flyeruk Posted September 11, 2016 Report Share Posted September 11, 2016 I'm a complete newbie to pigeon shooting and looking for advice. I was lucky enough to go out with a very experienced pigeon shooter last week and learnt a lot in the few hours I was with him. He showed me what to look for regarding flight lines,setting up the hide and setting out the decoys. He is lucky enough to be able to shoot 3 or 4 times a week. This is where my question comes in. As probably,a lot of people,i work 5 days a week. I only really have a Saturday free at the moment,so was wondering how I should go about using this time to do my reconnaissance,setting up and hopefully shooting a few.I have a permission over a very large area and the farmer is quite happy for me to do a bit whenever I have the time. I have been reading all the pigeon threads and feel already I have absorbed a lot of very useful imformation but know its all down to getting out there and having a go myself. Any help and advice will be very much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted September 11, 2016 Report Share Posted September 11, 2016 If your time for recon is limited then you will need to know what your farmer is going to sowing and where on the land. Once you know where the crops are you can minimise time traveling and head in the direction you would expect pigeon activity. This link is a good guide http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/129148-crop-watch-calendar-where-to-look-for-pigeon-activity/ Make note of any flightlines you see as pigeons will use those lines again throughout the seasons. Not all the advice you need but a bit that might help! Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adge Cutler Posted September 11, 2016 Report Share Posted September 11, 2016 (edited) As Aga man said...keep in touch with the Farmer or his employees to see what goes in and when.. Generally Winter shooting will be over rape or roost, Spring over Drillings, and Summer and Autumn over crops on point of harvest or stubble. Do your reconnaissance and find the birds and where they are feeding, look to see the lines into the field and out to roost again. Don't be tempted to shoot a field because it looks as though pigeons might like to feed on it, invariably they wont show up and you will get frustrated. many people are lucky enough to shoot 3 or even 4 times a week, but that's not for me I'm afraid so once a week will keep your interest well kindled. Sometimes I wont shoot for weeks or months on end if there is nothing to shoot, so when I do eventually get out I'm like a kid in a sweet shop.! Top tip for winter shooting is make sure your clothes keep you warm during long spells of inactivity. Tthere is nothing worse than trying to endure extreme cold.... you soon get fed up and just when you get back to the car the birds arrive !! If it gets quiet take the cartridges out of the breech or put the gun down and have a waz...I can guarantee the birds will suddenly appear. !! Edited September 11, 2016 by Adge Cutler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbower Posted September 11, 2016 Report Share Posted September 11, 2016 As above , do anything else except watch for birds and they will come in. Usually for me when pouring a hot drink. The rest of the above advice, is spot on. The only thing I can add is, I found a set of binoculars most useful, find a high point where you can watch all around and at distance. This saves much leg work , or driving. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakey Boy Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 All very helpful tips above ..... What I did many moons ago, was to get myself an ordnance survey map which you can get online, and choose just the area you want that includes your perms. I highlighted all the land I have, then mapped out the flight lines I found, and points of the compass. This enabled me to know which fields were best to reccy / shoot once I saw the forecast for the week, i.e. wind direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 All very helpful tips above ..... What I did many moons ago, was to get myself an ordnance survey map which you can get online, and choose just the area you want that includes your perms. I highlighted all the land I have, then mapped out the flight lines I found, and points of the compass. This enabled me to know which fields were best to reccy / shoot once I saw the forecast for the week, i.e. wind direction. I have an OS map of the Landranger series. Something like this is essential if more than one farm is covered. You may need to push the farmer for a map of his farm and once you have that simply outline it on the OS map. Marking flight lines may mislead in the future if they are not from the same direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyeruk Posted September 12, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Thanks forall the advice. In going to have a mooch round the fields on saturday and start learning flight lines etc. Got some decent binoculars and will pick up a map of the area as well. Luckly for me,i live 2 minutes from the permission so can spend alot of my (limited) free time there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyeruk Posted September 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 (edited) deleted. Edited September 24, 2016 by flyeruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted September 24, 2016 Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 A bird with a ring? Better ID is required I fear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyeruk Posted September 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 (edited) A bird with a ring? Better ID is required I fear. deleted Edited September 24, 2016 by flyeruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted September 24, 2016 Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 ?? Well you obviously shot a racing pigeon didn't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyeruk Posted September 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 (edited) Deleted by my self Edited September 24, 2016 by flyeruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted September 24, 2016 Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 It is always better to leave a bird you can't identity. A racer looks nowt like a woodpigeon. JDog is correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyeruk Posted September 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 (edited) deleted Edited September 24, 2016 by flyeruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyeruk Posted September 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 Happy now? Will not bother using site if all I get is obvious comments,i know I made a mistake. Period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilksy II Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 Your not the first and you won't be the last to shoot a racer but as your thread title says advice for a newbie then I'd say make sure can identify a woodpigeon from a racer from a stock dove and feral pigeon and as Motty says if in doubt don't pull the trigger! I didn't see your deleted posts but spitting your dummy out about it you'll learn nowt, learn from it and crack on and enjoy your shooting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyeruk Posted September 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 Ok,maybe I am spitting my dummy out and over reacted,but when I get a personal message saying quote , Shooting racing pigeons is a no no. You will bring the shooting community and pigeon watch into disrepute if you post that you have shot a pigeon with a ring on it.I am surprised that the moderators haven't already deleted your post, unquote I feel that is a bit harsh. I went out yesterday for the first time on my own. I set up the hide,put my decoys and magnet out,and managed to shoot 7 pigeons. Not a lot I know,but was pleased with my first outing. I realised I had shot a ringed bird by mistake and had a look online as to what I should do. The ring had a phone number on so I contacted the owner explaining what had happened. He was very pleased I had phoned him and said it had gone missing a week ago on its way from Portland to Warrington. I apologised for the mistake I had made and he was completely happy about the situation. I said on the post I had deleted that I understood my mistake,and would be more aware in the future. I have learnt a lot from this forum and appreciate the great help and advice I have got from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilksy II Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 Good on you for contacting the owner I'll bet not many people do that, or if they do, admit to shooting it, and the sad truth is if they come into your decoy pattern they are lost and unlikely any use to there owner, it is a great forum I've learned loads too and had the pleasure to meet and shoot with Agaman and JDog both smashing blokes, I would never dreamed of that when I joined! Also there will be others new to pigeon shooting who learned something from reading your posts and questions so keep posting and asking and enjoy your sen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooooper1 Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 Your not the first and you won't be the last to shoot a racer but as your thread title says advice for a newbie then I'd say make sure can identify a woodpigeon from a racer from a stock dove and feral pigeon and as Motty says if in doubt don't pull the trigger! I didn't see your deleted posts but spitting your dummy out about it you'll learn nowt, learn from it and crack on and enjoy your shooting! well said wilksy, 90% of shooters on this site have at some time pulled the trigger on a racer be it a total accident or not i myself back last week hit one by accident he came straight in with a small group of woodies around 8/10 and in all fairness i didn`t pick him out didn`t have a diddly till it was to late sorry to say it happens,i`ve been around a fair number of shooters be it shotguns or rifle and not all of them follow the rules of combat which is no good to me or fellow shooters so flyeruk put it down as a mistake and move on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEADLY PLUMBER Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 I almost pulled the trigger on a sparrow hawk today. He came into my decoy pattern head on to me He was breaking in just like a woodie very difficult to spot head on. I assume that's a tacktick they use to attack the birds on the ground from behind. However he came in a shade to quick and I just felt something was not quite right. Lucky for him. I had him in my sights and was just about to let him have it. I'm lucky on my permission I dont get pesterd by ferals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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