Sunday 4th Sept 2022

[martinj]

I often go pigeon shooting on Saturday but passed as the Alresord country show was on, I went and queued in the semi stationary traffic queuing for the show for an hour and a half then, realising I could be in for another hour or more in the traffic I turned round and went home like many others, this is why I ended up going on Sunday.

I have been going out on Saturday afternoons, recently bagging 19 and 23 in previous weeks, there seems to be little point starting earlier than around 12pm as the birds are just not there. Reconnaissance is not much use as the birds are just crossing over and are not stopping for lunch. I chose my spot based on recent experience and wind direction and I was hoping to tempt a few in with decoys.

I set up around 12pm with my back to a tall hedge, facing over wheat stubble in the direction of the (hopefully) incoming birds, a whirly placed about 25 paces directly in front surrounded further out and both sides by 30 shell decoys and 10 full body plastiques. My reasoning was that the birds don't really want to stop but a large-ish decoy pattern might pull a few in.

After about an hour I had shot 7 most of which had shown some interest in the decoys, then it went quiet, seriously quiet for an hour or so after which time one or two started to appear, some decoying well and some coming close enough for a shot. I had to bag them in front because the hedge behind me was dense and there was a road further back so best to take them a bit on the early side. I was adding my shot birds to the decoy pattern and interest was growing.

The numbers of birds built up, peaking around 3:30 - 4pm but they kept coming in ones or two's with occasional larger groups. When I shoot a bird I put an empty cartridge on a pile on the ground in the hide and around 4:30 the pile said there should be around 40 out there. I could have gone on for another hour and 50 would have been a strong possibility but I had to think about disposing of the birds, I have a friend who likes to eat them (he breasts and freezes them) but I knew I was pushing my luck with 40 so called it a day. 

I cleared up and counted my 40 birds plus one that landed in the hedge. On my permission this is as good as it gets, it's a small pheasant shoot and pigeons hardly ever stop to feed so I was pretty chuffed with my modest bag

 

Edited September 6, 2022 by martinj

[matone]

A good afternoon out ! Like you,I don`t bother am ,always found the best results after lunchtime .

[marsh man]

That was a brilliant write up and a bag to match , glad you took advantage of the situation and ended up with a very good day , I now just take the breasts off and keep any good carcasses for decoys and our young keeper also have a few de breasted ones for his lads Ferrets .

All the best    MM

[Jim Neal]

Clickers cost a couple of quid off eBay and need less counting up afterwards

I enjoyed the report, thanks

 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well done.  

[Old Boggy]

Excellent write up and a good bag.

Thanks for posting.

OB

[Accuspell]

Some great tips hidden in that write up.  I won't waste my time first thing anymore!  40 is hardly modest, I am doing well if I get 6.

[Scully]

Sounds like a good afternoon; 40 birds isn’t a modest bag in my opinion. Well done. 

[martinj]

Thank you all

Clickers eh?

Edited September 11, 2022 by martinj

[martinj]

Same field as last time, there have been a few pigeons feeding at the bottom end of this same field, perhaps 100 or so and I flush numbers out of the trees surrounding it when I drive round too, the wind is in the south west so time to have a go!

The chosen spot is where the birds tell me they want to feed, the crop is oilseed rape. I set up with the wind to my back, it's a bit chancy because the field is about 400 yards wide and I'm at the RH end. I put out every decoy I have because the birds are expecting to see large numbers on the ground, (about 60,) plus a whirly and a floater, I'm hoping the birds will come from straight in front, I start about 11:30am. 

I should have started earlier because they are moving straight away, most of the birds that come from in front decoy pretty well with some attempting to pass straight over offering some nice shots. A lot of birds cross to the left with some showing interest but most pass on, another shooter would have had a reasonable time maybe 300 yards to the left. It was a slow day, birds came in fits and starts, I'd shoot a few and then have to wait a while for the next flurry, I plugged away until things slowed down around 3pm. The bag was 27 (counted on my new clicker) and I was happy with that, It was the first time this year that the woodies have cooperated for me to any degree.

 

[old'un]

Thanks for posting, 27 in the bag seems to-be the average at the minute, my last couple of outing were around the 20-30 mark, as you say days are getting longer and they do seem to-be moving more after midday.

Blimey 60 decoys and a whirly and a floater, was there enough room on the field for the pigeons.

[kitchrat]

11.30?? I hit my field today at 7.00 and they were already arriving en-mass!

2 hours ago, old'un said:

Thanks for posting, 27 in the bag seems to-be the average at the minute, my last couple of outing were around the 20-30 mark, as you say days are getting longer and they do seem to-be moving more after midday.

Blimey 60 decoys and a whirly and a floater, was there enough room on the field for the pigeons.

Yes, you have to give them room to land. When I had my magic 109 the other week, after I had about 35 decoys out, I was hiding them out of sight.

[old'un]

44 minutes ago, kitchrat said:

11.30?? I hit my field today at 7.00 and they were already arriving en-mass!

Yes, you have to give them room to land. When I had my magic 109 the other week, after I had about 35 decoys out, I was hiding them out of sight.

That's the problem with early mornings they tend to come en-mass and you end up spooking lots of birds, I like to let them have their morning feed and hit them on return after midday when they tend to come in smaller numbers.

[kitchrat]

1 hour ago, old'un said:

That's the problem with early mornings they tend to come en-mass and you end up spooking lots of birds, I like to let them have their morning feed and hit them on return after midday when they tend to come in smaller numbers.

Well that's a theory, but I find the reverse, in the mornings they dribble in, then flock up and all "flock off" together! If you can stop them flocking up, you have a 2nd chance in the pm. I hate big flocks, you never know whether to shoot or not, if you do, then I'm all confused by the numbers! The one I pick always flares away early, then you are in a panic!! But if you leave them, they all go off to the other end of the field and frustrate you!!

[martinj]

yes I know 60 is a lot of decoys but where these birds were heading they were going to see maybe 500 on the ground, 60 is a drop in the ocean, the alternative is put fewer out and get no interest at all as I have done many many times, I was trying a bolder approach, also setting out my dead birds, building up the numbers, and it was working (in this instance,) I wouldn't try this any time but winter when they are flocking together.

I'm not an early riser, I know you can bag them at the first sitting, I like to set up in the lull before the afternoon shift, I just miscalculated a bit and arrived a little late.

[old'un]

3 hours ago, kitchrat said:

Well that's a theory, but I find the reverse, in the mornings they dribble in, then flock up and all "flock off" together! If you can stop them flocking up, you have a 2nd chance in the pm. I hate big flocks, you never know whether to shoot or not, if you do, then I'm all confused by the numbers! The one I pick always flares away early, then you are in a panic!! But if you leave them, they all go off to the other end of the field and frustrate you!!

Years ago an old boy said to me, shoot much before 10am and you will be home by midday, never a truer word said.

 

42 minutes ago, martinj said:

yes I know 60 is a lot of decoys but where these birds were heading they were going to see maybe 500 on the ground, 60 is a drop in the ocean, the alternative is put fewer out and get no interest at all as I have done many many times, I was trying a bolder approach, also setting out my dead birds, building up the numbers, and it was working (in this instance,) I wouldn't try this any time but winter when they are flocking together.

I'm not an early riser, I know you can bag them at the first sitting, I like to set up in the lull before the afternoon shift, I just miscalculated a bit and arrived a little late.

If 60 decoys did not pull them I would say they did not want where you were setup, how many times did you walk them off?

[martinj]

3 hours ago, old'un said:

Years ago an old boy said to me, shoot much before 10am and you will be home by midday, never a truer word said.

 

1.  If 60 decoys did not pull them I would say they did not want where you were setup,

2. how many times did you walk them off?

1. The point is that my 60 decoys did work, they pulled in just about everything on my flight path, birds to my left were hell bent on another destination, they knew where they were going.

2. what kind of question is that? we had bangers out and walked them off twice a day for a week. It was only as a last resort that I had to shoot some of them in the hope that they don't come back

 

[marsh man]

Interesting point with the op putting out 60 decoys and then adding the dead with the decoy pattern , so my question is , How many both dead and rubber decoys are enough for both drawing power and a good killing average ?

I have often found when I was having a big day I was getting lazy and left everything out , this was often a mistake as the new arrivals were often skirting the outside of the pattern and with the dead ones lying all over place you often had to take shots on the limit , then if you scored you would have another one on the border line , so although not always necessary I would leave up to around 40 out and then start bringing in the ones that are lying well out  , we all do things slightly different but I am a firm believer you can easily have to many out and this alone make shooting hard work 

[martinj]

I agree Marsh Man, you can have too many out and the optimum equates to how long is  a piece of string, I gave them everything I had on this occasion because I know they are feeding in large flocks and that's what they expect to see. If things had been different I would have changed things around but I didn't need to as they were cooperating quite nicely. Sometimes I'll bring in artificial decoys as I build up dead birds i.e. do what you feel is best but I saw no reason to change.

I don't leave shot birds laying around, I tidy up as I go along, a.) because upside down birds put off incomers b.) they have a habit of walking, I recovered everything I shot.

BTW I have a friend who is a very successful pigeon guide, he usually has a chiller room full of dead birds, most days he has two or three guys out. He told me that there have been occasions when the usual 20/30 dead birds don't get a look in so he might try 100 next time, sometimes with great success. He admits to being a bit smug about this because he's doing something the average person just cannot do. Obviously dead birds are better than decoys but I guess I was thinking about this when I went out on Sunday.

Edited March 14, 2023 by martinj

[old'un]

All I can say is the most I ever put out when first starting is around a dozen and maybe the whirly, in fact I have setup with just the whirly and no decoys to start with, if your on a field they want and in the right place you will pull pigeons, (most of the time) as for putting out 100 decoys, totally over the top and not necessary, 30 dead birds will pull most pigeons, winter or summer.

[martinj]

I do not disagree Old'un, I was just telling my story and the tactics I used, it worked for me and might help someone else out if they are struggling at this time of year. What is there to lose?

[old'un]

12 minutes ago, martinj said:

I do not disagree Old'un, I was just telling my story and the tactics I used, it worked for me and might help someone else out if they are struggling at this time of year. What is there to lose?

I wasn't having a dig at you but in 55 years of shooting pigeons I have never found it necessary to put more than 10 or 15 dead birds out to start with, I don't agree that pigeons will not decoy because they expect to see large numbers on the field at this time of year, like I said if they want the field and you are in the right place you will pull pigeons with 20 or 30 dead birds but I will admit that sometimes pigeons will just not decoy no matter what you try.

[martinj]

Also 55 yrs of pigeon shooting and never too old to learn 🙂 👍

[old'un]

At 73 I doubt I have many years left to learn much else before I am in my rocking chair.

Work this one out...some years ago I was on a field of winter rape, started of with 10 dead birds and they were storming into the decoys, after about 90 minutes of almost continuous shooting and about 30+ dead birds out in the field they started to veer away from my decoy pattern, I walked out and looked at the decoys, looked back at my hide and could see nothing wrong, this went on for about 30 minutes with birds looking hard at the decoys and then veering away, I thought well the only thing that's changed is the number of decoys out in the field so I fetched most in and left only 12 well spaced out in the field, well low and behold the next birds came straight into the decoys without hesitation, this went on for another hour and a half before they went somewhere else and I went home.

That's pigeons for you.

[martinj]

Yes, I'd have done the same thing and have done in the past.

You have got a year on me so you are the most experienced 😁