decoy placement

[taxidermy dave]

hi,i read somewhere that if you put out a fewbirds with there wings stretched,pigeon see them more.What i need to know is where to place them in my decoy pattern and how many to do like that.I normally start the day with 5 shells,4 full bodied and about 6 dead pigeon and use the basic horseshoe pattern :yp:

 

thanks

[Fisherman Mike]

Youre doing nothing wrong mate if any of us new the answer to this little problem we would be bagging up every shoot.

 

I dont think there is a hard and fast rule but I would try hard to make it look as realistic as possible. What the birds see are the white signal bars on the wings which are used in display.

 

If you are to use a bird spreadeagled I would be tempted to use a floating wand and give it some movement.

 

Yet another thing to buy I know but well worth it. I made my first wands from a steel coat hanger and an old fibreglass fishing rod The birds can be secured with rubber bands or cable ties.

 

Give it a try.

 

FM.

[JONO]

I recently purchased a 4' and a 6' floater... both for £36 - they get carried in my pole bag and are great if you want to introduce a bit of movement without going down the rotary route.

 

Aside from the grimness of shoving a spike up a bird's **** they're highly effective and have improved slow days...

 

Bit of a catch 22 in so far as needing one or two birds to come in to the statics before you can have the birds out and bouncing, wings spread - then things tend to speed up.

 

Re: pattern - horseshoe shapes help steer the birds towards a killing zone but don't make them regimented or overly prestine in terms of shape - a couple of three statics loosley grouped here, a full bodied there and your bouncers on opposite "arms" where they won't impede or put off any birds from landing.

 

I also ensure that they aren't all pointing uniformly into the wind.

 

ie The more "natural" the pattern the better but keeping that shepherding horseshoe/swoosh shape.

 

 

J

[eugene molloy]

Just to expand on Jono's excellent advice...if the birds don't come in right for you (too far out, back of a tree etc.) don't be afraid to alter the patttern.

 

To some extent you can channel them to come in the best way for your shooting style and hide position.

 

As to how to do it, just suck it and see, you'll teach yourself in no time. The basic premise is that they'll attempt to land in (or overfly) a gap in the pattern. If that gaps in the wrong place...shift it.

 

If they sheer off from a magnet at the last second, shift that as well so that as they veer away from it, they enter into a good killing ground for you. Take it down if need be.

 

Regrds

Eug