JDog Posted November 18, 2014 Report Share Posted November 18, 2014 Every morning around the house and on the road between Broadway and Stow I see hundreds of pigeons. The migrating birds seem to have passed through and these are residents, possibly only temporary ones. I have never been able to follow them very far to see where they are going or what they are feeding on, unlike our Lord and Master who can follow a line for miles and miles. This afternoon my car went into the local garage for a service and I took Jasper and my gun and cartridge bag and when the keys were handed over Jasper and I walked half a mile onto what is possibly the best estate I have for pigeon shooting. I have seen pigeons returning from midday with bulging crops and I was keen to identify the contents of those crops. Four or five hundred got out of the wood as I entered and they spiralled upwards and away. After almost an hour they started to return in small numbers and I shot a few flying high over the beech woods. Those birds were not intent on landing or roosting. Without exception the crops all contained beech mast and nothing else. I suspect that I do now know where they are heading out to every morning. Decoying them whilst they are feeding on beech mast will be another matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted November 18, 2014 Report Share Posted November 18, 2014 So the five hundred out of the woods you didn't shoot them all? Shame on you JDog, shame on you Jasper. I've been watching our wheat fields, that have volunteer beans growing, it's too wet to get out and board leaf, nothing, nadder. And from admission I've shot eff all this year, I've no idea where they are, I don't mind them not eating our living, a bit shooting would be nice though. It's odd in the midlands this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted November 18, 2014 Report Share Posted November 18, 2014 I have given up "decoying" at the moment........they are not interested....the best i have achieved is to put out a pattern ...and they are pulled off line slightly.......everywhere is full of food at the moment....so there is no urgency to return to where they have been disturbed........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEADLY PLUMBER Posted November 18, 2014 Report Share Posted November 18, 2014 Every morning around the house and on the road between Broadway and Stow I see hundreds of pigeons. The migrating birds seem to have passed through and these are residents, possibly only temporary ones. I have never been able to follow them very far to see where they are going or what they are feeding on, unlike our Lord and Master who can follow a line for miles and miles. This afternoon my car went into the local garage for a service and I took Jasper and my gun and cartridge bag and when the keys were handed over Jasper and I walked half a mile onto what is possibly the best estate I have for pigeon shooting. I have seen pigeons returning from midday with bulging crops and I was keen to identify the contents of those crops. Four or five hundred got out of the wood as I entered and they spiralled upwards and away. After almost an hour they started to return in small numbers and I shot a few flying high over the beech woods. Those birds were not intent on landing or roosting. Without exception the crops all contained beech mast and nothing else. I suspect that I do now know where they are heading out to every morning. Decoying them whilst they are feeding on beech mast will be another matter. J Dog try a rotary and a few decoys below the Beech trees I have been told that can work well. I have not tried it my self as I have no Beech trees on my permission. ATB DP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbw1shrops Posted November 18, 2014 Report Share Posted November 18, 2014 I tried this myself last winter when acorns were a plenty, just a magnet plus Hypa flaps in the woods in a clearing and they dive bombed from all directions ! Some brilliant sport to be had although had to be careful with the low shots ! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 19, 2014 Report Share Posted November 19, 2014 The birds I am shooting have mainly old barley grains, shoots and berries in their crops, only occasionally am I finding any beechmast, then not much. Despite quite a few rape fields in the area, the birds are not on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbw1shrops Posted November 19, 2014 Report Share Posted November 19, 2014 I shot a couple of birds yesterday on a walk about on one of my perms 1 was stuffed full of big hawthorn berries to which I was watching these birds gorge there selfs on a hedgerow full of the berries ! A decoying opportunity me thinks ? Also whilst waiting for birds to come to roost I shot one with mainly osr and hawthorn berries, I think there off the mast now in my area ( Shropshire) if we have the winter they are predicting then I think the rape could be hit hard but not that much of it on my perms so will be keeping an eye on these fields. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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