Is It Worth Starting Early At The Minute?

[sitsinhedges]

In an attempt to make the most of any dry spells and to cover as much ground as poss in the time available I'm wondering if it's worth having an early start on the pigeons. Will there be enough activity to make it worth it?

 

Your thoughts please.

[Cranfield]

The best answer is probably , "go and have a look".

Things do seem to vary so much area to area.

There are also the practicalities of shooting early, its light at 5am, so pigeons could be feeding then, but will anyone object to you shooting at 5am, its usually the farmer (or his wife) that does, after he gets the phone calls.

 

In my area at the moment they seem to be active all day, apart from the lunchtime lull and are feeding well into the evening.

Its probably just as productive to do a noon to 7pm shift, as a 5am to noon shift and less tiring.

[turbo33]

Tricky to know Andy. Crows, I would say yes as they are sharp eyed greedy beggars. Pigeons somehow seem to be a little more laid back in the summer. Only one way to find out I guess.

I do think they seem to feed well on a particular field/crop for about 3 days, before switching for no apparent reason, to somewhere else. The disadvantage with starting really early is you might be set up in the wrong place waiting for it all to happen. Just my thoughts.

[cocknee]

In my opinion no I would be at the desired field at about 10:30 set up for about 11:30 although now it is difficult to know where the best feed is as there is so much stubble about at the moment it takes a lot of Reconnaissance to decide where the best option is and it will remain so until some stubbles are ploughed in.

[sitsinhedges]

Maybe another glass of wine instead then

[kingo15]

If your weather is like it is here you'd best pump up your dinghy

[yickdaz]

we went out Tuesday I was watching the field at 10.30am and birds were flighting all over the place and on reflection we should of been set up for 10am and not 12pm

[sitsinhedges]

we went out Tuesday I was watching the field at 10.30am and birds were flighting all over the place and on reflection we should of been set up for 10am and not 12pm

 

I was thinking earlier, about 7am maybe but I think I'll leave it til late morning as the birds were still dropping onto the stubbles late into the evening.

[fenboy]

A few weeks back i would drive past some of my farms pea stubble on the way to work at 5 am it would be covered in pigeon , far more than there was at 6 pm when I was on my way home again.

[motty]

If I get up in the morning( and at field no later than 5am) I will be having a few shots on a pea stubble. It is the only chance i'll get this weekend. I'm sure there will be a few birds around.

[Dr D]

The reason why im on here at the minute and not sitting in a field somewhere is because I am convinced on a law of averages that its better in the afternoon to evening at this time of year. Short days and a drop I temperature in the winter makes it altogether different. If the birds get settled onto a field at this time of year, have their lunchtime nap and then start returning in the afternoon, I think they come back with confidence. No doubt there are those who will have a different view, but I find it works up to late september. The feeding patterns starting changing then. I guess the key is to be adaptable, you need to work with the natural rhythm of the birds in your area. So, the only real answer is to get out there at different times and watch their behviour. I think thats called fieldcraft.

[marsh man]

A few weeks back i would drive past some of my farms pea stubble on the way to work at 5 am it would be covered in pigeon , far more than there was at 6 pm when I was on my way home again.

You boys up north work long old hours , all the pigeons I shoot do the afternoon shift .

[Continental Shooter]

I found that if i set up on a field in the early morning, by late morning the pigeons have ******** off in other field, but that's because where i shoot there's plenty food so, once they got scared...they wont return.

 

Vice versa, if i set up in the afternoon, once pigeons have had time to settle, they will return even if shot as they do not have more time to find other sources of food as might approaches.

 

But then again, i am forced to shoot in the morning as missus requires me at home in the afternoons!

 

Roll in winter and shorter days as the mid morning shoot is like the afternoons at this time