We should have done better.

[JDog]

Clodhopper has some land on which the farmer swathes rape rather than spraying it off which is the common practice. One field has been swathed for two weeks and the farmer made a start on harvesting last week before being rained off having gone round the field three times. Pigeons found this immediately.

It was a long narrow field and we chose to be at one end of it making our hides on willow bushes 50m apart. Rotaries and plastic decoys completed the pattern. Pigeons came straight away but not from the direction we anticipated. In the first hour we shot quite a few and added them to the pattern, in the second hour things slowed up a bit then incoming pigeons just veered off for no apparent reason. Taking in the rotaries made no difference so we packed up.

We picked 41 though we shot over 50. Quite a few landed dead in the uncut rows and we decided against looking too hard for these birds as the rape seed would have spilled out of the pods as we trampled around. We both missed a few and our tally should have been much higher.

Knowledge of agricultural practices is an essential part of a pigeon shooters armoury so for those who have not seen swathed rape I will put up a couple of pictures. One shows the unharvested swathes on the right and the three rows of harvested rape on the left. The other picture shows a combine harvester with a special header on designed to take up one row of swath at a time. 

Edited July 22, 2019 by JDog

[Old Boggy]

Unfortunately the farms that I shoot on no longer swath their rape. A common practice a few years ago, but as you say, spraying off seems to be the predominant method these days. I have had some really good shooting over swathed rape in the past, but being careful not to venture onto the swathed rows as the pods are very vulnerable at that stage and any disturbance easily sheds the seed. I was led to believe that the inevitable drop in yield (cast seed) was offset by the saving on spraying off. Obviously, views on this have now generally been reversed and spraying off with glyphosate is the norm. As everyone experiences, once the moisture content is between acceptable levels and no lower than 6% once sprayed off, then combining begins in earnest. Penalties in terms of loss of revenue to the tonnage rate are made if the moisture content is too high or too low.

It`s always interesting to note how much seed is still spilt even with modern machinery as after harvest, the field very soon greens up with volunteer rape. This obviously is just as well, as it`s what gives us such good shooting at this time prior to the seed sprouting. I just wonder whether the spilt seed is prior to harvest and spilt naturally, or by the cutter bar.

Has anyone ever had good shooting over volunteer rape ? The pigeons just don`t seem interested in what would appear to be a succulent food. Perhaps it`s that there is more appetizing food available at that time.

Most of the rape is now cut or being cut around here, so just waiting for the pigeons to show an interest after being on triticale stubble for that last week or so.

OB

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by Old Boggy

[marsh man]

Shooting around 50 in two hours is a good bit of sport in a short period of time , I dare say that Codhopper is a bit restricted with time and can only go when time allows , where people like ourselves with more time on our hands might have left it alone for a few days to let the pigeons get into some sort of a routine , this might not have made a scrap of difference and they could have moved off to another fresh cut field and the maximum build up was when you went , this we will never know 

On a normal year , which at the moment this years harvest is becoming with the changing weather , the rape is one of the last crops to be cut and as far as I know I don't think any have been cut yet , with a lot of dry , hot days forecast this week the Winter Barley should should be drawing to a close and the first of the Wheat fields could be started on with the rape shortly following the Wheat.  

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, good post JD, with the price of rape seed per ton farmers have to try and get maximum per acre without loosing on spillage or even that pigeon damage, it is not an easy crop to get from field to barns/dryers without using the modern combines and up to date trailers, then load from storage to the buyers lorry, JCB with large bucket, i would estimate 10% is lost on most farms, that is a lot of money across the UK

[martinj]

On ‎22‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 08:43, Old Boggy said:

Has anyone ever had good shooting over volunteer rape ?

Some years ago I had permission on a shoot which never produced much in the way of pigeons and it wasn't for lack of trying, my best day on that shoot was 56 shot over OSR sprouting seeds, maybe one inch high, I shot about thirty the following week.

Edited July 23, 2019 by martinj

[aga man]

Good effort guys, nice to shoot over the swaths for a change even if only for nostalgic reasons. I had the chance to shoot some last year but the swaths were huge, biggest I have ever seen, could have lost a dog in there!

I declined and shot the stubble afterwards taking some decent bags.

[mossy835]

never seen any swaths rape down here, its all ways sprayed off 

[Clodhopper]

For me it was just great to be out. Having started a new job I have very little free time to shoot. This was the first time I have had the gun out in over a month. We certainly did not make the most of the situation, shooting poorly for the most part with the odd period connecting with a few.

The pigeon breast my wife and I had for tea alongside fresh produce from the allotment, washed down with a pint or 2 of Guiness certainly did finish off an enjoyable day.

 

[Clodhopper]

I had better add that the 3-400 birds were mostly feeding on the unharvested rows, causing a considerable financial loss to the farmer. I could not persuade them to dine at an alternative establishment.

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, Clodhopper said:

For me it was just great to be out. Having started a new job I have very little free time to shoot. This was the first time I have had the gun out in over a month. We certainly did not make the most of the situation, shooting poorly for the most part with the odd period connecting with a few.

The pigeon breast my wife and I had for tea alongside fresh produce from the allotment, washed down with a pint or 2 of Guiness certainly did finish off an enjoyable day.

 

Your tea sounded like the perfect finish after having a day sport in our lovely countryside , the pub where I sell 40 pigeons each week gets rid of any before I take the next ones by including the breast meat onto kebabs , up to now ( touch wood ) they manage to use them all up each week . 

GOOD LUCK with your new job 

[Old Boggy]

19 hours ago, martinj said:

Some years ago I had permission on a shoot which never produced much in the way of pigeons and it wasn't for lack of trying, my best day on that shoot was 56 shot over OSR sprouting seeds, maybe one inch high, I had maybe thirty the following week.

I can only guess that there wasn`t any other available food in the area, as I`ve never noticed much interest shown on volunteer rape. You did very well on that occasion.