Bamboo skewers

[B725]

I bought 100 bamboo skewers from tesco for a couple of quid they are the perfect length for propping up the head of a pigeon so it looks like it is sat there. Also if you forget to pick it up it won't cause any harm to farm machinery and they weigh nothing so your not carrying extra weight 

 

[steve_b_wales]

I use bamboo canes cut down around 11" each. When shooting Corvids, I insert the cane from the rear end into the head/neck. The rest of the cane in inserted into the ground. It gives them a 'real' look.

[Smokersmith]

18 minutes ago, B725 said:

I bought 100 bamboo skewers from tesco for a couple of quid they are the perfect length for propping up the head of a pigeon so it looks like it is sat there. Also if you forget to pick it up it won't cause any harm to farm machinery and they weigh nothing so your not carrying extra weight 

 

+1 !!

I carry them in an old tonic bottle to make sure they don't go everywhere in my kit.

[B725]

That's a good idea 

[old'un]

Just cut some willow or hazel sticks about 900mm long and about 10mm dia, sharpen both ends to a point, push one end up the birds rear end till it reaches its head then push the other end into the ground at an angle, very similar to Steve’s idea with the canes but they coast nothing and 15 or 20 fit into my hide pole holdall, as Steve said they present the bird perfectly and you can adjust the height by altering the angle.

[Smokersmith]

Repurpose skewers from your next BBQ .... also free

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, i just checked tesco online and says have stopped selling the bamboo skewers, try waitrose 100 for £2, i will see if can order some in store, 

[B725]

1 hour ago, old'un said:

Just cut some willow or hazel sticks about 900mm long and about 10mm dia, sharpen both ends to a point, push one end up the birds rear end till it reaches its head then push the other end into the ground at an angle, very similar to Steve’s idea with the canes but they coast nothing and 15 or 20 fit into my hide pole holdall, as Steve said they present the bird perfectly and you can adjust the height by altering the angle.

I just sit the pigeon on the ground the sharp end shoved under the head then push the skewer into the ground at whatever height you want to look like it's head's up or down without it just laying there 

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, i just checked tesco online and says have stopped selling the bamboo skewers, try waitrose 100 for £2, i will see if can order some in store, 

I used to get a packet of kebab sticks from the pound shop , not sure how many are in the packet but I would have thought a 100 or more , got a point on the top and are about the right height and at less than 1p each they are not likely to make you bankrupt is you lose one.

I say used to buy them , but now through laziness I seem to chin up a pigeon less and less nowadays , I start off with two dead pigeons on the magnet and one on a floater , a dozen flexicoys on cradles which are replaced with dead ones as they are shot and if I want any more out I just lay them out on the ground or if on rape , open the wings and lay them on the crop , as I say , I am getting a bit lazy

[oldypigeonpopper]

12 minutes ago, marsh man said:

I used to get a packet of kebab sticks from the pound shop , not sure how many are in the packet but I would have thought a 100 or more , got a point on the top and are about the right height and at less than 1p each they are not likely to make you bankrupt is you lose one.

I say used to buy them , but now through laziness I seem to chin up a pigeon less and less nowadays , I start off with two dead pigeons on the magnet and one on a floater , a dozen flexicoys on cradles which are replaced with dead ones as they are shot and if I want any more out I just lay them out on the ground or if on rape , open the wings and lay them on the crop , as I say , I am getting a bit lazy

hello, thanks marsh man, will check out the £ shop here,  

[Bobba]

10 hours ago, marsh man said:

I say used to buy them , but now through laziness I seem to chin up a pigeon less and less nowadays , I start off with two dead pigeons on the magnet and one on a floater , a dozen flexicoys on cradles which are replaced with dead ones as they are shot and if I want any more out I just lay them out on the ground or if on rape , open the wings and lay them on the crop , as I say , I am getting a bit lazy

I deploy similar tactics. I lay them on the ground, smooth the feathers and push beak into the ground. For some I spread the wings or use a wing spreader on a short rod to create a lander.

I wouldn't put it down to laziness. It's just that I'm not at all convinced that all the faff involved with sticks etc gives a noticeable edge to the art of decoying pigeons.

[Longstrider]

I've been using these for years for pigeons and crows. They'll do no harm to farm machinery, but are like deadly pungee sticks to dogs if you leave them in the ground when you're done.

 

Take a pigeon off one and look at it, then imagine your 4 legged mate running into it ....

 

They're great for the job, but PLEASE guys, pick them up with the dead birds at the end of the day.

[marsh man]

10 hours ago, Bobba said:

I deploy similar tactics. I lay them on the ground, smooth the feathers and push beak into the ground. For some I spread the wings or use a wing spreader on a short rod to create a lander.

I wouldn't put it down to laziness. It's just that I'm not at all convinced that all the faff involved with sticks etc gives a noticeable edge to the art of decoying pigeons.

I think the object of the exercise is to try and imitate a relaxed feeding situation , where a pigeon heading to that field is keen to join your group for something to eat , so what do we do ? , we put a pair of pigeons on a machine that go round in a circle and get no where , no I am only joking , having said that, I now only use a magnet on tall growing and laid crops , I no longer use one on land that have just been drilled or the crop is very short as I don't think it is really needed , but that is only my opinion , a lot of people now use them in every situation while decoying and you often hear where the pigeons flared away , or the arms were glinting in the sun and so on , so why keep using them ?

[keeperdan]

I have watched a couple of the field sports channel videos with Andy crow in, he uses hazel sticks set at an angel not underneath the pigeons head,, I don’t know if this work better or not., just putting it out there 

[Peej]

That's a plausible idea. Did you manage to pull it off?