decoy paterns

[thinxs]

Do you use the same paterns on all crops or does it vary?

[turk101]

I try different patterns on all type's of crop, with me it depends on the wind direction and how close i want the birds to commit (suicide), the way my hide is set up, what shooting window i have etc:

lot's of different factors. It's more trial and error.

ATB

turk101

[Greenhunter]

Nothings ever the same twice, even in the same field the very next day!

[The Sipe-ist]

That is an intelligent question. The answer is you must change your pattern depending on the crop and situation. For example , on freshly drilled crops where there is still an abundance of pickings ,pigeons will feed relatively close together and their posture will be predominantly head down. Whereas the same field a couple of days later they will be feeding further apart and will be less head down. On a rape crop that has started to grow away their stance is much more upright and they will feed close together. The man who really wants to learn, should spend as much time as possible observing pigeons feeding undisturbed in various situations, and then try to copy their behavior as closely as possible, which in my humble opinion means using dead birds on cradles when ever you can.I am constantly amazed by some answers about decoying on this forum such as the recent thread on changing decoys for real birds. The answer is obvious, you do change them if you want your pattern to look as natural as possible. We have all had occasions when pigeons will hurl themselves in on less than perfect patterns , but I would suggest those events are less common nowadays.

[MerseaDavid]

I very rarely use the same pattern when out shooting, decoys maybe further or nearer on some crops and on drilled fields U shaped patterns work well and on rape fields the decoys work better in more of a clump, but it does vary on different crops. (well I think it does)