Si-Bore Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Hey guys I am shooting a field lof rape which is the only one in the local area this year. The field is situated close to a main road. On the other side of the road is a small wood which seems to be a holding area for pigeon before they move on or filter over the road into the rape field. Now the problem with this that a few shots and the birds move on, especially if I set up near the flightline which is the road! I am hoping that as the rape grows a little more (it is only an inch or 2 at present) and they turn their focus on it more I may get the birds returning rather than moving on to find clover etc. Many of the shot birds have clover and barley grains in them. They feed from approx 9.00am until 11am and again on the afternoon from 3-5.30pm. The morning shoots on Sat/Sun were very poor only yielding 5 in 2 hours on Sun and an all day shoot on Sat the same - in fact they never returned after 10am at all despite the promising winds. I might try an evening shoot if I can get away from work early and be there for 4pm. The clocks moving forward will help too. I have tried setting up away from the woods but the prevailing winds carry the shot towards the birds moving them on. Just though I would share the situation to see if anyone could offer advice. Cheers Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Tom Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 I have the same here, they sit in the trees then seem to just move on to clover, sooo i am going into the woods next time lol i have a clover field as well as a farm to shoot, look out the window when i got home from work to see 22 pigeons sitting in it lol. So many get some shooting on it soon lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si-Bore Posted March 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 There was approx 150 birds on the rape patch at 4.30pm today when I drove past after work. I think I may get an intense hour in tomorrow night! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billywizz Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Yes Si,,problem pigeons,,as you see if they are not there then no amount of decoys will work,,you have to be an opertunist and make the best of it.What about a silenced 4.10....On **************** a young lad got three on sunday with a 4.10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 If there is drilled barley and new clover available, pigeons will normally eat that in preference to rape. In my area they are not drilling yet and the birds are still feeding on the short rape with the new shoots, but they will leave this alone once it gets a bit taller. I was told that as rape grows it tastes bitter and thats why the birds leave it alone (having never chewed any I will take the Farmers word for that). Once the drillings start, I will get the same "problem" you are experiencing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazlindazza Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 I have the same problem too! I have several fields all in one area I cn shoot. There seems to be one main field with rape in where they all like to sit, but as soon as they are disturbed, they dissapear into the other fields and wont come back unless they are disturbed. If I then decide to relocate to the other fields, they then dissapear back across the road to the field we first started in, so I just seem to be going round and round and not getting anywhere. When I first started pigeon shooting the end of last year, I used the same field, I could park up, and see which flightline they were using and hide away accordingly and i'd get a steady stream coming. What I cant understand is why they have gone from a steady stream, to flocking all as one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthegearknowidea Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 get yourself in the wood i had 58 last saturday in about 2 hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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