A complete failure on drillings.

[JDog]

Three days after light land round my home village was drilled with barley I dragged Ginger Cat over here to shoot a bag full.

There were lots of pigeons on the field as we walked up and between 600 and 800 got up out of a wood and came over our heads. Groups returned to the wood but barely gave the twenty dead bird decoy pattern a second glance.

We moved on after an hour with three birds in the bag and no chance whatsoever of shooting any more.

[ditchman]

i often have days like that..............drove past one of my rape fields this morning....about 300 tightly packed of then there....................and as i drove back they were still there...and further down 2 or 3 flocks of 150 odd flying about.................i really dont get any sport until they split up and are wandering about in 2 or 3's............up  until then i might as well be a mobile gas gun.............

 

so i feel your pain..

[lakeside1000]

27 minutes ago, ditchman said:

i often have days like that..............drove past one of my rape fields this morning....about 300 tightly packed of then there....................and as i drove back they were still there...and further down 2 or 3 flocks of 150 odd flying about.................i really dont get any sport until they split up and are wandering about in 2 or 3's............up  until then i might as well be a mobile gas gun.............

 

so i feel your pain..

+1 Ditchman, I took 26 on a rape field last Wednesday by some stroke of good fortune, when I returned the following Monday 300 got up and went somewhere else, I had 2 shots for no birds, not deterred I picked up another 100 acres of rape yesterday afternoon, at least 2 bunches of 300+ moving about on it this morning, so I set up under a large ivy covered oak with a sea of droppings around it, lots of decoys out plus floaters and a magnet, in 4 hours I had 1 yes 1 long shot which missed by a mile, came home with sore eyes and a headache after staring at an empty sky for the whole afternoon, I cant wait for them to start breaking into small bunches or even single birds, at least they should present a better chance of getting a few. thats if I dont lose my sanity before then !!!!😂😆

[marsh man]

I know exactly you are up against Mr JDog , for the last three weeks I have been following two or three really big flocks of pigeons from one rape field to another , then last Saturday I pulled into a block of fields where pigeons had been feeding on the rape , well instead of being on the rape they were spread over a winter barley field , there heads were going down and they had certainly found something to there liking , while watching them , pigeons were joining them and the Fir trees were packed with pigeons , the time was around one o clock and before long the roost shooters would be making there way to there places , this was looking a good situation so out I get and started to walk all around the headland and put them all off , drove round the edge of the field so I had what wind there was on my back and then made a good job of my set up with with a good spread of decoys , floaters and a magnet , then the wait began , after half a hour without having a shot I was beginning to fear the worst , then at long last I got one , then shooting started in the woods but still little action over the coys , when the Norwich football game got to half time I admitted defeat and packed up with seven hard earnt  pigeons , still I did see a lot to begin with and I hope that sooner than later they will be a bit more obliging .

Hope things improve for you as well .

[aga man]

An honest report JDog and goes to show fresh drillings are not always the milk and honey some folk think.

[lakeside1000]

8 minutes ago, marsh man said:

I know exactly you are up against Mr JDog , for the last three weeks I have been following two or three really big flocks of pigeons from one rape field to another , then last Saturday I pulled into a block of fields where pigeons had been feeding on the rape , well instead of being on the rape they were spread over a winter barley field , there heads were going down and they had certainly found something to there liking , while watching them , pigeons were joining them and the Fir trees were packed with pigeons , the time was around one o clock and before long the roost shooters would be making there way to there places , this was looking a good situation so out I get and started to walk all around the headland and put them all off , drove round the edge of the field so I had what wind there was on my back and then made a good job of my set up with with a good spread of decoys , floaters and a magnet , then the wait began , after half a hour without having a shot I was beginning to fear the worst , then at long last I got one , then shooting started in the woods but still little action over the coys , when the Norwich football game got to half time I admitted defeat and packed up with seven hard earnt  pigeons , still I did see a lot to begin with and I hope that sooner than later they will be a bit more obliging .

Hope things improve for you as well .

Where I sat this afternoon it was the same story, a large flock were moving between a small wood and a barley field 300 to 400 yards away, the nearest they got to me was perching in some trees along the road side before rejoining the main flock in the barley, they never once came into the rape all afternoon even though the entire field has been badly damaged by previous visits. 

[Spr1985]

Appologies as this is a bit off topic, as a newbie I have a genuine question and some thoughts. 

The question:- is it common practice to decoy at sitty trees/roost trees? 

The thoughts behind the question:-  if the pigeons are going to the sitty trees to chill out/digest food why would they be interested in “feeding” decoys? Surely they've already had their fill and wouldn’t be interested.

then more or less the same point, if they’re going in to roost and have been out gorging all day surely they just want to rest up for the night

obviously as I said I’m new to this and am by no means saying these tac tics don’t work,  but to me it would make more sense to decoy into a field of crop and put the hide on a hedgerow/ somewhere as inconspicuous as possible 

[Whitebridges]

Is part of the problem these modern, ultra efficient drilling machines?  Years ago they used to spill a lot of seed especially turning near the headland(s).

These days, when there is a good tilth there's ziltch spillage. I shoot a bit of land in North Norfolk which has a lot of flint in it and there is some seed left there after drilling.

I'm truckless at the moment so went roost shooting. Got a handful of birds and they were stuffed with OSR.       

[Wilts#Dave]

What a let down Jdog.....what you describe is what happens to most of us at times though! All I read on the Facebook site is endless 100/200 minimum days where pigeons are constantly suicidal it seems. 

We’ve had a very lean frustrating winter, with very little to go at. Managed 26 on rape today with an early afternoon session, with 34 off the same field less than a week ago that is as good as it’s got since October! 

[Fuddster]

I've sacked off decoying osr in January and early February as its soul destroying watching big flocks disappear. I devote my efforts to roost shooting when the weathers right.

Today, I ventured forth as the wife was covering the kids as its our half term. Lured like a lemming to a cliff, I obbed a osr field with the obligatory 500 birds down and more joining.

Cue the long drag, optimistic set up-15 shells, 2 floaters and a flapper.

Cue the empty skies, couple of bangs, head scratching, made a brew from flask but the milk pod was off so just plain old water for me.

Four hours for 5 down, some nice scenery, dogs were happy to be out and then back to meet afore mentioned wife (yay,not) and darling offspring.

plus points-i made a chicken and pasta dish for dinner-very Tuscan with rosemary,garlic and chilli-quashed with a non too shabby malbec.

minus points-when my car is released from the garage tomorrow after service, I might squeeze in a quick hour over the deeks.

anyway, it beats work.

f.

 

 

[GingerCat]

It certainly was an interesting afternoon. The Sun was at our backs and so was the wind. The weather was perfect in fact. The scenery pretty to look at. 

We pushed lots of birds off as we walked up and the first shot put easily 600 birds from the large wood into the air. 

They just didn't want the decoys. A few came in perfectly and the dog had a fantastic pair of Jack daws at an easy 50 yards. They fell within 3 feet of another stone dead.   The rest were 70 yards plus high and heading elsewhere. 

Not a failure by any means, it was too nice a day for that. 

[ditchman]

1 hour ago, Spr1985 said:

Appologies as this is a bit off topic, as a newbie I have a genuine question and some thoughts. 

The question:- is it common practice to decoy at sitty trees/roost trees? 

The thoughts behind the question:-  if the pigeons are going to the sitty trees to chill out/digest food why would they be interested in “feeding” decoys? Surely they've already had their fill and wouldn’t be interested.

then more or less the same point, if they’re going in to roost and have been out gorging all day surely they just want to rest up for the night

obviously as I said I’m new to this and am by no means saying these tac tics don’t work,  but to me it would make more sense to decoy into a field of crop and put the hide on a hedgerow/ somewhere as inconspicuous as possible 

dont apologise...you dont find out if you dont ask questions

 

• if you are going to shoot a sitty tree..hoist a couple of lofters on a bare branch
• roost trees/woods usually shot at dusk...move lightweight and wait for them to come in
• if you stay watching at trees that contain birds...they will move in and out...they proberly feel safer in a tree than on the ground
• it may be boring but get some binoculars and spend a lot of time watching them

keep asking questions...........

[pigeon controller]

2 hours ago, Spr1985 said:

Appologies as this is a bit off topic, as a newbie I have a genuine question and some thoughts. 

The question:- is it common practice to decoy at sitty trees/roost trees? 

The thoughts behind the question:-  if the pigeons are going to the sitty trees to chill out/digest food why would they be interested in “feeding” decoys? Surely they've already had their fill and wouldn’t be interested.

then more or less the same point, if they’re going in to roost and have been out gorging all day surely they just want to rest up for the night

obviously as I said I’m new to this and am by no means saying these tac tics don’t work,  but to me it would make more sense to decoy into a field of crop and put the hide on a hedgerow/ somewhere as inconspicuous as possible 

The pigeons will sit in trees as a safe area to view the field and digest there  food. As Ditchmas has said a pair of lofted decoys will tend to attract flighting birds to your decoys on the field. This time of year you get large flocks moving round playing follow the leader, that is they will tend to drop into trees and one will drop into the field and the others will subsequently follow and drop in. So the sitty tree has two uses one to digest food in a safe place and also a landing platform prior to dropping into the field once the coast is clear.

As you state the best method is to conceal yourself in a good hide and set of decoys with perhaps a magnet/flapper to give movement to your decoys for passing birds the addition of lofted birds will be visible to more birds.

The main thing you need to consider is that you have a field that the birds want to be on or are flighting to and that you have set your decoys where the birds want to be on the field not where you want to set up. Observation of the field is crucial, walk the birds off , if they return set up if not move on.

[Bobba]

"A complete failure on Drillings" At least you guys who are frustrated with shooting over rape have something to keep you interested.

Woodies conspicuous by their absence here just north of Bristol. Not only that but my permission has had fields of OSR totalled by flea beetle. Fields are brown. He has decided not to plant OSR again.

[Spr1985]

11 hours ago, ditchman said:

dont apologise...you dont find out if you dont ask questions

 

• if you are going to shoot a sitty tree..hoist a couple of lofters on a bare branch
• roost trees/woods usually shot at dusk...move lightweight and wait for them to come in
• if you stay watching at trees that contain birds...they will move in and out...they proberly feel safer in a tree than on the ground
• it may be boring but get some binoculars and spend a lot of time watching them

keep asking questions...........

 

10 hours ago, pigeon controller said:

The pigeons will sit in trees as a safe area to view the field and digest there  food. As Ditchmas has said a pair of lofted decoys will tend to attract flighting birds to your decoys on the field. This time of year you get large flocks moving round playing follow the leader, that is they will tend to drop into trees and one will drop into the field and the others will subsequently follow and drop in. So the sitty tree has two uses one to digest food in a safe place and also a landing platform prior to dropping into the field once the coast is clear.

As you state the best method is to conceal yourself in a good hide and set of decoys with perhaps a magnet/flapper to give movement to your decoys for passing birds the addition of lofted birds will be visible to more birds.

The main thing you need to consider is that you have a field that the birds want to be on or are flighting to and that you have set your decoys where the birds want to be on the field not where you want to set up. Observation of the field is crucial, walk the birds off , if they return set up if not move on.

Thanks chaps, 👍🏻