Wot no deeks - part 2

[mack]

If you havnt seen the original wot no deeks thread, heres the background...

Rape field, hundreds of pigeons, farmer wont let me use deeks.

 

First outing produced a dozen birds with a lot missed so not that bad. Good for the reccy at least as I didnt know the area.

 

Went out this morning and had a choice of the no-deeks field where the birds were still feeding (pigeon heaven), or another decoyable field where I had seen a few birds yesterday.

 

I plumped for the decoy field...in short 3 hours, 5 pigeons and a crow. It got bloody cold and even slower so I packed up and headed to the non-decoy field to see what was happening.

 

Walked a couple hundred birds off before sitting in a hedge (no hide or deeks) under the flightline which I had spotted last outing.

 

After half an hour shot 4 birds and followed the advice of someone on here (cant remember who but thanks a bunch for the idea), and left these birds where they fell.

 

What an afternoon! Bird after bird came into the pattern and I was blasting away as fast as I could load. Ended up using all my carts but the birds were everywhere so got my other half to drop me some more off (bless her - thats me washing up all week for the favour).

 

It carried on like this until it was getting dark/cold/late.

 

The final amaznig tally was 70 and a crow in 4 hours, and if I wasnt shooting **** it couldve been double that. I also had a kestrel visit the pattern for a few minutes.

 

This was amazing shooting without deeks or a hide. It just goes to show that getting the flightline right is the key.

 

Perfect day. My personal best, Im chuffed - can you tell?

[pete k]

very well done there mack

bloddy good day out

 

 

 

pete

[shawn9914]

well done mack

 

most of us are still dreaming about days like that this year at the moment

 

if only you could deak the field with a hide and all the gear you would have a right red letter day i bet

 

just wish there were that many pigeons in my area

 

cheers shawn

[ernyha]

if only you could deak the field with a hide and all the gear you would have a right red letter day i bet

Makes me wonder if we are all being conned into buying all this fancy decoying equipment when we don't need it then.

[Teal]

This was amazing shooting without deeks or a hide. It just goes to show that getting the flightline right is the key.

Sounds like an amazing day indeed, and I for one am very jealous! However, to say it was without deeks is not quite true! I think everyone knows that shot birds are the best deeks

 

Well done though

[Cranfield]

Modesty forbids me mentioning that I was one of those that suggested leaving dead birds on the ground, sounds as though it worked.

 

That Farmers field may be popular with the birds, because it hasn't been shot very much and is probably in a good position.

We all know of fields that are magnets for pigeons, when they have the right crops in them, perhaps you have found one.

 

I hope the Farmer was happy.

[Will Beasley]

 

if only you could deak the field with a hide and all the gear you would have a right red letter day i bet

Makes me wonder if we are all being conned into buying all this fancy decoying equipment when we don't need it then.

 

Come on Ern.......that was a bit harsh. Technically the guy was using decoys...the ones he shot. Its just that he didnt start off with any.

[Fisherman Mike]

 

if only you could deak the field with a hide and all the gear you would have a right red letter day i bet

Makes me wonder if we are all being conned into buying all this fancy decoying equipment when we don't need it then.

 

Come on Ern.......that was a bit harsh. Technically the guy was using decoys...the ones he shot. Its just that he didnt start off with any.

Yes I agree with Will.

 

I think you will find that if you shoot without deeks 90% of the time... Then 90% of the time you wont get more than a handfull of birds. You wont pull birds off an established flightline without them.

 

FM.

[Cranfield]

There are a number of locations where decoys are not essential.

I believe that often our "set-up", is to give us confidence, more than being attractive to the birds.

 

As I am often a "mobile" pigeon shooter (not carrying all my gear, often just a net and gun), short sessions in the following locations have been very rewarding.

 

Sitty trees alongside the feeding area.

Find a field the birds are visiting and you will notice they will always sit in the "sitty" tree for a while, even if they don't feed on the crop.

 

Resting/ siesta trees.

Usually not too far from the feeding area, (can sometimes be the sitty tree).

The birds will flight too and from the feeding area to these trees, in between feeds.

If they are on barassicas (greens), these flights will be more frequent.

 

Water.

Probably ther best "no decoy" location.

Find a pond or small lake near to the feeding area and you will shoot pigeons.

Especially when they are on stubbles in the Summer.

 

Anything is worth a try.

[ernyha]

 

if only you could deak the field with a hide and all the gear you would have a right red letter day i bet

Makes me wonder if we are all being conned into buying all this fancy decoying equipment when we don't need it then.

 

Come on Ern.......that was a bit harsh. Technically the guy was using decoys...the ones he shot. Its just that he didnt start off with any.

:*) Sorry, that was meant to be a joke but didn't come out that way. :*)

 

I am well aware that using his shot birds was the reason for his good bag and I for one wouldn't dream of going out decoying without all the expensive gadgets and equipment. The art of where to put the flapper,rotor,floaters and plastics is part of the sport.

[mack]

To be honest and objective guys, I think the shot birds helped but they werent the reason for the big bag.

 

I could see the birds heading straight for me from a good two hundred yards away. They were very low, usually less than 10 feet high, due to the strong wind, so they could not see the downed birds on their approach. Admittedly when they saw them, most of them pitched in but they were well in shooting range before that.

The birds actually were on their way on to the next rape field as proved by the ones that passed me just out of range.

 

Another point is that all the shot birds lay where they fell - in a completely random and unorganised way, some had wings up , facing in all directions, no sign of a 'horseshoe' pattern but the birds still pitched in. What does that say about the text books?

 

Even the kestrel landed yards away from me in midst of the dead birds. I also shot the crow as it flew close so the pattern mustve looked natural.

 

I agree that a well layed out decoy pattern is important but after this weekend I am utterly convinced that the flight line and weather conditions are the main factors.

 

One point is that if I had a flapper or magnet I am sure I couldve drawn in the birds that were just too far to the sides of the dead birds that flew past.

 

Another point of interest is that once all the birds had gotten past me and onto the next rape field. I walked across 3 corn fields to walk them off that rape and they headed back where they started from. Having taken my original position once more (15 minutes later), the birds started their flights again right over me so extending the shooting session.

 

Suffice it to say I learned a hell of a lot from this day. Pigeon shooting is all about experience(s) so I post this so you can draw your own conclusions.

 

Happy shooting.

 

Mack