ShropshireSam Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 Had the first proper decoying session of the year. Have been watching a strip of game maize that was flayed in early February. The strip was left when a maize crop was cut last harvest. Crows were already on the maize before it was flayed and numbers soon built up. Pigeons took longer to find it but numbers built up to about 200 over a week ago and then dropped again despite maize corn still visible on the ground. Last week had few pigeons on the field but good traffic in and out of the field so decided to shoot on Friday when wind had picked up ..... today would have been better but had a busy weekend planned for me. Had 3 local fields of rape that pigeons were visiting that had no gas guns on so put a rope of bangers on each of those to keep the pigeons on the move. Set up by 8 AM with 16 half-shell flocked, magnet and a flapper and 4 full bodied crow decoys. Plenty of pigeons about but very few decoyed in the morning, most were flighting to a neighboring wood, which then moved on after a shot. Plenty of traffic of rooks and jackdaws and started to build a pattern of blacks. By mid-day had about 20 blacks and 10 pigeons. With a bigger pattern stretching along the maize cover crop the pigeons started to decoy well and had a busy two hours on a good windy afternoon. Nearly every flock that went to neighboring wood would decoy into pattern after a shot. Even shot a bird in one flock, the flock swung round in the wind and two birds curled round and came back into the pattern. Had several flocks diving into the pattern from a good height which was great sport. For some reason the pigeons stopped decoying at about 3 pm. They were pulled towards the pattern but then veered off to the side and did not return. The pattern was unchanged, I had just made it bigger and could not see why it had lost its appeal. The pattern was a long J shape with a long line of pigeon on the flayed cover crop and the magnet in the curl and the short tail extended into the maize stubble. I had the crows mainly bunched after the long line of pigeons with about 5 as a small cluster amongst the pigeons. Traffic dried up by 3:30 and finished with 47 pigeon, 32 blackies and 3 ferals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 A good result. The pigeons that were shying from your pattern towards the end of the day, may well have visited you earlier in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 Well done, result, I agree with motty that towards to end of the day you do get second visit birds who have been spooked earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul taylor Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 A very good day that I'd say. Bet you where well chuffed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingmachine Posted February 21, 2016 Report Share Posted February 21, 2016 well done sam great result Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royboy Posted February 22, 2016 Report Share Posted February 22, 2016 Sounds like a cracking day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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