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How to learn the ropes?


GC1698
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I've been looking through the sticky posts and wouldn't have even thought about wind direction and decoy patterns.

With me coming in to this with no experience what so ever with shotguns never mind game shooting, what is the best way to learn?

 

I have seen BASC is doing wood pigeon courses, are these a good starter to learn the basics?

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44 minutes ago, GC1698 said:

I've started at one of the clay clubs near me and I'm enjoying the shooting but would like to get in to the pigeon side of it.

Where about's is ( near me ) or better still , where do you intend to do your pigeon shooting ?

Somebody on here might be near to you and willing to help you out .

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15 hours ago, GC1698 said:

I've been looking through the sticky posts and wouldn't have even thought about wind direction and decoy patterns.

With me coming in to this with no experience what so ever with shotguns never mind game shooting, what is the best way to learn?

 

I have seen BASC is doing wood pigeon courses, are these a good starter to learn the basics?

Know one of the BASC local tutors and if they are all as experienced and knowledgeable as him well worth using the  BASC course.

Edited by deny essex
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9 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, you could start by buying this book, pigeon shooting by Archie Coats, all the basics and some recipes by Pru Coats, second hand about a fiver

Are you still trying to sell that book?.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only joking…..:)

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23 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, you could start by buying this book, pigeon shooting by Archie Coats, all the basics and some recipes by Pru Coats, second hand about a fiver

I have got a few pigeon shooting books and Archie Coats is still one of the best , some of the stuff in it is a bit out dated but overall a lot of his methods in decoying would still do the job today as it did for him in the 60s .

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2 hours ago, marsh man said:

I have got a few pigeon shooting books and Archie Coats is still one of the best , some of the stuff in it is a bit out dated but overall a lot of his methods in decoying would still do the job today as it did for him in the 60s .

hello, i quite agree marshman, i bought my first copy in 1968, the one i gave to Adam was to reminisce the good old days of army camo net, rubber deeks , home made hide poles and my old english side by side, and cartridges at oh i cannot remember :rolleyes: 

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7 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, i quite agree marshman, i bought my first copy in 1968, the one i gave to Adam was to reminisce the good old days of army camo net, rubber deeks , home made hide poles and my old english side by side, and cartridges at oh i cannot remember  

I often wonder if the ( Major ) was about this day age is how he would use the modern contraptions that we use as our everyday essentials , namely the magnet.

If he did use one now I don't think he would bother with chucking a dead from the hide to attract the attention of passing pigeons , as that is what the magnet is employed to do.

Nets, I think he would use the modern lightweight 2 / 3 ply ones rather than the heavy nato skrim ones 

Decoys , he was a great believer in using dead pigeons as decoys , and a dead one nowadays isn't any difference from the ones he used .

Patterns .... Like him I haven't got any set pattern , when I use my full body flexicoys I tip them from my sack , chuck them in different directions and set them up where they land either in front of my hide , or depending on the wind direction , right or left .

So like you say , a novice could read his book and get the basics to make a start , and then the hours , weeks , months and years spent in a hide and learning field craft is I am afraid  something he will have do himself rather than get it from a book.

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1 hour ago, marsh man said:

I often wonder if the ( Major ) was about this day age is how he would use the modern contraptions that we use as our everyday essentials , namely the magnet.

If he did use one now I don't think he would bother with chucking a dead from the hide to attract the attention of passing pigeons , as that is what the magnet is employed to do.

Nets, I think he would use the modern lightweight 2 / 3 ply ones rather than the heavy nato skrim ones 

Decoys , he was a great believer in using dead pigeons as decoys , and a dead one nowadays isn't any difference from the ones he used .

Patterns .... Like him I haven't got any set pattern , when I use my full body flexicoys I tip them from my sack , chuck them in different directions and set them up where they land either in front of my hide , or depending on the wind direction , right or left .

So like you say , a novice could read his book and get the basics to make a start , and then the hours , weeks , months and years spent in a hide and learning field craft is I am afraid  something he will have do himself rather than get it from a book.

hello, good post marshman,  oh i do remember throwing a few dead pigeons, never worked for me ha ha, anyway i gave that book to Adam about 2 years ago, i think he read it a few times but we have been meeting up now and again on his permission and is doing very well on setting out patterns/wind direction/ etc etc, so most times i sit in the motor watching from a distance, i do not think i will get out until spring sowing but he will have a magnet this year as i am not doing very much shooting so its good to see a younger pigeon shooter enjoying our sport, cheers   

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I would say dont rush off and buy a load of kit until you have at least got some idea of what works best and how to use it properly,  there is never a 'one method fits all' set up as the birds will behave differently at different time of the year and on different feeding grounds, 

Learn to shoot moving targets , clays are the obvious choice, also how to handle and maintain your gun of choice. most important learn your gun safety, especially if you intend to share a hide with another shooter.

There is a mass of good information on youtube for all types of shooting from clay's to live game.

As to the permission to shoot on private land, many farmers and land owners would be wary of allowing an inexperienced gun to roam around their property, try to find someone local who is prepared to take you out on a regular basis to gain experience.

finally make sure you are fully aware of your legal responsibilities, ' sorry didnt know that" wont wash with the police, penalties for 'armed trespass' are mind blowing and one mistake could change your life, take care :good: 

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  • 5 months later...
On 23/02/2019 at 08:38, deny essex said:

Know one of the BASC local tutors and if they are all as experienced and knowledgeable as him well worth using the  BASC course.

good answer basc is the best way forward  and if you are a younger person under seventeen they have young shots days that includes  pigeon ore duck flights with a mentor they have lady  days on all those  choices i missed game shooting go fore it cheers len

 

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On 23/02/2019 at 18:22, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, you could start by buying this book, pigeon shooting by Archie Coats, all the basics and some recipes by Pru Coats, second hand about a fiver

thats pretty much what i did, bought the book, bought a net and some decoys at a loacal farm auction and set of to some fields i had a permission on.  spent all my summer school holiday around those few fields!!  shot a few pigeons and slowly worked it out with the help of that little book. 

 

of course had i had a little help from a local expert id of learnt a lot quickker, but i loved that summer holiday!! 

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1 hour ago, Jay_Russell said:

thats pretty much what i did, bought the book, bought a net and some decoys at a loacal farm auction and set of to some fields i had a permission on.  spent all my summer school holiday around those few fields!!  shot a few pigeons and slowly worked it out with the help of that little book. 

 

of course had i had a little help from a local expert id of learnt a lot quickker, but i loved that summer holiday!! 

hello, i was 16 in 1965, dad bought me a nice S/Side hammer 410, and got Archies book for Christmas, now 50 plus years on i still look back on those years learning by trial and error mostley the later ha ha

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