JDog Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Aga man is a great observer of the countryside in connection with pigeon shooting. I wish I had half his knowledge. This week he shot a decent bag on an oilseed rape variety called 'Compass' which he had previously thought was unpleasant to a pigeon's palate. I have long considered that there is a variety that is not attractive to pigeons. I knew it wasn't Compass but I had to do some investigation to find out what it was. There is a field near my village close to 'pigeon city' that has never had a single pigeon on it this winter. All other neighbouring fields have been grazed by pigeons in some numbers. Today I watched birds fly over this field heading to another rape field some distance away. I walked the whole field and as far as I could see not one single leaf had been eaten. The variety is SY Harnas and until I learn otherwise I will remain convinced that the leaves on this variety are not attractive as a food source for pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Interesting observations JDog, Good news for farmers perhaps. Funny you say you wish you had half my Knowledge, i would happily settle for a third of yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the hitman Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 JDog You may well be correct in the theory that pigeons prefer one type of OSR to another. I have noticed a similar thing on farms that I have shot pigeons on for many years, however I know which fields will produce good sport by location rather than crop. On one particular farm ,I know the OSR will remain untouched when planted in one field, but a field almost next to it will get hammered. Hitman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OJW Posted February 25, 2017 Report Share Posted February 25, 2017 In the future if crops that are unattractive to pigeons are developed, will that be the end of the majority pigeon shooting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passionforangling Posted February 26, 2017 Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 That's an interesting observation regarding the variety of rape. On the three farms that I have access to the pigeon shooting has been absolutely dire the last two months. Two of the farms regularly have bangers on them which would explain not seeing any pigeons there but the third farm is banger less, nobody but me shoots it to the best of my knowledge, and despite visiting it to observe regularly the past few weeks at different times of the day I've not seen anything worth setting up for. All very frustrating but things can only get better ( hopefully!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted February 26, 2017 Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 I have two farms that last year had lots of birds , this year zero. I checked them today and they had twenty birds which have been on them since November but it has never built up flock wise. Other farms we have for clover shooting grow rape and never have a problem worth setting up for it would appear that they select some farms for rape and ignore others totally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudwalker Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 I have two farms that last year had lots of birds , this year zero. I checked them today and they had twenty birds which have been on them since November but it has never built up flock wise. Other farms we have for clover shooting grow rape and never have a problem worth setting up for it would appear that they select some farms for rape and ignore others totally. You are spot on. After 25 years this has become very apparent. Certain fields/ farms never have a pigeon on them and I dont believe it has anything to do with the variety of rape that has been planted. They always stick to the same fields whenever they are planted rape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mighty Prawn Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 In the future if crops that are unattractive to pigeons are developed, will that be the end of the majority pigeon shooting? I'm sure pigeons are like kids and if there's nothing better on offer they'll eat their greens if they have to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 Was shooting pigeon on a permission about 5 years back they were pouring in,farmer put some pallets out for me..Had a few pigeon the next day,,on the evening he sprayed it.? Thenext day not one pigeon came in,watched for a week,they never came in again.. His parting words to me after he sprayed it was.. "They won't like that now it will taste bitter".. Well it certainly did the job.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaunda Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 That's my experience - once we put the nitrogen on they clear off.Currently most on flattened maize but moving onto clover within short pasture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 Spraying the rape has never seemed to bother the pigeons where I shoot. I do see some rape fields decimated, while others locally are left alone. The pigeons seem to prefer certain fields Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastair0903 Posted February 28, 2017 Report Share Posted February 28, 2017 SY Harness is hybrid veriatly of OSR , last year the pigeons were quiet happily grazing it to the ground in Essex . I think the theory about pigeons having favourite areas is more likely , but struggle to spot a trend in pigeons grazing habits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted March 1, 2017 Report Share Posted March 1, 2017 Must admit I have always thought it might be something to-do with the variety of rape that kept birds from hitting a field, on one of the farms I shoot (about 1500 acres) they put in 7 fields of rape this winter ranging from 50 acres down to 15 acres, 3 of the fields have been sown with rape in the past and shown good numbers of pigeons but this year the same fields have not been touched, talking to the farmer about two weeks ago I asked if they were a different variety, he told me he had sown the same variety in all 7 fields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandringstar Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 I will never forget the day on cut barley some years ago, I had my first red letter, it was unbelievable, the next day, and the next. When it was over I couldn't wait for the next year...........it never came, I have been back for the last few years and its been a waste of time. maybe this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotguneddy Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 (edited) Most pigeon shooters I speak to from my way oxford say they barely bother anytime of the year anymore coz they just ain't seeing numbers like they used to, we all seem to be spending all the time watching and waiting for flightlines etc, I shot my pb of 138 on standing barley in June 2012 in 30 degree heat, that same field same crop not even seen 138 on it in 4-5 years, to me it just seems they don't need it as much as they used to,not round here anyway Essex the place to be looking at garrods latest vid Edited March 12, 2017 by Shotguneddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Most pigeon shooters I speak to from my way oxford say they barely bother anytime of the year anymore coz they just ain't seeing numbers like they used to, we all seem to be spending all the time watching and waiting for flightlines etc, I shot my pb of 138 on standing barley in June 2012 in 30 degree heat, that same field same crop not even seen 138 on it in 4-5 years, to me jjsg seems they don't need it as much as they used to, Over on the pigeon shooting page on Facebook I'd say the two guys that shoot more than anyone else are from Oxfordshire....One of them documented his outings from last year which totalled nearly 9000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 (edited) Over on the pigeon shooting page on Facebook I'd say the two guys that shoot more than anyone else are from Oxfordshire....One of them documented his outings from last year which totalled nearly 9000.That's a lot! Average 750 a month! Edited March 12, 2017 by kyska Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 That's a lot! Average 750 a month! He went out 83 times apparently, so over 100 per trip. He posted only yesterday with a bag of over 200 shot over game covers. Oxfordshire must hold huge numbers of birds in places with certainly no shortage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotguneddy Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 Expect everywhere does in places I said none round my part of oxford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockybasher Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 He went out 83 times apparently, so over 100 per trip. He posted only yesterday with a bag of over 200 shot over game covers. Oxfordshire must hold huge numbers of birds in places with certainly no shortage! Is that just HIM shooting or is that a team / guide score. Seems a huge average for 1 gun ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 (edited) Is that just HIM shooting or is that a team / guide score. Seems a huge average for 1 gun ?It is a lot for one gun. It's possible, but not achievable for most. My total bag for last year didn't quite make 4000, and i had some cracking days. Edited March 15, 2017 by motty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooooper1 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 any big bags are possible with pigeons but that sounds huge bags week in week out, i had my biggest yearly total last year of just over 2000 and a PB of 137 which isn`t massive but that was in 3 hours on cut barley. well done to them god knows how many carts they shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getthegat Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 Around my neck of the woods in Essex, there seems to be hundreds.........all in the towns! In peoples gardens, alotments, wooded parks, even green areas on the verges. Obviously they are finding various foods and are getting as tame or more tame, than ferals. May be this is affecting numbers out in the fields Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Me matt Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 Around my neck of the woods in Essex, there seems to be hundreds.........all in the towns! In peoples gardens, alotments, wooded parks, even green areas on the verges. Obviously they are finding various foods and are getting as tame or more tame, than ferals. May be this is affecting numbers out in the fields +1 Wickford was a total blank on Sunday, even usual high birds and busy flight lines were empty 🤔 maybe they went away for Easter 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted April 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 Around my neck of the woods in Essex, there seems to be hundreds.........all in the towns! In peoples gardens, alotments, wooded parks, even green areas on the verges. Obviously they are finding various foods and are getting as tame or more tame, than ferals. May be this is affecting numbers out in the fields If you get out early in the mornings you can watch for flight lines coming out of the towns. Invariably they will be feeding in the countryside - unless they are on clover in parks and on pitches. The best lines I have ever seen have been long ones stretching for up to five miles coming out of towns and cities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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