Scaring pigeons!

[Stillsy]

At this time of year the crop that i have been asked to shoot is the rape! and as there is so much of it, the birds come into your pattern, realise you are there and then ****** off to another field. i started a topic to see if anyone new a solution, on keeping them moving, many people said rope bangers, bags on sticks etc. But was speaking to someone today and said that the best cheap way of doing has to be BALLONS! he said if you get a long stake and tie ballons on at different lengths then they fly and wave about on the windy days! just thought this would help others with the same problem!

[Catamong]

Yes, I thought the same until I saw a field of rape near Hungerford in Berkshire yesterday, loads of lovely bright silvery balloons floating in the air, and, lo & behold, a constant stream of woodies piling into the rape and landing within 50 yards of the "bird scaring" balloons.

 

Perhaps the farmer will be looking for a refund..??

 

There's no substitute for a good loud BANG to keep 'em moving.

 

Cat.

[Cranfield]

I have also seen pigeons landing almost at the feet of the cardboad cutout shooter, with his broomstick in the air, painted fluorescent orange.

So, if they want to be on the field, not much will stop them.

 

The problem is familiarity, in the old days they use to move the scarecrows about every few days, now they just leave them.

[Country Boy]

So, if they want to be on the field, not much will stop them.

 

Quite right - electronic/gas and mechanical bird scarers are a waste of effort, only the continued presence of a human scarecrow keeps pigeons off the rape at the present time.

Pigeons have not come to our 'drillings' but are still coming onto the rape which is now begining to grow away but of course there are plenty of places, eaten badly during the winter months by them, with easy access for them.

The array of mechanical and electric decoying devices are equally as much good as the bird scaring devices!

However: If you set up on it for sure you will get a few shots but the pigeons will very quickly stop coming and you will be left admiring the countryside. If you wait until there are twenty or more feeding and then shoot them off but stay in your vehicle they will return (or more will come I'm not sure which?) within twenty minutes.

There is now 12 hours of daylight and the pigeons are going to eat much more rape because we can't seriously get at 'em.

Cheers. C.B.

[bob300w]

Yep, I'm with you guys, I go out a couple of times a day to chase them off the rape. Balloons and scarecrows work for a couple of days or so, moving them around the field achieves nowt, CD's hanging on string (Des O'Connor CD's work best) so that they spin and reflect sunlight work for a bit longer, as do the foil containers that come inside boxes of wine, inflate them and hang on string.

But as has been said, they get used to anything, the only thing that really works is a string of bangers (no, not pork ones) or a gun-shot. In really hard weather (remember hard weather?) they will eat within 100 yards of a banger, merely looking up and maybe flapping a wing, but not flying off.

Todays tip; Thread two strings of bangers together, top to bottom, it saves going back at lunch-time to light another one.

[Flashman]

CD's hanging on string (Des O'Connor CD's work best)

Does your missus know what you've done to her record collection?