JDog Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Lest anyone thinks I have taken leave of my senses and am making unsubstantiated claims let me explain. Mightymariner kindly invited me out this afternoon to see if we could find some hen's teeth. When we met there was a field of wheat stubble which had been direct drilled with rape with a good number of birds on. The field was long and narrow and we set up a long way apart. The rotary was kept in it's bag and all I used to get going was two floaters and fifteen flock coated shells. There were good lines both ways across the field but whenever a pigeon was interested and came for a look it kept the aforementioned distance from my hide. This happened time and time again. Not even George Digweed, Michael from North Yorkshire or even Motty and his mate Sam could have shot many of those pigeons. After an hour and a half (doh!) I realised that the floaters might just be the problem and took them in and for an hour the pigeons decoyed much better. Between us we shot forty odd pigeons on what was a splendid afternoon of sunshine, breeze and views from the eastern side of the Lincolnshire Wolds across the flat lands to the sea. It was very very good to be out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Lest anyone thinks I have taken leave of my senses and am making unsubstantiated claims let me explain. Mightymariner kindly invited me out this afternoon to see if we could find some hen's teeth. When we met there was a field of wheat stubble which had been direct drilled with rape with a good number of birds on. The field was long and narrow and we set up a long way apart. The rotary was kept in it's bag and all I used to get going was two floaters and fifteen flock coated shells. There were good lines both ways across the field but whenever a pigeon was interested and came for a look it kept the aforementioned distance from my hide. This happened time and time again. Not even George Digweed, Michael from North Yorkshire or even Motty and his mate Sam could have shot many of those pigeons. After an hour and a half (doh!) I realised that the floaters might just be the problem and took them in and for an hour the pigeons decoyed much better. Between us we shot forty odd pigeons on what was a splendid afternoon of sunshine, breeze and views from the eastern side of the Lincolnshire Wolds across the flat lands to the sea. It was very very good to be out. Good for you; and that's what it's all about.....and the shooting of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Well done , just shows how a tweek of the pattern can work dividends, me I would have tried the magnet close in to the side of the hide to see if that pulled them in closer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 it is nice to think that you are having to use all your skills learnt from the "land of milk an honey" down south ,,,to good effect............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HIDENSEEK Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Nice one! I had the same problem with the birds not committing to decoys this week, seems a lot of us are having the same problem this year. Good to be out though, even if it is frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Great afternoon to be out, and some shooting as well, cant be bad JD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Good result JDog, it was certainly a lovely afternooon to be out. Can't understand why you were not taking on the long birds, you made it look easy last week over here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightymariner Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Too modest by far, you should have been a journalist with that kind editing. When JDog says we shot 40 odd between us, he omits to say I shot about ten and him the rest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted September 11, 2015 Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 (edited) Great that you've been out and amongst them again , pattern changes is the new science, it would appear that the slightest change can make a significant change to your end result. We're the birds on the old stubble or on the rape I say this as you may remember that I shot the first weekend back in the country and that was a stubble sown with rape and the only birds with any contents from the field hade a mixture of barley and rape which seemed a strange combination . Well done and well deserved. Edited September 11, 2015 by pigeon controller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbw1shrops Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 I have often found pigeons will always come into the pattern the opposite side to the floater, anyone else found this ? Atb Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) I have often found pigeons will always come into the pattern the opposite side to the floater, anyone else found this ? Atb Dave I often place the floaters comming from three directions to the pattern and they follow the decoys. Edited September 12, 2015 by pigeon controller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 A few times in the last weeks I have encountered very cautious birds, over wheat and bean stubbles, the eventual best pattern was 3-4 dead birds. The birds were around in very small groups (2-6) and it seemed larger patterns were spooking them a bit. Since harvest started there has been a lot more shooting activity and I think this is the result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dbw1shrops Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 Do you set them out at different distances or all around the same distance heading towards the pattern also do you still use them on still days PC ? Thanks Atb Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger-Mouse Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 A few times in the last weeks I have encountered very cautious birds, over wheat and bean stubbles, the eventual best pattern was 3-4 dead birds. The birds were around in very small groups (2-6) and it seemed larger patterns were spooking them a bit. Since harvest started there has been a lot more shooting activity and I think this is the result. That`s interesting. I`ve been out fairly regularly over the past few weeks and for the first few trips the birds decoyed well and dropped straight into the pattern allowing us to take a lot of the birds on the ground. However the last few times the birds have come in but the majority seem to flare off just as they are about to touch down. Might have to try that smaller pattern option next time I go out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Kelly Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 I've never had floaters help the shooting. Tried them in all sorts of places relative to the pattern and they have always seemed to decoy better when I've taken them down again. I must be missing something, but they just seem like pigeon scarers to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenholland Posted September 12, 2015 Report Share Posted September 12, 2015 same here I will just try flat packs and h and h's in the morning and see how I go, flapper and floater as back up just in case ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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