Flocked up at Harvest Time.

[sitsinhedges]

Seems to be the same thing every year. Several fields are swathed or harvested of whatever crop is on them and they all seem blue with pigeons.

There are no real discernable flightlines just a mass of pigeon that move together and small flocks dropping in randomly.

You go onto the busiest field and set up in the most likely spot and all that happens is the pigeons just clear off.

You get a few shots but nothing spectacular as the mass of pigeons have just diverted to another field and anything coming into the area goes straight to them. As you leave all the surrounding fields are blue but moving would just set the whole farce off again.

I think the problem is the flock mentality coupled with too much choice of places to feed.

 

What is the answer

[Ultrastu]

This is especially true in winter .with big flocks

I find the vest way to make a bag is shoot it from about 2 pm .and not before .

This way the birds have fed there in the morning .and then go off to roost in the cool woods during the day .but slowly return in the afternoon for their tea..shooting it in the morning will just keep the birds off the field all day .

Obviously if you can .get other shooter in the other fields at the same time you can keep the birds moving .

[motty]

I have to say I haven't noticed this in my area. There is a lot of choice at the moment, but I try to shoot pigeons that are set on certain fields. I want them to have fed there and be settled there for a couple of days at least. I should have a few rape stubbles on farms in different areas that I hope to shoot in the next few days. These will be more of a draw than the barley stubbles at the moment.

I normally like to see a flight line or two to a field on the day I am shooting, before I set up.

I don't like setting up as late as 2pm (unless I have no choice), as I feel there will be a lot of birds that I could have already shot by that time. I have on many occasions already shot over 100 pigeons by 2pm.

Sits, I don't know the answer to your predicament, but I hope you solve the puzzle - I would like to read more of your days in the field.

[JDog]

I have not seen large flocks this harvest time either but in any event I would rather see a large flock than none at all.

[marsh man]

One advantage with shooting the same land for a number of years is you get to know what fields shoot better than others as some always do , as a example we have got a block of four barley stubble fields , the one nearest to the holding woods which are on the next door neighbours always shoot better than the other three even though pigeons are using all four fields at the moment , by getting the right wind on your back the sound of a shot is normally enough to keep them moving backwards and forwards.

 

I did see a good few pigeons today but they were made up of no more than a family lot and I would have thought it is a bit to early to start seeing flocks about .

 

Up until the longest day or shortest night ( whatever way you look at it ) by starting at 2pm is fine as you can still shoot till 7.30 or a little later but now I would say it is a bit late , when I went today there was a lot of movement till 4pm then it slowed down till around 4,30 / 4.45 , after that it more or less came to a standstill and when I left to drive home at 5 . 30 pm it had stopped completely .

[Cosd]

If you have a choice of fields to shoot from, I think its a good idea to walk them off and watch for a while to see if they start to trickle back.

Obviously this doesn't always work especially if the birds refuse to split and stay in a big flock.

 

I agree that its better to let them have a feed before shooting in the summer, but only a morning feed; I wouldn't wait till 2pm before shooting.

Edited July 19, 2017 by Cosd