clueless1 Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 Well, I'm really not getting to grips with this pigeon shooting thing. This is the 3rd time in the last month that I've sat in a field with no result (last time I got 1 pigeon and a crow ) or nothing to write home about. Today I thiught I'd try out my home made bouncer/floater things and was really pretty happy with how they behaved. Forgot the battery for the rotary but thought that it's not made much difference really so no bother. Laid the decoys out in a "U" facing into the wind and placed the bouncers in various positions during the day. Drew one crow - and I missed it The position chosen was near what best resembled a flightline. All I've found out from this months efforts is that flightlines move, always, about 150m away from me! I'm in full cammo with mask and gloves and sit there listening to my iPod pretty motionless. I've got a couple of (poor quality) pics. Can anyone see anything glaringly obvious that I'm messing up on. Feeling a bit stupid as I know it must be something I'm doing, but cant figure out what. Thanks in advance for any pointers. Cheers, fraser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyb Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 One word... Reconnaissance. If you havent observed the birds feeding in the field or flighting over, don't bother even getting your gear out of the car. You cant decoy pigeon that are not there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr salt Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 (edited) garyb is right. slow down,spend some time watching ,find the flight lines,. Looks like you are doing it right,you are just in the wrong place. Find where they fly,feed or poo. Then your be fine. good luck scott p.s just had a really good look at the photos,its to uniform , make it slighty more radom,more natual. Edited September 20, 2009 by mr salt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 your not alone there are plenty of us having a hard time getting pigeon at the moment, hopefully things will improve over the next few weeks as the drill goes in and the ready supply of food on stubble diminishes, plenty of acorns , beech mast and berries about though but as they start to flock together they will be searching out winter feed, crops comming through like rape and peas in my area particularily. As mentioned maybe a more random layout with your dec's and try to add an extra couple at the head of your pattern, as the weather gets colder into winter and the birds flock up move the dec's closer together , mid winter on rape the more dec's the better as a rule and if the flightline changes it would be better to move nearer to it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikee Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 your not alone there are plenty of us having a hard time getting pigeon at the moment, hopefully things will improve over the next few weeks as the drill goes in and the ready supply of food on stubble diminishes, plenty of acorns , beech mast and berries about though but as they start to flock together they will be searching out winter feed, crops comming through like rape and peas in my area particularily.As mentioned maybe a more random layout with your dec's and try to add an extra couple at the head of your pattern, as the weather gets colder into winter and the birds flock up move the dec's closer together , mid winter on rape the more dec's the better as a rule and if the flightline changes it would be better to move nearer to it . do they grow winter peas in your area, they wouldnt last 5 minutes round here mikee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MK38 Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 It'll be said again and again, observation spend time watching where they fly and cross the fields, a pattern will emerge eventually..... but yes, they can and will change these through the day.... tricky ******* ain't they. Look for them in the sky first, then where they are going to feed and try to position yourself under them. If that is the only field you can shoot , then your stuck with what you've got, and will have to make the best of a bad job. Looking at your set up i would change your hide position from under the big tree , it restricts your field of view, you've got good back drops all around you so you could set up anywhere. The hide is to regular for me, you never see straight lines in nature, let the cammo net droop between the poles and add foliage to soften the outline, i like to have the front of the hide a bit lower so i can shoot while sitting. The decoy pattern looks abit odd , you need to have a definate place where you want the birds to make for so you can take a comfortable shot, you want to try to focus the birds into that area. The bouncers look good, but if the pigeons on the ground are facing the wind, then to me it looks like the bouncers are trying to get away :blink: you really want to use them to funnel pigeon into the pattern.... try to make the picture on the ground look natural , with birds heading in to land in the killing zone and the decoys roughly facing the wind, watch them in the fields and you will see that they do face to either side, but they don't like the wind up there bum. Spend as much time as you can just watching the birds in your area, it'll be well spent. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 do they grow winter peas in your area, they wouldnt last 5 minutes round here mikee Yep we normaly have a few fields of winter peas around here, outnumbered by the rape fields. takes some time to cover all our grounds looking for the birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanl50 Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 your not alone there are plenty of us having a hard time getting pigeon at the moment, hopefully things will improve over the next few weeks as the drill goes in and the ready supply of food on stubble diminishes, plenty of acorns , beech mast and berries about though but as they start to flock together they will be searching out winter feed, crops comming through like rape and peas in my area particularily.As mentioned maybe a more random layout with your dec's and try to add an extra couple at the head of your pattern, as the weather gets colder into winter and the birds flock up move the dec's closer together , mid winter on rape the more dec's the better as a rule and if the flightline changes it would be better to move nearer to it . In a nut shell as above most of us are having trouble bringing them in I got 5 yesterday normally would be 25/35/++++ with ease I even moved 3 times to get under filght lines that are always good but to no avail Last week got a 15 and a 29 over secondry rape in about 2 hours been looking since "nothing" thats how it goes. Dont worry mate it will come for you, pigeons are fickle, you can watch them all week turn up for your sport and nothing. I been watching them congregate in a line of silver birches everyday in the afternoon so Im going to have a go chances are one shot and thats it, just enjoy nature that what I do. Ive got about a 30 acre field of barly stubble they have never touched with split corn in the middle where the combine broke down!!! Dont worry mate it will happen. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stubby Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 if it was easy, it would'ent be so bloody addictive, Im in the same boat, new cert holder and only two trips out, my first was around 7am, simply found a tree to sit under, under a flight path, and took shots as they flew past, only one bird shot, but it set off the addictiveness, next time out, same place, but fell asleep in morning( Im a night worker) so did'nt arrive till 10am, less birds flying over, presume they were already at their feeding ground, but this time set up a makeshift hide (from pallets) and set out decoys, only one bird actually came down to them, so only that one shot, but its given me loads of information, Ive spotted an area where they do come down at the far edge of a field, so my next trip out will be there with some proper netting, decoys and a homemade floater, fingers crossed Im only using a single bore, so cant afford misses, although I do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 if it was easy, it would'ent be so bloody addictive, Im in the same boat, new cert holder and only two trips out, my first was around 7am, simply found a tree to sit under, under a flight path, and took shots as they flew past, only one bird shot, but it set off the addictiveness, next time out, same place, but fell asleep in morning( Im a night worker) so did'nt arrive till 10am, less birds flying over, presume they were already at their feeding ground, but this time set up a makeshift hide (from pallets) and set out decoys, only one bird actually came down to them, so only that one shot, but its given me loads of information, Ive spotted an area where they do come down at the far edge of a field, so my next trip out will be there with some proper netting, decoys and a homemade floater, fingers crossed Im only using a single bore, so cant afford misses, although I do Thats the way to do it , learn from every trip out, the birds will dictate where you need to be if you study them, their flight and habits, learn the fieldcraft needed for decoying it can be more important than haveing the best decoying equipment money can buy. They will throw you curve from time to time when you think you have it sussed but thats all part of the addiction and attraction, more can be learnt from a slow to moderate shooting day than from a cant load fast enough hot barrel day when the adrenalin takes over. The woodpigeon is a good survivalist and by no means stupid although it may seem that way on some days when they land in your pattern as you re-dress it or take a leak in full view of them :blink: Take the time to understand and learn it will pay off . As much enjoyment can come from a single bore on the right day as any multi-shot gun its not the killing its the challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clueless1 Posted September 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thanks for all the tips and advice. Gives me something to work on over the next few weeks. I am finding it strangly addictive and frustrating but am sure that it will come togher soon/sometime. Thanks again, fraser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 The thing i noticed is it looks like you have your hide set up in the corner of the field.. All the top pigeon shooters ArchieCoates / George Digweed ect say you should keep at least 150yds away from corners of fields... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRS Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 the thing i have noticed with pigeons , in september they seem hell bent on getting p1$$ed on elderberry's and dont behave normaly , try putting your hide under an elderberry bush just another thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris64 Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 thats what i was told years ago never put your hide in a corner they just dont like it, try 20-30 yrds along you've got hell of alot of natural cover to use,bouncers face them into the wind they'll bounce even in the slightest breeze,i spent 4hours saturday 5 pigeons packet up got mile or so down road combine just finishing pigeons galore on far side of feild Owell thats pigeon shooting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dankidd Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 Is that a crow decoy on the flyer I see? Maybe its too close to the pigeons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastSussexLad Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 i was always told never to put any crow decoys close to your pigeons, when you have ur pigeon decoys out infront of you move ur crow decoys about 20/30yrds out to whatever way the wind is not blowing as the pigeons then dont have to fly over ur crow decoys to be spooked by them. on another note, i was pigeon shooting yesterday but ended up shooting more crows than pigeons... i found that crows did not like a bouncer with a crow on... around 4/5 times i put a bouncer out with a crow on and they just did not like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lez325 Posted September 22, 2009 Report Share Posted September 22, 2009 as said fella were all in the same boat and its very very addictive- trial and error Im afraid- obsevation is the watch word come winter you;ll be amongst them adictive there should be a helpline like the samaritons :unsure: Les :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark the hat Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 what type of music have u got on your i pod it might be that.......the piddies round your way might like a bit of heavy metal or prog rock ?just a thought......or try subo now your on to a winner :unsure: cheers mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulpicide Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 I would ditch the I pod as well you wont here any birds comeing into the trees above you or flying over you with headphones on a lot of times you crows before you see them concentrate on one thing at a time until all the pieces start to fall into place this is an intensive learning curve but once you get it right a couple of times you will find the satisfaction of you'r ambush working is superb.Learn something every time you go out experience cannot be bought and fieldcraft ussually wins over technollogy books by Coats etc can explain loads ATB. :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclemicky Posted September 24, 2009 Report Share Posted September 24, 2009 Last Sunday I shot a magpie on a ploughed field , a few seconds later a 2nd , then a 3d then a 4th all in the space of a minute an half , all within a yard of each other and I thought they were supposed to be one of the smarter birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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