Looks like no ones shooting pigeons!

[dead eye alan]

As no one has bothered to write a report for over a week I thought I might as well, it's far from exciting as only 3 fields of rape has been drilled, but lots of land has been cultivated ready for winter wheat and barley, very few left in stubble. So on my drive round on Monday very few birds about until I spotted a line going to a large oak, so I could get close to this by just standing in a gate way some 50 yards from the tree. The birds dropping from the tree onto the ground and picking up acorns, so I put out 3 fud decoys under the tree and waited. In 90 minutes I managed to pick up 7 birds and lost 2 in the Bruck, not telling how many cartridges I used but it was a very enjoyable, until the rain stopped play. On preparing the birds 2 had acorns in there crops and 3 had haws. Yesterdays drive round found no lines no birds no shooting but still out of the house.

Edited September 29, 2022 by dead eye alan

[marsh man]

35 minutes ago, dead eye alan said:

As no one has bothered to write a report for over a week I thought I might as well, it's far from exciting as only 3 fields of rape has been drilled, but lots of land has been cultivated ready for winter wheat and barley, very few left in stubble. So on my drive round on Monday very few birds about until I spotted a line going to a large oak, so I could get close to this by just standing in a gate way some 50 yards from the tree. The birds dropping from the tree onto the ground and picking up acorns, so I put out 3 fud decoys under the tree and waited. In 90 minutes I managed to pick up 7 birds and lost 2 in the Bruck, not telling how many cartridges I used but it was a very enjoyable, until the rain stopped play. On preparing the birds 2 had acorns in there crops and 3 had haws. Yesterdays drive round found no lines no birds no shooting but still out of the house.

I was thinking the exactly the same thing Alan , it don't seem possible that only a few weeks ago we had Pigeons on that many fields that some were left untouched , I had already mentioned that this year I never shot one Pigeon on any of our Rape stubble's and one field was only shot once by the keepers boy who took his son for the afternoon .

Now , even on our late Wheat stubble's the Pigeons have deserted all the ones that are still stubble , last Saturday I took my gear in case I came across a few and yes I did get a bag , no not Pigeons but a bag of spuds , having looked everywhere and saw very little , rather than come home with nothing I filled my bag up with spuds that were left behind the harvester .

Now we are nearly into October this Saturday will more or less be my last one until the end of the game season as most of the stubble's will be pulled up and we like to keep things quiet during the game shooting .

As you say , the bulk of the Pigeons now are either on Acorns or berries as we haven't got any Maize or Beans this year .

[clangerman]

last three outings ten seven four just not seeing any pigeons now yesterday watched drilled wheat plenty on top yet only three eating it most drill here no birds on it at all lean times 

[Ultrastu]

Yep gone quiet round our way also .

Jut the changing shooting seasons . And more evidence to show how important  it is to maximise the impact on numbers when the opportunity  is there.

[jcbbracken]

all on the acorns

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

Very quiet for me also. Back to walking the hedgerows while watching the sky. 

[jall25]

Loads and loads round us still on volunteer beans and wheat stubble still

I have been out 3 /4 times a week for the last month - anywhere between 25-60 and usually a dozen or so crows 

My pals up the road has had over 700 this last 3 weeks - 151 last Saturday being the best on a single day

Went to go again today but with rain forecast the beans are being ripped up - Oh well always Monday 

[matone]

Plenty still on stubbles and drillings ,although drilling has been stalled by a week of very wet afternoons ! have shot a few small bags on struggling,drought affected, oilseed rape and have left the birds on stubbles so as to minimise damage to the emerging rape plants. I`ve seen a lot more birds about this year since harvest began and foresee a winter of them pestering rape where it is thin.

[jall25]

The birds on the stubbles today are the birds on the rape tomorrow

Get them where you can 

Just starting to notice them flocking up this week with the cooler nights or whatever it is

[mellors]

There's been big flocks all summer here they don't appear to have broken up at all. 

They were on the rape early September i had quite a few with wheat, barley.beans and rape in the same crop. 

[mossy835]

i have 5 fields of rape stubble. and wheat stubble but no birds,

[pigeon controller]

Since returning from holiday I’ve been out twice, initially to try and prevent some geese feeding  on some seeded fields. The other session I reported on which produced six birds from beneath and oak tree. I have watched two flightlines that are over my house and they both end up on some local land banked fields a which have a good number of oak trees and no shooting allowed. 
I believe the majority of birds are in the woods feeding on acorns. I’ve not seen much rape on my permissions so it may be a lean winter or I will have to do some door knocking mentioning I’m a pensioner!!!!

[Old Boggy]

It appears to be a really good year for acorns, around here anyway. I`ve noticed a few on the wires above a disced maize field, but think (haven`t had chance to look properly) that they are probably feeding on acorns from a line of nearby oaks further down a small dip in the field. That will be my first look when out and about next week, although I do have a drive round most days to see what`s about. One of the benefits of being retired . 

OB

[muncher]

I’ve shot some recently, but as I cannot give them away and I’m not for dumping them, I let them be. I have a field of bean stubble I would estimate would be a big bag day 200 at least. I just have not got a home for them, so they’re not doing any harm so they can feed up in bothered 😕. 

[Scully]

A few about but mostly crows on just to say poking through winter barley. Was going to have a pop this morning down at mates, but it started chucking down so haven’t bothered. 

[the hitman]

Not been out for a while with work and family commitments, however I have been looking. We had loads on drillings and stubbles recently, and I am seeing more and more feedback on beechmast locally.

I am thinking that we will see quite a few about as they begin to flock up as they have had another dry warm summer, and I am seeing quite a few juvenile birds.

I definitely need to find time to get out again soon- my old dad used to say to me  “ do what you love doing when you can as the day will come when you can’t “.

Hitman 

[marsh man]

5 hours ago, muncher said:

I’ve shot some recently, but as I cannot give them away and I’m not for dumping them, I let them be. I have a field of bean stubble I would estimate would be a big bag day 200 at least. I just have not got a home for them, so they’re not doing any harm so they can feed up in bothered 😕. 

Never been in that situation where I couldn't move large numbers on until this year , even during the pandemic I could still off load them at no doubt the same dealer where you sell your frozen ones , all this Summer I have only shot a few more than I needed as I am in the exactly same frame of mind as you and no doubt several others that they couldn't shoot good numbers and then turn round and dump them  , since this years harvest started I had a self imposed limit at 20 a time , sometimes I got them fairly easy and as more fields came available then it got slightly harder , I then left the rape stubble alone and good numbers built up where a big bag would had been possible and as you say they were not doing any harm and if anyone else wanted a day they were welcome to have a go . 

[Gas seal]

Hi good numbers of pigeons in the north west a lot of them on acorns. They are sitting in the trees mostly it’s only when I fire a couple of shots l can see how many pigeons are about. We also have more feral pigeons about, the last couple of years they are feeding on standing wheat following the woodpigeon. I know some buyers aren’t talking pigeons because the government recommended not to feed wild shot birds to birds of prey. They said the bird flu can remain in frozen birds for more than 12months. One buyer said he couldn’t take a risk selling them on they reckon pigeons can carry the virus. I know more pigeon shooters are leaving the pigeons on the field and some just aren’t shooting them . When pigeons were on standing crops l didn’t hear much shooting going on . It could have been to hot for them to be out. 

[Centrepin]

2 weeks ago over stubble I had 19 for just 28 cartridges using a 360 hide under a flight line. Outrageously suicidal, I couldn't belive my luck.  Literally, right place right time, recce was good. Next day they were gone. Couple of days later over an OSR drilling I picked just 3 and a crow for around 30 cartridges, 2 had empty crops one had acorns.

I've not been out this week for personal reasons but am reliably informed the pigeons have gone and the perms back to 90%+ crow and 100s of them.

[dead eye alan]

First of all I'd like to thank all of you that have bothered to post your experiences, It makes interesting reading, it would appear that most of us are of the mind that if you cannot dispose of the shot birds don't shoot them. I find that that is also the case for myself all my picked birds are processed and dispersed round the local community or eaten by ourselves. Had a call yesterday of hundreds on fresh drilling I went and walked the field shot 6 and left job done, in the past that opportunity would have resulted in a 50+ day. How times have changed in such a small space of time!   

[Gas seal]

It seems a lot to do with shooting pigeons is about the disposal of the shot birds. I’m from the don’t waste anything generation and it goes against the grain not to collect everything you shoot. I shoot most of my pigeons over growing crops in summer when it is harder to keep birds cool . To shoot any numbers of pigeons and transport them to a game dealer for a few pence a bird is a waste of time and money it doesn’t make sense. I agree times have changed it such a small space of time. 

[marsh man]

4 hours ago, Gas seal said:

It seems a lot to do with shooting pigeons is about the disposal of the shot birds. I’m from the don’t waste anything generation and it goes against the grain not to collect everything you shoot. I shoot most of my pigeons over growing crops in summer when it is harder to keep birds cool . To shoot any numbers of pigeons and transport them to a game dealer for a few pence a bird is a waste of time and money it doesn’t make sense. I agree times have changed it such a small space of time. 

Since the late 60s there was always a outlet or a demand for whatever I shot and you knew however many you had both fresh and frozen you could take them to a dealer and they would take everything you had .

This not only gave you the reason to shoot as many as possible it also helped with the expense of the cartridges and the fuel used , this reason rarely seem to crop up , I was a brickie and unlike now the building trade was not one of the best paid jobs and I can go back to the times when if it was below freezing or to wet and you had to go home early then you didn't get paid for the time you were not on site.

Now my mortgage is paid for things are easier , but we only rely on state pension and a very small private pension , so the sale of Pigeons went some way towards the cost of cartridges , I am only what would be classed as a average shot and over decoys it would be around two out of three , so if I shot a 100 bird day I would have shot around 150 shells , a good box of shells are now between £7.50 and £8 a box , six boxes at £8 would be £48 plus the fuel which as you know is not cheap , time you finished your day, you now have to go and find somewhere to dump the lot and believe you me a 100 pigeons can produce a hell of a lot of feathers , so by being in the lucky position where I can shoot everyday of the week it would soon get to the stage where I just couldn't afford to .

When this cropped up in the Summer where I said the land owners might soon have to pay with some of the costs to do crop protection I was laughed at out of sight with a lot saying if you don't do it there will be a lot that will , around this way I can assure them who think like that it would not happen with the lack of serious Pigeon shooters , not only that if a flock of Pigeons are eating a £100 worth of grain a day then if the landowners is giving you £50 for the cartridges you use and you are donating your time for free then he isn't getting a bad deal .

So with the lack of demand for Pigeons and if things carry on as they are , the land owners might have to put there hands in the pocket and help to pay towards the costs as next year the cost of cartridges could easily hit £10 a box and with the rising cost of everything else how many will be able to afford that on a very low income ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GingerCat]

Just eat them yourself, mince and mix 50/50 with pork. Sausages, burgers, meat balls, the world's your oyster. Never understood people not eating them. 100 birds doesn't actually go that far either. 

[old'un]

1 hour ago, marsh man said:

Since the late 60s there was always a outlet or a demand for whatever I shot and you knew however many you had both fresh and frozen you could take them to a dealer and they would take everything you had .

This not only gave you the reason to shoot as many as possible it also helped with the expense of the cartridges and the fuel used , this reason rarely seem to crop up , I was a brickie and unlike now the building trade was not one of the best paid jobs and I can go back to the times when if it was below freezing or to wet and you had to go home early then you didn't get paid for the time you were not on site.

Now my mortgage is paid for things are easier , but we only rely on state pension and a very small private pension , so the sale of Pigeons went some way towards the cost of cartridges , I am only what would be classed as a average shot and over decoys it would be around two out of three , so if I shot a 100 bird day I would have shot around 150 shells , a good box of shells are now between £7.50 and £8 a box , six boxes at £8 would be £48 plus the fuel which as you know is not cheap , time you finished your day, you now have to go and find somewhere to dump the lot and believe you me a 100 pigeons can produce a hell of a lot of feathers , so by being in the lucky position where I can shoot everyday of the week it would soon get to the stage where I just couldn't afford to .

When this cropped up in the Summer where I said the land owners might soon have to pay with some of the costs to do crop protection I was laughed at out of sight with a lot saying if you don't do it there will be a lot that will , around this way I can assure them who think like that it would not happen with the lack of serious Pigeon shooters , not only that if a flock of Pigeons are eating a £100 worth of grain a day then if the landowners is giving you £50 for the cartridges you use and you are donating your time for free then he isn't getting a bad deal .

So with the lack of demand for Pigeons and if things carry on as they are , the land owners might have to put there hands in the pocket and help to pay towards the costs as next year the cost of cartridges could easily hit £10 a box and with the rising cost of everything else how many will be able to afford that on a very low income ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

What you say is possible but unlikely, you and I are in a position that allows us to shoot any day of the week but I would say the biggest number of pigeon shooters are those of work age and only able to shoot weekends, that's no good to a farmer, he is more likely to invest in more gas guns.

[Scully]

7 hours ago, Gas seal said:

It seems a lot to do with shooting pigeons is about the disposal of the shot birds. I’m from the don’t waste anything generation and it goes against the grain not to collect everything you shoot. I shoot most of my pigeons over growing crops in summer when it is harder to keep birds cool . To shoot any numbers of pigeons and transport them to a game dealer for a few pence a bird is a waste of time and money it doesn’t make sense. I agree times have changed it such a small space of time. 

Quite. It’s all to do with demand, and if the demand ain’t there and the landowner wants them shot, then shot they’ll be. 
Mate and me now have two small freezers ( all we have room for ) one at his and one at mine. We’ve had a bit of a bumper season this year, so what we can’t feed to the dogs and ferrets, and ourselves, is unfortunately dumped. It’s pest control after all.  They’re shot for the same reason as corvids.