Decoying for success

[Accuspell]

My pigeon bags have always been very modest, even decoying. My personal best was 36 one day over peas in the spring, but that was many years ago and I have always considered I have done well if I can get half a dozen in a day. I have still not perfected this decoying lark (50 years I have been at it now). I have a dozen Flexicoys and some lofting decoys and poles. I have a magpie I put out too, to try and provide confidence. Most of my fields are grass, being dairy farms, but there are a couple of cropped fields, sometimes put to maize, sometimes for wholecrop barley.

What can I do to improve my success rate please? I do better roosting them in the woods with the airgun than I do decoying with the shotgun on fields. I have read Archie Coates from cover to cover many times and have used his pigeon patterns for my decoys, but often the pigeons flare away rather than flying in, despite me making a really well built hide.

Edited December 26, 2021 by Accuspell

[pigeon controller]

With respect you need to gain permission on a farm with crops that the pigeons need to eat otherwise find a flight line that crosses your ground. You may be lucky and find the birds on clover within your grass. Good luck in your quest.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, that book was my Bible back many many years ago, as PC mentioned are there any  adjacent farms that you could get permission ? I use to leave up my lofting poles and deeks in winter time but always used my 12 or 410, I've shot grass fields that had clover but it's not like grain crops or rape fields, I use shell decoys most and more the merrier , also for movement 2 bouncer poles, with a cut down whole pigeon decoy, with rod holder glued inside so the fibre pole goes through  tail hole to inside head , there some photos on tight chokes post that look like mine I will check out , where are you in UK, ?

Edited December 27, 2021 by oldypigeonpopper

[old'un]

17 hours ago, pigeon controller said:

With respect you need to gain permission on a farm with crops that the pigeons need to eat otherwise find a flight line that crosses your ground. You may be lucky and find the birds on clover within your grass. Good luck in your quest.

This ^^ but just to add, you need to put the miles and hours in to find a field that is shootable, no good looking at grass fields when the pigeons are hitting some laid barley or on the rape stubbles.

[oldypigeonpopper]

50 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, that book was my Bible back many many years ago, as PC mentioned are there any  adjacent farms that you could get permission ? I use to leave up my lofting poles and deeks in winter time but always used my 12 or 410, I've shot grass fields that had clover but it's not like grain crops or rape fields, I use shell decoys most and more the merrier , also for movement 2 bouncer poles, with a cut down whole pigeon decoy, with rod holder glued inside so the fibre pole goes through  tail hole to inside head , there some photos on tight chokes post that look like mine I will check out , where are you in UK, ?

Hello, if you look on a thread called , Best birds for a magnet and the last post by Paul Hart , my bouncer decoys are like that but I cut out the bottom and glued the rod holder inside and made the tail hole so the fibre glass rod goes inside which I find more stable in the wind, 

[Accuspell]

10 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, that book was my Bible back many many years ago, as PC mentioned are there any  adjacent farms that you could get permission ? I use to leave up my lofting poles and deeks in winter time but always used my 12 or 410, I've shot grass fields that had clover but it's not like grain crops or rape fields, I use shell decoys most and more the merrier , also for movement 2 bouncer poles, with a cut down whole pigeon decoy, with rod holder glued inside so the fibre pole goes through  tail hole to inside head , there some photos on tight chokes post that look like mine I will check out , where are you in UK, ?

Thanks. I am in Uttoxeter and have a couple of farms to shoot on, but we are predominatntly dairy round here. Our family famrs are dairy too. We grow crops, but only for feed. I enjoy my shooting and not impressed by hundreds bags - what would you do with them? But to be able to be a bit more successful would be good. In the woods, roosting once the leaves are off, I do fairly well, often packing up with half a dozen in the rucksack before the light has gone. That is plenty for us.