Harnser Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) Had a drive round the farms today to see where the pigeons were . Not a bird on any of the rape fields at all . Saw a wonderful roebuck about 300 yards away feeding on the rape . Decided to try and dry stalk him to get a better look . I went through a small fir plantation to get down wind of him and loe and behold 3 does got up and ran off away from the buck . Should have expected the does as i have had a number of deer out of this small plantation . Managed to get within about 100 yards of said buck ,but he was very twitchy and was aware somebody being about . In my younger days i would have got down on my belly and crawled nearer to him . My cracked rib was now starting to ache so i decided to return to the car . He was a very nice buck and who knows what might happen first light on the first of next month . Anser 2 ,any birds in your part of the parish . Harnser . Edited March 16, 2009 by Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 the birds round me have left the rape alone now and are on some drilling was watching a field today there was thousands on it . just had a call from another farmer saying he drilled today and his fields always get hit so things looking good for me keep looking you will soon catch up with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) Hi Harnser, yes we have reasonable numbers of pigeon now. Hardly any all winter until the start of March . Had about 600 since then. Having said that numbers are still down on past years , but enough to make a day out interesting. There apear to be very few sizable flocks about. I had 67 on Saturday and never saw a bunch bigger than 12 all day , most came into the decoys as singles or pairs. much the same on Sunday when 70 were bagged. They are not very settled . Usually I have several strong feeds on the go at the same time , but not so this year. Its a case of driving around for several hours to locate the birds before setting up. I normally go prepared at first light to a field where I know where they are feeding. It took me 3 hours to find a flightline on Sunday and though they were not feeding on the field the magnet worked wonders. Only one rape field out of the 16 on my farms is being regularly used , most of my birds have come off maze game strips this year. The roost shooting has been very poor. Quite a few have been on the drillings , but never when I go for them. My pigeon season is almost at an end as once the pheasants start to lay that’s it apart for the odd day on the stubbles. Edited March 16, 2009 by anser2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackthorn Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 its gone quiet where we are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Pigeon are very scarce in the Scottish Borders. My Club who hold Charity Roost Shoots from the first Saturday in Februry to the end of April are down around 200 birds compared to last year. On Saturday past the bag was a mere 32 birds from granted a difficult shoot but even so few birds were seen. Decoying is no better, due to the wet Autunb there was very little oilseed rape sown, but plenty stubbles where some birds were seen feeding. Seed time should have brought a bonus but a field which yeilded 160 to 3 guns on an afternoon two years ago only produced 6 this year under similair circimstances. We are finding that birds are reluctant to come to decoys and in the above situation 2 years ago every pigeon that came within sight made a beeline for the decoys, this year you would actually think the pigeon were avoiding the sets. Overall birds are in very good condition, plump with some fat on the breasts, oddly only those which have found a beanfield have crop contents, most a few grains of seed barley or a few leaves of green stuff. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ROBSON Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 The birds around us are switching their feeding from one crop to the next on an almost daily basis. They are on an off the rape, but when they start hitting it the shooting has been good. Last week there were good bags taken on my local estate on Barley stubbles and a ploughed up potato field where some of the crop wasn't lifted. The grass fields with clover are still drawing birds also. This morning I've been out gassing Rabbits and have 6 newly drilled fields of spring oats which have a good few hundred birds using them. Cheers, Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonshooter76 Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 im hoping to hit the drillred corn and barley this week hopefuly friday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soreshoulder Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 hundreds still on the bald patches in rape fields Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 It's all quiet here. We've been applying nitrogen over recent weeks, and everyone has commented on the dwindling number of pigeons. The few bald patches of winter OSR left still bring some birds in. We aren't drilling any spring OSR/barley/wheat, which means shooting looks pretty limited for the coming months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Theres none around here ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Strange enough, there appear to be plenty of birds around on my permissions but seem to be switching food stuff on an almost daily basis. Whilst out on Saturday they appeared to have split down into flocks of 15-20 and were all over one farm, but yesterday afternoon, they'd all flocked up into 4-500 again They were hitting OSR and woods yesterday, Sunday was clover, Saturday was OSR, clover, Stubble, Plough, Woods & Ivy. and just heard this morning, that they're not even about the place from my mate Not exactly confidence boosting stuff, but we've got spring drillings going in back end of this week if weather stays nice and Peas in the next couple of weeks, so something to look forward to. OSR is between 5-8 inches across three fields, with very few bald patches other than certain corners and the farmer was out spreading fertiliser/nitrogen on both Saturday and yesterday, so loks like OSR won't be worth it in a little while. Roll on the peas. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonshooter76 Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) ive just phoned my famer hes rolling the feilds thursday and friday so im go to hit the feilds friday Edited March 18, 2009 by pigeonshooter76 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Tom Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 They have gone on the clover over here and on new drillings, but still hanging around the rape and the big woods a lot. they are just starting to break up into groups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker3 Posted March 18, 2009 Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 hi lots of birds on the fresh drillings here .but there still not willing to let the rape go just yet ! good numbers in the lothians at the moment for the first time as long most farmers round here are sowing now so yes its looking up for the time being Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonshooter76 Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 the farmer just drilledand rolled the feild so im up at half 6 hitting the rolled feilds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonshooter76 Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 went today all i saw where 15 hares boxing in the feild no pigeons show yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikee Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 plenty of pigeons round my way but not many on the rape any more, the first fields of spring drill are starting to appear and there are plenty of birds on all the fields, unfortunately none of my farms drill any spring cereals so i'm sort of snookered at the moment, probably get on with some jobs at home and get on with some dog training until the peas go in in about 4-5 weeks mikee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M ROBSON Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 The birds are starting to show in good numbers on freshly drilled barley, they are often hitting it as soon as the machines are off the field. But the usual fields are building up in numbers 2-3 days after drilling, as would be expected. Had a good day on Drilled Oats last week and the last two days have produced good sport on drilled barley. Cheers, Mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 i have drilled barley but no pigeons on it.at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) Are you getting any joy now Harnser? Had a few on the barley drill at the weekend. I hope the ol rib is improving. Edited March 24, 2009 by Whitebridges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topshot Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 birds are now on my permission two days after drilling.**** law though got a big job on at the moment so wont be going till the weekend now.checking every night after work still good numbers there at early dusk.hopefully good weather this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonshooter76 Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 im going this sunday all being well with the weather im hoping these winds die down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundowner Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Not a skyrat in sight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonshooter76 Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 had a go today in hail only got 4 ferals my dad got none Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker3 Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 went out today to check some freshly drilled barley and there were hundreds on the first field so a grabbed the chance .the wind was realy strong and it kept the birds on the move all day started at 11.30 finnished at 3.30 and shot 108 av never seen so many all winter 108 for 165 shots am out tomoro just havent told the wife yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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