Struggling on peas

[herbman]

I have been shooting a large pea field which is getting hit heavily at one end, there is no cover any side of the field. I have been setting up a brolly with a net over and a net in front but the birds won't come anywhere near it, they just go to a different part of the field. Have tried putting flags out in the field to stop them from going to other areas but they just go to another field.

Can anyone give me any tips please?

[Lez325]

It may be your umbrella type hide stands out like a sore thumb to be blunt

 

You need to dress your hide with vegitation common to that area as to be able to blend in with the area- these birds will spot an abnormal sight and go elsewhere to feed- I use a cammo net and dress it with nettles and local weeds and flowers , taken from the hedge row - takes a while but worth it in the end mate

 

Just my thoughts

 

 

Les

Edited June 6, 2009 by Lez325

[mr smith]

You might have to leave your hide up for a day or two til they get used to seeing it,providing no-one is likely to damage/steal it.

[Spaniel]

Hi Mate

Both of the previous advise is spot on.

The idea of setting up a hide is to blend in with your surroundings, walk out into the field and take a look at you hide, if it sticks out like a soar thumb (Thats a funny saying isnt it.....) you need to change it..

 

But if you do leave the hide up for a few days they may get use to it and then take no notice of it what so ever.

 

Only time i have shot in the middle of a field is at harvest time and i use the bales of hay as sides to my hide, with netting over and around me...works a treat..

 

Good luck with the shooting

[Cranfield]

I would suggest lowering the height of you hide as much as possible (shoot sitting down, its easy with practise) and put some fertilizer bags, or carrier bags on sticks in other parts of the field.

I shoot a lot of big open fields with no cover and have used string bangers and even plastic bags on my rotary arms (set up at the other end of the field) in the past.

 

Also make sure your decoys are very visible, use longer pegs, floaters, flappers and/or a rotary to give the layout some movement.

Decoys on short pegs can disappear in peas very easily.

 

I would mention that I have only ever used an umbrella when set up against a hedge (in a blizzard ), I am not sure if anyone uses them out in the open.

[Jim Sarakun]

I use a British IPK kit, about a fiver from your local Army Surplus, which consists of a plastic sheet, pretty much the same colour as the peas, 4 tent pegs, 4 bungees and 4 pigtail orange mesh type fence posts. (Travis Perkins, fiver each)

 

Go into the middle of the field on a tram line near to where they feed, find a bare piece of dirt, push in your four posts, stretch the sheet over them with the bungees after pushing the bungee hooks through it and peg 'em in. Sit ON THE GROUND under it, and you should have a gap from the top of the Peas to the sheet of about 2ft. to shoot from, perfect. A nice low inconspicuous hide, that is easy to carry and it works, though you may get a sore bum so take a cushion.

 

Well worth the few quid, lasts for years and them birds just do not have a clue where the shots are coming from.

[rigwallet]

try a scarecrow make a basic cross shape dress it in old light weight and light coloured clothing that moves in the wind then put a piece of wood shaped like a gun on it pointing in the air i tried this to good effect at the other end to where i was shooting and after a couple of weeks i replaced myself with the scarecrow which they had got use to seeing and had a good few pigeons what ever you do dont stick to the same ideas as pigeons have brains and soon realise whats happening change tactics

[motty]

There is no need to hide a hide! I have shot several big bags over the years with hides completely out in the open with no additional branches or leaves etc. I could have killed many birds with a tennis racket, that's how close they came to the hide on their way to the decoys .Blend your hide in if you can by all means, but it's not essential.

Your problem, herbman, could be more down to other reasons, like the field being shot too often. I had exactly the same problem last year, when the peas in a certain area were being shot around 2-3 times a week. You would be lucky to shoot 5, as the birds were so wary. This year in the same area, the pigeons have been left alone far more and i've shot a bag of 93 there and another bloke shot 73 there on friday. Just a thought.

[herbman]

Thanks for the help guys, think motty may be right have found out that there is 2 other people shooting the same field so decided to give it a rest for a few days. Went yesterday but decided to go on the beet field behind the peas. Only managed to get 3 but had birds coying lovely.

I am hoping will get better with more experience.