Moley1508 Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 evening all, I had some good trips towards the middle to end of last year but in the warm weather how do you keep your shot birds? I know some will be left to build a pattern but what do you do with the rest? freezer box? or just shade with some form of breathable fly proof cover like hessian? thanks for the advice in advance. best wishes, Moley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 Blow flies will find a dead carcase in a few minutes. I have shot one and in the time it has taken me to walk and pick it up two flies have been on it. I pick up shot birds as soon as possible and check them around the beak and under the wing armpit area for eggs and if any are found I remove them. The birds are put in a fine mesh bag/sack on their backs in the shade and checked again when home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 I rarely bother trying to stop flies getting to my birds. I want to spend my time shooting, not messing about with dead birds all day. I rarely get birds spoiled by the heat, to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moley1508 Posted March 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 thanks guys. I am looking to the future and hoping to have an excess of birds hence the questions and if sold on to a game dealer I guess thats why payments are released once processed i.e.; so the birds can be checked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 7, 2017 Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 Go to the BayofE and buy some carp sacks, large as you can, they are micromesh and very strong.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moley1508 Posted March 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 good idea re the carp sacks, I have loads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 I rarely bother trying to stop flies getting to my birds. I want to spend my time shooting, not messing about with dead birds all day. I rarely get birds spoiled by the heat, to be honest. An honest post as always and one with which I agree. Even on the hottest days it is rare for a pigeon to turn green during a decoying session. It is impossible to avoid pigeons set out as decoys from getting fly blown. The important thing is to get the birds in the fridge/freezer as soon as possible after the session or get them direct to the game dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 I think the issue is them getting fly blown, if you have a decent bag it can take ages to check them over, I suppose it depends how picky your Game Dealer is. The two Game Dealers I use even open the beaks to check for eggs. In hot weather I pick dead birds ASAP and never send dead birds I have used as decoys to the Dealer, I freeze them separately and use them for future dead bird decoys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 Although I agree with Motty, I just dont like the flys crawling over the birds in the hide so I tend to bag them in the shade or in the field with the wind blowing over them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davyo Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 damp hessian sack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moley1508 Posted March 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 thanks guys, all really useful. I just wanted to ensure any surplus cold be sold on or given away in the best condition possible. carps sacks in the shade with maybe some damp hessian over the top with quickly collected birds seems to be the way forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted March 8, 2017 Report Share Posted March 8, 2017 Some years ago I set up under an oak in the middle of a field of barley that had a fairly large area that had been flattened by the wind. Another shooter had shot it two days before and had, had a good day. I to was having a good day with a good supply of birds. In a quiet spell I noticed that a small maggot had fallen down on me. After looking up through the branches I noticed that there was a pigeon up there. I put a shot up through it and brought it down. upon inspection it was riddled with maggots. When I saw the bloke who had shot there before me I mentioned about the maggot ridden pigeon and he said that he had shot it late in the afternoon and it had gotten stuck up in the tree somewhere in the branches. So in the day and a bit the fly had laid eggs which had hatched out into maggots that were falling down on me. Luckily not in my cup of coffee. This incident made me aware of fly attack on dead meat and not to dump the birds out in the garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShropshireSam Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 I use damp hessian sacks, spread the birds out in them and fold the opening underneath to seal it shut - keeps the birds cool and the flies off them ..... I have had sacks covered in yellow fly eggs as they lay them on the hessian sacks - which does no harm to the birds and keeps the flies busy rather then pestering me and the dog. Birds I have kept out as decoys I de-breast for myself. Birds for the game dealer go into a cold store overnight and then in the freezers in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 You could use bottles of frozen water in with the dead birds. I use old net curtain which is a very fine mesh and helps to keeps the flies off and not able to lay the eggs onto the bird. Birds used in the decoy pattern I cut one leg off so that I know which ones are which even when they have been put in the freezer and brought out again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moley1508 Posted March 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 good tip cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 You could use bottles of frozen water in with the dead birds. I use old net curtain which is a very fine mesh and helps to keeps the flies off and not able to lay the eggs onto the bird. Birds used in the decoy pattern I cut one leg off so that I know which ones are which even when they have been put in the freezer and brought out again. I tie a short length of bright coloured string on the leg so I can discard at the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerboy Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 The power of Pigeon Watch information information information all freely given Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 (edited) Hessian sack if I'm expecting a big bag or just lay them out on shaded cool earth and cover with as much grass/shrubs as I can chuck on top. You can watch flies settling on top but they never seem able to weave their way in, which is nice. Edited March 17, 2017 by Hamster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted March 18, 2017 Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 I tie a short length of bright coloured string on the leg so I can discard at the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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