Pigeon Shooting

[gibby]

I currently do a lot of clay shooting but would like to start doing a bit more rough shooting, i have seen some videos of people in their hides with decoys attracting in the pigeons and getting some good bags. If i wanted to start what do i need and how should i go about it?

Any advice would be apreciated.

Gibby

[Paul in North Lincs.]

Gibby

 

as a major agricultural pest, you shouldn't have too much problems in obtainig permission from arable farmers to shoot woodies.

 

 

The Basics are:-..................

 

The most productive times of the year shoot pigeons is late winter when food in the 'woods' is scare, and late summer / autumn, when the crops have keen cut, giving rise to stubble and sheeded seeds, best on wheat, or rape seed.

 

Once you have permission, you will have to 'reccy' the feilds, and look for distinguished flight lines, that the pigeons use to home in on the fields they are feeding on. These do change so be observant.

 

Once you have found where the birds are feeding, and how they are getting there, you need to set up you hide in an inconspicious place, and lay out a pattern of decoys which hopefully should attract the birds within range to be shot.

 

This is the basic principle, but I would advise that you get a book. John Humpreys or Archie Coates are the authers you need to look out for.

 

There are other disciplines of pigeon shooting such as flightlining where upon you find the same, get hidden up under the line and shoot as they pass over you, or Roost shooting, which is better done at this time of year, the principle being that you shoot the the birds as they come into roost...(once you've found that place!)

 

I could start going into decoy patterns and conditions, but I'd be here all day.

 

The best teacher is experience out in the field, .....................and lots of it. Its a very exiting sport, but you do really need to get there and observe there habbits.

 

Hope this helps

 

Paul inN North Linc.

[Shotgun-Sean]

Hi there are some really good books out there for the novice shooter, one i would recommend is "The pigeon shooter" by John Batley you can find this book readily available on www.Amazon.com it has an ISBN 0 904057 51 9

With this number you can get people like WH SMITH to order it for you.

I have been pigeon shooting since the age of 18 just realised that is half my life and i can honestly say there is never a days shooting that goes by i dont learn something new.

 

firstly get yourself some good camo clothing old army dpm is ok but there are a lot better quality clothes out there now with more detailed camo

 

dont just get a jacket and trousers you MUST get a hat with a veil because pigeons have fantastic eyesight and they will see your white face a mile away and keep still in the hide right until the last minute.

 

if i can help you more then please get in contact

 

if you are in the south east i can give you a couple of days pigeon shooting

 

cheers Sean