decoy placement

[fieldwanderer]

a couple of the neighboring fields to the land I shoot have been ploughed in the last couple of days and there's more pigeons about than any time I've ever seen!!

 

Now, I've only just started looking into pigeon shooting this way (normally just have a walk and see what I can see) and I've not got a great deal of kit yet but bear with me and help as much as you can please.

 

I don't really need to do any recon as I'm there most days (out of work at the mo).

 

so, here's what I've got for a start; 12 decoys (shells), a mass of pigeon, a 12bore and I know mostly where the flight lines are.

 

I can normaly hide myself quite well in a hedge or whatever, but where the pigeons are at the moment I can't get close enough for a shot. So, I want to see if I can use what I've got to get a result tomorow.

 

The best place I can put myself is in the field next to where they're feeding. The wind'll be in my face if I do that, which may hide me better because they'll be coming from behind me and the other side of the hedge. Though, I'll not get much warning

 

How far apart (roughly) should I space my decoys? and how far from where I am. I've tried a few times and not done too bad - they'll come in on the deeks but just before they drop in they seem to realise something's not right and off they go again, which would be fine but I never seem to react quick enough to hit them. Any suggestions?

 

Any help would be much apreciated. Richard

[Cranfield]

If the wind is in my face , I normally put my decoys in a half moon shape, about 50-60 paces from the hide.

This allows the pigeons to come from behind me and drop in behind them, or pigeons coming in on the wind, can circle behind me and come in the same way.

 

Vary the space between the decoys, make it random, make the semi circle random as well.

You don't want a precise geometric shape.

 

What this setup means, is that you will need a good backdrop to your hide, or even a part roof.

Birds coming in from behind will see any movement, as they pass over the hide.

[fieldwanderer]

That all sounds like good advise mate, thankyou. I'll give it a go (weather permitting) Obviously if I manage to hit anything (I'm hopeless with a shotgun) I'll add it to the decoys.

 

The hedge's really thick hawthorne so, if I can find a bit of an overhang I'll make use of that too.

 

What I'll do now is give it a go and I'm sure I'll come back with loads of questions so perhaps this thread'll become an ongoing thing but I guess it'll be valuable to a lot of people, not just me.

 

Thanks for the help so far

[black hat]

[if I manage to hit anything (I'm hopeless with a shotgun)

 

 

may be you would be better off using your spare time practicing to shoot the shotie first

 

but good advice Cranfield

[fieldwanderer]

[if I manage to hit anything (I'm hopeless with a shotgun)

 

 

may be you would be better off using your spare time practicing to shoot the shotie first

 

but good advice Cranfield

 

Don't mean this the wrong way, I cant afford clay shooting so - this seems the best practice I could get.

 

Anyway, I didn't bother with the decoys because there was very little in the air but I got my new gun this morning (franchi raptor) and my hit rate's considerably better, worth every penny Take it my old gun just didn't fit me properly or something.

 

It'll take some getting used to though having all the moving parts, sounds and to a certain extent feels like the whole gun's fallen apart!

 

Thanks for the advise sofar anyway

[dusk2dawn]

a couple of the neighboring fields to the land I shoot have been ploughed in the last couple of days and there's more pigeons about than any time I've ever seen!!

 

Now, I've only just started looking into pigeon shooting this way (normally just have a walk and see what I can see) and I've not got a great deal of kit yet but bear with me and help as much as you can please.

 

I don't really need to do any recon as I'm there most days (out of work at the mo).

 

so, here's what I've got for a start; 12 decoys (shells), a mass of pigeon, a 12bore and I know mostly where the flight lines are.

 

I can normaly hide myself quite well in a hedge or whatever, but where the pigeons are at the moment I can't get close enough for a shot. So, I want to see if I can use what I've got to get a result tomorow.

 

The best place I can put myself is in the field next to where they're feeding. The wind'll be in my face if I do that, which may hide me better because they'll be coming from behind me and the other side of the hedge. Though, I'll not get much warning

 

How far apart (roughly) should I space my decoys? and how far from where I am. I've tried a few times and not done too bad - they'll come in on the deeks but just before they drop in they seem to realise something's not right and off they go again, which would be fine but I never seem to react quick enough to hit them. Any suggestions?

 

Any help would be much apreciated. Richard

 

 

Hi Fieldwanderer,

What Cranfield has said is good advice I would add that it is important to place the decoys out at least 50 good paces, part of your not hitting many birds might be down to having the pattern too close to your hide, if the activity is 30-40 yds away it gives your shot pattern time to develop, alot of newcomers attempt to shoot at birds that are too close with the effect of a full or very tight choke leading to a miss unless the bird is almost stationary in the wind landing, hope this helps.

 

D2D

[fieldwanderer]

Cheers D2D, what you've said makes a lot of sense - and probably explains why I hit more with 1/4 or imp cyl chokes.

 

I'm now starting to think however, I'm better off sticking to having a wander for now. All the land I've got to shoot over is; one big field of what I think's corn or similar (about 5" high) one that I'd say is ordinary grass and a huge field of rape (which is shoulder high (5')) which the pigeons obviously aren't bothering with at the moment, think I'll have to wait until they're taken in. I know from past experience the pigeons go mad on the corn and rape once it's harvested - I was waiting for my s/g liscence last time round!

 

Anyone know of a list anywhere of roughly when different crops get harvested? would be very useful

 

Thanks again for the advise, I'll put it all to good use as soon as I can and hopefuly I'll have more relevant gear by then

[dusk2dawn]

Cheers D2D, what you've said makes a lot of sense - and probably explains why I hit more with 1/4 or imp cyl chokes.

 

I'm now starting to think however, I'm better off sticking to having a wander for now. All the land I've got to shoot over is; one big field of what I think's corn or similar (about 5" high) one that I'd say is ordinary grass and a huge field of rape (which is shoulder high (5')) which the pigeons obviously aren't bothering with at the moment, think I'll have to wait until they're taken in. I know from past experience the pigeons go mad on the corn and rape once it's harvested - I was waiting for my s/g liscence last time round!

 

Anyone know of a list anywhere of roughly when different crops get harvested? would be very useful

 

Thanks again for the advise, I'll put it all to good use as soon as I can and hopefuly I'll have more relevant gear by then

 

Hi FW

 

Get yourself an ELY pocket diary and start recording what you are doing and seeing each week, then next season it will provide you with invaluable reminders and save you alot of guesswork,also noting what crop has been planted and when it can provide shooting.

 

My diaries go back to the times of Noah

 

D2D

[motty]

 

 

Anyone know of a list anywhere of roughly when different crops get harvested? would be very useful

 

rape- july

Peas- June/july

wheat,barley- aug/sep

beans- sep usually