Pigeon Decoys??

[tasr12]

My lad and I got out to help a farmer with his rape field that was getting hammered by some pigeon yeaterday. Watched their movement and threw up a cam net in a hedge line (with hindsight it probably could have been a bit better sighted) still we had great fun for a couple of hours and I won’t forget it in a hurry. If I wanted to get a few decoys to try and improve our chances what would people recommend? Money is tight so it will need to be a low tech option: i’ve seen these: 

https://www.djdecoys.com/product/enforcer-pro-series-full-body-pigeon-decoys/

Any good?

 

A little more than I’d like to spend, but pigeon decoying isn’t my area of expertise!!!

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

[Longbower]

Fudds ,  are the best ive used ,. They are lightweight , fold up, so easy to carry and store,and very robust .

I cant fault  them.

[oowee]

28 minutes ago, Longbower said:

Fudds ,  are the best ive used ,. They are lightweight , fold up, so easy to carry and store,and very robust .

I cant fault  them.

As a starter for ten. Fuds are static, heavy, require two hands to set up, wont go into hard ground, carry mud back to the bag, won't hold upright when they get old, are not very visible, cannot be mounted easily on a hedge, other than that they are ok.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Fudds are poor for their price, far better to get a dozen cheap shells and go from there.

[MELLYBOY]

Type in "Pigeon decoys" on e bay and the first ones that come up are what your after if you are on a budget - if you lived nr me id give you plenty of my old ones to get you going !!

[hawkfanz]

have a look at these on the bay,,http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12x-CSS-FLOCKED-PIGEON-HALF-SHELL-DECOY-PIGEON-DECOYING/122050500398?hash=item1c6ac6d72e:g:giYAAOSwayZXjkhc

[lakeside1000]

9 hours ago, oowee said:

As a starter for ten. Fuds are static, heavy, require two hands to set up, wont go into hard ground, carry mud back to the bag, won't hold upright when they get old, are not very visible, cannot be mounted easily on a hedge, other than that they are ok.

"Ouch", never owned any, never thought of buying any, very pleased I didn't. I am sure someone loves them, for me its a bag full of cheap shells with sillosock covers on them, light, stacking,easy to keep clean (I put the covers in the wash if they get too bad), and as effective as they need to be until you have enough dead birds to make a decent pattern. 

Edited February 27, 2018 by lakeside1000
additional information

[motty]

Nothing wrong with fuds.

[tasr12]

Opionion is divided then on FUDS! Thanks for the link to EBay - I’m no expert but they look pretty green around the neck??

[hawkfanz]

do u think they will see the green bit on approach,?

[Ollieollie]

2 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Fudds are poor for their price, far better to get a dozen cheap shells and go from there.

Wise words

[motty]

I recommend the lightweight flock coated decoys on ebay. £15 for 5.

Pretty much any decoys will do a job.

[243deer]

I would recommend that you keep and use some of the dead birds that you shot - no better decoys or as cheap

[old'un]

Never use plastic decoys, just dead birds from the freezer the night before.

[Longstrider]

Where abouts are you tasr ?  I have a set of old full bodied decoys sitting in the shed that you'd be welcome to on 'long loan' if you're close enough to come and get  them.

[tasr12]

Longstrider,

Thanks for the generous offer...I’m Dorset at the weekends but currently in Swindon during the week with work.

I used the dead ones as decoys but thought a few extras may help improve the odds so I can do what I can to help the farmer. The few I placed out didn’t seem to drag many in but then again I could have been off the flight line! 

[tasr12]

4 hours ago, 243deer said:

I would recommend that you keep and use some of the dead birds that you shot - no better decoys or as cheap

That may be the option - when I placed out the few I shot they didn’t seem to drag in any more...how pristine do they need to be? The dog retrieved half a dozen from the rape so they were a little ruffled would this compromise them being used?

finally is it then best to prop them with a cradle? I used sticks to try and hold their heads up. 

[old'un]

Did you use any form of mechanical pigeon movement, flapper/magnet? Did you raise the dead birds off the ground?  

[tasr12]

As above - I tried to prop their heads up with sticks. 

[old'un]

 

15 minutes ago, tasr12 said:

As above - I tried to prop their heads up with sticks. 

I use pointed willow canes about 3 foot long, I push the cane through the bird and into the head, then stick them in the ground at an angle so the bird is about 4 to 6 inches above the rape, I leave the wings dangling so the wind will create some movement.

The birds do not need to be pristine, I’ve got birds that have been frozen and thawed lots of times, does not seem to bother the incoming pigeons.

With the flight line you will never have every bird come directly over your decoys so you need some movement to pull the birds closer, that’s why I asked if you used a flapper/magnet.

[tasr12]

20 minutes ago, old'un said:

 

 

 

 

I use pointed willow canes about 3 foot long, I push the cane through the bird and into the head, then stick them in the ground at an angle so the bird is about 4 to 6 inches above the rape, I leave the wings dangling so the wind will create some movement.

The birds do not need to be pristine, I’ve got birds that have been frozen and thawed lots of times, does not seem to bother the incoming pigeons.

With the flight line you will never have every bird come directly over your decoys so you need some movement to pull the birds closer, that’s why I asked if you used a flapper/magnet.

Thanks for the reply - useful. I’ll give that a go next time before I commit to buying more stuff!

Cheers.

[motty]

1 hour ago, old'un said:

 

 

 

 

I use pointed willow canes about 3 foot long, I push the cane through the bird and into the head, then stick them in the ground at an angle so the bird is about 4 to 6 inches above the rape, I leave the wings dangling so the wind will create some movement.

The birds do not need to be pristine, I’ve got birds that have been frozen and thawed lots of times, does not seem to bother the incoming pigeons.

With the flight line you will never have every bird come directly over your decoys so you need some movement to pull the birds closer, that’s why I asked if you used a flapper/magnet.

I don't really understand the last paragraph. Surely the decoys are also used to draw the birds closer.

By the way, I would never say movement in the decoys is always required. It can certainly help, but it is also possible to decoy pigeons with a totally static layout.

[Konnie]

1 hour ago, tasr12 said:

As above - I tried to prop their heads up with sticks. 

I use the wooden kebab scewers, about 8" long under the chin into the head. work to a certain height then move on to wire cradles,

Edited February 27, 2018 by Konnie

[blade]

 

[old'un]

43 minutes ago, motty said:

I don't really understand the last paragraph. Surely the decoys are also used to draw the birds closer...........Not if the op’s dead birds are flat on the ground amongst the rape, see the op’s earlier post.

By the way, I would never say movement in the decoys is always required. It can certainly help, but it is also possible to decoy pigeons with a totally static layout........

Never said it was not possible to decoy birds with a static pattern but how often do you setup like that? just trying to give the op some help.

 

 

Edited February 27, 2018 by old'un