Barnsey Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Hello All Just recently found this site and it look pretty good.. Shame I can't find the Pigeons as easy,, they just dont seem to be flocking up this year, any ideas as to why? Regards Barnsey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickfromsomerset Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Too mild.. last week shot 30 odd pigeon roost shooting, this week shot 2.. remember the snow we had.. I think that the cold weather up north meant a few more pigeon down by me in somerset. I think this week i was shooting local pigeon. They even look different. Pigeon down here are plumper than those migrating ones. Largest flock pigeon a week or so ago down here was about two hundred. Largest flock on saturday was about 10.. so only reason i think is the weather up north. Im not saying these pigeon were too far up north, maybe wales..wales got the weather harder ..mush harder than somerset. Anyway, thats what i think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Hello All Just recently found this site and it look pretty good.. Shame I can't find the Pigeons as easy,, they just dont seem to be flocking up this year, any ideas as to why? Regards Barnsey. They are ALL up north sticking their short tounges out at PIN :blink: :blink: LG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnsey Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Too mild.. last week shot 30 odd pigeon roost shooting, this week shot 2.. remember the snow we had.. I think that the cold weather up north meant a few more pigeon down by me in somerset. I think this week i was shooting local pigeon. They even look different. Pigeon down here are plumper than those migrating ones. Largest flock pigeon a week or so ago down here was about two hundred. Largest flock on saturday was about 10.. so only reason i think is the weather up north. Im not saying these pigeon were too far up north, maybe wales..wales got the weather harder ..mush harder than somerset. Anyway, thats what i think. Im told there are millions in Scotland,, and plenty in Surrey,, but here in Cornwall your lucky if you see 3 or 4 together at any one time,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 They are ALL up north sticking their short tounges out at PIN :blink: :blink: LG Pfft! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusion Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 I shoot just over the border in Devon, very much the same, very few Pigeons.. A couple of the old boys on the shoot have said "they have never known there to be so few " Good job we have shed loads of rabbits & Mr fox Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 plenty of pigeons here in N Lincs, but they are very localised in two main areas,..these areas are being smashed...and some good sport being had with loads of farmers advising that they are having little damage done by pigeons this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 There's plenty of pigeons about if you know where to look but decoying them is something else. They are on the rape but there's so much of it they have way too much choice. Pigeon migration is an old wives tale. I think it's been scientifically proven (Murton et al) that the max range of Woody is around 35 miles which was deemed to be the exception as 5 miles was more the norm. No spring drillings here as yet it's way too wet and STILL raining so April could be a good month! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnsey Posted March 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 There's plenty of pigeons about if you know where to look but decoying them is something else. They are on the rape but there's so much of it they have way too much choice. Pigeon migration is an old wives tale. I think it's been scientifically proven (Murton et al) that the max range of Woody is around 35 miles which was deemed to be the exception as 5 miles was more the norm. No spring drillings here as yet it's way too wet and STILL raining so April could be a good month! Hi April?? Well lets hope so, the woodies are nest building already and so are the rooks and crows,, baby rabbits everywhere, the seasons are going mad,,, people were saying down here, "ah they'll be around come february and March?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 Pigeons are gregarious by nature in the cold winter months, safety in numbers and all that. The mild winters of recent years has dispersed the birds evenly around the countryside as there is now very little competition for food. 35 years ago when I was a young un birds flocked up from August stubble, hitting the beech and oakwoods in October and what little rape was around in January February, they were still flocked up in large flocks ( I mean thousand birds strong) when it came to April drilling and used to break up about late April early May. These days pigeon will breed 2 sometimes 3 times a year so when they have paired up late in the first year early second they probably wont need to flock up unless the winter gets really cold. There is so much variety of food around in mild or cold winters that the birds do not need to flock up and go searching like they used to, they just pop out of the woodland locally in 2s and 3,s when they feel peckish. some of my best shooting in recent years has been in fields on the outskirts of towns, where the birds have been spending time in parks and gardens. illustrating just what a cosmopolitan bird woody has become. I bet if any of you put a handful of loose peanuts on view on the birdtable a woody would be amongst the first 3 birds to visit it !........When I was a nipper that was virtually unheard of. Many of us make the mistake that because we cant see them they are not there. on the level and feature less pastures thats probably true, but there are thousands in the woodlands around here, you can hear em on a warm morning or evening. Ive seen one or two big flocks recently but dont think that the birds are touching any rape locally in any great numbers and i really do believe that as the trend of warm winters continues the birds numbers will increase but flock sizes proportionally decrease. Thats my theory and im sticking to it FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning GTS Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 The little darlings are out there in the woods. We have just come back from the New Forest where we stayed at Sandy Balls caravan park in our van, when walking around the woods every time i looked up woodies everywhere SO frustrating But on the good side my terrier got a couple of bunnys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 The little darlings are out there in the woods. We have just come back from the New Forest where we stayed at Sandy Balls caravan park in our van, when walking around the woods every time i looked up woodies everywhere SO frustrating But on the good side my terrier got a couple of bunnys sandy balls park i used two go there nice place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 sandy balls park i used two go there nice place. I'd get better fitting swimming trunks if I was you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 sandy balls park i used two go there nice place. I'd get better fitting swimming trunks if I was you :( not bad for a Monday pin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Loads of woodies here but too much rape,cant get them to stay in one area.They just fly 2 or 3 fields away and stay there.Pincer movement planned for wednesday 5 fields 5 guns 120 decoys lots of camo probably gonna pee down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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