Winter OSR - rotary essential

[GavG]

I've been clay shooting for years, now just starting on the pigeons. My pigeon shooting to date was on autumn drillings using decoys and a couple of floaters.

I've been given this OSR field to shoot which over the last few days I've seen 50-100 birds feeding on, at first light. Assuming I'm placed correctly, will my 30-40 decoys and a couple of floaters be sufficient?

I read that a rotary is pretty much essential on rape - is this true?

 

[jall25]

You will have a good day with 30-40 decoys 

Being in the right place is the ticket 

[old'un]

Assuming they come back after you have walked them off, and you find where they want if they do, 20 decoys will be more than enough.

Is a magnet necessary? This time of year some movement in your kill area will help pull birds, magnet or flapper.

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by old'un

[mellors]

1 hour ago, GavG said:

I've been clay shooting for years, now just starting on the pigeons. My pigeon shooting to date was on autumn drillings using decoys and a couple of floaters.

I've been given this OSR field to shoot which over the last few days I've seen 50-100 birds feeding on, at first light. Assuming I'm placed correctly, will my 30-40 decoys and a couple of floaters be sufficient?

I read that a rotary is pretty much essential on rape - is this true?

 

Just get yourself a flapper. 

Less to carry and far more useful. 

I'm no fan of magnets except on laid barley.

But others will disagree. 

[Ultrastu]

Be prepared for the frustration  that is winter rape shooting . You can be in exactly  the right field and place and time .and they will drop in on the opposite end of the field . 1 shot to lift them and they disappear  for the next 3 hours . I've never had a bag over 15 on rape . But it is fun to try and gets us out on even to wildest of  winter. days .

[marsh man]

Depending on the size of the field , 50 - 100 is not a lot of Pigeons on o s r and it would pay you to watch where they are coming from first thing in the mornings , if from the near by trees then you might have a job on your hands after the first shot or two with any coming back , if from a wood a fair way off then you might stand a chance .

Very rarely now you see bale hides in the middle of the field , if the field was big then you could easily put two on the same field , these were very good as you could decoy in any wind direction and normally get close to where the Pigeons want to be , in your situation you can watch the field for the odd morning before you went and had a go to give yourself more of a chance in getting it right , don't expect a big bag but it would be good if you proved us wrong     GOOD LUCK       MM

[GavG]

Thanks all, for the useful tips. The farmer has several big rape fields although he has given me this one field, beside his yard 'to see how I get on'. The field is probably the smallest about 40 acres. It's also well away from his game birds!

I've been watching the rape in my area (Essex) recently and pigeons have showed zero interest until this week. I checked on this field Tues morning around 8 in morning when there was frost. Pigeons were already there in two opposite corners beside a small wood. They seemed to be dropping down off the trees having a bite then popping back to digest. I did see a few arriving on what appeared a couple of flight lines. After about an hour watching something disturbed them and they were off. I checked again at different times same day....no pigeons returned. I've called by a couple of times later in week ...no pigeons.

I'll get to field early morning to see if they arrive and where from. I'll report back.

[old'un]

33 minutes ago, GavG said:

Thanks all, for the useful tips. The farmer has several big rape fields although he has given me this one field, beside his yard 'to see how I get on'. The field is probably the smallest about 40 acres. It's also well away from his game birds!

I've been watching the rape in my area (Essex) recently and pigeons have showed zero interest until this week. I checked on this field Tues morning around 8 in morning when there was frost. Pigeons were already there in two opposite corners beside a small wood. They seemed to be dropping down off the trees having a bite then popping back to digest. I did see a few arriving on what appeared a couple of flight lines. After about an hour watching something disturbed them and they were off. I checked again at different times same day....no pigeons returned. I've called by a couple of times later in week ...no pigeons.

I'll get to field early morning to see if they arrive and where from. I'll report back.

Are the other big fields close to the one you plan on shooting?

[clangerman]

as your on a one field try out with the farmer his priority at this point is finding out if you can be trusted and willing to keep them of forget about numbers  for now set up regardless pick up the full perm then pursue a tidy bag 

[GavG]

I agree. I should have a day or two free this week so I'll get out and hopefully earn some trust.

He's got a couple of bigger rape fields about a mile away, next to a big wood. I drove past this week and he's bagged it off so he's possibly starting to have an issue there. I presume these fields will get more pigeons due to the wood? He's got game around there so no shooting until end of season.

[marsh man]

Once you said the farmer have got other fields of o s r then you are up against it , the best you can do is to make sure he don't have a problem with Pigeon damage on the one you have been given, even if you don't see many Pigeons or get much shooting as another year if he is still growing o s r they will be different fields and he might well give you more fields to look after so don't ignore it as he will be watching you and takin notes   GOOD LUCK.           MM

[pigeon controller]

You could ask the farmer if you can put flags on the other rape to keep the birds returning to the field that you are shooting.White bin liners work well or paper overalls. Good luck.

[Sam walsh]

Firstly happy new year to everyone I’m a complete beginner to pigeon shooting as I’ve been clay bashing for years that said I have permission to shoot over 2 large_ish fields Any tips would be greatly appreciated 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

5 hours ago, Sam walsh said:

Firstly happy new year to everyone I’m a complete beginner to pigeon shooting as I’ve been clay bashing for years that said I have permission to shoot over 2 large_ish fields Any tips would be greatly appreciated 

Have a read through the forum, there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained.

[Mike170874]

21 hours ago, Sam walsh said:

Firstly happy new year to everyone I’m a complete beginner to pigeon shooting as I’ve been clay bashing for years that said I have permission to shoot over 2 large_ish fields Any tips would be greatly appreciated 

Top tip ,go sit in those 2 fields every spare day you get even if there's nothing really happening and make sure the farmer knows your there take some cheap clay shells now and then let a few off ..The farmer will think your keen and trustworthy trust me next year you will get the rest of his land to shoot over.The same happened to me I was given one field opposite some land I already shot over it was getting stripped by pigeons so I kept them Off all winter for him I was there in rain ,snow,etc all day till dusk .The following year I knocked on his door and he gave me over a thousand acres to shoot with Rape,beans,peas,barley etc huge woods to roost shoot in and a river to fish if I want .ps my farmer already had 2 lads that shot his rape for him but would come for 3 hours then go if nothing was happening he soon realised what they were doing but when he saw how keen I was he threw them off and I got the lot.

[old'un]

7 minutes ago, Mike170874 said:

Top tip ,go sit in those 2 fields every spare day you get even if there's nothing really happening and make sure the farmer knows your there take some cheap clay shells now and then let a few off ..The farmer will think your keen and trustworthy trust me next year you will get the rest of his land to shoot over.The same happened to me I was given one field opposite some land I already shot over it was getting stripped by pigeons so I kept them Off all winter for him I was there in rain ,snow,etc all day till dusk .The following year I knocked on his door and he gave me over a thousand acres to shoot with Rape,beans,peas,barley etc huge woods to roost shoot in and a river to fish if I want .ps my farmer already had 2 lads that shot his rape for him but would come for 3 hours then go if nothing was happening he soon realised what they were doing but when he saw how keen I was he threw them off and I got the lot.

Unfortunately that is not possible for most who work and only have weekends to shoot.

[Sam walsh]

Thanks for the replies I have walked around the fields and spent some time mapping where I think the best place to position hides etc . What I need really is what is the sort of patterns to put the decoys in and is there an optimal number to put out  any magic tricks that work well 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 minute ago, Sam walsh said:

Thanks for the replies I have walked around the fields and spent some time mapping where I think the best place to position hides etc . What I need really is what is the sort of patterns to put the decoys in and is there an optimal number to put out  any magic tricks that work well 

 

[old'un]

16 hours ago, Sam walsh said:

Thanks for the replies I have walked around the fields and spent some time mapping where I think the best place to position hides etc . What I need really is what is the sort of patterns to put the decoys in and is there an optimal number to put out  any magic tricks that work well 

Where you think the best place for your hide is not necessary where the pigeons want on the day.

Decoys, 20 is plenty with some movement, pattern random with gaps to allow birds to land in your killing area, although saying that they are just as likely to land anywhere.

Magic tricks, let me know when you find one.

Don't know what your field is like but most I have looked at are waterlogged, pigeons will be reluctant to land, walk and feed on such fields.

They have moved back to the tarmac.

 

 

[marsh man]

As above and I would also add that if you don't know the field very well which I doubt you would with it being a new perm ,is just to sit either in a place where the Pigeons cannot see you , or better still in the comfort of your motor and just study where they are coming from and where they are going to , this will then give you a better idea of where to place your hide , also take note of wind directions as this could alter your plans if you were watching in a strong Northerly wind and the day you planned was a near gale Southerly wind , it will take time to get it right and it will be far better if you spent the time observing rather than us advising you as every set up is different and you and anyone else would need to be there to offer the best advise .

GOOD LUCK and keep us in touch with how you got on .      MM

[Sam walsh]

Thanks for all the good advice and the decoy plans  I suppose like everything in life practice makes perfect I’m sure I’ll make some mahusive mistakes and plenty of poor plastic decoys will suffer as a result