rabbit decoys for pigeon s

[tony2]

i have noticed quite a few times now while rabbit shooting pigeons landing in with the rabbits and feeding with them.

one occasion was on clover in a paddock and the next one was on young wheat shoots in spring also on barley stubble .

just wondering weather it might be worth putting a few stuffed rabbits out with the the decoys.

i sometimes use a crow decoy 25 yards out from my pigeon decoys and that works when the pigeons are a bit wary of coming in.

i know this might sound daft but i watched a flight line that passed over a warren next to barley stubble for 30 minutes and thier was constant trickle of birds landing in with the rabbits and feeding.

regards tony

[highseas]

the worst you can do is try or get locked up

[kev 1]

Try them on the twirler :o

[buckfast d]

................and stand a very good chance of the men in the white coats taking you away boom!!! boom!!!

[chrispti]

Try them on the twirler

 

:o

[anser2]

I think you might have more success if you try Birds Eye pea bags on a flapper. Seriously I very much doubt it would have any benifit to use stuffed rabbits.

Edited August 26, 2008 by anser2

[pin]

I don't see this being as daft as some make out.

 

The crow, or other non-target species deeks, are to add realism and give the birds confidence to come in for a closer look. Rabbits are skittish, they don't sit out in a field when there are predators about, so if the local pigeons have worked this out - why wouldn't it work?

 

The whole idea with decoying is to make your pattern as natural, inviting and safe for the birds as possible. If in the locality the birds land among the rabbits, why not?

[anser2]

I very much doubt if " pigeons have worked anything out " as far as rabbits meaning its safe. Its more likely that the field has something that attracts both rabbits and pigeons rather than a sign that its safe to a pigeon. Once both species have fed in the same field without any agressive actions from ether the rabbit or pigeon , then there is nothing for ether the pigeon to be scared of the rabbit or visa versa. rabbits have poor eyesight compared to a pigeon so the pigeon is likely to see a predator long before the rabbit. Its true rabbits have a sence of smell that pigeons do not have , but on the whole pigeons feed far enough out on the fields for foxes not to be a serious predator.

 

As for crows giving pigeons confidence , i suspect its more that the blackness of a crow decoy against the field catches the eye of a passing pigeon who then notices the ajacent pigeon decoys. If fact on the odd occasion I have used crow and pigeon decoys mixed togeather they havent worked. I have had to keep them well apart or the crows seem to be put my local pigeons off.

[pin]

rabbits have poor eyesight compared to a pigeon so the pigeon is likely to see a predator long before the rabbit.

 

I have to take issue with that, since it's not strictly true. Rabbits see differently to pigeon, differently to a lot of animals. You are right that they have poor vision in terms of acuity, but this is by design. They are prey animals and just about anything else is a threat to them, it's not actually important that they recognise what something is, just that something is coming so they can run away from it.

 

With eyes on either side of their heads, high up, they have a very wide field of view. The ability to have this panoramic view of the world is a trade off against acuity and colour vision - which they simply don't need.

[tony2]

well this is what happend when i tried the rabbits ,i shot two in the morning and took them with me in the aftternoon .

i put out my pigeon decoys out on a field with rape stubble, surrounding the field are fields of wheat stubble in the ditch line is a small rabbit warren. i put the rabbits next to the warren on the field and within an hour i had shot six pigeons now i know this is not a big score but when you consider the day before on the same field the pigeons were by passing the decoys which never had any rabbit decoys with them and were going straight on to the wheat stubble.

make of it what you will i only know that it seemed to work.

just a mention about crow decoys i dont mix crow and pigeon decoys together i put one crow decoy about 25 yards away form my pigeon decoys you also find that any crows in the area will be attracted to the crow decoy aswell and even call to it.

i know this all sounds mad but ive seen it so i tried it and for me it seemed to work.

regards tony

[Scarpa]

I usually set up a magpie decoy about 20m away from the pigeons. As above... not only adds realism but brings in the odd pest too.

[Evilv]

With eyes on either side of their heads, high up, they have a very wide field of view. The ability to have this panoramic view of the world is a trade off against acuity and colour vision - which they simply don't need.

 

I have an idea that you are right about rabbits colour vison. It is my belief that a lot of people spend a ton of money on cammo gear to shoot get near rabbits. I wear anything I like and can easily stalk them pretty close. I don't even crawl anymore, but tend to stoop down so I look less human (some people say I don't look human anyway). I can walk slowly up to them wearing what I like to within about sixty or so yards usually except on places where they have been heavily persecuted.

 

Getting close to them is much more a matter of the wind direction and my moving slowly along hedge lines rather than walking straight up in the middle of a field. What you wear certainly doesn't have to be green or a broken pattern for sure.

 

Pigeons and crows are a different matter. They are very hard to get near.

Edited September 1, 2008 by Evilv

[buckfast d]

I can't believe i'm asking this but what way did you set/diplay the "Decoy Rabbits" on there hind legs with the front ones up , or just all four laid flat as tho the bunny had been driven over

 

interesting topic indeed

[tony2]

i put them out and they were on all fours .

[codling99]

me and rizla shot a field of stubble(oats and peas) on sunday,watched for a while from adjacent farm and there were crows and pigeons feeding together,so we went over and stuck pigeons out in a dog leg shape,with crow decoys slightly to the left of them,and had quite a good day,pigeons were coming in nice,crows were a bit more nervous.

 

 

never seen any reason not to put both out,allways have and allways have a few of both coming in.

[pin]

Getting close to them is much more a matter of the wind direction and my moving slowly along hedge lines rather than walking straight up in the middle of a field. What you wear certainly doesn't have to be green or a broken pattern for sure.

 

As SS or Garyb (or anyone who's met me for that matter) will verify I am not the most stealthy of people However if you watch carefully whilst approaching, as you say paying attention to wind etc, as soon as any of them alert STAND STILL! If they twitch, look up, ears up etc you'll be fine if you don't move a muscle. Wait until they go back to feeding and then begin moving again, this way you can get much closer.

 

Any kind of movement at all when they are alerted and they'll bolt.

[nagantino]

I work near a school that is set on top of a wooded hill. If I am early enough to work in the morning the rabbits and pigeons are to be seen on the cut verges feeding together. Sometimes a grey squirrel joins them.

[Evilv]

Getting close to them is much more a matter of the wind direction and my moving slowly along hedge lines rather than walking straight up in the middle of a field. What you wear certainly doesn't have to be green or a broken pattern for sure.

 

As SS or Garyb (or anyone who's met me for that matter) will verify I am not the most stealthy of people However if you watch carefully whilst approaching, as you say paying attention to wind etc, as soon as any of them alert STAND STILL! If they twitch, look up, ears up etc you'll be fine if you don't move a muscle. Wait until they go back to feeding and then begin moving again, this way you can get much closer.

 

Any kind of movement at all when they are alerted and they'll bolt.

 

Yes I agree. You need to watch them. When they get up and look, you'd better freeze.

 

At times when I'm ready to shoot and want a rabbit to get up a bit out of the grass so I can get a clear view of where I want to hit them, I make a squeak with my mouth ( a sort of exaggerated kissing action that squeaks). They ALWAYS get right up and sit exactly still. .......... Bang - plop.

[Greenhunter]

I, like codling99, always put out a couple of crow deeks somewhere. usually about 25/30 meters out and where I think they'll be seen from distance. I've been putting a crow up on a lofter when shooting over standing crops this time and its worked a treat. I even use a caller to bring them in when the pigeons are a bit slow. I find its possible to have a 'conversation' with them as they fly in. Pity I've no idea what I'm saying!

I've always called these crows (and magpies) confidence birds.