Minime46 Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 (edited) Hi all. Iv been watching this forum for a long time but this is my first post. I had my first 'busy' shoot today. About 24 shots, and 4 hits. My problem is.... I keep trying to shoot them when they are too high or too far out. Do u all just sit and wait...? It frustrates me if I see they are not flying into my pattern so I just chance it and take a shot instead of watch them fly off... needless to say they just fly off anyway! I had 2 pigeons land in my decoy pattern. And a good number come close. But then a good number didn't come low they just circle and away they go.... my flapper is out of order, so just have flocked decoys on wobblers. Also putting out the dead pigeons... should I open their wings and lie them down??? Does a little bit of blood on the dead pigeon put the pigeons off? Hope people can help. Sorry I am very new. Just wanting tips :-) Thanks in advance Edited March 23, 2016 by Minime46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Fill your profile in a member close to you may help you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) You need to limit your range to what ever range you can usually manage to hit the target , for most that is 40 yards for the better shots 50 or so. Put your furthest decoys 35 yards out and you will know anything around that area should be well shootable . A bit of blood on the decoys will make no difference , you have not said what crop you were shooting on but your decoys need to be visible and sometimes need moving around to get the birds coming in as you want them . Have a look at the pinned topic in this section for some ideas of decoy patterns. Edited March 23, 2016 by fenboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minime46 Posted March 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Fill your profile in a member close to you may help you. done. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minime46 Posted March 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) You need to limit your range to what ever range you can usually manage to hit the target , for most that is 40 yards for the better shots 50 or so. Put your furthest decoys 35 yards out and you will know anything around that area should be well shootable . A bit of blood on the decoys will make no difference , you have not said what crop you were shooting on but your decoys need to be visible and sometimes need moving around to get the birds coming in as you want them . Have a look at the pinned topic in this section for some ideas of decoy patterns. I have rape fields, drilled barley, and I was on a freshly drilled beans field. I'm going out now. Should I open the decoys wings up when placed on the ground? And thanks for your answer, I will try that! Edited March 23, 2016 by Minime46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 done. Cheers You must be very close to me as it happens , if you want me to come along and see what you are doing wrong send me a private message . There are days when the pigeon will not decoy well what ever you do though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 You can open the wings up on the odd one or two if you wish the rest I would just prop the necks up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Anything to get on some bean drillings fenboy. To be fair it does sound as if the chap needs your expert help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Any drilling that are being shot now will be well past shooting by the time I finish work Saturday morning ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy King Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 You need to limit your range to what ever range you can usually manage to hit the target , for most that is 40 yards for the better shots 50 or so. Put your furthest decoys 35 yards out and you will know anything around that area should be well shootable . A bit of blood on the decoys will make no difference , you have not said what crop you were shooting on but your decoys need to be visible and sometimes need moving around to get the birds coming in as you want them . Have a look at the pinned topic in this section for some ideas of decoy patterns. I totally agree. limit your range to 30-40 yards until you get more confident and accuracy improves its all down to experience. pattern shape, wind speed positioning flappers/floaters. It will come my friend , you will get better with time. there are plenty of books/dvd's around. plus you have the guys on here that can help. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Jobs a good'en get in their Fenboy a new shoot buddy and he has land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 (edited) You could do a lot worse than spend some time with Fenboy, if I was you I would bite his arm off . You could also book on to the BASC Introduction to Woodpigeon Shooting Course. There is a course being held by our very own Flycoy on 30th April at Country Field Sports, Unit 10, Folgate Road,North Walsham Contact Liz at BASC for full details. 2 opportunities not to be missed Edited March 23, 2016 by bakerboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Jobs a good'en get in their Fenboy a new shoot buddy and he has land. I am not after anyone else's land , just trying to be helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Hi all. Iv been watching this forum for a long time but this is my first post. I had my first 'busy' shoot today. About 24 shots, and 4 hits. My problem is.... I keep trying to shoot them when they are too high or too far out. Do u all just sit and wait...? It frustrates me if I see they are not flying into my pattern so I just chance it and take a shot instead of watch them fly off... needless to say they just fly off anyway! I had 2 pigeons land in my decoy pattern. And a good number come close. But then a good number didn't come low they just circle and away they go.... my flapper is out of order, so just have flocked decoys on wobblers. Also putting out the dead pigeons... should I open their wings and lie them down??? Does a little bit of blood on the dead pigeon put the pigeons off? Hope people can help. Sorry I am very new. Just wanting tips :-) Thanks in advance hello, i am sure you will get some good advice but when i started shooting over 50 years ago this book was a great help, pigeon shooting by archie coats you can still get copies for a fiver, well worth getting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minime46 Posted March 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 Thanks oldpigeonpopper. Iv just ordered it. Fen Boy U anywhere near sutton bridge mate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 OP,well worth meeting up with an experienced shot,ie fenboy. my tuppence worth from along way away is are you keeping still until they are within range?The most important bit(once you've got set up in a good spot) is to keep v still and learn the timings of mount & fire at the 'right moment' which when decoying well is the point they commit to coming in,but often learning when they are not but judging their range and lead required.Decoying is pulling them within 40 yards of you ,rarely does every bird commit to land but if you've got them within range you have done well,the 2nd part is shooting them and that will come with experience of a)range judging b)picking the right moment to mount c) making a good shot. But without keeping still/good field craft both b) & c) are pretty irrelevant.remember pigeons have brilliant eye sight and never chose to fly over a bloke with a gun...all best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 I am not after anyone else's land , just trying to be helpful Yes I know, it was not meant as a derogatory remark just banta sorry if I offended you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 Thanks oldpigeonpopper. Iv just ordered it. Fen Boy U anywhere near sutton bridge mate? hello, ok so with some good advice from forum members and archies book can only say good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minime46 Posted March 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 Turns out me and fenboy are about 5 houses from eachother!! Ha small world! We have arranged a meet up so fingers crossed he can see where I'm going wrong. Iv gone out again today but it's dead so packing up. They have stopped coming to the drilled fields now. Looks like back onto rape for me... Thanks for all the help, going to invest in a magnet as well... esp as the rape is getting high now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) as to range ....if you are shooting over a short young crop cut 4 sticks about 4ft long and put the first on out at 20 yards...2nd one out at 30yds and the 3rd one at 40 yds...that will start to give you an idea at what you are looking at....... dont be put off asking thats what the site is for...you may get your leg pulled as we all do...so go ahead and ask away.. Edited March 24, 2016 by ditchman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted March 24, 2016 Report Share Posted March 24, 2016 (edited) Turns out me and fenboy are about 5 houses from eachother!! Ha small world! We have arranged a meet up so fingers crossed he can see where I'm going wrong. Iv gone out again today but it's dead so packing up. They have stopped coming to the drilled fields now. Looks like back onto rape for me... Thanks for all the help, going to invest in a magnet as well... esp as the rape is getting high now. 5 house's apart, but how many fields in between the house's? You mention fingers crossed, as I understand in Norfolk it is webbed fingers Have a good day with Fenboy, I am sure you will learn a lot. Edited March 24, 2016 by bakerboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShropshireSam Posted March 26, 2016 Report Share Posted March 26, 2016 I would recommend Archie Coates book and following the advice on this forum. I started pigeon shooting four years ago and I struggled to get more than 10 in the first year but then got my first ton in my second year. You need field craft to get the birds in range and then the ability to shoot 'em. When I started I could do neither well. Birds can be hard to decoy this time of year but shooting at birds out your range will not help. Sit tight and they may swing round for a closer look. If your getting birds in comfortable range (25-30 yards) but not hitting many then you need to get on a clay ground and improve your shooting. Skeet is a good discipline for pigeon shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Flashheart Posted March 27, 2016 Report Share Posted March 27, 2016 Fantastic advice, and I'm in the same position as the OP, so will try and put it all into action next week. I have decoys and a couple of bouncers, but am ordering a magnet and the archie coats book. I can only blame myself if I'm using that lot, but much like stalking, most of it is fieldcraft, so "watch a lot, move a little"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minime46 Posted March 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Well I went out with my binoculars, studied some flight paths and then went out for a few hours... shot 10 pigeons. That's my best so far. Used about 20 cartridges. Missed a few... but also managed to get 2 in 2 shots for the first time. I did that twice. My magnet hadn't arrived so was only using flocked decoys. I did put a floater/bouncer out but it seemed to scare them off... so took it down and then they began to come in to land. Perfect :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted March 30, 2016 Report Share Posted March 30, 2016 Well done , 10 for 20 shots is not to bad at all for someone starting out . I have never been much of a fan of bouncers myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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