Is it me???

[jon0881]

Now let me start by saying i have been spoilt with experience on my previous days pigeon shooting as i have paid for a day out. The game keeper sets us up on a flight line, sets up the gear and off we go. Generally we have a good day.

 

A friend of mine has kindly got me on some land of his so we have started on there. The land is not shot much so we went over to a 30 acre rape field. It was quite narrow and *** we crossed the fence the sky turned blue with over 200 pigeon. We thought we were in luck (circled in blue). We setup a hide (red square) and put out a horseshoe pattern of flocked deeks.

 

We saw two pigeons all the time we were there 2-4:30. It was fun to watch a buzzard come down for one of my deeks though.

 

 

I dont have a rotary as yet just my deeks, a stealth net and a few bouncers.

 

Am i missing something her? there are pigeons about, i think my pattern is ok with the wind direction etc.

[Topgunners]

Now let me start by saying i have been spoilt with experience on my previous days pigeon shooting as i have paid for a day out. The game keeper sets us up on a flight line, sets up the gear and off we go. Generally we have a good day.

 

A friend of mine has kindly got me on some land of his so we have started on there. The land is not shot much so we went over to a 30 acre rape field. It was quite narrow and *** we crossed the fence the sky turned blue with over 200 pigeon. We thought we were in luck (circled in blue). We setup a hide (red square) and put out a horseshoe pattern of flocked deeks.

 

We saw two pigeons all the time we were there 2-4:30. It was fun to watch a buzzard come down for one of my deeks though.

 

 

I dont have a rotary as yet just my deeks, a stealth net and a few bouncers.

 

Am i missing something her? there are pigeons about, i think my pattern is ok with the wind direction etc.

 

 

I think you may be wrong with your pattern. :unsure:

 

 

The deeks should be facing INTO THE WIND as the pigeons will circle round and land INTO the wind. THEN YOU WOULD HAVE HAD SOME NICE RIGHT TO LEFT CROSSERS.

 

decoys absolutely facing the wrong way.

 

Dave K

Edited January 13, 2008 by Topgunners

[Cranfield]

I always place my decoys facing the wind.

 

If the big blue circle is where the pigeons were feeding, I would have set up along that edge, facing into the wind.

 

Also, a couple of hours is not much of a test for a field.

If the birds were there when you got there, perhaps you should have been there much earlier.

 

Observing what the pigeons are doing and when, is usually the secret to success. :unsure:

[jon0881]

some good info. We went to another field last weekend about the same time and saw a flight line with hundreds going into a woodland miles away for the evening.

 

So thats a start, my pattern was the wrong way round......I would of immediatly thought there was a prob with the pattern if they came in and **** off but nothing came back to the field. I think you are right recon is required.

 

I thought about the other side of the field but there is nothing behind but a railway, so opted for the safer solution. We are going to try a morning on the same field soon.

 

As least my diagrams are cool!

Edited January 13, 2008 by jon0881

[fielddeluxe]

Have you tried the P.T.A. Pattern ?

[jon0881]

What is a PTA Pattern?

[njc110381]

I've found on some of my ground that there's a solid flightline used to travel from Rape not on my permission to some woods the other side. If you get directly under that line with some deeks you'll get some good shots. They never land for me on the way to their resting place (I guess they just want to get there once they're flying) but the deeks do bring them down lower for a look. You will get some lovely fast birds to go for, much better than a Pheasant drive and free

[pin]

As some have said already, shooting pigeon in any numbers in winter is very hit and miss - if you'll pardon the terrible pun

 

Flocked up with so much rape about, they have no reason to want to come back to the rape you are on when there are 10's thousands of acres without men with guns

 

In winter you can get lucky, especially if the weather is extremely harsh. I saw a DVD once there was a snow shower, the guy ran out and cleared his deeks / pattern of the snow dusting with a branch and had a cracking day! He knew he had something to offer the birds they didn't have elsewhere - and his pattern must have stood out a mile.

 

In winter I think getting under a flightline is best - otherwise it's "HERE COME 10k PIGEON" "BANG" and that's it for the day. Mr Giles is happy but you won't be

[dusk2dawn]

Hi Jon the others have already spotted the decoy pattern mistake, all I would add that is that I have always had good results by doing alot of recce in the area the previous day and being on the chosen field, set up, at first light for a serious day, stay there and they will have several sessions feeding/roosting, finishing with a frantic "supper" mid afternoon before retiring for the roosting trees for the night.

 

If you arrive and they are already flocked they will take off enmass and possibly not return, its better to walk them off, if you fire a shot they will certainly not come back, they should start coming back in dribs and drabs to your by then set up decoys.

 

A rule of thumb from A Coates that I have adopted is that if you havnt had a shot for 20 mins, give it only 20mins more then move, your in the wrong place.

 

Dont forget as recently posted place a marker 40 paces out as a range finder to prevent over enthusiastic shots

 

Good luck on your next outing.

 

D2D

[tiercel]

There have been some very good replies, to the original posts. No ridicule, just gentle pointers as to where he may be going wrong.

This is the correct way to teach people, not take the Michael at every mistake they make, which would soon put off even the most enthusiastic of learners.

 

TC

 

EDIT

What is a PTA pattern?

[dusk2dawn]

There have been some very good replies, to the original posts. No ridicule, just gentle pointers as to where he may be going wrong.

This is the correct way to teach people, not take the Michael at every mistake they make, which would soon put off even the most enthusiastic of learners.

 

TC

 

EDIT

What is a PTA pattern?

 

Ha Ha your a braver man than me, I wanted to ask .........

 

D2D

[hwr]

so what is it? (pta)

[tealer]

The birds have already told you where you should have been, next time walk them off the field and set up where they have been, put your horse shoe the other way round with lead bird facing the wind you can alter any of the rest to various degrees but never tail in to the wind. A flapper is good this time of year and the birds are wise so cover up well, if after you have watched birds fly over uninterested or chink away don't be afraid of checking or changing the pattern, learn to read the birds and don't be put off by failures as this happens to everyone. If decoying was always easy not as many would bother doing it in the first place.

[Blackbart]

Now let me start by saying i have been spoilt with experience on my previous days pigeon shooting as i have paid for a day out. The game keeper sets us up on a flight line, sets up the gear and off we go. Generally we have a good day.

 

A friend of mine has kindly got me on some land of his so we have started on there. The land is not shot much so we went over to a 30 acre rape field. It was quite narrow and *** we crossed the fence the sky turned blue with over 200 pigeon. We thought we were in luck (circled in blue). We setup a hide (red square) and put out a horseshoe pattern of flocked deeks.

 

We saw two pigeons all the time we were there 2-4:30. It was fun to watch a buzzard come down for one of my deeks though.

 

 

I dont have a rotary as yet just my deeks, a stealth net and a few bouncers.

 

Am i missing something her? there are pigeons about, i think my pattern is ok with the wind direction etc.

 

 

No No NO Its all wrong you,ve gotta go 4 4 2 with wingbacks,get the ball in the middle

 

 

I agree with some of the other comments especially survielance,2 days looking 1 day shooting and dont get too disheartened they mess the best of us about,oh and dont rush out and buy a rotary,they arent the mutts nutts and you can shoot loads of pigeons without one

[Mutley]

Yeah and get more ARROWS!....You'll spend far too much time looking for the same one to re-use

[kipper]

Some good tips there chaps.

 

I have not heared of the 40yrd marker before could br verry usefull to new guns.

 

kipper .

[tealer]

Some good tips there chaps.

 

I have not heared of the 40yrd marker before could br verry usefull to new guns.

 

kipper .

 

I agree that is a good point.

I vary my far marker, which is a decoy, depending on the day but always between 40 - 50 yrd which sometimes is the furthest decoy set up on a small stick for visibility. although there may be times i place some much further out but placed as to bring birds into the killing area. I also place a closest marker decoy no closer than 25 yrds as it is equally important not to shoot them too close, try and imagine a 20 -25 yrd square in front of you, no closer than 25 and no further than 50. This is your killing area.

[jon0881]

Thanks for all the advice. We have sicne been out on another field and had more luck. There is a very busy flightline just out of reach of our permission so im hoping a rotary might pull them over to the pattern.