Mr Potter Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Any tips welcome and before anybody says it; Yes I should have done a search but you probably don't realise just how utterly lazy I am. On the basis that the little field I have permission on eventually gets combined and the rain stops (personally hope it doesn't get too hot though) I will have the usual problem of trying to get my hide poles into quite hard ground. I am sure we all have this problem but has anyone come up with a solution? I have either thought of or have read about one which I haven't done anything about yet (lazy *******) which is to make, or in my case have someone make for me, a solid steel dolly the same diameter as my poles with a sharpish point on about 10" long which I can hammer into the ground (and try to remove!) to create a hole for the hide pole to sit in. The downside is the additional weight of the dolly and the lump hammer but when decoying on stubble I think most of us can drive up to or very close to our chosen positions. Any thoughts on this idea or preferably any better ideas. I had tried to hire a two-stroke post hole borer but the auger was too big and the poles would have been too wobbly Mr Potter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wabbitbosher Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Any tips welcome and before anybody says it; Yes I should have done a search but you probably don't realise just how utterly lazy I am. On the basis that the little field I have permission on eventually gets combined and the rain stops (personally hope it doesn't get too hot though) I will have the usual problem of trying to get my hide poles into quite hard ground. I am sure we all have this problem but has anyone come up with a solution? I have either thought of or have read about one which I haven't done anything about yet (lazy *******) which is to make, or in my case have someone make for me, a solid steel dolly the same diameter as my poles with a sharpish point on about 10" long which I can hammer into the ground (and try to remove!) to create a hole for the hide pole to sit in. The downside is the additional weight of the dolly and the lump hammer but when decoying on stubble I think most of us can drive up to or very close to our chosen positions. Any thoughts on this idea or preferably any better ideas. I had tried to hire a two-stroke post hole borer but the auger was too big and the poles would have been too wobbly Mr Potter put a heel plate on your poles , it works for me Wabbit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecooper1 Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Heal plates everytime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harnser Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 (edited) A big engineering screw driver for making pilot holes . Or the screw on the mark 1 harnser magnet base for making holes for your poles . Yes poles with kick plates are better ,but some times the ground is so hard they still wont go in . Harnser . Edited August 12, 2009 by Harnser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratus Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 piece of pipe with a pointed end and a kick plate on end, kick into ground and slot in poles!! x4 BEMMY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzy518 Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 I had this problem and bent a couple of hide poles so i sawed off the cheapo nasty points and straightened out the poles..then I erm, cough , acquired some of them metal stakes , the kind builders hang that orange net round holes etc...I think they are called road pins or pig sticks or whatever..Anyway, they are nicely pointed at one end..I then cut of the hook at the top..All i do now is hammer the stake into the ground and the pole then slides over that. They are a bit heavy but luckily i can drive to the majority of my hides Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Potter Posted August 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 put a heel plate on your poles , it works for me Wabbit My poles are a mixture of home made and bought but they all have kick or heel plates but in previous years the ground at harvest time has been so hard that the poles have either bent or started to kink at the thinnest point of the tube i.e. just above the spike & kick plate. The ground was too hard for the Mk1 Harnser magnet bases (brilliant ides by the way) but I like the idea of heavy duty hammer in sockets but I can see a problem getting them out of the ground at packing up time. I have been thinking about my "joke" regarding the post hole borer. I wonder if I got hold of an old fashioned woodworking auger bit (based on the Archimedes screw principle) the same dia. as the poles, welded an extension on, perhaps 3' long, with an eye of some description on top, I could then use something, even the pole it's self to turn the auger. This would then drill a hole in the ground to slide the pole into. (If only I didn't spend every Sunday clay shooting I'm sure I could pick something up at a car boot sale for a quid). It might be that I can borrow an auger bit just to try and if it works I just wont give it back Mr Potter aka Thomas Edison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Potter Posted August 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 I had this problem and bent a couple of hide poles so i sawed off the cheapo nasty points and straightened out the poles..then I erm, cough , acquired some of them metal stakes , the kind builders hang that orange net round holes etc...I think they are called road pins or pig sticks or whatever..Anyway, they are nicely pointed at one end..I then cut of the hook at the top..All i do now is hammer the stake into the ground and the pole then slides over that. They are a bit heavy but luckily i can drive to the majority of my hides I do like this idea, rather than saw of the ends of my existing poles I would buy 4 or 5 new washing line props from the market at £1.75 per pole. I know were I can "borrow" the road pins and thats it, job done and I've got my original poles for when ground conditions are more normal for this green and pleasant land of ours i.e. wet and spongy Mr Potter (Doffing his cap to a better inventor) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispti Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I just carry a 2ltr bottle of water, wet the ground where you want to put the poles and where you want to place your magnet. Go and set out the decoys then come back to the poles and magnet. easy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosd Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Decent hide poles with kick plates is my preference. I had same issues when using washing line poles, since I got proper hide poles with kick plates I haven't had a problem yet no matter how hard the ground has been Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 (edited) I broke one of my hide poles last week, giving the heel plate an enthusiastic heeling on hard clay. The pole just sheared in two below the heel plate. Time to put in another order with the Beasleys. Edited August 13, 2009 by Baldrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam1 Posted August 16, 2009 Report Share Posted August 16, 2009 Cordless drill and correct size bit, you can get a low powered one for next to no money and the smaller ones will not add too much weight to your kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 (edited) I carry a 10 inch piece of round steel bar and a cut down hammer in with my kit and hammer it into the ground. This make the poles nice and rigid and in the summer when its hot the poles are firm enough to hang your coat on and pick the cartridges out of the pockets when shooting in your shirt in the hide. The extra weight of the bar and hammer is approx 25 cartridges. Good Shooting Pigeon Controller Edited August 20, 2009 by pigeon controller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt-57 Posted August 20, 2009 Report Share Posted August 20, 2009 go to a fishing shop, they sell the good old bankstick but they do ones they screws in to the ground, i use these and have no problemes. and the poles are very stable as they screw in not just pushed in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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