When will they get HUNGRY??

[kitchrat]

With the belated arrival of "winter", I have just spent a morning watching pigeons on a local farm, a nice little block of OSR, a number of birds (250??) using it on a fairly regular basis but with no committment. There are 12 or 15 nice sitty trees around.

After a few days of frost and a tad of snow, I'm hoping things will be decoyable.....

BUT - soon after 1st light some birds arrive (at least they have been off to a roosting wood rather than spending the night in the sitty trees). They take up position in a couple or three of the trees and the rest of the flock strings along, now maybe 400 strong. When the trees are full and 10 minutes have passsed, one brave bird drops onto the osr and the rest string down. After a few minutes (10?) they all jump up and head back to the distant place of safety. Could have been a distant gas gun or distant dog walker but I couldn't tell why they left.

After 20 minutes or so, some birds return take up position in a different couple of the trees and the rest of the flock strings along. When the trees are full and 10 minutes have passsed, one brave bird drops onto the osr (different field/place to last time) and the rest string down. After a few minutes (10?) they all jump up and head back to the distant place of safety.

After 20 minutes or so, repeat above steps.

After 20 minutes or so, repeat above steps, but this time they drop onto the wrong field, it's beans, 4 ins high, snow covering any weeds growing so there is NOTHING for them there. It takes 5 minutes before they notice and hop over the hedge onto the osr, then after a few minutes (10?) they all jump up and head back to the distant place of safety.

At no time did any birds (except the late arrivals) drop directly onto the crop, always into the trees, wait, then down, briefly.

So, I deduce they are not hungry yet, in spite of the colder weather and are just eating for a snack here and there or just because "it's the thing to do"! On Friday I was standing with a Young Gun on a game shoot, 10 pigeons were downed, all had nearly empty crops but were plump and healthy. They had been resting in the woods. I shot a few last week, they had yellow fat round the breasts.

What has happened to the "good old days" when hungry pigeons got so stuffed with osr they could hardly fly, you could see the crops bulging as they went to roost but you could still decoy them because they wanted "just one more mouthfull"??

At least we had a chance then....

Do you think that decoys and a magnet and flapper might help direct the 1st arrivals into a tree near a hide containing my good self? The trees are too big to get lofted birds into them.

I think it might work once or twice then it would taper off and I'd be lucky to make double figures, if I shot well. However, I do feel that going for L&R's scares incoming birds more than single shots and would reduce my chances later. I note that some gas guns are firing rapid doubles.....

Any ideas??

[JDog]

It was ever thus.

 

I spent hours yesterday just watching. The field was shootable but I needed a companion for the other end and no one was available. These pigeons have not been shot at on this farm at least but they were jumpy when bangers went off in neighbouring fields or on one occasion when shots on a game shoot were fired three fields away.

 

Things will improve for OSR shooters I am sure if this cold snap continues but even then I will not be tempted until I get a windy day.

[pigeon controller]

None of the birds we shot over the weekend had much food in them even after them feeding on the rape as we set up.

 

I agree with JDog we need a windy day to get them moving .

 

With the temperature drop I notices the birds at the stables this morning were eating the Ivy berries first thing, so we still have a number of natural foods available.

 

When you look at the flocks we do have they can feed all the daylight hours so they do not have to eat when we are on the field.

[old'un]

There seems to be the odd few shooters that make bags well into double figures on winter rape, there are shooters happy to sit all day for 5 or 10 pigeons, it as defiantly changed from the days when I shot big bags on winter rape, if you drove around your farms and seen a field of rape going in you would rub your hands together and think I will get some shooting on there, pigeons have defiantly changed their feeding habits as regards to winter rape,

I noticed the very scenario you have describe some 10- 15 years ago, but what you must remember is winter pigeon are a totally different bird to summer pigeon, their instinct for survival seems much more heightened, as regards to the weather, it is true that a bit of snow and freeze does make pigeons more likely to feed but is no guarantee, I have shot as many pigeons on a mild day with a strong wind as I have shot on a freezing cold day with a bit of snow on the ground.
Don't know the numbers but there seems more people chasing pigeons today than say 20-30 years ago, whether this as caused them to change their feeding habits I don't know, but its possible, also the amount of rape that is sown does not help, I think the weekend shooter will strudel to shot decent bags unless they are very lucky and everything drops into place on that day.

I dare say there will be people who will not agree with anything I have wrote but I can only go by my own experience and a couple of professional pigeon shooters I know who have the same opinion.

[shootingmachine]

None of the birds we shot over the weekend had much food in them even after them feeding on the rape as we set up.

I agree with JDog we need a windy day to get them moving .

With the temperature drop I notices the birds at the stables this morning were eating the Ivy berries first thing, so we still have a number of natural foods available.

When you look at the flocks we do have they can feed all the daylight hours so they do not have to eat when we are on the field.

hi pc curious did you shoot many over weekend im thinking of having a go in the morning.

[JDog]

old'un, your opinions and experiences are as valuable as those of any other pigeon shooter so keep them coming.

 

I agree that other 'weekend shooters will 'strudel' to shoot decent bags'.

[aga man]

I was hoping a thread like this would start and hopefully encourage some useful posts on pigeon behaviour in different counties.

 

A big factor influencing feeding habits in our area has been the vast amount of berries on the hedges, the mild winter weather we have had seems to made the supply of berries last longer and therefore ther'e not relying on the OSR as a sole food source like they often are at this time of year. Many game shoots here have fed heavily too to encourage pheasants back to cover and away from the natural food, pigeons have enjoyed these free oferings too!

 

The pigeons do very well on the berries as Kitch described, birds in good knick and good fat reserves. They will also sit in trees digesting berries for longer. [ that's my take on it anyway!]

 

The cold weather may well push more birds ont rape this week but i feel it will be because the ivy berries are starting to run low.

Edited January 17, 2016 by aga man

[pigeon controller]

hi pc curious did you shoot many over weekend im thinking of having a go in the morning.

37 and 85 all on rape, see Sporting Pictures.

[pigeon controller]

As Old un stated how many shooters are out there!!! Also how many set ups , magnets have they been spooked on ?

[old'un]

aga man, Not sure if the abundance of berries (alternative food) makes that much difference, I can remember many years ago when the hedgerows where heavy with such food but it made very little difference to the feeding habits of winter pigeons they still hit the rape just as hard, I think pigeons have learnt that its safer feeding in small numbers in hedgerows than out on the open field, if you sit and watch pigeons feeding in hedgerows they just seem much more relax about it, could also be the rise in hawk numbers making them a little more reluctant to feed out in the open, just a thought.

Thank you JDog i guess we can all learn something no matter how old or wise we think we are.

PC, yes it make me wonder just how much pigeons have learnt from seeing a particular decoy setup and then having the living daylight scared out of them by someone letting a gun off 20-30 yards from their ears plus the visual signal, the saying once bitten comes to mind.

[motty]

I disagree that pigeons are not hungry.

I shot a pigeon yesterday evening whilst duck shooting. It was stuffed with ivy berries. All the other pigeons that passed by had bulging crops, too.

As Jdog says, what's new? Shooting pigeons on winter rape is not easy. There is so much of it. That is why I rarely bother these days.

[aga man]

I disagree that pigeons are not hungry.

I shot a pigeon yesterday evening whilst duck shooting. It was stuffed with ivy berries. All the other pigeons that passed by had bulging crops, too.

As Jdog says, what's new? Shooting pigeons on winter rape is not easy. There is so much of it. That is why I rarely bother these days.

Exactly what we are finding here, why go to roost with a crop full of rape leaf that will pass through you in an hour, when you can have a crop full of protein rich berries!

 

When the berries have gone they will have no option but to head for the rape.

[old'un]

old'un, your opinions and experiences are as valuable as those of any other pigeon shooter so keep them coming.

 

I agree that other 'weekend shooters will 'strudel' to shoot decent bags'.

Yes i know, its my age, but i do like a bit of apple strudel and custard

[kitchrat]

Not many berries left round here but a few birds on them as described above. Nothing like the numbers on "my" fields. Agreed, some are filling up on pheasant food but I have not seen a full crop this year. Most near empty. Incidentally, the birds round my fields are now (3.00pm) just sitting in the trees, not bothering to feed at all. They must have had about 6 or 7 little feeding sessions of a few minutes each. Not enough time to load up on rape. When they are hungry they stuff themselves all day until their crops are bursting, which they often do when they hit the deck! Using the bino's I cannot see any bulging crops in the parked-up birds

Sorry Motty, we have to disagree again, they are not hungry (not around here anyway).

[old'un]

Not many berries left round here but a few birds on them as described above. Nothing like the numbers on "my" fields. Agreed, some are filling up on pheasant food but I have not seen a full crop this year. Most near empty. Incidentally, the birds round my fields are now (3.00pm) just sitting in the trees, not bothering to feed at all. They must have had about 6 or 7 little feeding sessions of a few minutes each. Not enough time to load up on rape. When they are hungry they stuff themselves all day until their crops are bursting, which they often do when they hit the deck! Using the bino's I cannot see any bulging crops in the parked-up birds

Sorry Motty, we have to disagree again, they are not hungry (not around here anyway).

Yes i have seen the same thing many times over the years, one night you get birds near bursting with rape the next night they have very little in them, I sat and watched a field of rape some years back hoping to get a bit of shooting on it, i watched that field every day for nearly a week, there were on average about 800-1000 birds sitting in the trees, a few would drop down and feed for five minutes then back into the trees, these birds would then lift up and head for the roosting woods, most had very little in them and it was getting to dark for them to look for other feeding grounds, now I have seen this many times before, if pigeons are in good condition I have seen them go for 2 or 3 days and longer without showing any signs of needing to feed heavily on rape or berries and heading back to the roasting woods virtually empty, so for some reason unknown to me these birds although possibly hungry feel it is safer to survive another day hungry rather than risk any possible dangers, (survival)

[ShropshireSam]

Seen two big flocks (500-1000) feeding on rape over last few days (North Shropshire). They congregate in neighbouring woods until the numbers have built up then start a decent into the crop. I moved one flock off on Friday, they dispersed into neighbouring trees and were in no rush to return whilst I watched the field. No traffic in over 15 mins so I moved on. I will keep an eye on them and once we have some wind forecast I will try to get out .... no doubt the farmers will get the gas guns out before I get a chance.

[old'un]

Seen two big flocks (500-1000) feeding on rape over last few days (North Shropshire). They congregate in neighbouring woods until the numbers have built up then start a decent into the crop. I moved one flock off on Friday, they dispersed into neighbouring trees and were in no rush to return whilst I watched the field. No traffic in over 15 mins so I moved on. I will keep an eye on them and once we have some wind forecast I will try to get out .... no doubt the farmers will get the gas guns out before I get a chance.

Yep come Feb/Mar once the rape starts to heart-up there will be gas guns every where.

Shot a lot of pigeons your way many years ago, Church Eaton, Eccleshall, Etc, hope you get onto some soon, like you said a bit of wind will help.

[yickdaz]

well after last nights snow I made the decision to go out today first rape field I looked at 2 guys had set up in the middle of it I could see straight through the hide 250 yards away so I think the pigeons would see them if any got near the decoys, so left them to it next field about 3 miles away was stuffed with birds in the trees all around it and birds dropping in from all directions but roads surrounded the field and houses down 2 sides of it so it was a no go very frustrating because there was a good bag to be had off that field, I had the same again on the next block birds flighting in and loads in the trees at side of the road but a horse paddock and houses near the only place to get a hide up so at least they are on it around now and better numbers than I have seen all winter

but I always notice a bit of cold weather and a light covering of snow makes them want the rape more, around here they do anyway

[kenholland]

got no single sitty tree's left now, on one of my perm's the farmer loves his chainsaw every time I went there would be another one down. he said it saves them eyeing up his osr for the future so makes it a bit more difficult for me to get a decent bag, sob sob .

[dad]

shot 3 going out to feed at 3pm saturday all empty 1 coming back 3.30 full 75% osr 25%ivy berries, i dont think pigeons need to or want to fly around with a full crop they just snack when they want to 3 or 4 times a day. they fill up 1/2 an hour on osr before going to roost.

[kitchrat]

UPDATE!

Today I went to the same farm, same scenario BUT, inspite of another cold night and a cool breezy morning (+1C) there were less birds (250??) and they didn't carry out steps 2 &3, ie they just sat in the trees. I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

Went to another farm where birds had been building up on osr, a few 100 sitting in the trees, I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

Went to yet another farm where birds had been building up on osr, a few 100 sitting in the trees, I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

Went to yet another farm where birds had been building up on osr, No birds at all.

Went to yet another farm where birds had been building up on osr, but I can't shoot, a few 100 sitting in the trees, I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

I go to Tesco and put another £50 of diesel in the truck.

I go back to the original farm, 3 hours after I left. and the same birds (well the same sort of number) are sitting in the same trees. I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

So I have now seen 1000+ birds sitting for hours in 50-foot trees around fields of nice, unfrozen osr, where they have been feeding previously. I have seen ZERO birds feeding, I have seen ZERO birds flying about, I have seen Zero birds on ivy or other berries, I have seen a handfull on grass fields or paddocks.

So Motty, in my opinion, the pigeons around here are not hungry!!

Decoys back in freezer, gun back in cabinet, coffee on, TV on!!

[JDog]

Remind me never to come decoying with you.

[old'un]

UPDATE!

Today I went to the same farm, same scenario BUT, inspite of another cold night and a cool breezy morning (+1C) there were less birds (250??) and they didn't carry out steps 2 &3, ie they just sat in the trees. I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

Went to another farm where birds had been building up on osr, a few 100 sitting in the trees, I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

Went to yet another farm where birds had been building up on osr, a few 100 sitting in the trees, I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

Went to yet another farm where birds had been building up on osr, No birds at all.

Went to yet another farm where birds had been building up on osr, but I can't shoot, a few 100 sitting in the trees, I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

I go to Tesco and put another £50 of diesel in the truck.

I go back to the original farm, 3 hours after I left. and the same birds (well the same sort of number) are sitting in the same trees. I watched for 20 minutes, no change.

So I have now seen 1000+ birds sitting for hours in 50-foot trees around fields of nice, unfrozen osr, where they have been feeding previously. I have seen ZERO birds feeding, I have seen ZERO birds flying about, I have seen Zero birds on ivy or other berries, I have seen a handfull on grass fields or paddocks.

So Motty, in my opinion, the pigeons around here are not hungry!!

Decoys back in freezer, gun back in cabinet, coffee on, TV on!!

 

Motty is correct in saying the pigeons are hungry but how hungry is another question.

[yickdaz]

in reply to kitchrat why don,t you walk the birds off and see if they come back

[shootingmachine]

birds feeding all over osr today 2 fields my mate set up on one me the other,tryed whirly flapper full bodied,kept moving decoys etc not one bird decoyed but they landed anywhere apart from where i was both of us blanked nightmare it was peaing down first 3 hours never botherd them they still wanted to feed only thing that botherd them was our decoys didnt come near us.