marsh man Posted July 18 Report Share Posted July 18 The ole familiar dust is at long last coming out of the back end of the combine after it have gobbled up it's meal of grain all day today , then as the huge machine move on to the next course the bailing machine is very soon rolling out the bails , today we have had a glorious day and lets hope we have a few more to come , the harvest have started only eight days behind than last year and weight wise the farmer seem satisfied , so if he is satisfied then it must be better than expected . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted July 19 Report Share Posted July 19 Exalent news hope it startes here soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted July 19 Author Report Share Posted July 19 1 hour ago, dead eye alan said: Exalent news hope it startes here soon. Yes , I would imagine with what might be the hottest day of the year so far the combines will be out in force up and down the country , one of my favorite times of the year , there is just something about in setting up against a bail of straw in the middle of a stubble field field on a nice Summers day and shooting a few Pigeons , make the most of it as it won't last for long . MM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted July 19 Report Share Posted July 19 9 minutes ago, marsh man said: Yes , I would imagine with what might be the hottest day of the year so far the combines will be out in force up and down the country , one of my favorite times of the year , there is just something about in setting up against a bail of straw in the middle of a stubble field field on a nice Summers day and shooting a few Pigeons , make the most of it as it won't last for long . MM Absolutely MM. In recent years though I find it’s a battle against the baler and them hauling them off before you get a chance to shoot the fields (not to mention the cultivators). Always found more often than not, that the pigeons seem to like the bales being in the field and will decoy really well when they’ve been left out. First field of rape being cut today, when I was speaking to one of the farmers yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted July 19 Report Share Posted July 19 5 minutes ago, Wilts#Dave said: Absolutely MM. In recent years though I find it’s a battle against the baler and them hauling them off before you get a chance to shoot the fields (not to mention the cultivators). Always found more often than not, that the pigeons seem to like the bales being in the field and will decoy really well when they’ve been left out. First field of rape being cut today, when I was speaking to one of the farmers yesterday. You are lucky to have straw getting baled. Round here, it's all chaff cutters on the back of the combine which I am sure covers what free grain there is left for the poor pigeons! Hence stubbles don't seem to attract many birds. (going to try later, in spite of what I say!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellors Posted July 19 Report Share Posted July 19 Get on it they will find the seed. Bit warm today though find some good shade and I'm sure you'll get a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted July 19 Report Share Posted July 19 4 hours ago, mellors said: Get on it they will find the seed. Bit warm today though find some good shade and I'm sure you'll get a few. Bit warm for my liking and the combine will be disturbing the thunder bugs, although this wind should keep them at bay, hate the little blighters they get everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted July 19 Report Share Posted July 19 5 hours ago, kitchrat said: You are lucky to have straw getting baled. Round here, it's all chaff cutters on the back of the combine which I am sure covers what free grain there is left for the poor pigeons! Hence stubbles don't seem to attract many birds. (going to try later, in spite of what I say!) That’s rape stubble in your pic, is not uncommon and lots will be chopped rather than baled due to the type of straw rape produces but pigeons will find the seed despite it not being prominent if they want to. Wheat / barley and other cereal crops are more likely to be baled. It sounds like you’ve got a lack of pigeons more than anything else, if they’re not in the area you just won’t get the bags……as annoying as that is. Some areas have large numbers of pigeons which in turn makes it much easier to shoot the bags! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted July 19 Report Share Posted July 19 Most of the rape on one farm that I shoot has been cut and now disced. Had a go yesterday with a pal and we had just 43 between us before the discer entered our field after having very kindly disced the others and left ours until last. It`s good to be on such friendly terms with our farmer. It was good to get out and for me to get into double figures for the first time in a few weeks. Fortunately we decided to go yesterday when there was a nice cool easterly breeze out on the marsh as opposed to today which would have been far too hot for me. Had a few in previous weeks on Triticale stubble which is now being left to germinate and then ploughed in presumably for nitrogen fixing but the pigeons had forsaken that for the rape stubble. Still a chance in the near future even with the disced rape as pigeons still find the seed and visit such fields. OB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted July 19 Author Report Share Posted July 19 4 hours ago, Old Boggy said: Most of the rape on one farm that I shoot has been cut and now disced. Had a go yesterday with a pal and we had just 43 between us before the discer entered our field after having very kindly disced the others and left ours until last. It`s good to be on such friendly terms with our farmer. It was good to get out and for me to get into double figures for the first time in a few weeks. Fortunately we decided to go yesterday when there was a nice cool easterly breeze out on the marsh as opposed to today which would have been far too hot for me. Had a few in previous weeks on Triticale stubble which is now being left to germinate and then ploughed in presumably for nitrogen fixing but the pigeons had forsaken that for the rape stubble. Still a chance in the near future even with the disced rape as pigeons still find the seed and visit such fields. OB That was a very good day out Chris to get 43 , enough to keep you both interested and some shooting in the bargain , I sat on the cutter trailer last night watching the combine making short work of a field of barley , within no time it was coming towards me ocutting the final strip of corn , just as he finished his wife came on the field with his tea and a couple of cold drinks , I had a yarn and asked him if it was warm in the cab , get in and find out he said , after climbing up the steps like an ole man I finally reached the door , going inside you could had done with a long sleeve shirt on as it was so cool , look inside that box on your right he said , so looking inside the box it was like a fridge , his bottle of drink was as cold as if it had been in my fridge , what a contrast from the open cabs where the driver had a bit of cloth over his mouth to stop him breathing in the dust , I wonder what some of those ole boys would think of the modern day farming machinery , pretty impressive I would imagine . MM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead eye alan Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 Got text from farmer yesterday at 11 am " started on the barly " unfortunatly I was in the midle of decorating the spair room, but had a look at about 5pm pigeons every ware so a kwik tidy up and off about 11 am today, HORAY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 (edited) 18 hours ago, Wilts#Dave said: That’s rape stubble in your pic, is not uncommon and lots will be chopped rather than baled due to the type of straw rape produces but pigeons will find the seed despite it not being prominent if they want to. Wheat / barley and other cereal crops are more likely to be baled. It sounds like you’ve got a lack of pigeons more than anything else, if they’re not in the area you just won’t get the bags……as annoying as that is. Some areas have large numbers of pigeons which in turn makes it much easier to shoot the bags! Yes Dave, you are right of course about it being rape stubble. I have found that the pigeons can still get some seeds where the tractor turned at the end of a spraying pass and crushed some of the plants. The combine cannot pick these flattened plants up so there are dry/crushed pods of seed for the birds. Had a little go yesterday but it was really much the same story. Quite a few (150?) there when I arrived, they left but soon came back. Didn't decoy but landed in the trees until 1 bird went down (other side of field) and they all followed on. I fired a shot to move them, they left en masse and never came back. Thereafter, singles and pairs dribbled back, most ignored me but some semi decoyed and some came in. Didn't get much confidence-boosting shooting and didn't do well on the half chances but finished with 19 after 4 1/2 hours. Very little of the cereal stubble gets bailed round here, so I will have to be happy with small bags but it would be nice to really get stuck in! Cheers Edited July 20 by kitchrat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 Hello, On my friends farm they sell the barley straw off the field and contractor comes in with Balers and Trailors, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 i had 5 fields of barley cut in 2 days, went out today and saw nothing on them will give it a go after work monday, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 6 hours ago, kitchrat said: Yes Dave, you are right of course about it being rape stubble. I have found that the pigeons can still get some seeds where the tractor turned at the end of a spraying pass and crushed some of the plants. The combine cannot pick these flattened plants up so there are dry/crushed pods of seed for the birds. Had a little go yesterday but it was really much the same story. Quite a few (150?) there when I arrived, they left but soon came back. Didn't decoy but landed in the trees until 1 bird went down (other side of field) and they all followed on. I fired a shot to move them, they left en masse and never came back. Thereafter, singles and pairs dribbled back, most ignored me but some semi decoyed and some came in. Didn't get much confidence-boosting shooting and didn't do well on the half chances but finished with 19 after 4 1/2 hours. Very little of the cereal stubble gets bailed round here, so I will have to be happy with small bags but it would be nice to really get stuck in! Cheers Get yourself out for a good drive round the local area and see if there are better numbers elsewhere on other farms…..you may well be able to get ‘stuck in’ somewhere else (let’s face it we all enjoy the busy days)! As I’ve said previously you can only shoot what’s there and make the best of it so don’t beat yourself up about it, sometimes a field just won’t produce a busy day no matter how long you leave it or how much you watch it. Your luck may change as harvest takes hold 👍🏼 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted July 20 Report Share Posted July 20 3 hours ago, Wilts#Dave said: Get yourself out for a good drive round the local area and see if there are better numbers elsewhere on other farms…..you may well be able to get ‘stuck in’ somewhere else (let’s face it we all enjoy the busy days)! As I’ve said previously you can only shoot what’s there and make the best of it so don’t beat yourself up about it, sometimes a field just won’t produce a busy day no matter how long you leave it or how much you watch it. Your luck may change as harvest takes hold 👍🏼 I spend half my afternoons driving around the farms I have permission to shoot (several) Seeing the same all over, just scattered numbers no focus to dial into. They are not hungry, just snacking when they know it;s safe because they have seen several others go down to feed. Waiting in the trees until they are sure. Not diving straight onto a field at all. Now the farmers are cutting barley too but I have yet to see any numbers on stubble. There was a good bit of laid oats for the last two weeks, no interest shown at all! Plenty on the telephone wires outside my house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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