kevin15 Posted April 21, 2002 Report Share Posted April 21, 2002 I have been using a magnet over rape with no decoys with great results does any one just use the magneton its own.I have tried quite close and out to about 30 yards depending on the wind. Lastly i always put it over a thick patch of rape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 21, 2002 Report Share Posted April 21, 2002 I,ve got a rotary device, not a Magnet. For sessions that I know are going to be short ones, I have taken just the rotary device. Main reason being to travel light and fast. I have noticed that it works very well on its own, with one apparent difference. When I use it with a good decoy layout, birds actually land. I often let one land and shoot the next incoming and (hopefully) shoot the sitter as it takes off. Using the device without a decoy layout, I find the birds don,t try to land, but seem to come and have a look and if left alone, fly off a bit spooked. You have to shoot them early, not a problem, but different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacchus180 Posted April 21, 2002 Report Share Posted April 21, 2002 I have just bought a magnet, all singing dancing, ( saw the vid....not the best shooting..alot of winged birds! ) set it up this morning over freshly drilled peas, just for a couple of hours when the mist cleared, with rubber decoys, put magnet at open end of horseshoe, shot 15, missed 7/8, really impressed, when the peas poke out..its dyin time!! ...has anyone ever shot over sunflowers??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 21, 2002 Report Share Posted April 21, 2002 bachus 180, welcome, Thats not bad averages 15 out of 22/23, you had better post a lot more and lose your "newbie" title. Did you find that the best place for your Magnet was at the entrance to the horseshoe ? I usually place mine just to the left or right of the hide, well inside the horseshoe, leaving the "entrance" clear to entice the birds in closer. I have never seen sunflowers grown commercially in this country. Are they attractive to pigeons ? The ones I saw in France were about 8 ft tall, very attractive to ostriches I should think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazza Posted April 21, 2002 Report Share Posted April 21, 2002 Hiya Guy's, I usually use the magnet with deeks, for the same reasons Cranfield has said. Although I do tend to put mine in front of the deeks, but leave a good 10-15 yrds between the magnet & the deeks, to allow a way through for the birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 21, 2002 Report Share Posted April 21, 2002 When I first got my rotary device, I moved it about the layout to see if it made much difference. One observation that I made was that the birds nearly always tried to land right next to the rotary device. It was with this in mind that I placed it close to the hide and to one side. It brings the birds to me well within range. Being to one side also means that as the birds are focusing on the moving pigeons, they are not seeing me. Well thats my theory anyway and it seems to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazza Posted April 21, 2002 Report Share Posted April 21, 2002 Were they young birds Cranfield? I've found the older wiser ones can give the magnet a real wide berth, if they've seen them to many times before. The young birds are real suckers for it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 21, 2002 Report Share Posted April 21, 2002 lazza, I,m only interested in young birds. :( Sorry, I couldn,t resist that. I don,t think they were younger birds, I have not had pigeons giving the rotary device a wide berth, as some of you have described. With the quality of my shooting they don,t live long enough to get "old and wise". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin15 Posted April 22, 2002 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2002 I always try to shoot pigeons in the air as it is more fun than just taking them on the ground, without a decoy pattern i find the pigeons fly faster and jink a lot more over "rotary device". My cartridge to kill ratio has gone down but yoy get some cracking shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc Posted April 22, 2002 Report Share Posted April 22, 2002 Has anyone ever been refused permission to use magnets by farmers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazza Posted April 22, 2002 Report Share Posted April 22, 2002 I've never experienced it myself, but I have heard stories of farmers not allowing decoying, because it attracts more pigeons to the field. Which is obviously the idea, because you then shoot more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malc Posted April 23, 2002 Report Share Posted April 23, 2002 You hit the nail on the head Lazza. I once asked a farmer for permission to shoot on some spring rape that was getting absolutely wrecked by hundreds of pigeons. He said yes, but definately no decoys allowed as he said they attract pigeons. I was gobsmacked. In the end I didn't bother shooting the that rape at all. I would have liked to see the look on that farmers face if I had turned up with a magnet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 23, 2002 Report Share Posted April 23, 2002 Perhaps the farmer thought that you left your decoys behind when you went home. I have heard similar "stories" about farmers taking this attitude, but I assumed thats what they were, "stories". :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin15 Posted April 23, 2002 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2002 Has anyone ever been given cartridges by a farmer to shoot pigeons? A friend of mine said it use to happen to him a number of years ago, however he always lied about the number he shot with his large game bag full of potatos ( from the next field )with just a few few pigeons sticking out the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted April 23, 2002 Report Share Posted April 23, 2002 kevin, being an "old ***", I can remember the Rabbit Clearance cartridges that farmers could buy at a heavily subsidised (by Government) price. A couple of my local farmers would give us these cartridges to shoot rabbits and pigeons.As well as "pocket money". The cartridges had a unique plain casing. It was suprising how many of these cases you could pick up, after the farmers had a pheasant shoot. I think it would be a nice gesture for farmers to give some cartridges to their pigeon shooters, especially the younger ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted April 24, 2002 Report Share Posted April 24, 2002 There are 2 or 3 farmers on my pigeon round who sometimes surprise me by coming over with a box or two of cartridges, which I think is jolly decent! They always take an interest in me, my guns etc and all they ask in return is that I shoot plenty of pests and maybe give a hand the odd time. It's good to know there are still decent blokes about, and that we have'nt all turned into selfish townie t**ts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted April 25, 2002 Report Share Posted April 25, 2002 i get allsorts from the farms i shoot over ranging from cartridges,eggs,whisky,wine,milk,a pony for my daughter to ride when ever she wants and even gets to take it to the pony club summer camp & the farmer takes it for us in his horse box . but the farmers are more gracious in lancashire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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