A good hour and a half today

[Old Boggy]

Went to my usual little wood out on the marsh with the lofting poles and 2 pigeon spreader bar. There were a few about and some feeding on the field in front which is a mixture of nitrogen fixing crops to be ploughed in and then drilled with maize. 

Not having the time to set up with decoys, whirly etc on the field I settled for just my two lofted pigeons. 

With a short time frame of just an hour and a half today (12 until 1.30) I was very pleased with my bag of 10 pigeons. Not the same sort of bags obtained by Muncher et al but for my time out, I was more than happy. The lofters took just 3 minutes to put up and two to take down so I think that I have finally perfected lofted pigeons after many years of trial and error. The time I have wasted with those damned hook arrangements in the past.

I had some easy shots as they came into the trees but also a few absolute screamers as they floated high over the wood, so was pretty pleased with my performance with my 90 year old G.Bate 16 bore side by side, an absolute joy to use.

Further outings are planned for this little wood as this is always the place where I hear the first cuckoo of the season, the sound of which resonates far over the marsh on a still day.

Please note that I`ve tried to improve somewhat on the normal `Kentish Pile` style of pigeon presentation.

Thanks for reading.

OB

Edited April 3 by Old Boggy

[ditchman]

nothing like a few lofted birds on a sitty tree...

[Old Boggy]

17 minutes ago, ditchman said:

nothing like a few lofted birds on a sitty tree...

I agree, always seems to work for me, if in the right place or tree.

Same spot as last week but slightly different angle as the wind had changed a bit.

[JKD]

That's a brilliant result for such a short trip out 😃 Nice neat "Kentish Line" too 👍🥳😁

[ditchman]

1 hour ago, Old Boggy said:

I agree, always seems to work for me, if in the right place or tree.

Same spot as last week but slightly different angle as the wind had changed a bit.

i used to have very good results with a flapper stuck into an old rotten tree covered in ivy........

[islandgun]

Done in style, envious

[JDog]

You have perfected that method of pigeon shooting.

Your presentation may be called a 'Boggy crescent'.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well done Mate.

Quick, easy and effective.   

[marsh man]

You are now the main man to seek advice from with the art of lofting poles Chris , we mustn't forget Dave ( T C ) who engineered the device in the first place , so we will put him as neck and neck towards the finishing line.

Great shortish session and ten is a nice little bag for an hour or so out in the fresh air , you will soon be spending more time laying the bag out and it will be shooting them in the first place , Have P C been given you some tuition on presentation ?  

[Old Boggy]

6 hours ago, marsh man said:

You are now the main man to seek advice from with the art of lofting poles Chris , we mustn't forget Dave ( T C ) who engineered the device in the first place , so we will put him as neck and neck towards the finishing line.

Great shortish session and ten is a nice little bag for an hour or so out in the fresh air , you will soon be spending more time laying the bag out and it will be shooting them in the first place , Have P C been given you some tuition on presentation ?  

I must admit that I don’t normally have time to lay the bag out neatly but thought that as PC always finds time after several hours, that I really should make the effort.😂

[Old Boggy]

15 hours ago, ditchman said:

i used to have very good results with a flapper stuck into an old rotten tree covered in ivy........

Was that flapper Fat Sarah?😂

[kitchrat]

17 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

Went to my usual little wood out on the marsh with the lofting poles and 2 pigeon spreader bar. There were a few about and some feeding on the field in front which is a mixture of nitrogen fixing crops to be ploughed in and then drilled with maize. 

Not having the time to set up with decoys, whirly etc on the field I settled for just my two lofted pigeons. 

With a short time frame of just an hour and a half today (12 until 1.30) I was very pleased with my bag of 10 pigeons. Not the same sort of bags obtained by Muncher et al but for my time out, I was more than happy. The lofters took just 3 minutes to put up and two to take down so I think that I have finally perfected lofted pigeons after many years of trial and error. The time I have wasted with those damned hook arrangements in the past.

I had some easy shots as they came into the trees but also a few absolute screamers as they floated high over the wood, so was pretty pleased with my performance with my 90 year old G.Bate 16 bore side by side, an absolute joy to use.

Further outings are planned for this little wood as this is always the place where I hear the first cuckoo of the season, the sound of which resonates far over the marsh on a still day.

Please note that I`ve tried to improve somewhat on the normal `Kentish Pile` style of pigeon presentation.

Thanks for reading.

OB

Very interested in your lofting scheme.  I too have wasted hours with the hooky things, especially trying to get them down again. How long a pole are you using? I assume you are putting them up only in medium-sized trees, say 30 ft trees in a hedge of lower bushes? A wide angle piccy would be much appreciated!

I would love to be able to use lofted decoys roost shooting, but the trees in "my" wood are huge beech, maybe 80 or 90 feet high. As the wood is over 20 acres, pigeons don't often choose the come in near me, then they all flood towards those that land elsewhere. Once, I was lucky enough to drop a dead bird in plain view  on top of a Scots Pine. Worked a treat.

Cheers

[ditchman]

1 hour ago, Old Boggy said:

Was that flapper Fat Sarah?😂

Sarah was more of a wobbler/jiggler ....not a flapper

[Old Boggy]

1 hour ago, kitchrat said:

Very interested in your lofting scheme.  I too have wasted hours with the hooky things, especially trying to get them down again. How long a pole are you using? I assume you are putting them up only in medium-sized trees, say 30 ft trees in a hedge of lower bushes? A wide angle piccy would be much appreciated!

I would love to be able to use lofted decoys roost shooting, but the trees in "my" wood are huge beech, maybe 80 or 90 feet high. As the wood is over 20 acres, pigeons don't often choose the come in near me, then they all flood towards those that land elsewhere. Once, I was lucky enough to drop a dead bird in plain view  on top of a Scots Pine. Worked a treat.

Cheers

The ones shown in the photo were using 7 five foot poles, so up to 35 feet, but I have fairly easily lofted to 50 feet which was sufficient for the trees in the woods I use. I have three sets of poles now but have yet to try to use all three sets at once. The last set I bought had longer spigots (8 inches as opposed to the older ones which had 3 inch spigots) and so are less bendy and these are the ones I tend to use for the top sections.

The trick, not only to get the right spot in the wood (sitty or roosting trees) which can only be obtained by reconnaissance or noting guano on the ground, but finding a fairly clear gap up through the trees and resting the poles on branches on the way up. This way, extra poles can be added as you hoist up and if necessary turning the whole lot so that the bar finds a clear route up (if that makes sense). Obviously the top section needs supporting as that many poles can bend quite a lot. It`s easier to do and possibly demonstrate than to explain in writing. Next time out I will take a photo of the whole of the poles to give a better indication of height. Obviously once to the required height, the whole lot needs to be turned so that the decoys are facing the wind to look as natural as possible. Hope this helps but I can assure you that in the right place they certainly work well. I am now a firm believer in just two decoys hoisted as high as possible is far better than the five on a standard set of poles (25 feet) using those damned hooks things. As said, I can get the whole lot up in three minutes and retrieved even quicker.

I hope that this helps.

I think that 80 feet would need some handling up through the branches, but Will Garfit once told me that he regularly achieves that height with his poles.

OB

[marsh man]

5 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

The ones shown in the photo were using 7 five foot poles, so up to 35 feet, but I have fairly easily lofted to 50 feet which was sufficient for the trees in the woods I use. I have three sets of poles now but have yet to try to use all three sets at once. The last set I bought had longer spigots (8 inches as opposed to the older ones which had 3 inch spigots) and so are less bendy and these are the ones I tend to use for the top sections.

The trick, not only to get the right spot in the wood (sitty or roosting trees) which can only be obtained by reconnaissance or noting guano on the ground, but finding a fairly clear gap up through the trees and resting the poles on branches on the way up. This way, extra poles can be added as you hoist up and if necessary turning the whole lot so that the bar finds a clear route up (if that makes sense). Obviously the top section needs supporting as that many poles can bend quite a lot. It`s easier to do and possibly demonstrate than to explain in writing. Next time out I will take a photo of the whole of the poles to give a better indication of height. Obviously once to the required height, the whole lot needs to be turned so that the decoys are facing the wind to look as natural as possible. Hope this helps but I can assure you that in the right place they certainly work well. I am now a firm believer in just two decoys hoisted as high as possible is far better than the five on a standard set of poles (25 feet) using those damned hooks things. As said, I can get the whole lot up in three minutes and retrieved even quicker.

I hope that this helps.

I think that 80 feet would need some handling up through the branches, but Will Garfit once told me that he regularly achieves that height with his poles.

OB

You have come a long way with your lofting technique from the first ones I ever saw at the first C L A game fair I went to , the lofted Pigeon had a long length of wire hanging below it and was hooked onto a branch , no doubt the long stout wire was to stabilise it , to get it down , or up maybe the chap had connecting poles with the top one having a funnel on it , you then had to buggex about trying to get the bottom of the wire into the funnel , not an easy task in a strong wind , no doubt you and T C would had streamed lined that to make life easy and to allow for a Fenland blow . and I don't mean when Dave break wind on one of his Flatland visits       MM

[kitchrat]

5 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

The ones shown in the photo were using 7 five foot poles, so up to 35 feet, but I have fairly easily lofted to 50 feet which was sufficient for the trees in the woods I use. I have three sets of poles now but have yet to try to use all three sets at once. The last set I bought had longer spigots (8 inches as opposed to the older ones which had 3 inch spigots) and so are less bendy and these are the ones I tend to use for the top sections.

The trick, not only to get the right spot in the wood (sitty or roosting trees) which can only be obtained by reconnaissance or noting guano on the ground, but finding a fairly clear gap up through the trees and resting the poles on branches on the way up. This way, extra poles can be added as you hoist up and if necessary turning the whole lot so that the bar finds a clear route up (if that makes sense). Obviously the top section needs supporting as that many poles can bend quite a lot. It`s easier to do and possibly demonstrate than to explain in writing. Next time out I will take a photo of the whole of the poles to give a better indication of height. Obviously once to the required height, the whole lot needs to be turned so that the decoys are facing the wind to look as natural as possible. Hope this helps but I can assure you that in the right place they certainly work well. I am now a firm believer in just two decoys hoisted as high as possible is far better than the five on a standard set of poles (25 feet) using those damned hooks things. As said, I can get the whole lot up in three minutes and retrieved even quicker.

I hope that this helps.

I think that 80 feet would need some handling up through the branches, but Will Garfit once told me that he regularly achieves that height with his poles.

OB

Many thanks, most impressive even to get to 35feet! Cheers

[oldypigeonpopper]

6 hours ago, marsh man said:

You have come a long way with your lofting technique from the first ones I ever saw at the first C L A game fair I went to , the lofted Pigeon had a long length of wire hanging below it and was hooked onto a branch , no doubt the long stout wire was to stabilise it , to get it down , or up maybe the chap had connecting poles with the top one having a funnel on it , you then had to buggex about trying to get the bottom of the wire into the funnel , not an easy task in a strong wind , no doubt you and T C would had streamed lined that to make life easy and to allow for a Fenland blow . and I don't mean when Dave break wind on one of his Flatland visits       MM

Hello, i am sure it was a company called Parsons that use to show lofters at game fairs in the 1970s 1980s as i bought a set , 

[Old Boggy]

7 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, i am sure it was a company called Parsons that use to show lofters at game fairs in the 1970s 1980s as i bought a set , 

I think that you are correct OPP. A pal of mine still has a set with a two-pigeon spreader bar.

The later poles I referred to with the longer spigots were from UK Shootwarehouse.

OB

[oldypigeonpopper]

1 hour ago, Old Boggy said:

I think that you are correct OPP. A pal of mine still has a set with a two-pigeon spreader bar.

The later poles I referred to with the longer spigots were from UK Shootwarehouse.

OB

Hello, Thanks OB, i do miss the Game Fairs that were a proper Country Sporting Events, i shall look on their web site as longer spigots sound a better design, cheers

[Old Boggy]

4 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, Thanks OB, i do miss the Game Fairs that were a proper Country Sporting Events, i shall look on their web site as longer spigots sound a better design, cheers

Isn’t the next Game Fair at Blenheim which probably isn’t a million miles from you.

[oldypigeonpopper]

49 minutes ago, Old Boggy said:

Isn’t the next Game Fair at Blenheim which probably isn’t a million miles from you.

Hello, Yes about a half hour drive depending on traffic , if i decide to go it will be around 8 8.30 am, 

[marsh man]

11 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

I think that you are correct OPP. A pal of mine still has a set with a two-pigeon spreader bar.

The later poles I referred to with the longer spigots were from UK Shootwarehouse.

OB

The first C L A Game Fair I went to ended up the nearest one I had been to , apart from the smaller ones that are fairly local , the one I was referring to was on T Cs door step at Stamford , apart from the lofted one I mentioned they also had a stand with the David Home Gall decoys that had a balloon inside , out of our price range and we had to make do with the gutter off cuts with a drop of light grey undercoat slapped on , tell yer we were poor , come to think of it , things ain't much different nowadays 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 hour ago, marsh man said:

The first C L A Game Fair I went to ended up the nearest one I had been to , apart from the smaller ones that are fairly local , the one I was referring to was on T Cs door step at Stamford , apart from the lofted one I mentioned they also had a stand with the David Home Gall decoys that had a balloon inside , out of our price range and we had to make do with the gutter off cuts with a drop of light grey undercoat slapped on , tell yer we were poor , come to think of it , things ain't much different nowadays 

Oh, the Game Fairs at Burghley House, my neighbours little place.

[marsh man]

6 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Oh, the Game Fairs at Burghley House, my neighbours little place.

Certainly a nice place Dave , I very much doubt if my pension would cover the upkeep on a daily basis , nearly as nice as Simons ( Ditchman's ) neighbour's 

[dogone]

  Three in the bag today. We have feral pigeons here. They hang around grain bins and empty buildings. I check yards several times a week. There are often a few stragglers sitting on a roof. If they wait long enough they catch a .22 lead pill. If I have the shotgun I also shoot them sitting. They are a filthy dirty bird and sporting rules don’t apply.