Hides and things

[GingerCat]

After a remarkably busy few days off work I cracked open a cold one and sat in the afternoon sun with my wife and children. 

The spot I chose is under a willow, a small stream between me and a field.  Full sun, not in the shade. 

The field was a field of volunteer beans, freshly harrowed  2 days ago and not drilled . About 200 birds fed of it all day. Same in the adjoining field. 

I sat there having a beer with my daughter throwing pine cones into the stream, my wife gulping wine and all of the chatting and moving about one might expect. 

The pigeons were less than 30 yards away and dropping in from every which way they liked . I tried to clap some off to see where they went but was ignored.  They didn't pay  one little bit of attention. Even I could have got a double figure bag quite easily and in short order.

I wondered if we go overboard sometimes with hides and things. Thoughts?

Edited April 8, 2020 by GingerCat

[marsh man]

2 minutes ago, GingerCat said:

After a remarkably busy few days off work I cracked open a cold one and sat in the afternoon sun with my wife and children. 

The spot I chose is under a willow, a small stream between me and a field.  Full sun, not in the shade. 

The field was a field of volunteer beans, freshly harrowed  2 days ago and not drilled . About 200 birds fed of it all day. Same in the adjoining field. 

I sat there having a beer with my daughter throwing pine cones into the stream, my wife gulping wine and all of the chatting and moving about one might expect. 

The pigeons were less than 30 yards away and dropping in from every which way they liked . I tried to clap some off to see where they went but was ignored.  They didn't pay  one little bit of attention. Even I could have got a double figure bag quite easily and in short order.

I wondered if we go overboard sometimes with hides and things. Thoughts?

We have got Pigeons everywhere in the village and on my walks I can pass some in the fields within shooting distance , apart from the odd gas gun I haven't heard any shotgun shooting and I swear blind the Pigeons know they are safe , same as when the game season is over the Pheasants tame up and this apply to wildfowl as well , on the estuary we have got a large area that is no longer shot and the duck know this is a safe area , many a time in the height of the shooting season you can walk along the wall to within 30 / 40 yds of anything up to well over 1000 duck of all different species  , on a good tide the saltings are covered and I have often been in the bird watchers hide with duck feeding 10 yds from it, if the Pigeons are allowed to feed over the next few weeks without them being shot at , I can see some very big bags made when shooting carry on as normal  .

[spurs 14]

I’ve had the same size bags if I’ve been out early , set up a hide against a hedge , rotary out , couple floaters and twenty decoys out in front or I’ve walked out threw half a dozen shells out and stood under a tree shooting as they diverted in ! 

 Think it’s all on the day and how the woodies are feeling , but to be honest it’s great to make a proper day of it get set up and idle time away sat in a hide especially if they play ball and come in ones or twos 

[motty]

The only thing I really pay attention to is where I put my hide, or flight lines into fields. I worry far less about my hide and decoy pattern. 

[GingerCat]

2 hours ago, motty said:

The only thing I really pay attention to is where I put my hide, or flight lines into fields. I worry far less about my hide and decoy pattern. 

I think that about sums it up. They couldn't care less I was there as they wanted to be there, for reasons known only to themselves. 

[KillStone]

Very dependant on the day in my experience. If the birds aren’t particularly committing one day just popping above a good hide can be enough to flare them at 50+yards.....at the same time and I’m sure I’m not the only one but I’ve had a silver pickup parked in the middle of a big decoy spread at the end of the day and continuously shot pigeon one after another stood next to said truck in bright sunshine they fully committed shooting 90% of them at around 20-25yards!!  I don’t really tend to go to too much effort in hides etc so long as it’ll break up my outline and mask majority of movements it usually does the trick I find. 

[mossy835]

i was out last summer by the pond shooting over a wheat field stubble,no hide just branches from a wilow tree.hanging over sat in my seat, they were coming in great shot 30 that afternoon.

[Zimtrout]

I have had similar, i have been informed by two shooting buds who have shared hides that i am a little over the top. I cut branches out of hedges, foliage, roll round bales, two hide nets, sometimes i make a roof etc....have had days where pigeon have almost landed on the hide and other days where the first flick of movement as i stand to shoot they flair off. 

they are funny things, but all the more enthralling. i am so looking forward to getting back out doing some more decoying. this will be my second full season at it, and every time i go i learn something new. 

[kitchrat]

As far as I'm concerned, there are 2 types of pigeon,  the Urban Bird, who feeds on bird tables and makes the occasional excursion into the country and the Rural Bird who lives life at the sharp end of my Beretta and knows it.

When  the Urban Bird makes his excursion into the country he is easy meat, flies straight into the decoys.  Usually I miss him out of surprise, but when I do connect he is often full of brown bread or peanuts, none of which are grown by local farmers.