JDog Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 Now that autumn is here, so are the wet and muddy fields and farm tracks. Carting the full decoying set up is a pain and a strain in the rain in the main and as everyone knows on winter rape the results are very hit and miss. Of late I have been lucky to find a few flight lines which have given me exceptional sport on windy days and I am coming to the conclusion that I would rather shoot half a dozen on a flight line than a great deal more with the full decoying set up. Am I just a grumpy old sod? Possibly. Choosy might be a better description. Anyway the decoying kit has been put away and I am resolved to shoot only flight lines for the forseeable future and only on windy days. We will have to see how long this particular resolve lasts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 This is what i have been doing for the last 3 years............it is hard work getting set up for what could be a zero session.......because of my circumstance i cant afford to take 3/4 of a day off....so what i do is to monitor the number of birds and flightlines , when i go to the shop...and if there is movement, i chuck a doz' shells in the vehicle ...gun of my choice ...and park up walk a hundred yds max and tuck in behind a tree..............what i am thinking of doing is getting a gillie suit.....ive have several short sharp sessions this way and very rarely blank.......... and im not bushed at the end of the day........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adge Cutler Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 Now that autumn is here, so are the wet and muddy fields and farm tracks. Carting the full decoying set up is a pain and a strain in the rain in the main and as everyone knows on winter rape the results are very hit and miss. Of late I have been lucky to find a few flight lines which have given me exceptional sport on windy days and I am coming to the conclusion that I would rather shoot half a dozen on a flight line than a great deal more with the full decoying set up. Am I just a grumpy old sod? Possibly. Choosy might be a better description. Anyway the decoying kit has been put away and I am resolved to shoot only flight lines for the forseeable future and only on windy days. We will have to see how long this particular resolve lasts. Buy yourself a fishing rod.... or eat more sprouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 It's a double edged sword with respect to decoying as a large proportion of our permissions now expect at least a hundred per session when they call you out. This is when I would rather be fishing for bait and catching some Zander . So turning out and standing on a flightline is not a option even when it would be the most satisfying shooting. It's the old maxim be careful what you wish for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 I would most likely be called a fine weather pigeon shooter as I don't get any satisfaction sitting about on cold , wet days trying to kid myself I am doing it for crop protection and knowing fully well that couldn't be further from the truth as I am there for the sport and the pleasure of being out in the environment , and like Mr Jdog said , lugging a lot of gear over muddy fields is not my idea of pleasure . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 Think it's an age thing, especially if you have been there and done it over many years, and I must admit I also get more enjoyment from that type of shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 I think a good days decoying takes a bit of beating but over the winter most of my pigeons are on flight line,usually tucked into a strip of trees and on a windy day its very satisfying regardless of bag size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 The type of shooting ground that I have is not reliant on showing x birds shot so it is a lot easier for me. I just enjoy being out but I have always operated lightweight and mostly have been able to get a vehicle within a few hundred yards of where I want to be. I find the hot summer days more draining especially when you've got a load of birds to get back. One day I set up on a bean field that had been blue for a couple of days expecting a good day and not one bird came within a mile. The wind was strong and I spent a couple of hours fighting the hide and getting cold. I then moved to try to find the birds but never did find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 I am with you on this JDog, often the farmers like to see the pigeons decoyed and killed in numbers, but this time of year i much prefer to flight them where a line can be found. Infact who am i kidding i prefer this sort of shooting period as you well know! Could never get bored of studying pigeon lines and to get into a good position under them is a real treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted October 17, 2016 Report Share Posted October 17, 2016 Living within sight of the sea we get very few what you call lines , our pigeons come from marsh carrs , parks , grave yards and the small wooded areas dotted around the villages . this year there seem more rape put on the marshes than in previous years and I know for a fact you would be flogging a dead horse trying to get a bag as most of the pigeons find there way to the rape fields on the game shooting land and are left alone till February . Like old un was saying , it might well be a age thing because the older you get , the wiser you get ,plus the dreaded cold related aches and pains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadkill Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 i much prefer to just flight line shoot and to do the odd days roost shooting, gone are the days of setting up and sitting there for hours on end. Guess i'm just lucky the estate let me get away with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kippylawkid Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 I think your final sentence speaks volumes! It is difficult when you can't drive to your chosen spot. In our youth we think nothing of lugging all the gear over muddy plough, but age (hopefully) makes us wiser and less keen to lose unnecesary sweat! I'm fortunate in that I can drive around most of my perms to set up. If not, I would definitely agree with your thoughts. The acid test will be when you see a potentially big decoying day that involves a big slog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b325 Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 It's not about how many you shoot it's about shooting the one's you enjoy. If you can shoot flightline pigeons on a windy day you can shoot anything. Get yourself a head cam JDog I would love to see you in action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passionforangling Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 Get yourself a head cam JDog I would love to see you in action. B325 means out in the field JDog, not in the love nest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkfanz Posted October 18, 2016 Report Share Posted October 18, 2016 come jd shake off the negative vibes,,weve never met but u know my dissabilities but it doesnt stop me goin out with dog n gun even when i travel light which i do a lot,,i still aim to make an effort,,,67 in a month or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted October 19, 2016 Report Share Posted October 19, 2016 I think it is an age thing, possibly coupled with the sort of land available to you to shoot over. If I can't get near to my hide location, I can no longer load up like a donkey and cart all my gear hundreds of yards across the fields. Remembering if I get a good bag, I may have to make a couple of journeys at the end of the day. I really envy the parts of the country with lots of small fields with hedges and trees around them, leafy lanes adjoining the fields, metalled farm tracks, etc. My fields tend to be of the prairie variety, with little cover and no vehicle access encouraged for 7 months of the year. When we had real Winters, I was allowed to drive down the tractor tracks on the rape, when there had been a good frost (which use to last days). The milder Winters have stopped that. My solution to this dilemma is not to give up decoying completely in the Winter, but to travel as light as possible. This also means that I can quickly change locations if the situation demands. Gun,shell decoys, seat, 3/4 hide poles, a net and as many cartridges as I can get in my pockets. When the decoying gets hard, the birds are scarce, or I only have a short day, I revert to the flight lines. I have often shot more birds in the Winter on flightlines than over decoys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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