chrislightning Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 What are people’s views on what time you should be set up and ready to shoot? Should i I be there before the first flight of the day? Or or should I be waiting to let them settle on the field and set up mid morning? I’ve always been an up at the crack of dawn and set up early morning. But I’m reading and watching many shooters set up later than this. Am I missing something? Any views welcome, Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenholland Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 best to watch the field first, then see where they want to drop in , plus weather conditions and wind , then you decide best time to have a go , don't forget any flight lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 41 minutes ago, chrislightning said: What are people’s views on what time you should be set up and ready to shoot? Should i I be there before the first flight of the day? Or or should I be waiting to let them settle on the field and set up mid morning? I’ve always been an up at the crack of dawn and set up early morning. But I’m reading and watching many shooters set up later than this. Am I missing something? Any views welcome, Chris. Watch the field for a few days before you decide when to start , some fields will shoot better first thing in the morning and others wont show any interest till later on the morning , Have a look at JDog's post on Sporting Pictures ( Short And Sweet ) on Monday . Started shooting at 5 past 8 , fired 21 shots and killed 18 pigeons in 25 minutes , no more shots and all over by 9 am . So have a look and see if they are active first thing in the morning and if so give it a go . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted January 16, 2019 Report Share Posted January 16, 2019 Pigeon controller has most success by finding feeding flocks, pushing them away, and waiting for them to return. This obviously works for him, but it never has for me. I have shot several 100 plus bags on winter rape, by turning up and shooting at first light. The action may be over well before lunchtime, but it can be fast and furious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted January 17, 2019 Report Share Posted January 17, 2019 9 hours ago, motty said: Pigeon controller has most success by finding feeding flocks, pushing them away, and waiting for them to return. This obviously works for him, but it never has for me. I have shot several 100 plus bags on winter rape, by turning up and shooting at first light. The action may be over well before lunchtime, but it can be fast and furious. Spot on Motty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 On 16 January 2019 at 22:37, motty said: Pigeon controller has most success by finding feeding flocks, pushing them away, and waiting for them to return. This obviously works for him, but it never has for me. I have shot several 100 plus bags on winter rape, by turning up and shooting at first light. The action may be over well before lunchtime, but it can be fast and furious. Just picked up on this topic, as Motty states we push them off and wait for them to return. If they don't we move on. We have lots of woods which retain birds and make them stay within specific areas so you can predict the fields they use . We are able to rest fields to enable them to gain confidence in feeding but this is not always possible due to farmers putting shots over them during the week.we always ask " has it been shot" if it has we would normally leave it and move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 I had a pro pigeon shooter tell me it was pointless setting up before 10am but personally I have had some cracking mornings when i have been there before crack of dawn and supped a few cups of coffee before they decide to arrive and as said often it was all over by mid day. Certainly on crows be there before dawn. One of my best mornings on maize just peeping through was 148 crows in three hours ..hot barrels and a lady in the next village told the postman that all of the crows in the wood behind her house had vanished. I think you have to suck it and see really, unless you have the time to cruise and choose all week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilksy II Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 On a recent outing on rape we had steady trade in the morning not helped by a low lying mist,with a lull from one till two, just thinking about packing up and had a flurry of activity till three that boosted the bag, they came in regardless of the shooting, can only think the amount of gas guns going off all round helped us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrislightning Posted January 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 Thanks for all the replies. I too have shot some of my best bags early doors. On this occasion it looked like the field I was shooting was more of an afternoon field. So I moved on and had a good couple of hours on the edge of a wood with a field of rape in front. I’ve shot the field far too much over the last month but it’s guaranteed to “shoot at” and normally drop 20-30. So I was happy. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 19 hours ago, Wilksy II said: On a recent outing on rape we had steady trade in the morning not helped by a low lying mist,with a lull from one till two, just thinking about packing up and had a flurry of activity till three that boosted the bag, they came in regardless of the shooting, can only think the amount of gas guns going off all round helped us This seems to be the way they are around here, lots of birds at first light, they move on after a couple of hours but often return for a quick feed before going to roost, very quiet from 12 ish up to around 2.00, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) i was working 30 miles up the road today. and the pigeons were all over 2 fields of rape all day, saw the farmer and its not shot, to far for me.when i have 6 fielda up the road. Edited January 25, 2019 by mossy835 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 1 hour ago, mossy835 said: i was working 30 miles up the road today. and the pigeons were all over 2 fields of rape all day, saw the farmer and its not shot, to far for me.when i have 6 fielda up the road. Are pigeons working on the six fields you have got ( up the road ) mossy ?, I would swap six of my fields that have seen very little activity from pigeons for one that look promising , having a lot of fields don't mean to much if nothing is going on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 (edited) pigeons are going on them that i have, not going mad on them but the farms i have are local,i dont want to traval 30 miles for them. Edited January 25, 2019 by mossy835 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted January 25, 2019 Report Share Posted January 25, 2019 I got under a flight line this afternoon between two large fields of rape, birds were moving all afternoon but seemed very unsettled, I only managed 9 as they were very high and I am breaking in my new Hushpower moderator which mounts on an extended 1/2 choke, its a bit like shooting with a bean can strapped on the end of the barrel, at first I kept losing sight of the target behind it but after a few goes I gradually got the hang of it and made a few quite good shots before the light went along with all the birds. All the early problems with trying to use sub sonic cartridges are now a dim and distant memory, giving up on subs as they would not cycle through my semi, I reverted to some 28 gm 6's in fibre wad, they appear to do the job very well and I can now shoot without ear plugs which is another plus' Shooting through the 1/2 choke rather than my normal 1/4 choke meant higher birds were possible but close up ones took some hitting, I only managed 50% hit rate with 18 cartridges for 9 birds , a lot lower than my normal percentage but It was a good lesson for me getting used to the moderator on some difficult birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilksy II Posted January 27, 2019 Report Share Posted January 27, 2019 On 25/01/2019 at 22:31, lakeside1000 said: I got under a flight line this afternoon between two large fields of rape, birds were moving all afternoon but seemed very unsettled, I only managed 9 as they were very high and I am breaking in my new Hushpower moderator which mounts on an extended 1/2 choke, its a bit like shooting with a bean can strapped on the end of the barrel, at first I kept losing sight of the target behind it but after a few goes I gradually got the hang of it and made a few quite good shots before the light went along with all the birds. All the early problems with trying to use sub sonic cartridges are now a dim and distant memory, giving up on subs as they would not cycle through my semi, I reverted to some 28 gm 6's in fibre wad, they appear to do the job very well and I can now shoot without ear plugs which is another plus' Shooting through the 1/2 choke rather than my normal 1/4 choke meant higher birds were possible but close up ones took some hitting, I only managed 50% hit rate with 18 cartridges for 9 birds , a lot lower than my normal percentage but It was a good lesson for me getting used to the moderator on some difficult birds. Glad you got on better with your hushpower, and I think that 50% is very good, as you say it’s a very different picture with one of those on the end of your gun plus the extra weight/length Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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