Time of day for most pigeon activity/ quiet periods

[Nial]

The building a hide thread's slowing down a bit so.....

 

Are there any best times of the day to be out shooting pigeons, ie are there regular feeding

patterns?

 

Are there any times to avoid?

 

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

 

Nial

 

BTW, should these sort of questions not be in a 'newbies FAQ'?

[Cranfield]

If we had a "Newbies FAQ" its doubted that many "Newbies" would read it.

Some members complain about the same questions being repeated, but it does give new members to the Forum a chance to contribute their comments and things also change over time.

 

I think that weather and daylight hours has the most effect on feeding times and birds will feed when they are most comfortable (dry and out of the wind).

In really harsh weather the birds may not leave the woods and spend the day feeding on berries, beechmast, acorns etc.

Its only by observing your shooting area in all conditions that you can hope to get any real idea of what happens in your area.

 

Where I shoot there are a couple of small fields surrounded by high mature woodlands.

These are always (depending on the crop) good places in hard weather.

As the birds have shelter nearby in the trees and the fields themselves are sheltered by the trees.

The birds will always be piled into the leeward side of the fields.

[Nial]

I think that weather and daylight hours has the most effect on feeding times and birds will feed when they are most comfortable (dry and out of the wind).

 

 

Thanks for the feedback, looks like someone else is bored!

 

In the general scheme of things do they tend to feed first thing in the morning and then again later in

the day or do they just feed when they're hungry?

 

 

Nial.

[Cranfield]

Thanks for the feedback, looks like someone else is bored!

 

Nial.

 

I am not bored, just trying to be helpful.

If you stop asking the questions, I will stop answering them.

 

There are so many factors to consider in the pigeons feeding habits.

Weather is a big one IMO, as is food choice.

 

Some food is quickly digested and does not provide a lot of nourishment (like rape, kale, etc) and so the birds will feed more often during the day on these crops.

Others (like acorns) are very slow to digest and birds may only have one session feeding on these and then spend the rest of the day in a tree digesting.

As a general rule, the birds are about early, they eat, get water, rest and then do it all again.

On days of nice weather for the pigeons, the period between noon and 2pm can be quiet on most of the land I shoot.

[anser2]

My local pigeons seem to vary their main periods of feeding activity according to the time of year. In summer and early autumn late afternoon sees the most activity. In mid winter when they are feeding on rape sunrise to midday is best with it not usualy worth shooting after 1pm. Once they have a full crop they disapear into the woods , not to be seen until the next day. As soon as the spring drilling goes in then they will feed up to just before sunset.

 

But there are always exceptions.

[Spaniel]

I best describe Pigeon shooting like fishing

Busy in the mornings and evenings and quiet in the afternoon, well you got to have some rest

[activeviii]

Im finding that from lunch time until 4pm at the moment but only coming in in one and two's, fine by me as i'm new to it so im only loading one cart at a time as i kept going for the glory shot and just wasting in the semi.

 

23 yesterday afternoon but i missed 3 times that meny.

[JR1960]

Are there any best times of the day to be out shooting pigeons, ie are there regular feeding

patterns?

 

 

If you ever find out let me know!

 

Shot all day yesterday, (08:00- 18:00) nothing in any of the crops in the morning or the afternoon. Managed to decoy them steadily all day off a flight line to a favoured wood, but god knows what they were feeding on, apparently nothing. Huge amount of blackberries around, maybe they're feeding on them or something similar and they digest quickly but we didn't see any more than normal in the hedges.