Tyke Posted May 26, 2004 Report Share Posted May 26, 2004 Hi I set up my hide today and waited and waited but no woodies. So how long do you stay and hope that they will show up before collecting your deeks and trying another spot. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishandshoot Posted May 26, 2004 Report Share Posted May 26, 2004 Do your reccies at different times of the day and when you know where the pigeons are roosting and what they are feeding on it prevents alot of waiting around. Don't worry I think we have all done this when we first started!!! Good luck and let us know how you get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sniper Posted May 26, 2004 Report Share Posted May 26, 2004 Tyke, ( Nice to speak to a fellow Yorkshireman ) When I started pigeonning, my mate, who was a professional pigeon shooter for a few years, told me to wait 35 minutes and if I hadn't shot a pigeon over the decoys.........move on. That advice has held good for me. That is unless you just fancy watching the world go by on a lovely summers afternoon. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyke Posted May 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2004 :( Hi thanks for the advice guys. I would like to be able recce the shoot but I don’t have the chance and I have to rely on the last information available. My plan up to press has to watch for a while and then choose a likely area and wait. It’s the how long to wait bit. Nice site Fishandshoot hope it does well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted May 27, 2004 Report Share Posted May 27, 2004 Tyke I have often waited over 5 hours until the birds arrive and then they have arrived in droves, other times I have waited only an hour or so and packed up only to see the birds bombing in to the field where the deeks have been. Other times the birds have arrived in the first hour or so and then nothing for the rest of the day! It can be frustrating and there is no set pattern to it. if you cant do regular reccies make sure you are shooting in an area where there are birds actually feeding or close to a flightline where you can actually pull passing birds into the decoying area. In this situation I have found it pays to spread your deeks out in a larger pattern and make them as conspicuous as possible. You may not shoot a large bag of birds but should get birds to shoot at throughout the day. Personally I have found over the last 20 or so years that summer pigeon shooting is a complete waste of time unless you want to spend a day and take a bag of 5 or 6. Keep your fly lines wet mate, and wait until the harvest. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon master Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 Hi, I'm new to this decoying myself and I'm finding that its difficult to get a good bag together at this time of year. I,ve been shooting a bean field the last couple times out, and even though a fair few birds pass the field, its only the ones coming over the brow of the field that see the decoys at the last moment they react and fold the wings to dive into the decoys. The birds that are high tend to pass on by and not even change there flight path even though they must have seen the decoys in the field. The good part about this time of year is that you can just sit and watch the world go by soaking in a few rays, I take my digital camera with me and I've got a few really good pictures of other forms of wildlife that roam the countryside. Lets hope the wait for groups of birds are big and regular come harvest time. Happy shooting Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugene molloy Posted May 30, 2004 Report Share Posted May 30, 2004 Tyke, Sniper has it right. It really does come down to the quality of your reccy work; I haven't had a walk off in some years now. I don't EVER shoot an area without doing the homework, except when someone sensible (and influential!) like a keeper gives me a bell. In general if I've done the reccy and I'm confident that the birds are using that field in good numbers, with a lot of "in and out" movement then I'll set up, but I'm pretty picky about it. If I haven't had a shot after five minutes I'm disappointed; ten minutes and I'm worried; thirry five and I'm pretty convinced I've backed a loser and prepare to jack up. All the best, Eug PS I just love your avatar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JONO Posted June 1, 2004 Report Share Posted June 1, 2004 My day on Sunday: Arrived at the field on a hill near Swindon at 8:00am, heartened having seen a fair number of woodies in the country lanes, and was set up on a flightline by 8:30 am By 9am I had shot a crow, a jackdaw and a woody By midday I had shot three pigeon, two crows and a jackdaw Nothing (zilch, zippo, nada) moved between 12 and 2pm so I had a snooze 2pm to 4pm I took a further 5 pigeon and a second jackdaw. From 4pm - 4:30pm, nothing moved (zilch, zippo, nada) so packed up. Total bag:- 8 pigeon, 2 jackdaw and 2 crow (oh and I missed three pigeon I should have hit). The birds were either singles or moving in groups of 4 to 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted June 1, 2004 Report Share Posted June 1, 2004 Total bag:- 8 pigeon, 2 jackdaw and 2 crow (oh and I missed three pigeon I should have hit). Like I said... Summer Pigeon shooting.. a complete waste of time... You could have been reeling em in down at Blag mate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishandshoot Posted June 1, 2004 Report Share Posted June 1, 2004 The peace and quite is worth it!!!!!! And if you get a few shots even better...... I have taken to lying in a ditch at 7-30pm waiting for rabbits, a worthy wait and once again peace..... No phone....no kids.....no wife..... Straight shooting................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JONO Posted June 1, 2004 Report Share Posted June 1, 2004 Mike - I dunno about that. I escaped the mother-in-law (who irritates the **** out of me) for over 8 hours, I got enough pigeon to make a nice terrine with and I had far reaching views across Wilts, Glos and Oxon on a dramatically weathered day. I watched hawks and buzzards, little birds wot fly up and down vertically over crops, swifts, martins and studied the reactions of the odd pigeon that flew by out of range to my decoys. That, added to my bagging up at "Blaggers" on Friday afternoon on red holo ribbed diawl bachs and pearl ribbed black superglue buzzers in just over four hours. Can't complain at all - especially if sport picks up over the next few weeks. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted June 1, 2004 Report Share Posted June 1, 2004 I escaped the mother-in-law (who irritates the **** out of me) for over 8 hours, Im gona tell your wife, Im gonna tell your wife, Im gonna tell your wife Fair comment... Any day with a gun is a good day.... Nice views up on those Wiltshire Hills Jono! FM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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