Pigeon cradles.....

[yidoharry]

Hi, I'm thinking about getting some cradles in order to do away with some of my half shells. I wanted to hear views on if others have used or are using them regularly and how they find them regards pulling in pigeon. I keep reading/hearing that you can't beat real birds as decoys which is another reason for thinking about the change. Would be great to hear comments or suggestions. Thanks in advance

[Mark74]

Pigeon cradles are great IMO. Dead birds are always the best decoys & cradles are the best way of presenting them. They enable you to display your dead birds raised slightly above the ground which certainly makes them easier to see against bare ground or in sprouting crops.

I also put my full bodied decoys on them for the same effect. If needed I also attach them to longer canes to display in standing crops like peas.

Keep the half shells and replace them with dead birds as you shoot them

Edited April 25, 2016 by Mark74

[Cosd]

Great bit of kit. Be wary of some cheap ones which fail at the welds and made quite poorly. Also some are very short and only good for drilling were I don't bother with them and just place the birds on the ground.

 

Paul Hart does some very good ones, quality is great and they are a good length.

[yidoharry]

Have you used them on freshly drilled fields before or only on fields with standing crop?

Great bit of kit. Be wary of some cheap ones which fail at the welds and made quite poorly. Also some are very short and only good for drilling were I don't bother with them and just place the birds on the ground.

Paul Hart does some very good ones, quality is great and they are a good length.

how can I get hold of Paul Hart cradles? Is he on here or a shop ?

[Cosd]

Both

But freshly drilled I tend to place the birds on the ground.

 

Paul has a shop on the web and is on here

Edited April 25, 2016 by Cosd

[bakerboy]

Cradles are really good, if you want to borrow some and give them a try, give me a nudge.

[pigeon controller]

Cradles are very effective on growing or laid crops, with drillings I use spikes. As said before they need to be long enough to be used on tall crops.

[marsh man]

Nigh on impossible to do without them , once the crop is over the height of your decoy you will need to show the decoy above it and by using cradles you can make your decoy stand out on most crops , including laid wheat and barley by taping them to bamboo canes .

 

 

I make mine out of fencing wire but if you go to one of the game and country fairs near you there is likely to be one of the pigeon equipment sellers there or try A A Decoys on there web site .

[lakeside1000]

I made my first batch from a you tube video by Hunters vermin , he gives simple directions on construction, but my last two batches I re-designed them , the latest are smaller for jackdaws and pigeons, plus a few larger for carrion crow and rooks,

The cost for 20 using a roll of fence wire from eBay is under £9,

Very simple to make using a flat piece of wood and a few nails as a former.

I dont seem able to add photos here so I will start a new thread with photos etc.

New thread is 'Pigeon cradles 2'

Edited April 26, 2016 by lakeside1000

[wymberley]

Just got some of the new bright shiny version from our sponsor. Cut a couple of inches off the neck, drill hole deep enough to accept a 2.5mm nail Araldited in pointy end out and Bob's your uncle. Might seem a tad too much trouble but as they last forever and makes them much improved I figure it's worth the few minutes work.

[JDog]

In an unusual step I will go against the flow on this one.

 

Cradles used to be an essential part of my kit. I never used them on drillings as there is no need but I did use them on peas in the mid to later stages and long clover. They were a nuisance to carry so I decided to do away with them and now I just use floaters and a rotary when decoying on longer crops or laid corn.

[lakeside1000]

In an unusual step I will go against the flow on this one.

 

Cradles used to be an essential part of my kit. I never used them on drillings as there is no need but I did use them on peas in the mid to later stages and long clover. They were a nuisance to carry so I decided to do away with them and now I just use floaters and a rotary when decoying on longer crops or laid corn.

I do agree they are not essential but I find carrying 20 cradles is not bulky or heavy and are so easy for setting up birds in a very natural pose, I tried barbecue sticks just stuck in the chins but the birds didnt look natural, as I always prefer dead birds to plastic ones they are my number one choice in all situations, even on higher crops where I tape them to some canes to set them up at crop level,

[motty]

In pigeon shooting, there are lots of things that don't need to be/look natural. I rarely use cradles these days. They are a pain to carry for starters. I much prefer fibreglass rods. They are lighter and easier to transport than cradles. They may not make dead birds look as natural, but I find it doesn't matter.

I do agree they are not essential but I find carrying 20 cradles is not bulky or heavy and are so easy for setting up birds in a very natural pose, I tried barbecue sticks just stuck in the chins but the birds didnt look natural, as I always prefer dead birds to plastic ones they are my number one choice in all situations, even on higher crops where I tape them to some canes to set them up at crop level,

[yidoharry]

Great bit of kit. Be wary of some cheap ones which fail at the welds and made quite poorly. Also some are very short and only good for drilling were I don't bother with them and just place the birds on the ground.

Paul Hart does some very good ones, quality is great and they are a good length.

is he's site "the pigeon shooter"?

[yidoharry]

Cradles are really good, if you want to borrow some and give them a try, give me a nudge.

thanks terry. Very kind.

[Guest stevo]

In an unusual step I will go against the flow on this one.

 

Cradles used to be an essential part of my kit. I never used them on drillings as there is no need but I did use them on peas in the mid to later stages and long clover. They were a nuisance to carry so I decided to do away with them and now I just use floaters and a rotary when decoying on longer crops or laid corn.

 

Ditto

[Cosd]

is he's site "the pigeon shooter"?

Sorry I dart in and out the forum and have been vague.

Yes he's the pigeon shooter.

If you are having problems I can send him a PM to contact you. He's a top guy to deal with and as I said, you won't be disappointed with either the quality or the service.

Feel free to PM me if you need anything. Don't know where u live but like Terry, happy to lend you some to try before you buy if you like.

 

Cos

[marsh man]

In pigeon shooting, there are lots of things that don't need to be/look natural. I rarely use cradles these days. They are a pain to carry for starters. I much prefer fibreglass rods. They are lighter and easier to transport than cradles. They may not make dead birds look as natural, but I find it doesn't matter.

I dare say your fibre glass rods are lighter and easier to carry than my cradles but we all have our own way of doing things and I still prefer using cradles , I tried fibre glass rods years ago after watching Geoff Garrods D V Ds , and yes they can and do the business but I take about a dozen cradles that I made up and if I shoot the field regular I leave them down there as they cost me nothing and easy to replace , the weight is no problem and a dozen fit easily in the game bag .

 

[Penelope]

Now them I like.

 

Fencing wire?

 

I dare say your fibre glass rods are lighter and easier to carry than my cradles but we all have our own way of doing things and I still prefer using cradles , I tried fibre glass rods years ago after watching Geoff Garrods D V Ds , and yes they can and do the business but I take about a dozen cradles that I made up and if I shoot the field regular I leave them down there as they cost me nothing and easy to replace , the weight is no problem and a dozen fit easily in the game bag .

 

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[lakeside1000]

Well said John, yours look easier to make than mine , but when your old and no longer a useful member of the uk workforce what else is there to do but potter around in the shed making things, better get ready to use them this week as those peas are in and it will just be a matter of time for the pigeons to find them.