Ok then, who's got all the pigeons?

[old'un]

Today was ideal, overcast, 15-20mph wind with stronger gusts, I know its not been cold but I have shot some decent bags on very similar days and around the same time of year.

start of today, setup at first light on the only field that looked remotely promising, there's been about 80-100 feeding on this field for the last week, so thought I would give it a go, a few came in and by 9:15am with 8 in the bag it was all over so I decided to have a drive round, by midday I had looked at 9 fields over a wide area and not a bird on any of them or in the trees, even drove to a nearby nature reserve to see if they were siting it out in the woods, think I spotted 4 pigeons.

I know there's been a good acorn crop this year but even so at this time of the year I am usually seeing some decent size flocks and a few good flight lines but so far, in what is usually a very good area for pigeons I am just not seeing any numbers, so where are they?

I am just waiting now for someone to post a picture and write-up of a good day and a bag of 100+ pigeons.

[mossy835]

iv not seen many at all over the last few weeks. there not coming into the woods at all. so no idear where they have gone, none on the rape at all.

Edited January 4, 2023 by mossy835

[Good shot?]

Still a couple of thousand flighting over my perm first thing in a morning going I do not know where. A few bunches flighting back mid afternoon but lucky to get 1/2 a dozen when flighting over me in the afternoon.

All had acorns in crop when checked.

Edited January 5, 2023 by Good shot?

[old'un]

11 minutes ago, Good shot? said:

Still a couple of thousand flighting over my perm first thing in a morning going I do not know. A few bunches flighting back mid afternoon but lucky to get 1/2 a dozen when flighting over me in the afternoon.

All had acorns in crop when checked.

They must all be up north then.

The other thing I have noticed this year is, I am not hearing any gas-guns.

there’s also a 200 acre nature reserve not a quarter a mile from my front bedroom and every year I care to remember at this time of year (winter) I can usually see hundreds of pigeons coming into roost, so far the most I have seen is about 20-30, very odd.

[snarepeg]

We have lots of rape and maize, but no pigeons?

[Morkin]

There is just a few on the rape, but nothing to speak in numbers but there is the ivy Berry's and acorns to finish off, I thought before Xmas they where going to start on the rape but I suppose it was colder.

[old'un]

47 minutes ago, Morkin said:

There is just a few on the rape, but nothing to speak in numbers but there is the ivy Berry's and acorns to finish off, I thought before Xmas they where going to start on the rape but I suppose it was colder.

Ok fair enough there will be a number on ivy and acorns but what I am on about is the numbers, usually this time of year I am seeing flocks in the hundreds, years back in their thousands, as above, Good shot? Said he’s seeing thousands (lucky man) heading out but I would not think they are all heading for the acorns.

[Taileron]

We have got avian flu in Shropshire, pigeons are supposed to be quite resilient to it. A couple of days back whilst on a walked up day we found a corner of a field with about 60 dead. During the course of the day we found more, sporadic in areas, perhaps it’s been hitting them in your neck of the woods?

Edited January 5, 2023 by Taileron

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, old'un said:

They must all be up north then.

The other thing I have noticed this year is, I am not hearing any gas-guns.

there’s also a 200 acre nature reserve not a quarter a mile from my front bedroom and every year I care to remember at this time of year (winter) I can usually see hundreds of pigeons coming into roost, so far the most I have seen is about 20-30, very odd.

We have got plenty of gas guns going off down on the marshes but not to keep the Pigeons off the rape , these are going off from first light , then for the rest of the day untill it get dark to keep the geese and the Swans off and they have very little effect.

A couple of days ago I dropped my wife off at the garden centre and had a hours walk around a part of the estate that would normally hold a nice lot lot of Pigeons , the day I had a walk I saw next to nothing , we haven't got any rape over this side but we did have a few fields of Fodder Beet that was untouched .

We have got a shoot on Friday so we might see a few more then ,but at the moment they are certainly not about in the numbers we would expect to see in early January , the above member mentioned bird flu , we had bird flu on part of the estate and had to cancel the last day's planned shoot , so it might be another reason with the lack in numbers , I dare say if the game dealers start to advertise for Pigeons then we will know numbers are well down , if they were getting hit by some form of bird flu or sickness then would it be fuel for the fire if WJ tried to put a stop to shooting Pigeons on anything apart from growing crops  .

[old'un]

1 hour ago, Taileron said:

We have got avian flu in Shropshire, pigeons are supposed to be quite resilient to it. A couple of days back whilst on a walked up day we found a cornet of a field with about 60 dead. During the course of the day we found more, sporadic in areas, perhaps it’s been hitting them in your neck of the woods?

That sounds worrying, have you reported this?

[Wilts#Dave]

Been very quiet here over winter too. Not overly unusual as winter is never great numbers wise, but definitely much less activity than usual. 
We shoot a flight line on their way to roosting woods we don’t have access to half a mile or so away every winter and December is usually the ‘prime’ time to shoot it, however there just wasn’t any number using it. 
Shot it for the first time this afternoon in perfect windy conditions, and saw decent numbers in the hour or so I was there……not a huge haul, shot 17 but they only pass over the spot we stand so tend to be well up and today were jinking well on the wind too which didn’t make it easy! 
 

[Taileron]

11 hours ago, old'un said:

That sounds worrying, have you reported this?

Yes, my buddy who I shoot with is a keeper, he reported it the very next day.

[kitchrat]

14 hours ago, Taileron said:

We have got avian flu in Shropshire, pigeons are supposed to be quite resilient to it. A couple of days back whilst on a walked up day we found a corner of a field with about 60 dead. During the course of the day we found more, sporadic in areas, perhaps it’s been hitting them in your neck of the woods?

Not seen any dead ones round here, fortunately. Not many live ones either!

[bunny_blaster]

I watched 7-800+ lift off some rape on Sunday as a low aircraft came over but I couldn’t get near them due to the land owners splitting up the ground.

I also had a few hours on Monday flighting them over a small wood and accounted for 32. They where heading way into the distance but I had groups of birds constantly coming over for a few hours. There’s plenty moving around Warwickshire/south Birmingham 

Edited January 5, 2023 by bunny_blaster

[old'un]

1 hour ago, bunny_blaster said:

I watched 7-800+ lift off some rape on Sunday as a low aircraft came over but I couldn’t get near them due to the land owners splitting up the ground.

I also had a few hours on Monday flighting them over a small wood and accounted for 32. They where heading way into the distance but I had groups of birds constantly coming over for a few hours. There’s plenty moving around Warwickshire/south Birmingham 

The area I shoot is mainly west of the M5 from jun3 down to jun6, I also shoot a few farms east of the M5, looking back at a few posts from previous years I can see people like PC and others shooting and reporting good numbers on rape at this time of year, but this year in the area I shoot there are very few birds, which is very unusual for the area, I do realise that pigeons move about and things may improve and although you have seen a few hundred would you say the numbers are down from previous years in your area?

[bunny_blaster]

1 hour ago, old'un said:

The area I shoot is mainly west of the M5 from jun3 down to jun6, I also shoot a few farms east of the M5, looking back at a few posts from previous years I can see people like PC and others shooting and reporting good numbers on rape at this time of year, but this year in the area I shoot there are very few birds, which is very unusual for the area, I do realise that pigeons move about and things may improve and although you have seen a few hundred would you say the numbers are down from previous years in your area?

Last year we didn’t have the acorn crop that we do this year which is why we haven’t been seeing the bags early on. Last year I had my best winter on record but I had a massive head of birds on all of the ground I cover. I shot loads of 100+ bags several 200+ and my best day on winter rape of 300+, some which I shared with PC. Come the spring and summer it went very quiet with nothing on spring drilling and I had no laid crops to speak off. Numbers are now building on the rape around me and it’s starting to look promising. I’m sure your luck will change

[stu nesling]

our neighbouring shoot had got 1-1.5k on his maize on monday when i went for a walk around.

shot 6 high ones returning on a flightline, that was my lot.

[pigeonbasher oz]

Normally a lot more in north west but not at the moment

[Manymissedpigeon]

Evening everyone and a happy new year. I was out this Tuesday (north yorks) and saw my first pigeons on the osr of which there are many many acres planted this winter. None were shot as it was constant drizzle but I had just left a large spinney with lots of proper mature oaks and have shot between 15 and up to 35 on regular visits since September. This week the flow of pigeons seems to have now dried up although there are plenty of rotting acorns on the ground still. I will admit to firing anything up to a hundred carts to hit around one in four as they come in very high ( and sometimes out of a gloomy sky and hard to see with old eyes. I also note 5hat, although I hear quite a few big game shoots going on in the surrounding area plus one or two gas guns, I NEVER hear another pigeon shooter any more! 
I recently met up with a land owner who had purchased quite a few acres of arable from someone I know and his actual words were “ do you know you’re a dying breed, I haven’t talked to a pigeon ( and crow) shooter for a long time” He took my number AND checked it rang my phone and said he would certainly be ringing me at the end of January. Hmm, maybe I should have mentioned the cost of cartridges?

[bunny_blaster]

52 minutes ago, Manymissedpigeon said:

Evening everyone and a happy new year. I was out this Tuesday (north yorks) and saw my first pigeons on the osr of which there are many many acres planted this winter. None were shot as it was constant drizzle but I had just left a large spinney with lots of proper mature oaks and have shot between 15 and up to 35 on regular visits since September. This week the flow of pigeons seems to have now dried up although there are plenty of rotting acorns on the ground still. I will admit to firing anything up to a hundred carts to hit around one in four as they come in very high ( and sometimes out of a gloomy sky and hard to see with old eyes. I also note 5hat, although I hear quite a few big game shoots going on in the surrounding area plus one or two gas guns, I NEVER hear another pigeon shooter any more! 
I recently met up with a land owner who had purchased quite a few acres of arable from someone I know and his actual words were “ do you know you’re a dying breed, I haven’t talked to a pigeon ( and crow) shooter for a long time” He took my number AND checked it rang my phone and said he would certainly be ringing me at the end of January. Hmm, maybe I should have mentioned the cost of cartridges?

It’s the same in the area i shoot. Apart from PC and myself I know of one other person who is out on a regular basis all year round. Come the stubble shooting there’s people everywhere. 

[old'un]

On 05/01/2023 at 18:11, bunny_blaster said:

It’s the same in the area i shoot. Apart from PC and myself I know of one other person who is out on a regular basis all year round. Come the stubble shooting there’s people everywhere. 

Talking of PC, I have not seen much of him on the forum is he ok?

[mossy835]

well i was i the wood this morning, and i shot a pigeon,thats a first for me,about 10 went over. so they are about .

[marsh man]

On 05/01/2023 at 18:11, bunny_blaster said:

It’s the same in the area i shoot. Apart from PC and myself I know of one other person who is out on a regular basis all year round. Come the stubble shooting there’s people everywhere. 

That sound about right , On our main game shoot we have a pool of around 30 helpers , these are from all walks of life and at all different age groups , when the season finish we let whoever want to go into the woods for four Saturday afternoons in February , we do make a small charge of £20 for a permit which go to a different charity each year , some years in the past we have let as many as 30 plus but now it hovver around 20 , the first week we have most of the permit holders out , the second is less and a lot less if the weather is poor, the third week we find even less if the main football teams are playing at home , by the forth and last week it is just the odd one who might be shooting on the rape fields and with the nights pulling out a lot the woods are virtually empty of shooters .

Moving on to the crop shooting , last year I only had one person get in touch about going on the stubble and he was the farm foreman , they had been really busy in all that hot weather we had he hadn't had time to look round as he wanted to take his boy for a bit of decoying , I told him there was a lot on the rape stubbles and the Saturday he went was a scorcher and his boy shot about 40 and they were getting to hot to stay any longer and that was it .

This is the same in the two local wildfowling clubs , at a guess I would say both clubs have around 300 members between then , how many serious Pigeon shooters are in both clubs ? , I would say less than 10 , yes you do get the odd person go on the crop fields but these are normally a one off and you don't see them that often , or anymore .

This could be a lack of time , family commitments , distance , cost of fuel and cartridges , and many other reasons , we hear on the forum that some members are finding it hard to get perms then I would say a lot of them don't live around this way , even so you still need to do your homework to aquire new land but I can assure you there are perms out there to be had .

[old'un]

2 hours ago, mossy835 said:

well i was i the wood this morning, and i shot a pigeon,thats a first for me,about 10 went over. so they are about .

We get more pigeons than that on our bird table.

 

 

1 hour ago, marsh man said:

That sound about right , On our main game shoot we have a pool of around 30 helpers , these are from all walks of life and at all different age groups , when the season finish we let whoever want to go into the woods for four Saturday afternoons in February , we do make a small charge of £20 for a permit which go to a different charity each year , some years in the past we have let as many as 30 plus but now it hovver around 20 , the first week we have most of the permit holders out , the second is less and a lot less if the weather is poor, the third week we find even less if the main football teams are playing at home , by the forth and last week it is just the odd one who might be shooting on the rape fields and with the nights pulling out a lot the woods are virtually empty of shooters .

Moving on to the crop shooting , last year I only had one person get in touch about going on the stubble and he was the farm foreman , they had been really busy in all that hot weather we had he hadn't had time to look round as he wanted to take his boy for a bit of decoying , I told him there was a lot on the rape stubbles and the Saturday he went was a scorcher and his boy shot about 40 and they were getting to hot to stay any longer and that was it .

This is the same in the two local wildfowling clubs , at a guess I would say both clubs have around 300 members between then , how many serious Pigeon shooters are in both clubs ? , I would say less than 10 , yes you do get the odd person go on the crop fields but these are normally a one off and you don't see them that often , or anymore .

This could be a lack of time , family commitments , distance , cost of fuel and cartridges , and many other reasons , we hear on the forum that some members are finding it hard to get perms then I would say a lot of them don't live around this way , even so you still need to do your homework to aquire new land but I can assure you there are perms out there to be had .

I have been chasing pigeon for longer than I care to remember and in all those years I have seen "pigeon shooters" come and go, most give up after a couple of blank days on winter rape, they soon learn that the time spent chasing and shooting pigeons on winter rape is not easy, some do reappear from under the duvet come the summer stubbles.

It takes a certain type of shooter to go out week after week looking for pigeons, especially during the winter months.

Edited January 7, 2023 by old'un

[marsh man]

I agree intirely about Winter shooting on rape fields , it do take dedication and commitment , but if you are looking for pigeon shooting then can you think of a better time to look around ? , this day and age you can mainly forget about Spring drilling , seeing numbers on growing wheat and barley a no no  , last Summer we had no laid Barley and we only had small numbers going on the Peas , so unless you are in the know and can go on the various stubbles , then the only time you are likely to see good numbers on a crop is either now or anytime soon on rape , once you have got the go ahead then the doors are wide open for Spring and Summer crops and as a bonus , you can refer the farmers name you have been doing his pest control to other farmers that border his land if you see good numbers on his neibourers land . 

When I was looking for perms I would always think I had nothing to lose and everything to gain when I went to see the land owner , after a while I had just about every farm in the area where I used to go and when I stopped looking I had the odd farmer ring me up and was saying he was speaking to Mr XXXX and was saying you done a good job shooting on his laid Wheat , I have got some fields near by so would you keep an eye on them please .

I don't no longer shoot around that way and I dare say if the right people had a look around  they would easily get some shooting if the birds were playing on the rape and they were prepared to sit it out over the Winter months  .