kitchrat Posted August 7 Report Share Posted August 7 Got a message from the farmer the other evening to say pigeons were back on his block of rape stubble, which I had shot last week. Went over about noon next day, sure enough, a couple of hundred about. (Not a couple of 1000 but it's quite a lot for round here) Watched for a bit and determined that their field of choice was the middle of the 5 fields, so I set up there. This time I had a better wind on my back and could set up in a deep ditch so I could shoot standing up without being seen too easily. To my left was a nice tree they like to sit in. (I swing the gun better to the left these days - too much racing dirt bikes has left me stiff and battered!) Inspired by Bunny B's shooting a million with no decoys I decided to use just the magnet with real birds and my 5 best full-bodied, flocked plastics - no shells. I need the magnet because with 5 fields and no luxury of defined flightlines, I need to get their attention or they will just play follow-my-leader. Anyway, it worked much better. Those from behind curved round to have a look in front and gave me a good shot. Those from other directions had a look but tended to drift towards me or the tree, rather than away. In 15 minutes I had 5 or 6 and put them out. For a while, things were quite brisk but it slowly quietened down and dwindled until I was only seeing 1 bird each 15 minutes. However, with getting better chances, (although none would have landed in easy air rifle range, Clangerman,) I got my confidence back and shot quite well (for me) and after 3 and a bit hours picked up 60, with a few lost in the standing wheat behind, for the same, nearly 90 shots as last week. The extra 15 hits equals 15 less misses so I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Still had the question of why pigeons will commit to and land alongside an upside down dead bird that has crashed 400 yards away but they will not land in my pattern when it's clean and will veer away from any upside down body. Stock doves will fly straight in! Just a combination of small differences made a huge difference to my day, I wish I could determine which had what effect! Cheer, KR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted August 7 Report Share Posted August 7 Keen and successful. As for determining cause and effect, you will never achieve it. That surely is why we keep doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 7 Author Report Share Posted August 7 3 minutes ago, JDog said: Keen and successful. As for determining cause and effect, you will never achieve it. That surely is why we keep doing it. Agreed! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted August 7 Report Share Posted August 7 1 hour ago, JDog said: Keen and successful. As for determining cause and effect, you will never achieve it. That surely is why we keep doing it. Too true Jdog. No two days are the same, partly why it never gets boring for me! Well done Kitchrat, 60 is a tidy bag in anyone’s books. Wind in the back always preferable and often decoy better! Don’t get too hung up on the shots to kill ratio, it’s not a competition and can put you off shooting the longer stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clangerman Posted August 7 Report Share Posted August 7 all about the trying really nice your efforts to work out what they are up to is now bringing success I know some who still can’t find flight lines with a guide dog keep at it the 100 bag cant be far away for you now I’m struggling to get out but will ignore the quack shortly lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted August 7 Report Share Posted August 7 Your farmer done well in letting you know he had good numbers on his rape stubble as this time of the year they would sooner see them undisturbed on the stubble than on any standing crops that are still waiting to be combined , at one time we could only shoot Pigeons for a week after the Peas had been vined and on our place we had to pack up Pigeon shooting when the young game birds have been put in the release pens , like everything else in life that these sort of restrictions are now no longer in force , but you use your common sense and keep well away from any release pens and it never pay you to upset the keeper. A 60+ day is still a very good day and one of your problems in not getting more shooting could be the quantity of rape stubble you have got within a small area of the field you were shooting on , sometimes if you can manage to get upwind if you have got one or two fields near to each other then the sound of shot might keep a few on the move , like already said there is no such thing as 100% correct way to get the maximum amount of shooting as what might work today can be totally ignored the next , MM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 7 Author Report Share Posted August 7 2 hours ago, marsh man said: Your farmer done well in letting you know he had good numbers on his rape stubble as this time of the year they would sooner see them undisturbed on the stubble than on any standing crops that are still waiting to be combined , at one time we could only shoot Pigeons for a week after the Peas had been vined and on our place we had to pack up Pigeon shooting when the young game birds have been put in the release pens , like everything else in life that these sort of restrictions are now no longer in force , but you use your common sense and keep well away from any release pens and it never pay you to upset the keeper. A 60+ day is still a very good day and one of your problems in not getting more shooting could be the quantity of rape stubble you have got within a small area of the field you were shooting on , sometimes if you can manage to get upwind if you have got one or two fields near to each other then the sound of shot might keep a few on the move , like already said there is no such thing as 100% correct way to get the maximum amount of shooting as what might work today can be totally ignored the next , MM They are starting to rip up the rape fields and the pigeons' favourite will be the last to go, so I'm on it again tomorrow. There seem to be even more about than last week. Hopefully they haven't learnt too much and will be concentrated where I am. The farmer understands that a dead pigeon today will not eat next year's rape later on, so is happy to see them get knocked down and he doesn't want them to see his farm as a favourite dining room.. They have not been on the standing crops (crows are) The release pen problem will soon be upon me so strike whilst the iron is hot. Cheers, KR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted August 7 Report Share Posted August 7 51 minutes ago, kitchrat said: They are starting to rip up the rape fields and the pigeons' favourite will be the last to go, so I'm on it again tomorrow. There seem to be even more about than last week. Hopefully they haven't learnt too much and will be concentrated where I am. The farmer understands that a dead pigeon today will not eat next year's rape later on, so is happy to see them get knocked down and he doesn't want them to see his farm as a favourite dining room.. They have not been on the standing crops (crows are) The release pen problem will soon be upon me so strike whilst the iron is hot. Cheers, KR We had very few Pigeons on the grain stubbles this harvest but as soon as they started on the rape then the Pigeons turned up in good numbers overnight , this was the early part of last week , I informed the farm foreman in case he wanted to take his boy for a few hours shooting but his boy was going football training and they were busy on the farm drilling a wild flower mix , so I rang one of our picker ups to give him some shooting , when he went just before dinner last Saturday he said there were possibly 400+ when he drove across the rape stubble , he set up in a good spot and used his magnet and a flapper raised up above the stubble , he got shooting straight away but very soon it tailed off to next to nothing , I got out there just after dinner and my field which was next door didn't have a pigeon on it anywhere . Anyhow to cut a long story short it was next to useless , my mate packed up about 3.45 as he was going to a B B Q and had just under 20 , I stuck it out for a little longer and I knew I was wasting my time , my dog had a few retrieves and then I went and got a few spuds off a field they had just started on , if anyone had seen the numbers that had built up they would have thought a very good day was on the cards , like me they would have been wrong and it wasn't the first time and I very much doubt it would be the last . MM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted August 7 Report Share Posted August 7 8 hours ago, JDog said: Keen and successful. As for determining cause and effect, you will never achieve it. That surely is why we keep doing it. Certainly is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 9 Author Report Share Posted August 9 On 07/08/2024 at 16:13, kitchrat said: They are starting to rip up the rape fields and the pigeons' favourite will be the last to go, so I'm on it again tomorrow. There seem to be even more about than last week. Hopefully they haven't learnt too much and will be concentrated where I am. The farmer understands that a dead pigeon today will not eat next year's rape later on, so is happy to see them get knocked down and he doesn't want them to see his farm as a favourite dining room.. They have not been on the standing crops (crows are) The release pen problem will soon be upon me so strike whilst the iron is hot. Cheers, KR Well, it didn't go as planned! I got there early (12.00) because rain was forecast.The cultivator-concentration hadn't happened. There were less birds there than hoped for. There was quite a strong wind, which let them swirl about. The pigeons had learnt something and didn't commit well. Rain stopped play about 4.00pm However, on the bright side: quite a few turned up in a little dribble of visits. I didn't miss any absolute sitters!! (because there were NO absolute sitters to miss) I shot reasonably and got 45 from just under 80 shots, which I'm satisfied with. Farmer was happy so a well spent afternoon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 Well done Mate, keep at 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 Your overall score for Pigeons shot is building up nicely and for someone who don't have them come into your decoys in tex book fashion you are still doing well . I no longer get excited when I see good numbers working on a freshly cut field as two or three days later when you plan to go things can change in an instant , at the moment just about every stubble is being pulled up , muck spreading is being carried out , Fodder beet is being drilled along with a wild flower mix , bails are being carted off and the combine is now finishing off the Spring sown crops , it's bad enough for people like us who have got time on our hands , think about those poor buggxx's who have got to work all the week and can only go the odd time over the weekend , somehow the number one big bag man ( BB ) can overcome all these little setbacks and we are sure to read about another three figure bag over the weekend . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted August 9 Report Share Posted August 9 Good to see that you are getting at them J. Soon have you bashing them bushes 😉. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted August 9 Author Report Share Posted August 9 32 minutes ago, Penelope said: Good to see that you are getting at them J. Soon have you bashing them bushes 😉. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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