Longstrider Posted March 28, 2015 Report Share Posted March 28, 2015 Pigeons really are attracted to decoys occasionally (I was beginning to wonder ...) Out on my permission today by 8 and set up on the 'wrong' (wind on my back) edge of a field of fresh drillings. (Had to set up there on request of the farmer so as not to be too close to houses at the edge of the village) Despite the poor position the birds were dropping in nicely and by the time I had to leave I had a good bag and a couple of crows as a bonus. I got home in time for lunch and the 'promised' afternoon of jobs around the place for the Mem-sahib. Had just eaten lunch and was supping a cuppa when my mobile rang. It was the farmer ... "Are you still out or have you gone home for lunch, because I'm parked on a different field (about 1/4 mile from where I'd been all morning) and it's BLUE with the ******* ! They're even landing around the car and taking no notice of the horn !" It's all in the timing folks ! ) The Mem-sahib immediately resigned herself to her fate and said "Well you'd better go if he needs them sorting out." You've never seen a cuppa disappear so fast. I was back at the farm in about 20 minutes and he really had not been exaggerating ! Ended the day at 6 with a total bag of 17 crows and 57 pigeons Happy days ! (I guess tomorrow will be filled with jobs for the Mem-sahib now, but hey ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocknee Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Pigeons really are attracted to decoys occasionally (I was beginning to wonder ...) Out on my permission today by 8 and set up on the 'wrong' (wind on my back) edge of a field of fresh drillings. (Had to set up there on request of the farmer so as not to be too close to houses at the edge of the village) Despite the poor position the birds were dropping in nicely and by the time I had to leave I had a good bag and a couple of crows as a bonus. I got home in time for lunch and the 'promised' afternoon of jobs around the place for the Mem-sahib. Had just eaten lunch and was supping a cuppa when my mobile rang. It was the farmer ... "Are you still out or have you gone home for lunch, because I'm parked on a different field (about 1/4 mile from where I'd been all morning) and it's BLUE with the ******* ! They're even landing around the car and taking no notice of the horn !" It's all in the timing folks ! ) The Mem-sahib immediately resigned herself to her fate and said "Well you'd better go if he needs them sorting out." You've never seen a cuppa disappear so fast. I was back at the farm in about 20 minutes and he really had not been exaggerating ! Ended the day at 6 with a total bag of 17 crows and 57 pigeons Happy days ! (I guess tomorrow will be filled with jobs for the Mem-sahib now, but hey ) I don't really know what you mean by wrong wind, having the wind to your back is far better than having it blowing in your face so that any birds trying to decoy come from behind you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HIDENSEEK Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Sounds like you've got a good arrangement with the Missus & the farmer! Good day with the bonus of dodging the jobs! As Cocknee I prefer the wind from behind or across me, in my face least favourite but you make the best of it from any direction.Happy days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andylea Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Nice bag,wish my better half was the same as yours,but would go anyway and put up with the silent dinners for the rest of the week anyway :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longstrider Posted March 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 My bad .... meant the wind was hard in my face .. pigeons coming from my back, over a tall line of trees and hedge so they didn't want to drop onto the pattern. Got a few absolute zingers as they whipped overhead though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoxs Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) My bad .... meant the wind was hard in my face .. pigeons coming from my back, over a tall line of trees and hedge so they didn't want to drop onto the pattern. Got a few absolute zingers as they whipped overhead though not a good situation to be in but you have to be brave and move the pattern away from hide gives them chance to drop in beofre landing. never good as you often shoot em up the ****. Another trick if possible is set decoys up and sit with them to your back and take birds other side of hedge/trees. some really good sport but not often possible Edited March 29, 2015 by stoxs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocknee Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 My bad .... meant the wind was hard in my face .. pigeons coming from my back, over a tall line of trees and hedge so they didn't want to drop onto the pattern. Got a few absolute zingers as they whipped overhead though Nice one I suppose there was no chance of moving 50 or 60 yards out into the field so you could see them coming or would that be too close to the houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longstrider Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Nice one I suppose there was no chance of moving 50 or 60 yards out into the field so you could see them coming or would that be too close to the houses. I was at the edge of a 90-odd acre field of fresh drill. I would always rather be poorly positioned but up against some natural cover such as a hedge than to set up a hide out in the middle of nothing but bare earth. The only cover in the field is either the surrounding hedge-line, or under one of the 3 or 4 trees that are in the middle of the field, but these trees are all up right close to the houses .... At the time I believed I was set up with my back to the boundary of the permission. Behind me was a strip of fallow ground about 100 yds wide all along the edge of the field I was shooting over. Chatting with the farmer on my return after lunch I found that he owns that as well so in future, if faced with the same dilemma I'll put the deeks on the field and put the hide the other side of the hedge so as to hit the birds in the face as they come in. The farmer had never thought to let me know that this bit of land was his as he leaves it fallow permanently and so there are never crops on it to protect. It goes from good to better ... that strip of fallow ground (which I now have full permission on) gets wider as it goes further on up, and at the top end is a sizeable spinney that contains a number of big mature trees the birds love to use as 'sitty trees' Not only good for the shotgun, but I can see some very pleasant Summer afternoons being spent up there with the air-rifle too Another nearby farm has one of those funny things, an "organised shoot". They seem to raise a large number of 'long-tailed ground-pigeon' ( ) which love to wander off and into this spinney too As I said before .. Happy Days ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocknee Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Sounds good. I prefer to set up in the middle of fields no matter what they are stubble drilling or whatever pigeons take no notice of the hide it is movement that spooks them, you are able to shoot 360 degrees and it makes no difference which way the wind is blowing, but thats me you must do what you feel most comfortable with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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