anser2 Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 (edited) I have been shooting a lot of pigeons over rape on several farms for the past 3 months and despite my partner and Is efforts a lot fields have been quite badly dammaged. However there was one field that because it is close to the pheasant release pens we have not been allowed to shoot until now. When we had a recky yesterday I could not beleve it. The field had been destroyed by the pigeons. There was no rape plants over 1\2 inch high and indeed over several acres there seemed to be hardly any rape plants at all. I would guess the rape plants covered less that 10% of the soil across the field. The farmer recons after he has given it a dose of nitrogen it will be ok , but I have my doubts. This was a 25 acre field so leaving quiet for pheasants was pretty costly for the farmer. No sign of any pigeons on it now as there is nothing for them to eat , but I will be back to see what his nitrogen will do. Edited January 25, 2008 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 It will come away soon, I`ve seen the majority of a field striped to the stalks that grew lovely after we evicted the woodies in February and March. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Yes, you'll be amazed how it recovers from near extinction, by early July it'll be 5 feet tall. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellors Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 B) Thats not pigeon damage. Pheasants will strip rape around coverts and release woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 iv seen 400 acers all gone by pigeons on one of my farms, but it all came back and had a good crop of rape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted January 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 (edited) Mellors i can asure you it is pigeon damage. I have been watching over a thousand on the field for over a month now. While there were only around 20-30 pheasants on the field. Edited January 26, 2008 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratman2 Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 A few years ago Rape fields near me were invaded by flocks of Swans, one field of about 60 acre had close on 200 Swans on it, it just looked like snow. Despite the farmer firing banger rockets over them they stayed put, news amongst twitchers spread and soon the bloody roadsides were bunged up with them and their plethora of spotting equipment. Back to the point, the field was stripped bare but it recovered like magic. Last week on a 40 acre I have permission on I saw a flock of pigeons numbering 200 or more, also a flock of 100 or more Pee Wits, about 30 Swans and about the same number of Pheasants. I set up my cover in a corner that has a bit of hedge remaining, went back the following day and 27 pigeons didn’t make it back to roost. I’m setting up in another field this week to see if I can thin them out a bit more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Boy Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 If you talk to any agronomist worth his salt he will tell you that during Nov Dec Jan and Feb pigeons can be good for oilseed rape, but only if they eat the field uniformly and not completely down to the centre heart of the plant, a well stripped off field will yield better than one not eaten at all because more new growth is created from March onward. A field with irregular crop growth now will almost certainly yield badly. Rabbits and pheasants are the worst culprits of this phenonima the rabbits eating during the hours of darkness often undisturbed and of course no-one bothers the pheasants from Feb onwards. Gas bangers strategically moved about and occasional shotgunners can help to move the pigeons onto different parts of the field and hopefully help create this uniformity of feeding. Generally speaking no-one will have much sport over rape until March until then its all about scaring them away for a day or so but in most cases the day(s) the shotgunner is absent the birds will be on it munching away. We think we know how to control them but we don't and we are'nt, the're avin a larf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:o If the BASC is to be believed more people are shooting at pigeons now than at any other point in history and yet there still seems to more and more pigeons in the towns, parks, and gardens as well as remote woodland and the arable areas. In 1998 Phil Beasley was promoting his then new 'Magnet' and he said "buy a pigeon magnet now and shoot some pigeons while you can because once everyone has a magnet the woodpigeon will be wiped out" well ten years on and its not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Beasley Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 In 1998 Phil Beasley was promoting his then new 'Magnet' and he said "buy a pigeon magnet now and shoot some pigeons while you can because once everyone has a magnet the woodpigeon will be wiped out" well ten years on and its not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cooor.....controversial or wot CB? Well perhaps the old mans statement was quite bold way back then, but then again I think he forgot that most people are unable to shoot anywhere close to his or his mates standard. If they could then...yes.... there would be a lot less about, which at the end of the day, is what we are supposed to be doing eh? Obviously not to the point of extinction mind :o Unfortunately the "Magnet" is/was purchased as a "easy route to success" and many bought a Magnet as a fast track fix for lack of Fieldcraft and shooting ability, and has educated the birds to some extent. Conversely, its also given those numpties who aint got a flippin clue about Pigeon Shooting the opportunity to shoot woodpigeons. So its not all bad. Good post about the agronomist bit though, and I quite agree. Seen acres of Rape destroyed only to come back with a vengeance and yield better than the stuff that looked healthy in December/Jan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Boy Posted February 14, 2008 Report Share Posted February 14, 2008 Unfortunately the "Magnet" is/was purchased as a "easy route to success" and many bought a Magnet as a fast track fix for lack of Fieldcraft and shooting ability, and has educated the birds to some extent. Conversely, its also given those numpties who aint got a flippin clue about Pigeon Shooting the opportunity to shoot woodpigeons. WILL, you missed out a major key word - AT - and it should follow ...the opportunity to shoot Cheers, C.B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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