Modern drilling mchines

[Blackpowder]

This year I have not set up on any new drillings, usually an anticipated spring event.   The few times I went out to spy on newly sown fields , some on good flight lines failed to see any pigeon working them.  This morning walked dog 200 yards along the verge of a newly sown pea field right to the corner turning point to find 1 that is one pea on the surface.   Modern farm machinery is just too efficient for pigeon shooters.

 

Blackpowder

[dead eye alan]

Spot on thy are just too good for us.

I wonder weather its a bit of an own goal as the pigeons will not be thinned out before the peas germinate meaning that the young plants will have more pigeons to feed on them.

Edited May 7, 2022 by dead eye alan

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, yes shame that, I remember shooting over pea fields many many years ago on a farm that supplied Didcot canning factory, it was bluer than blue 🤔😁

[Old Boggy]

46 minutes ago, Blackpowder said:

This year I have not set up on any new drillings, usually an anticipated spring event.   The few times I went out to spy on newly sown fields , some on good flight lines failed to see any pigeon working them.  This morning walked dog 200 yards along the verge of a newly sown pea field right to the corner turning point to find 1 that is one pea on the surface.   Modern farm machinery is just too efficient for pigeon shooters.

 

Blackpowder

I agree that the modern drills are good for the farmer, but not good for us.

However, you should get some shooting once the peas emerge, right through to harvest.

OB

[marsh man]

2 minutes ago, Old Boggy said:

I agree that the modern drills are good for the farmer, but not good for us.

However, you should get some shooting once the peas emerge, right through to harvest.

OB

Morning Chris ... You would think this is the case but sadly it don't always work out like that , some Pea fields for no unknown reason just won't attract Pigeons at all , then you will get one field with the same Peas in as the surrounding fields seem to attract pigeons at nearly every stage of growth .

With the wild fowling clubs Peas and my own all add to about 10 fields , they are now all in and some of the early ones have been in now for several weeks , these are now up 3 / 4 inches above ground , yesterday I went to my own ones first and looked just after dinner , not that great and only saw a hand full get out of the trees , later on I went the other way and looked at some on my old stamping ground , three fields were totally free from Pigeons and the last one did have some on , as it was getting late I walked them off and walked around the head lands to see how many droppings there were under the sitty trees , by all accounts there had been Pigeons using the trees and that is where I will be heading for today around dinner time , so if it wasn't for this one field I would had looked at several fields that would had been a waste of time as far as shooting any pigeons on .

Mind you, it shouldn't stop you looking at the various fields you have got as time marches on and this time next month you could see the first signs of Winter barley being knocked about .

All the best    MM 

[Old Boggy]

56 minutes ago, marsh man said:

Morning Chris ... You would think this is the case but sadly it don't always work out like that , some Pea fields for no unknown reason just won't attract Pigeons at all , then you will get one field with the same Peas in as the surrounding fields seem to attract pigeons at nearly every stage of growth .

With the wild fowling clubs Peas and my own all add to about 10 fields , they are now all in and some of the early ones have been in now for several weeks , these are now up 3 / 4 inches above ground , yesterday I went to my own ones first and looked just after dinner , not that great and only saw a hand full get out of the trees , later on I went the other way and looked at some on my old stamping ground , three fields were totally free from Pigeons and the last one did have some on , as it was getting late I walked them off and walked around the head lands to see how many droppings there were under the sitty trees , by all accounts there had been Pigeons using the trees and that is where I will be heading for today around dinner time , so if it wasn't for this one field I would had looked at several fields that would had been a waste of time as far as shooting any pigeons on .

Mind you, it shouldn't stop you looking at the various fields you have got as time marches on and this time next month you could see the first signs of Winter barley being knocked about .

All the best    MM 

Hi John,

I must admit that the only pea field near me, but not on one of the farms I shoot over, has had very little activity since it was drilled and the peas are now a couple of inches tall. I did see a few on there early one morning, presumably making the most of the moisture on the crop, but it remained deserted all day and has been ever since, so clearly not the shooting potential it once had. The only pigeons I`ve seen recently have been feeding on buds in the trees and hedgerows. At the back of my daughter`s house there is a wooded area known as Bishopstone Glen where there is endless flighting of pigeons going about their business, nesting, eating the buds in the trees and of course courtship displays etc. It makes for some good dry shooting unfortunately without a gun, just raised arms. Never miss in such circumstances, unlike the real thing. 

ATB OB

[7daysinaweek]

A few years back I was helping a friend logging a few trees on one of his permissions. Contractors were sowing several fields with some type of wheat or barley, as the light drew in my friend stopped and spoke to one of the contractors who he knew, the driver said he was finishing off the last field which was quite a small area and I was astonished at the speed of the drilling of this last field.

On inspection the next day we could barely find any seed on top, only one area had some at the end of a drilling where a little had been spilled. I recall my friend saying similar words about the efficiency of modern equipment leaving very little on the surface for pigeons. Years back, how many times have you walked along the ends of a sowing only to see plenty of seed on the top and even more at the ends.

Pity I did not really  pigeon shoot at all back then.

[Wilts#Dave]

Agree, mostly drillings offer little to no shooting now and as you say mainly due to the efficiency of the kit. 
There will still be the odd farmer with older kit or fields that had very poor seedbeds to drill into that can offer some shooting…..but you need to be there at the right time as they can be there today and gone tomorrow! 
I’ve not shot a big bag on drilling for a good few years now, but used to in the past. 
Peas here don’t generally get hit until they’re well up, and certainly not from drilling all the way through to harvest. It amazes me actually how and where some people shoot pigeons depending on area, but that’s probably down to the numbers being significantly more in some area than others….who really knows? 

[old'un]

7 minutes ago, Wilts#Dave said:

Agree, mostly drillings offer little to no shooting now and as you say mainly due to the efficiency of the kit. 
There will still be the odd farmer with older kit or fields that had very poor seedbeds to drill into that can offer some shooting…..but you need to be there at the right time as they can be there today and gone tomorrow! 
I’ve not shot a big bag on drilling for a good few years now, but used to in the past. 
Peas here don’t generally get hit until they’re well up, and certainly not from drilling all the way through to harvest. It amazes me actually how and where some people shoot pigeons depending on area, but that’s probably down to the numbers being significantly more in some area than others….who really knows? 

I do, but I am not telling.

[Wilts#Dave]

56 minutes ago, old'un said:

I do, but I am not telling.

😂

[marsh man]

Another thing with Peas , in the early days when a field was drilled it was left with the Green Pea seed scattered all over the field and you knew it was just a matter of time before the Pigeons found them , many a time they were often following the drill and time it was finished the land already had more than enough to shoot . 

Then when the seed was treated with the Pink dye it never seemed as good when it came to drawing Pigeons in , this could be partly down to the taste of the treated seed, and the drills already being replaced , one thing for sure , it will never be the bonanza that it once was .

[pigeon controller]

5 hours ago, old'un said:

I do, but I am not telling.

Go on tell us , I’m in Greece so you will be safe!!!!!

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, pigeon controller said:

Go on tell us , I’m in Greece so you will be safe!!!!!

Did the Midland Wood Pigeon Benevolent Society club together and gave you a free air line ticket for at least a three month duration 

Enjoy your spell in Greece , we will look after the fort until you get back.

[the hitman]

12 hours ago, Blackpowder said:

This year I have not set up on any new drillings, usually an anticipated spring event.   The few times I went out to spy on newly sown fields , some on good flight lines failed to see any pigeon working them.  This morning walked dog 200 yards along the verge of a newly sown pea field right to the corner turning point to find 1 that is one pea on the surface.   Modern farm machinery is just too efficient for pigeon shooters.

 

Blackpowder

Hi Al

I also have not set a decoy on drillings this year. I have a perm where 2 pea fields were drilled on Tuesday. I check both fields every day this week including today- and not a pea or pigeon is visible.

I am however optimistic as these fields have historically produced good sport, so hopefully when they green up the pigeons will find them.

[Westley]

9 hours ago, 7daysinaweek said:

A few years back I was helping a friend logging a few trees on one of his permissions. Contractors were sowing several fields with some type of wheat or barley, as the light drew in my friend stopped and spoke to one of the contractors who he knew, the driver said he was finishing off the last field which was quite a small area and I was astonished at the speed of the drilling of this last field.

On inspection the next day we could barely find any seed on top, only one area had some at the end of a drilling where a little had been spilled. I recall my friend saying similar words about the efficiency of modern equipment leaving very little on the surface for pigeons. Years back, how many times have you walked along the ends of a sowing only to see plenty of seed on the top and even more at the ends.

Pity I did not really  pigeon shoot at all back then.

I did  !  😉

[Old Boggy]

10 hours ago, marsh man said:

Another thing with Peas , in the early days when a field was drilled it was left with the Green Pea seed scattered all over the field and you knew it was just a matter of time before the Pigeons found them , many a time they were often following the drill and time it was finished the land already had more than enough to shoot . 

Then when the seed was treated with the Pink dye it never seemed as good when it came to drawing Pigeons in , this could be partly down to the taste of the treated seed, and the drills already being replaced , one thing for sure , it will never be the bonanza that it once was .

I often wonder whether this is the same with maize drilling. There are acres and acres of maize drilled locally for biofuel and it has been treated with a pink dye. There is plenty of the seed on the surface due to poor seed beds, but not a pigeon to be seen.

OB

[mossy835]

same here maize gone in, but no pigeons at all on it,

[pigeon controller]

10 hours ago, marsh man said:

Did the Midland Wood Pigeon Benevolent Society club together and gave you a free air line ticket for at least a three month duration 

Enjoy your spell in Greece , we will look after the fort until you get back.

Thanks, just a quick three weeks to make sure the apartment is OK as we have not been out for nearly three years, back in time for the downed barley I hope.

[marsh man]

3 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

I often wonder whether this is the same with maize drilling. There are acres and acres of maize drilled locally for biofuel and it has been treated with a pink dye. There is plenty of the seed on the surface due to poor seed beds, but not a pigeon to be seen.

OB

There was a time before o s r took off throughout the country was one of the only crops that Pigeons could survive on when snow was on the ground was Kale and Sprout fields , so come March when the Spring drillings first started with Peas and grain the Pigeons went berserk after digesting Green crops for most of the Winter .

Now with the Winters being no where near as hard ( or so it seems ) Pigeons can get by on the Rape , game covers , early Clover and the buds seem to come out earlier , when you shoot Pigeons now in the height of the Winter , or when roost shooting they are in perfect condition , unlike in the past when they smelt  of Greens and the body weight was low , there was also a time when the so called experts recon there was more Pigeons died of starvation in a hard Winter than were shot , I don't think this would be the case today  MM

[old'un]

15 hours ago, pigeon controller said:

Go on tell us , I’m in Greece so you will be safe!!!!!

I would love to help you out, but unfortunately I have been sworn to secrecy, all I can say is keep doing what you are doing and it will all become clear in time.

Enjoy your brake in Greece, think all the pigeons must have followed you over there.

47 minutes ago, marsh man said:

There was a time before o s r took off throughout the country was one of the only crops that Pigeons could survive on when snow was on the ground was Kale and Sprout fields , so come March when the Spring drillings first started with Peas and grain the Pigeons went berserk after digesting Green crops for most of the Winter .

Now with the Winters being no where near as hard ( or so it seems ) Pigeons can get by on the Rape , game covers , early Clover and the buds seem to come out earlier , when you shoot Pigeons now in the height of the Winter , or when roost shooting they are in perfect condition , unlike in the past when they smelt  of Greens and the body weight was low , there was also a time when the so called experts recon there was more Pigeons died of starvation in a hard Winter than were shot , I don't think this would be the case today  MM

I remember some of the bad winters of the 70s and 80s and even though there was a fair bit of rape about if we had 4 or 5 inches of snow for prolonged periods the they would have to move onto some of the crops you mention, shot a lot of pigeons on winter cabbage during times like that but their condition was poor.

[Blackpowder]

4 hours ago, marsh man said:

There was a time before o s r took off throughout the country was one of the only crops that Pigeons could survive on when snow was on the ground was Kale and Sprout fields , so come March when the Spring drillings first started with Peas and grain the Pigeons went berserk after digesting Green crops for most of the Winter .

Now with the Winters being no where near as hard ( or so it seems ) Pigeons can get by on the Rape , game covers , early Clover and the buds seem to come out earlier , when you shoot Pigeons now in the height of the Winter , or when roost shooting they are in perfect condition , unlike in the past when they smelt  of Greens and the body weight was low , there was also a time when the so called experts recon there was more Pigeons died of starvation in a hard Winter than were shot , I don't think this would be the case today  MM

There are many more pheasant feed rides and feeders in our country now and pigeons soon find them.

Blackpowder

 

[clangerman]

seen the pull of water today have 80 acres of peas next door to rovers training ground not a bird to be seen yet their pitch looked like a pigeon holiday camp birds piling in to enjoy the sprinklers now home cursing football!