Cosd Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 What's going on guys? It seems rare these days to see a thread on what the day out in the field was like! Has everyone simply given up? Has the woody out smarted us all? There were loads of threads here not that long ago reporting on the big flocks all over the place; Now they have split up they are no where to be found. It's quiet at my friends shoot and we have only managed a handful the last few outings, but the decoys are being freshened up and we will be out again this Sunday to see what we can find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 It's a quiet time of year for Pigeon shooting, in our area they don't start feeding seriously on the fields until the barley gets laid by stormy weather in late June. A good time to catch up on all of those DIY jobs around the house. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbel-brad Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 (edited) Very slow in my area off Northants the odd bird about but not on the decoys very well i only have rape to shoot over and the ones i have had have been full of Beans / Peas / and tree buds. Should pick up when the rape has been sprayed off or laid flat i live in hope LOL Regards Andrew Bradley Edited May 14, 2009 by barbel-brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 Yes a quiet time for pigeon shooting . You should still be able to pick a few birds on the rape or better still on peas . The barley crop is not far away from getting to the milky stage in my part of the parish although the later drilled fields are still a long way away . The pigeons love the milky barley and will hit it as soon as they see it ready . Look out for the laid patches and decoy them in the afternoon . A magnet can pay dividends on the laid patches ,but dont put out to many decoys as this tends to turn them away for another spot . leave them plenty of room to get in . And then we will have the wonderful stubble shooting . Happy hunting everybody . Harnser . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosd Posted May 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 It's a quiet time of year for Pigeon shooting, in our area they don't start feeding seriously on the fields until the barley gets laid by stormy weather in late June. A good time to catch up on all of those DIY jobs around the house. Cat. Ah Mr Catamong, you know I've been up to my eyeballs in DIY so you're winding me up!! Now I'm able to go there's not much around, still won't stop me trying though :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 Most are still sitting on eggs at this time of year wait till the barley turns and there feeding young ,then be ready as it will be all out war on the first fields to have dropped barley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundodger Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 Them darn pigeons are very scarce down here in the southwest devon, plenty in the woods but not seen many on the fields. sundodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sipe-ist Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 Keep looking, they will return very shortly because their last major young and tender Ash tree leaves are all but over, I bet this coming week big numbers will return to the fields. I am planning a shoot over peas this weekend or early next week, all the signs are promising for a ton plus . By the way, don't go looking or setting up too early. Most activity will be from noon onwards. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 Its not so much a quiet time for pigeon shooting for me rather I just like to give the birds some time off during the main breeding season. I have never liked the idea of leaving starving youngsters in the nest after an adult has been shot. I know the pigeons are breeding all year around these days , but it will be Auigust before I restart shooting them and November before I realy get going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 Things have been quite but have started to pick up again now tho ive had a few nice bags . They have taken alot longer to find the peas this year dont no why but there starting to hit them now but still shooting more birds on rape , spring and patches of hit winter Just started to see a few young birds about and trying not to shoot them if i can help it even tho very tempting as they decoy a treat . Heres to some good days to come :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackthorn Posted May 14, 2009 Report Share Posted May 14, 2009 (edited) nowt much happening here ether, rape and wheat all well up, roll on the summer and strong winds and rain, for a bit of the laid stuff Edited May 14, 2009 by blackthorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozrob Posted May 15, 2009 Report Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) The only woodies i have been getting are on the bare patches on a rape field. they dont start flying till about 2 - 2.30. we have a pea field which is only 4 inches high , the birds are not interested in them at all. cant wait for the peas to start flowering. COSD , i was born in enfield , chase farm. Edited May 15, 2009 by lozrob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerseaDavid Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Over the past 2 weeks me and dad have gone out twice and shot just over 60 pigeons and most of them were shot in the woods. We have got many different sorts of crops but the birds are not interested. The peas are nearly up to knee hight the same with the beans the boridge is not attracting the birds anymore winter rape is also up to knee hight there have been a few birds on our cress fields but not in good enough numbers I have not seen hardly any birds on the farms I work on or shoot, they all seem to be staying in the woods or in the small towns and villages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosd Posted May 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Thanks for all the feedback guys, so it isn't just me finding it quiet it seems like it's the same pretty much all round. I remember this time last year there were daily accounts from people reporting decent days out but it does seem that this year is slightly delayed. I heard from another member today that he had 7 woodies on peas, while a couple of his friends about a mile down the road got around 100. So the odd reports that things are picking up are just begining to break through. Keep up the reports if you can....... :mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted May 18, 2009 Report Share Posted May 18, 2009 Most of the birds I saw yesterday were just sitting in the woods and coming out, "playing", before settling back down again. Not interested in the Peas, Bare patches on OSR, Clover, or anything else really. Had ago at "driven" pigeon when one of the two mates I was with went out with his dog and walked areas towards us. Had a couple of shots, but with the wind as strong as it was, they were high. That said, the barley has headed nicely*, so come on the strong winds and rain, then we can get down to serious business of Decoying. Peas are only 4-6 inches, so a little way to go before flowering. OSR still has good flowere heads on, although there are areas where the pods are starting to show. Trouble with the OSR on my permission is it is a shorter stem version than last year so not as prone to go over. Going to give it a miss on the pigeon front for a while as just not worth the effort, stick to corvid and bunny bashing. SS * Anyone answer why the farmer has grown Barley on the field two years on the trot? Surely rotation of crops applies to Barley as with other crops to avoid taking all the nutriants out as well as reducing the risk of disease to the crop Not that I'm complaining as its bang under the main flight line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerseaDavid Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 It depends on what rotation he is using. Some of our fields have had wheat in for 5 years now and we have planted our OSR in the same fields this year as we did last year. The farm next to ours is on a 6 year rotation so he keeps the same crops in the same field for that amount of time and then he will plant OSR or something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 It depends on what rotation he is using. Some of our fields have had wheat in for 5 years now and we have planted our OSR in the same fields this year as we did last year. The farm next to ours is on a 6 year rotation so he keeps the same crops in the same field for that amount of time and then he will plant OSR or something like that. Cheers David, Just found it strange that every other field has different crop on it this year except this one? SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerseaDavid Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 It is strange at times and also a pain. One of the farms I shoot on used to plant rape in one field and wheat in the other and would swap them back and forth each year until 2 years when he turned them into one field and has only planted wheat in it since which is annoying because it always had great flightlines all year and we had some great days on it. The only good days we have not is when the field is drilled and harvested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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