scolopax Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 (edited) Roost shooting has got to be the cream of woodpigeon shooting. Locally the roost shooting is semi organised. As in most woods are shot on a friday afternoon to keep the pigeons moving between locations. This can work really well but the important part is that all woods and spinneys should have a shooter in them. Does not have to be an ace pigeon shooter, just someone who can shift the birds on to the next reception commitee.Otherwise any unshot wood will act as a sanctuary for every bird in the district. Even woods that are normally unattractive to pigeons can give good sport on pot a pigeon night(s). My main point though is always stay until dark, black dark. This is not so much for late pigeons but for carrion crows and magpies. Crows especially will wait until last light before going to roost. They often call as they come in giving you plenty of notice which direction they are flying in from. Also as its just about dark their normally excellent eyesight is negated allowing you to see them before they see you. Killing even just one or two carrion crows always goes down well with the gamekeeper or farmer and is a good way to end an afternoons roost shooting. Edited February 5, 2005 by scolopax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Yesterday was my first roost shoot of the year and it was poor to say the least. The woods I have shot for years usually attract very large numbers of pigeons, but not yesterday. I would estimate that there were only 3 to 400 pigeons in the area. Where they have gone, I don't know. Anyway, I will be roost shooting another estate tonight, approx 10 miles away from yesterdays. The story may be different. Anyone else noticed a drop in pigeon numbers from last year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eugene molloy Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Malc, Anyone else noticed a drop in pigeon numbers from last year? Just the reverse; birds all over except on the rape. I had a mini flock of about 40 in my garden yesterday, just picking up bugs and sprouting acorns. The roosting has been quite good; never big number in the bag but plenty in the air! Eug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Gringo Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Malc, Please do post the results of tonight's roost shoot.....and GOOD LUCK! El Gringo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nashty Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Hi folks B) . Are we to see a growing reduction of pigeon numbers, it may seem so. If you take a peek on the BASC website, at the bottom of the page in lefthand column is a poll to find out if you think you have seen a reduction of numbers. Take a look and put your worth to the vote . I don't have too many in my area anyway, a few to shoot at roost but nothing like the numbers in areas of rape or peas and the like, it's mainly cattle grazing or sheep and pigs, not a lot to attract them . I do however live virtually directly underneath a flighline of crows and there are quite a few carrion about but the last few weeks has seen little movement of them too. A bit strange??? I have fields galore to the back of my garden, some of which i shoot but no crops. I think it has something to do with the hills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highdowns hunter Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Quote scolopax My main point though is always stay until dark, black dark. I dont think that this is a good idea to wait till black dark before leaving the wood Most keepers like you to leave the wood before it gets too dark. This allows the pheasants to return to the wood for the night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 There seemed to be a decent number of pigeon around, more than I was expecting to see. Weather was mild and still, not at all to our advantage. The pigeons generally came in high in tightly packed flocks. Last nights bag was 12 woodies and 3 carrions, tonights 5 woodies but there were less guns out to keep them moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Same story tonight for me. Very few pigeons about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointer Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 It sounded like the 4th July tonight with a shooter in every wood in the parish, I ended up with 16 woodies. what a great evening..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sniper316 Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Did anyone know that a carrion crow can smell you long before it can see you??They can catch your scent from over 1km away .Just a titbit i read in a shooting mag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave15 Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 I always knew crows were intelligent but thats amazing didnt know it was that far. seriously though if you do shoot till its dark make sure you have or know some one with a desent dog as birds can be a ****** to find as the sunsets Especially black Crows . Make sure you shoot one then pick it I know it sounds obvious but neaver make the mistake of marking a bird were it has fallen you will neaver find it in the dark. Anyway nice to hear you had a good shoot theirs no pigeons on the estate at the moment they roost next door which is a ******. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Roost shooting was a little better today, (despite the rain) but pigeon numbers seen today are still only a fraction of the usual amount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 I dont think that this is a good idea to wait till black dark before leaving the woodMost keepers like you to leave the wood before it gets too dark. This allows the pheasants to return to the wood for the night. Very much depends on the keeper, if there is one even. Personally never had a problem staying as long as I wanted. On the friday evening there were pheasants going up to roost within 50 yards of me. There is quite a lull between the last pigeon and the first crows and during this time I could hear pheazzies going up all around me. Shots in the dark do not seem to bother them as much as walking near their roosting trees which will send them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hill billy Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 (edited) I think i must have had the best roost shooting of my life yesturday i shot 74 and 7 crows, i try my very best not to loose birds but i must admit i lost a few all over the place and i went back today and found another 7 that i missed. There was 4 of us in total over three woods and conbined we managed to pick up 326 birds plus a couple of rats that were picking up old bits of maze. The place i go there is clouds of pigeons and they just keep coming back every few minutes, the next job is breasting all the birds..... Edited February 13, 2005 by hill billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 You shot HOW many roost shooting? You must be closing in on a record :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 My mate and myself had a couple of hours roost shooting this afternoon and until I read that, thought we had had a reasonable afternoons sport with 15. We obviously need to go back to the clay ground to learn how to shoot again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hill billy Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 It was unbelivible i got through 200 cartriges but i was shooting from 2 till 6, they just kept coming and coming then at about 4 it went conpletly dead for about half an hour then a cloud of about 600 came over and we just kept shooting at them and they just kept coming back again... it was incredible to say the least the only problem with an auto is the temptation to just keep pulling the trigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waddy Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 Everyone round Hill Billy's next weekend then ! Plenty of birds to go round. We went for an hour or so from 4 O'clock, must have been 100+ on the rape field into the farm but between 3 of us we managed 7 birds. Don't know where the 100 went though. Pheasant got up right at my feet though - always make me bloody jump - they don't know how lucky they are this time of year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted February 13, 2005 Report Share Posted February 13, 2005 I spent an hour and a half waiting just inside a fair size wood of fir trees. I have been watching this area for a long time now, and I had noted that on a N/NW wind they came in on it, the windier the better. Game on then. We have gales blowing down here so told wife 'I will be late' set up and waited, and waited, and waited. The **** didn't come in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Me and a pal managed 5 between from the edge of a large fir wood, in half an hour yesterday............................. but that was as they were.... 'leaving'..... as dawn broke.... had a volley of shots and missed loads. Paul in North Lincs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsnuts Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 Got 14 saturday afternoon for 28 shots, started at 3pm and they stopped coming in at 5pm, so i was happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 I think i must have had the best roost shooting of my life yesturday i shot 74 and 7 crows, i try my very best not to loose birds but i must admit i lost a few all over the place and i went back today and found another 7 that i missed. There was 4 of us in total over three woods and conbined we managed to pick up 326 birds plus a couple of rats that were picking up old bits of maze. The place i go there is clouds of pigeons and they just keep coming back every few minutes, the next job is breasting all the birds..... Nice work when you can get it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted February 14, 2005 Report Share Posted February 14, 2005 There seems to be less birds about this year but there isn't a lot of food crops in the area I shoot. I only got 6. A mate further in land got 17 and his friend 46 but the wood they shot in was close to a rape field that was being hit hard by the pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted February 15, 2005 Report Share Posted February 15, 2005 i'm off 2nite doing some roost shooting, 1st time tbh, but will be hitting them again 2morrow evening as well. so this evening is more if a recon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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