today it has been sub soiled and cultivated , although if any pigeons get on the field now it will be left along for a little while. The barley fields are similar really , the straw is contracted out so as soon as there bailed 2 or 3 tractors and trailers turn up and with in a few hours the field is ready to be worked on. apart from them minor problems there are plenty of pigeons about but you need a lot of land , a lot of time , and a plan b c d and sometimes e because lately I never seam to end up on the field I intended to go on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 Harvest has not been great for me but then I did not expect it would as I only had one rape field , it did however provide Motty and me with some sport when we were struggling to find anything worthwhile elsewhere. I have yet to have really good shooting on wheat or barley stubble in these parts and am expecting the same this year , I have had a field of peas cut today but with the rain today and more forecast I suspect that the field could be turned in before the pigeon can really get on it or I can shoot it due to the farmer having little else to do ! I still have some mustard to be cut , never shot mustard stubble before so do not know what to expect , I am hoping it may prove very good due to the rape fields being turned over for a good while before hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 I was hoping for a lot better, although i always knew there would be a lot of rape stubble available at the same time with huge acerages of it here this year. There seems to be plenty of pigeons but there not concentrated in any one area and good strong flightlines are hard to come by at the moment. Many of our rape stubbles have been disced but the pigeons are still on these fields. The barley stubbles have already been ploughed in readiness for winter rape drilling. I hope as a few of the rape stubbles disapear the birds will concentrate on particular fields. We are still shooting pigeons but only 30/40 bags and not putting any significant dent in the pigeon population. I finished work early today and travelled 20 plus miles looking, but never found an opertunity.[other than pigeons feeding in standing wheat]. The wheat harvest will start here next week, but i don't expect much difference in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 only a little movement on the barley stubble...then they all moved to the standing wheat....that is now being harvested so we shall see............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickB65 Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 There is little action of the fields either RAPE or WHEAT. There are so many fields being harvested that the pigeons have so much choice + the berries on the bushes and trees are coming to fruit early Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 The few rape stubbles I had disappeared overnight and the birds have been on the standing wheat for weeks. They have started harvesting wheat, but the rain forecast for Saturday will slow things down. I may get a chance then, but it also gives the famers chance to disc in the stubbles while they wait for the rain to stop. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 the rape has been harvested on our land and only had the one chance up to now to shoot on any of them with a bag of 55 from it but field upon field of barley and wheat to go at when its cut which will see us through to November on the stubbles that's if the birds turn up on them that is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 Rape stubble produced a good bag weekend before last, shot a cracking flightline Sunday for 50+ birds over standing rape (nice wide driveway to drop birds onto) and then 2 day old rape stubble today came up trumps for a decent bag before the rain came at 4.30pm. Plenty of stubble but plenty of birds around, many young ones that make great eating. Trouble is, the rape sprouts so quick with the warm sun and rain it limits the opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 i have lots of rape stubble, and barley,but not much on it,now the wheat is being cut there is so much they can move around where they like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umney531 Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 The barley stubble round my area has been very poor nothing at all on them two farms I shoot cut rape on Monday been watching these all week went today about two yo three hundred lifted just hope weather ok tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdsallpl Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 The rape stubble has been generally poor for pulling birds this year in our area. The only field pulling them was a field wich is difficult to shoot so never even tried it. It's been very quite for Pigeons all round really. Plenty of the black ones about but even they are not creating the opportunity for decent bags in any specific location. The rabbits are keeping us busy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxwell Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 The barley was dropped during this week and I was going to shoot it this saturday, passed tonight for a recky, farmer already on it with the plough as his son was moving the bails off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted July 31, 2014 Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 Surprisingly good shooting on the rape stubbles for my father and I this year after a poor run up to harvest. Last 2 weekends have produced 106/101 and 65/77 with a bag of 57 mid week, all on different fields. Weather permitting this weekend could yield another bag too so fingers crossed! Write ups/pics to follow once my laptop has been repaired (posting on phone). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 This harvest hasn't been amazing so far, but I've had some moderate success. The rape stubbles were generally worked because it has been ready so much earlier than the wheat. I consider myself lucky in some regards, as I have some farmers who seem to harvest really late, giving a bit of a staggered harvest. I could be looking forward to late barley and maize stubbles - fingers crossed. Have been invited on a pretty promising rape stubble later this morning. If no-one beats us to it we could shoot a good bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseapaul Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 (edited) I have found more and more over last few years if you have standing wheat v wheat stubble the pigeons will always be trying to get into standing as there is simply more food there. The combines of today are so efficient at collecting the grain wheat stubble sometimes just ain't what they used to be. Edited August 1, 2014 by merseapaul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 (edited) No stubbles on my shoot yet, as it's all down to spring rape, spring wheat, peas and beans. The peas won't be far away, but looking forward to the spring rape harvest as they should be the only rape stubbles for miles, and pigeon have been using the fields regularly since last winter when they were maize stubbles. Also, rom what I understand, this farm is never in a hurry to plough in either . Edited August 1, 2014 by Penelope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddaftspaniel Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 Best shooting has been on laid barley but now those are cut birds have dispersed over stubbles all around and not really concentrating anywhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted August 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 Thanks all for your reports...........very interesting to find whats it like in different areas, we all seem to have the same problem with how long the stubbles are left before the machines move on , sometimes before the combine is finished , another problem I have is a lot of land I shoot on is game shooting farms and estates and once the young game have gone in the pens most of the uplands become a no go area, but then I go on the marsh stubbles till about October , and it wont be long till we keep an eye on the next rape crops..............Time don't stand still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddaftspaniel Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 It wont be long before the "where have all the pigeons gone" thread starts again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umney531 Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 Shot some rape stubble this morning plenty of birds shot 103 still nothing on barly stubble plenty still coming to decoys when I packed up at half one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootgun Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 Nothing was cut yet on my permission... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 This has been the best 'stubble season' for me for years. There are a number of factors: 1. As it has been so dry and hot for so long harvest has proceeded at pace with no time for cultivations between harvesting sessions. 2. There has been very little dew in the mornings. Dew increases the moisture content of grain meaning a late afternoon start is normal. No dew= an earlier start. 3. Farmers round here are topping their rape stubble rather than cultivating. 4. No rain means no germination of the rape seed making it attractive to pigeons for longer. 5. There is a healthy population of pigeons in my area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 I have found more and more over last few years if you have standing wheat v wheat stubble the pigeons will always be trying to get into standing as there is simply more food there. The combines of today are so efficient at collecting the grain wheat stubble sometimes just ain't what they used to be. Fully agree - I don't know if it's an "Essex thing" but they seem to love standing wheat, especially if there are power cables or trees they can use as a dropping-off point, also an indication that all is safe if there are 50+ birds on the wires. Then they "helicopter" down into the wheel marks, pulling a few stalks with them, eat the grain off the stalks, then helicopter down a few more. They are up and down like a yo-yo. Quite frustrating as you can't get many birds to come in if the wires/trees are empty. Then, of course, you can't drop the fallen into the crop, you'll not find them without damage, just mess up the combine or the straw with rotting corpses. If you can find a tree near the edge, with the wind in the right direction, a few lofted decoys can produce a useful bit of sport as you can ambush them on the way in but the conditions need to be right! My other theory is that many farmers use a chaff-cutter on the combine if they don't want the straw. The chaff floats down and covers what little grain (which falls faster) has been lost throught the machine or missed. Pigeons can't/won't scratch, so the field pretty much becomes barren to them. I also suggest that this could be why a field sometimes become MORE attractive if rough-cultivated, the partial turning-over may actually uncover some of the previously hidden grain. Any thoughts?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShropshireSam Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 Not had any big bags...ranging from 20-50. Biggest numbers I have seen were on a disced rape field (about 300). Set-up and few returned. Similar to last year, saw large numbers on disced rape fields but they moved from one field to another each day. Have three pea fields cut this week so will keep an eye on those and hope the farmer does not plough too soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted August 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 About a month to six weeks ago , both Motty and Jdog reported large amounts of young pigeons about , at the same time we had a few young uns but not that many I was getting 1 or 2 out of 10 on average, but now they are everywhere , this afternoon I shot 40odd and round about half were young ones some of the smaller ones wernt really worth shooting and a few that came in I left to live another day........must be getting soft in my old age........so both Motty and JDog were dead right with there observations. So if you have got them on your stubbles may hay while the sun shines as they wont be there long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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