Disappointing first day on the beans

[Passionforangling]

With the morning available today from about half eight until 1ish I was quite excited after speaking to the farmer last night when he told me he had just finished cutting his beans.

I arrived at the farm this morning and met a dog walker who told me that yesterday there were loads of pigeons on the field yesterday as they were cutting the crop....sounded great!

 

As I watched I couldn't really see any flight lines onto the field but as I drove round the perimeter I pushed a few small groups off so thought hey ho, I'll give it a go.

 

Set up under an old oak and as I was putting a few thawed birds out, a couple of pigeons tried to come in.....looking really good! As I settled one came into the decoys which I hit and then proceeded to miss the next 6 that I shot at. Unfortunately that was it, not a single bird came within range for the next hour and a half.

 

With time running out I decided to move to the next field where I had seen a few flighting over. Half an hour later I'm set up and the first bird that came over, 40 yards up and travelling fast, I killed stone dead in the air.....a great shot for me. Unfortunately that was it in this spot....nothing came close again.

 

So I have just arrived home having shot just 2 pigeons for 8 cartridges....must be some sort of Pigeon Watch poorest record I would think!!

 

Still, it was a pleasant morning out, certainly better than being in work and I have a new car to collect this afternoon so the day can only get better.

 

I think I learned a lesson though.......spend more time looking for flight lines and don't take the word of a passer by no matter how good their intentions

[marsh man]

As you say a morning out enjoying yourself is better than work, and no its not a P W record I can personally vouch for that , the only thing you have done that I haven't is pick up a new car, mine were new once, around 5yrs after I became the owner

[Wilts#Dave]

To be fair, you may well have missed out on the best of the sport (if pigeons are using the field so soon after being cut) by leaving at the time you did. In my experience you can go out this time of year and see next to nothing all morning only for a flight develop during the afternoon, as a rule I'll not bother leaving the house till 12 o clock at the earliest during the summer months.

[Cookie69]

I have been out on a freshly scuffled bean field today, plenty of beans still on top but relatively few pigeon feeding on it.

I managed 28 today only three or four actually decoyig the rest fly bys

 

One or two hit the ground that hard there crops had split revealing they had been gorging on wheat.

It was a very enjoyable afternoon made even better when I got my young cocker from the van to go and look for three birds

That dropped into a thick tree lined ditch

He found all three, not perfect deliveries but very satisfying as two of them were still alive.

Because he had been couped up I took him around the field let him work the hedge rows plenty of pheasant sent it was a joy to see him

Doing what he was bred for

[stuy]

To be fair, you may well have missed out on the best of the sport (if pigeons are using the field so soon after being cut) by leaving at the time you did. In my experience you can go out this time of year and see next to nothing all morning only for a flight develop during the afternoon, as a rule I'll not bother leaving the house till 12 o clock at the earliest during the summer months.

I am watching beans at the moment and very little movement til 1 pm and then the birds start to move here in hereford

[JDog]

A decent report. Two points. Firstly you may not have left the field long enough for good numbers of pigeon to find it. Secondly as others have pointed out you probably left before the flight started. Beans are a high protein feed and take some digesting. If the pigeons had had an early feed they would not be ready for a second feed until late afternoon.

[pigeon controller]

As JDog stated they can take a long time to digest and the late afternoon can be the best , by going in the morning you may have pushed them onto another field close by. It's always best to see the field in the afternoon. Keep at it and remember what works for you and you will have your day .

[Passionforangling]

Thanks for the advice guys....I think you are right. Yesterday afternoon at about 3.30pm when I went to the field there were between 100 and 150 birds on the field so the plan is to go this afternoon and see what develops. I'll post the outcome

[mark@mbb]

There is to much food around at the minute

The pigeons will be spread far and wide I

Have a 10 acre field next to me and not a

One has landed on it

[camojohn]

I find between 2pm and 5:30pm is my best time for decoying bean stubble. I always get to the farm about 1pm and drive from field to field looking for a plan B, just in case plan A goes tits up. No one likes the bother of having to move to another spot, but sometimes you have to.

[rich1985]

Agree with pigeon controller and jdog, if it was only cut yesterday think you may have been expecting a bit much, give them a week to really get established also afternoon would probably be best. Keep an eye on the field I'm sure with some patients you will get a good kill. Best of luck. The beans on one of my permissions I've been waiting for for what seems a lifetime to be cut are now going to be end of next week!! 22 percent moisture when tested 40 mins ago!

[jcbbracken]

whent out today pigeons not feeding on beans until 3.00