Lofting poles

[marsh man]

17 minutes ago, Old Boggy said:

Good evening John. Being one of the lofting pole devotees I slightly disagree that they are not worth the effort involved. That may be the case if using a standard set of poles with those metal hooks hoisting 5 individual decoys and attempting to hook each one over various branches and then having to reverse the process in trying to take them down again. A standard set of poles hoists a decoy up to approximately 25+ feet, which in my opinion is nowhere near high enough to show up sufficiently even on bare branches.

I am fortunate that the small woods that I shoot either in, or alongside, are in areas where no syndicates or pheasant shooting exists, so I am able to shoot throughout the winter months and only use lofters against bare branches. I have found that by using just two lofted pigeons on a spreader bar (as very kindly made for me by Dave AKA Tightchoke) on top of almost two sets of lofting poles, I can quite easily progressively hoist them up resting against branches on the way up adding each pole section as I go. The pole with spreader bar and pigeons are left in position. Knowing the likely `sitty` trees, I`ve found that this method of raising just two decoys to a height of say 40 -50 feet is far more effective than five hoisted to just 25 feet. Last time out, It took me just five minutes to hoist them up and three minutes to retrieve them. This is in comparison to about 15-20 minutes (if not longer)using a conventional set to 25 feet with metal hooks with all the problems that they can involve especially if it`s windy.

I`m also fortunate that the sets of poles etc I use can be left in one of the woods I shoot as there`s only two of us that shoot it, so there`s no chance of them `walking`.

See attached the spreader bar kindly made by Tightchoke and then after I had added some camo tape and a couple of decoys. Not quite sure what happened with the black marking on the first photo !!

 

I would therefore say that in the right location, they are definitely worth using and have helped in achieving a reasonable bag.

Thanks again to Dave for the spreader bar.

OB

Evening Chris , I would certainly agree that in the right location the work and effort involved in lofting decoys could easily turn a poor day into a much better one and the more work you put into your sport the more you should get out of it , some of our woods we let out for the four weeks roost shooting would have the odd ideal tree to loft a few decoys up and yet I don't know of any body spending a bit of time lofting a few up a good sitty tree to increase there bag and we would normally let up to 30 plus permits , what a lot now do is get on the outside of the woods with the wind on there backs and put a magnet well out with two fresh dead pigeons on it , this alone give them a lot of extra sport , although not exactly classed as roost shooting, but then if it is classed as preventive hopefully they are on the right side of the law , if it aint then we will soon find out 

[Mightymariner]

Thanks for all the advice etc.

I still plan on getting some as I think the pros outweigh the cons during the winter with sitty trees.

[oldypigeonpopper]

On 07/11/2022 at 17:04, Mightymariner said:

Thanks for all the advice etc.

I still plan on getting some as I think the pros outweigh the cons during the winter with sitty trees.

Hello, did you get some lofters ?

[Mightymariner]

22 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, did you get some lofters ?

Yes, I did thanks. A set from A1Decoy. I've not tried them yet, maybe this weekend.

I think they could make the difference at a couple of places I shoot, as they head to sitty trees before dropping in.

 

[oldypigeonpopper]

16 minutes ago, Mightymariner said:

Yes, I did thanks. A set from A1Decoy. I've not tried them yet, maybe this weekend.

I think they could make the difference at a couple of places I shoot, as they head to sitty trees before dropping in.

 

Ok sounds good, let me know how goes 

[Jim Neal]

I can't really say whether lofting a few decoys improves a setup when shooting a field.  However, used in the right place, they have certainly given me some results when flighting & roost shooting.

The trouble with trying to loft decoys when roost shooting is that you're usually tackling a mature wood.  It's only when you try to get your lofters up that you realise your 30-40 feet of poles don't go anywhere near high enough to get the decoys up into a natural place that the pigeons would come and sit.

If you tuck yourself away, don't move or shoot, and study pigeons "decoying" in to other live pigeons already in the wood, you'll see it's often the higher sitting birds more visible to incoming pigeons that attract the incomers.  The newly arrived birds don't necessarily land in the same or adjacent tree to the ones already sitting - very often they'll do a fly past, circle, and find their own spot.  But it will always be the high sitting birds that pull in others.  There's no way you can loft decoys up to 50 or 60 feet - you might get lucky hooking them on but you'll be stuffed trying to get them back down again!

Where I've found lofters effective is where trees are shorter such as pine plantations or hedgerows with groups of trees.  You need to have done your fieldcraft to make it worth the bother to set up but it can be quite effective.

In one spot I like, I set my lofters up on a couple of 20-30 ft trees just along from a T-junction in a flightline hedgerow and many of the passing birds immediately swoop around to come and take a look.  My car is tucked in, bonnet first under the tall thick pine trees they first come over and I'm simply sitting at the back with the boot door open, dogs tethered to the tow ball, in full view of the pigeons as they turn round.  No hide or net, just shoot 'em quick before they realise what's going on!  In this spot the pigeons are coming over my left shoulder and there's also a fairly reliable crow flightline that can build up coming over my right shoulder.  The pine trees give enough cover to prevent the crows seeing you until the nanosecond they traverse the tops, so if they've been quite vocal on the way and you're ready for them you can sometimes pick one off.  Very adrenaline-inducing shooting but not the best shot/kill ratio!!

I will, however, concur with many others who say that setting up lofters is an absolute ball ache.  It needs to be worth it so choose your use of them carefully is my best advice!

[Old Boggy]

6 hours ago, Jim Neal said:

I can't really say whether lofting a few decoys improves a setup when shooting a field.  However, used in the right place, they have certainly given me some results when flighting & roost shooting.

The trouble with trying to loft decoys when roost shooting is that you're usually tackling a mature wood.  It's only when you try to get your lofters up that you realise your 30-40 feet of poles don't go anywhere near high enough to get the decoys up into a natural place that the pigeons would come and sit.

If you tuck yourself away, don't move or shoot, and study pigeons "decoying" in to other live pigeons already in the wood, you'll see it's often the higher sitting birds more visible to incoming pigeons that attract the incomers.  The newly arrived birds don't necessarily land in the same or adjacent tree to the ones already sitting - very often they'll do a fly past, circle, and find their own spot.  But it will always be the high sitting birds that pull in others.  There's no way you can loft decoys up to 50 or 60 feet - you might get lucky hooking them on but you'll be stuffed trying to get them back down again!

Where I've found lofters effective is where trees are shorter such as pine plantations or hedgerows with groups of trees.  You need to have done your fieldcraft to make it worth the bother to set up but it can be quite effective.

In one spot I like, I set my lofters up on a couple of 20-30 ft trees just along from a T-junction in a flightline hedgerow and many of the passing birds immediately swoop around to come and take a look.  My car is tucked in, bonnet first under the tall thick pine trees they first come over and I'm simply sitting at the back with the boot door open, dogs tethered to the tow ball, in full view of the pigeons as they turn round.  No hide or net, just shoot 'em quick before they realise what's going on!  In this spot the pigeons are coming over my left shoulder and there's also a fairly reliable crow flightline that can build up coming over my right shoulder.  The pine trees give enough cover to prevent the crows seeing you until the nanosecond they traverse the tops, so if they've been quite vocal on the way and you're ready for them you can sometimes pick one off.  Very adrenaline-inducing shooting but not the best shot/kill ratio!!

I will, however, concur with many others who say that setting up lofters is an absolute ball ache.  It needs to be worth it so choose your use of them carefully is my best advice!

As I have said earlier in this post, lofting 5 decoys to just 25 feet using the standard hooks can be a nightmare, quite ineffective and an even greater problem to take down.

I have discarded the hooks and now use just 2 decoys on top of a tee bar (very kindly made for me by Tightchoke (thanks again Dave) put up progressively one section at a time resting on a branch/branches on the way up. This way I can hoist 1 1/2 to 2 pole set ups to 50 to 60 feet up in a matter of minutes. Taking down takes minutes also as opposed to the hook devices which can take ages to put up and retrieve.

I am totally convinced that just 2 decoys hoisted up higher and of course in the right place, which only knowledge of the favourite ‘sitty’ ’ trees will tell you, are far more effective and easier than lofting 5 lower down using the standard hooks.

OB

[Centrepin]

Using a fishing pole and standard hooks you can get to the highest branches and to retrieve just knock them down. They're not made of glass they don't break, they just get muddy. Of course mind your head when they're coming down🤣 

[Jim Neal]

15 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

As I have said earlier in this post, lofting 5 decoys to just 25 feet using the standard hooks can be a nightmare, quite ineffective and an even greater problem to take down.

I have discarded the hooks and now use just 2 decoys on top of a tee bar (very kindly made for me by Tightchoke (thanks again Dave) put up progressively one section at a time resting on a branch/branches on the way up. This way I can hoist 1 1/2 to 2 pole set ups to 50 to 60 feet up in a matter of minutes. Taking down takes minutes also as opposed to the hook devices which can take ages to put up and retrieve.

I am totally convinced that just 2 decoys hoisted up higher and of course in the right place, which only knowledge of the favourite ‘sitty’ ’ trees will tell you, are far more effective and easier than lofting 5 lower down using the standard hooks.

OB

 

8 hours ago, Centrepin said:

Using a fishing pole and standard hooks you can get to the highest branches and to retrieve just knock them down. They're not made of glass they don't break, they just get muddy. Of course mind your head when they're coming down🤣 

I use an old fishing pole (actually two cobbled together) to give me about 12m plus my height and arm length.  I've used this to the maximum limit several times when roost shooting in front of mature beech trees and can just about get the decoys onto the required branches.  They're still not very high relative to where incoming birds usually prefer to sit!

I have actually damaged a couple of my cheap plastic decoys knocking them down from a great height.  The weight and forces imparted by the lofting hook when it hits the deck has split one and gaped out the holes on another.

I have actually drilled new holes in my decoys so the birds sit a little more upright - they didn't look natural as they were.  Additionally, I cut a 1" length of clear tubing (homebrew siphon tube) to slide on the end of the spike so it locks the decoy onto the hook.  You have to heat the tube to get it on but when cooled it's locked solid.  I did this because the decoy was parting company with the hook when struggling to get it into position.  It ain't half difficult to spot a bare lofting hook in the half light when it's slid onto a pine branch!

I find working up to 25ft or so (8 or 9 metres) is much more manageable but getting 6 decoys lofted probably still takes 20 minutes give or take depending on the complexity of the situation.  I don't have any particular difficulty taking them down; I've taped a round 1 US gallon chemical container with the bottom cut off it, upside down, to the end of my pole, which acts like a funnel.  This actually makes putting them in place a little trickier because the decoy and hook tend to spin and wobble about but scooping them off the branch is a doddle at shorter lengths and takes a bit more skill at full stretch with the wind blowing.  I should really have a dig in the shed and find a spare top end that I can interchange with the funnel, to give a better arrangement for mounting the decoys, but that sits very much towards the bottom of my rather long "To Do" list!

[Old Boggy]

4 hours ago, Jim Neal said:

 

I use an old fishing pole (actually two cobbled together) to give me about 12m plus my height and arm length.  I've used this to the maximum limit several times when roost shooting in front of mature beech trees and can just about get the decoys onto the required branches.  They're still not very high relative to where incoming birds usually prefer to sit!

I have actually damaged a couple of my cheap plastic decoys knocking them down from a great height.  The weight and forces imparted by the lofting hook when it hits the deck has split one and gaped out the holes on another.

I have actually drilled new holes in my decoys so the birds sit a little more upright - they didn't look natural as they were.  Additionally, I cut a 1" length of clear tubing (homebrew siphon tube) to slide on the end of the spike so it locks the decoy onto the hook.  You have to heat the tube to get it on but when cooled it's locked solid.  I did this because the decoy was parting company with the hook when struggling to get it into position.  It ain't half difficult to spot a bare lofting hook in the half light when it's slid onto a pine branch!

I find working up to 25ft or so (8 or 9 metres) is much more manageable but getting 6 decoys lofted probably still takes 20 minutes give or take depending on the complexity of the situation.  I don't have any particular difficulty taking them down; I've taped a round 1 US gallon chemical container with the bottom cut off it, upside down, to the end of my pole, which acts like a funnel.  This actually makes putting them in place a little trickier because the decoy and hook tend to spin and wobble about but scooping them off the branch is a doddle at shorter lengths and takes a bit more skill at full stretch with the wind blowing.  I should really have a dig in the shed and find a spare top end that I can interchange with the funnel, to give a better arrangement for mounting the decoys, but that sits very much towards the bottom of my rather long "To Do" list!

Hi Jim,

Using the standard hook arrangement can be a right palaver getting them hooked over branches and then back down again as I have found in the past, that’s why I have opted for just two decoys permanently fixed to the top of a ‘T’ bar hoisted to 50 or 60 feet using 1 1/2 to 2 sets of poles.

I agree that the position of the decoys using standard hooks makes them sit too horizontally and unnatural looking. I have further enhanced the look of my two to that shown in my photo above ( several posts back on page one) so that they sit more upright and hence more natural looking. This I have done by setting a 10mm nut epoxied into the base of the decoy at such an angle that the decoy then screws onto the ‘T’ bar more upright and looks far more natural.

OB

[Centrepin]

I altered the base of the pigeon by inserting riv nuts and further gorilla glue to hold in place. I popped two in each decoy so I have differant angles. I just cut a matching thread on the hook. The hooks are only soft metal and can be bent into almost any position. I did see a post on here some time back where some enterprising chap had used coat hanger or welding wire and cartridge cases as weights. So there are plenty of options to go at. 

I only ever loft a couple anyway.

i did think about TCs option but considering my perm thought it maybe too uniform considering the layout. Again, great ideas. 

[Mightymariner]

On 09/12/2022 at 17:06, oldypigeonpopper said:

Ok sounds good, let me know how goes 

So I gave them a trial run on the weekend. 

Well, they are quite hard to use. I don't know how you control  30ft pole!

I couldn't really manage all the sections so tried 4 out of the six, and after a while managed to get three decoys up.

Mind you, the bar it came with to lift the decoys up was nearly impossible to use as the decoys with their balance thingys just kept sliding off.

I abandoned that and just inserted the decoy and lofting accessory into the pole and put them up.

And then I lost the bar in the grass!

I have modified the end pole now so it has a sort of funnel in it, in which the decoy goes.

I will be out on Saturday, so will try and take a pix.

Despite the teething problems the decoys did look effective in the branches.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 hour ago, Mightymariner said:

So I gave them a trial run on the weekend. 

Well, they are quite hard to use. I don't know how you control  30ft pole!

I couldn't really manage all the sections so tried 4 out of the six, and after a while managed to get three decoys up.

Practice!

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, Mightymariner said:

So I gave them a trial run on the weekend. 

Well, they are quite hard to use. I don't know how you control  30ft pole!

I couldn't really manage all the sections so tried 4 out of the six, and after a while managed to get three decoys up.

Mind you, the bar it came with to lift the decoys up was nearly impossible to use as the decoys with their balance thingys just kept sliding off.

I abandoned that and just inserted the decoy and lofting accessory into the pole and put them up.

And then I lost the bar in the grass!

I have modified the end pole now so it has a sort of funnel in it, in which the decoy goes.

I will be out on Saturday, so will try and take a pix.

Despite the teething problems the decoys did look effective in the branches.

Just put it down to teething problems MM , looking forward to a photo of them being on active service and above all you telling us you shot the first pigeon that you seriously think was attracted to there rubber cousins that were perched on those upper branches .

All the best and if you think about dumping them , would you please dump them outside of my back door  MM

[oldypigeonpopper]

2 hours ago, Mightymariner said:

So I gave them a trial run on the weekend. 

Well, they are quite hard to use. I don't know how you control  30ft pole!

I couldn't really manage all the sections so tried 4 out of the six, and after a while managed to get three decoys up.

Mind you, the bar it came with to lift the decoys up was nearly impossible to use as the decoys with their balance thingys just kept sliding off.

I abandoned that and just inserted the decoy and lofting accessory into the pole and put them up.

And then I lost the bar in the grass!

I have modified the end pole now so it has a sort of funnel in it, in which the decoy goes.

I will be out on Saturday, so will try and take a pix.

Despite the teething problems the decoys did look effective in the branches.

Hello, thanks for that, 👍