KennyB Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 (edited) i shoot over 3000 acres of rape had some good days but it has dried up now that is getting longer, do you think the best days have gone and i should leave it till the stubble or is worth stayin with it,any advise please kenny : Edited April 10, 2008 by kenny5406 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 I have been shooting today on rape, there were thin patches and the birds were coming in quite steady. They will also drop into the tractor tracks and walk in from the headlands. Watch the fields, when the birds stop coming in, thats the time to move on to something else.............like peas, or clover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted April 3, 2008 Report Share Posted April 3, 2008 Birds still all over the rape over here. The trouble is it is that much longer and making it harder to spot the *******. IF you have "Hidden" Dips on your permission, by that I mean an area of a rape field that is hidden from casual disturbance, then go and check there and I bet you'll find 9 out of 10 times that area will have been eaten almost barren. I know on the estate last year we had two such areas where the birds didn't get disturbed at all mainly because nobody could see them and they couldn't see anybody to get spooked, result a huge barren patch measuring approx 200 yards x 300 yards. Once we found it we managed to get some good bags from Mid April through to May when the eaten rape was trying to re-grow as young shoots again and it kept the birds coming back in for easy pickings. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyB Posted April 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2008 thanks lads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted April 5, 2008 Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 I was out this morning and after checking 20 odd fields of rape none had any numbers of birds feeding on them. Just the odd small gorup of a dozen or so , not enough to be worth setting up on. We did however find some big flocks on clover ( unfortunetly both had ewes and lambs on them so could not be shot ). Also a number were found scattered over a lot of the wheat fields , feeding on chick weed. But none of the wheat fields had a strong enough attraction to make it worth while decoying on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Boy Posted April 5, 2008 Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 No the pigeons have not 'gone off' the rape. They will continue to feed on it - the smaller plants - right up to harvest, of course you won't see them unless you know where to look and are patient, remember that from now on they are moving about only in small numbers dropping in here and there unoticed and once in the crop they will be invisible, hidden by the height of surrounding crop. It pays to take a walk down the tram lines to the areas restricted to vehicular access or any roads close by. Cheers, C.B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyB Posted April 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2008 thanks for your replys lads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted April 6, 2008 Report Share Posted April 6, 2008 Now is the time when decoying gets bit tricky. Rape does still get them in, but as the flocks have broken up into small groups of between 2 and five, its difficult to spot them. Eating chickweed and/or clover on any field is occuring, but difficult to decoy them. Spring drilling of peas is probably worth the risk one or two days after it has been done (Gives the birds a chance to find it). Otherwise rely on recceing properly, finding the flight lines and getting under them for the best sport. Roll on the laid fields of wheat and barley for really exciting sport. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundowner Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 Set up last Saturday, spent 3 hrs in the hide for ONE pigeon which didn''t even bother to come into the deeks ! Same ol' story............ wrong place, wrong time, lousy shooting too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Boy Posted April 7, 2008 Report Share Posted April 7, 2008 Ah well Sundowner, you should not have shot that pigeon you probably disturbed a whole lot more which might have been following on but outside your vision range, I learned this tactic from Cranfield Cheers, C.B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretman Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 the rape is flowering here and long but there are still 100s of them coming in i am going after work with miss fm for a walk round later and to get them as thay come in for the night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretman Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Ah well Sundowner, you should not have shot that pigeon you probably disturbed a whole lot more which might have been following on but outside your vision range, I learned this tactic from Cranfield Cheers, C.B. wot is the tactic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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