Affect of weather on decoying??

[Ollieollie]

Evening All,

Been out decoying the pigeons today, shooting over oats. I have had some success on this crop on this permission in the last few weeks but today while there was hundreds of birds about they seemed uninterested or unwilling. I changed the pattern and toys around a few times, had a good hide - it all seemed like it could have been a good day but didn't turn out that way. The wind was quite strong and some showers about.

 

Do you guys find these conditions affect the willingness of birds to come into pattern? They just seemed to want to sit in the trees. I'll add that i have never decoyed in such a strong wind before?

 

Thankyou for your advice!

 

[JDog]

Do you mean drilled oats?

[old'un]

If pigeons want that field a strong wind will not put them off, just watch a pigeon in strong wind they hardly have a wing beat and use it to their advantage.

The other thing with strong wind it cloaks the sound of the shot.

 

The only drawback is keeping your hide in place.

[Ollieollie]

Do you mean drilled oats?

Yes Jdog

[pigeon controller]

What time did you set up had they had a good feed, could you see much on the field to eat. If they want the field they will get on in any conditions.

[old'un]

Evening All,

Been out decoying the pigeons today, shooting over oats. I have had some success on this crop on this permission in the last few weeks but today while there was hundreds of birds about they seemed uninterested or unwilling. I changed the pattern and toys around a few times, had a good hide - it all seemed like it could have been a good day but didn't turn out that way. The wind was quite strong and some showers about.

 

Do you guys find these conditions affect the willingness of birds to come into pattern? They just seemed to want to sit in the trees. I'll add that i have never decoyed in such a strong wind before?

 

Thankyou for your advice!

 

Is there anything left on the top? I would doubt it if its been sown the last few weeks as you say, those pigeons just happen to-be in the trees around that field more than likely on acorns.

[Ollieollie]

What time did you set up had they had a good feed, could you see much on the field to eat. If they want the field they will get on in any conditions.

 

Set up at 9:00, not sure about the feeding, its an hour drive away so recon is little to none.

[JDog]

Is there anything left on the top? I would doubt it if its been sown the last few weeks as you say, those pigeons just happen to-be in the trees around that field more than likely on acorns.

That would be my reading of the situation.

[Ollieollie]

Is there anything left on the top? I would doubt it if its been sown the last few weeks as you say, those pigeons just happen to-be in the trees around that field more than likely on acorns.

There was what i thought was enough although i am still very much learning the trade and i was told they were hitting it yesterday

[JDog]

At this time of year and especially in windy conditions pigeons can often be seen sitting out on ploughed fields or drilled fields. In my experience this is the chosen place for them to sit up and digest food rather than sitting in the trees being buffeted from side to side amongst the branches.

[Ollieollie]

At this time of year and especially in windy conditions pigeons can often be seen sitting out on ploughed fields or drilled fields. In my experience this is the chosen place for them to sit up and digest food rather than sitting in the trees being buffeted from side to side amongst the branches.

Makes sense, so much to learn!

[old'un]

There was what i thought was enough although i am still very much learning the trade and i was told they were hitting it yesterday

Don't get me wrong it is possible to pull pigeons onto fields they are not feeding on but its hard work, I remember long time ago setting up on a ploughed field when I could see birds heading to a stubble field that I could not shoot, now there were thousands of pigeons on this stubble and lots of birds crossing the ploughed field that I could shot so I set out my dead birds and my whirly under a good flight line, well for every 20 birds that went past I managed to pull 1, these birds had their sights firmly set on this stubble field, they knew what was there and nothing was going to turn them from there desired field, I have seen it before when birds are just blind to anything else on the ground.

 

JDog is spot-on with his post of birds resting on the ground in strong winds, seen it many times myself.

[Ollieollie]

Frustrating seeing so many so close! things have been consistently on the up this year until today, think i have been lucky.. learning from my errors

[old'un]

You could set your decoys on that very same field tomorrow and the birds come storming in, been shooting pigeons for a very long time and I still do not understand them.

[Shotguneddy]

You could set your decoys on that very same field tomorrow and the birds come storming in, been shooting pigeons for a very long time and I still do not understand them.

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