funky Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Been out about five times on my permission.. and man im struggling, i moved three times today twice on one farm then drove to my other permission where there was lot of Pigeons but as before they did not want to know.... I will be honest and say i have no idea why this is happening. Can anyone help or if you are suffering the same... sound off on this thread :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si-Bore Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Been out about five times on my permission.. and man im struggling, i moved three times today twice on one farm then drove to my other permission where there was lot of Pigeons but as before they did not want to know.... I will be honest and say i have no idea why this is happening. Can anyone help or if you are suffering the same... sound off on this thread :( Ask yourself these Q's: Are they feeding where you are setting up? Are you under the popular flightline? Ensure your decoys are not too unatural in shape/formation Can they see you? i.e. are they jinking off just before they commit? That could also mean an unatural pattern? Are you too close to a confined area (tall trees - lack of escape)? Are the plastic decoys shining or wet? Make sure you have sufficient space to allow them entry into the pattern. Hope that helps (I'm learning all the time too) Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 The main reason it can get difficult about now is because the big flocks are breaking up and there is still plenty of food about for them. We are finding some areas the birds are hitting, but they are easily disturbed. There is rape still around they can get at, although its getting very bitter now and the drillings are so efficient now with no spare peas or seed laying about that the birds seem to leave them alone. If you have any clover on your permissions thats what a lot of the birds are now feeding on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted April 18, 2008 Report Share Posted April 18, 2008 As always pigeon shooting is about reconnaissance. They're about but you've gotta find 'em and that might well depend on the time of day as much as the weather and the available food crop. Most of our best bags at the moment are on clover, weeds and drillings late in the day but as Cranfield said modern farm machinery doen't leave a lot on top for the birds. Get on 'em as soon as the drill has finished 'cause they'll likely only be there for 1 or 2 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudwalker Posted April 18, 2008 Report Share Posted April 18, 2008 I have had both extremes this week. On Wednesday shot a field of very low rape, less than 4 inches high. Got on the flight line and the birds decoyed brilliantly. Picked up 79 woodies at the end of the day. Went out again yesterday to some other permissions and couldn't find a Pigeon anywhere. Moved twice. Ended up with 1 shot and one Pigeon. Drove round for miles but couldn't find more than a dozen feeding. This is on ground where a few weeks ago there were literally thousands. I have also noticed, in the late afternoons large numbers of pigeon feeding on clover in amongst grazing livestock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Boy Posted April 18, 2008 Report Share Posted April 18, 2008 Here's a thought, it may not seem like it weather-wise but it is spring and: spring has sprung the grass is ris I wonder where the birdies is? Woodpigeon, WOOD pigeon, springtime, wood, trees, hedges, copses, spilt seed, buds, berries, shoots, crops, yes afraid that crops on bottom of the pigeons menu right now. They seem to like having an hour here and an hour there, perhaps because so many people are now persuing them they see the deeks and head back to the grass fields for some clover shoots. Cheers, C.B. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted April 18, 2008 Report Share Posted April 18, 2008 Rape is off the menu now because it is too high, unless you find a patch that has been eaten down, or a bare patch, they will be, as has been said, be on other crops now. Pigeon alway walk into rape from an edge or bare area, if they are using rape that is the place to set up, although in this area they are right off rape now. Ive been round my patch this morning, and where there were 5,000 two weeks ago, I saw 3 pigeons. Oh well, it was fun whilst it lasted. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funky Posted April 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2008 thanks for the info people some good tips there my decoys are a little tatty so might get some new shells. i will keep trying and let you all know how i get on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozrob Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 hi. when i can, i use the dead birds as decoys every time. My plastic decoys have been covered with a light grey/blue mens sock. this stops a lot of the shine. and much cheaper than flocked decoys. You must stop your decoys from shining, My permission is shot a LOT by lots of people and its very hard using plastics. But real bird decoys are much better. Swap your plastics for real birds as you shoot them. good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Do not forget we are having much longer days now. You may find that by arriving at 9 am a lot of pigeons will have had a feed and will be happy to spend most of the day in the woods. Try locating a feed and hitting it at sunrise the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Another tip Funky is that if you have a magnet set up, take it in and see what happens. I did on Monday afternoon and the birds committed no problem. SS Get the pics from the NSW shoot up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretman Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 (edited) i am still having good shooting on rape yesterday afternoon got 35 in a hour and half with miss fm not bad. Edited April 24, 2008 by ferretman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peejay Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 i am still having good shooting on rape yesterday afternoon got 35 in a hour and half with miss fm not bad. well done good going for this time of year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretman Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 i no mate you are only 15 min away . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlewis Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 where abouts do you live ferret man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretman Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 chesterfield/derbyshire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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