ferretmanabu Posted July 10, 2005 Report Share Posted July 10, 2005 Has the rape been cut near you anywhere? I shoot on NPPC land and am going for a bit of a recce tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkeye Posted July 10, 2005 Report Share Posted July 10, 2005 (edited) Not up in the north east just yet. im shooting over laid barley trouble is finding the birds. Mike Edited July 10, 2005 by hawkeye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elma Fud Posted July 10, 2005 Report Share Posted July 10, 2005 I've seen some rape been swathed (spelling), cut and put into rows. By Faringdon, Oxfordshire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubertus Posted July 10, 2005 Report Share Posted July 10, 2005 The rape over here needs still round about 2 weeks. Nice thing fox and boar hunting while harvesting. Hubertus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 Up at the farm over the weekend and my pal tells me he's aiming to start dropping his rape middle of this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pike Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 They have started to spray the rape off now but there is still nothing cut up here - havn't been able to get out for ages but I have been promised that they are going to start cutting grass this week. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axel Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 (edited) Not here yet (Cambs) but it wont be long. I did get a useful bag yesterday (25+) shooting over some laid OSR though. I used one route onto the laid area and didnt even try to pick up those birds which fell into the standing crop (I didnt want to cause damage, plus its hell to walk through). Most of their crops were full of cerial kernels so I need to find out from where. Good shooting, Clipper. Edited July 11, 2005 by Axel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Boy Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 Please take care when shooting over swathed oilseed rape - it is possible for the inexperienced decoyer to do do more damage than the pigeons.Oilseed rape is prepared for combining in two ways: Swathing - a special machine cuts the green rape and lays it in uniform rows enabling it to dry and ripen naturally (7-10 days) prior to combining. Spraying - the green crop is sprayed with a chemical in order to desiccate it and force dry it (7-10 days) prior to combining. In both cases the weather also plays a main role. If it rains the swathed crop takes longer to dry out, and the rain will also delay combining of both methods of preparation. If the sun beats down both swathed and sprayed crops dry rapidly. When will it prepared? How long is a piece of string!! Typically nowadays contractors undertake this preparation and your farmer may not know the exact day/time when they plan to do the job!! Just keep an eye on your favourite fields, it will be obvious when it has been cut, if you know your fields are to be sprayed then close inspection will reveal machine passage along the tram-lines. If your farmer allows shooting over his swathed rape it is best to go onto the field as soon as it has been cut and strategically move the crop while it is still green(I'm only talking 30cm gaps) so as to allow easy access across the rows for yourself and dog once the crop has dried. Doing this ensures that when placing decoys or retrieving shot birds, accidental seed loss is kept to a minimum. The fields which are sprayed are best left until they have been combined, but remember there is now some doubt in law regarding stubble shooting!!! Some rape has been cut in the west - Cheshire and in the south Oxon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul in North Lincs. Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 It has been swathed in place in North Lincs. Had a crack on swathed yesturday.. but it was too hot, I was dripping buckets and binned it afters and hour!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invector Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 Talking to the farm manager today and he says the barley will be combined first and, after spraying, the rape will be also be combined. This estate doesn`t swath as they feel it is too much bother. All the barley fields will be sown to rape next season and some fields will be scuffled for field turnips. Anyone decoyed pigeons over field turnips?? I intend to try though I`ve never done so before. I have been shooting over lupins and clover the past few weeks but the birds are now on the barley and I`ll be there to meet them tomorrow, with my dead birds on cradles, extended with canes to get them high enough. Fortunately there is a wide headland, that is rough ploughed, with some greenery, before the barley and I hope to bring them down as near to the hide as possible so that they don`t all drop in the crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Beasley Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 I've seen some rape been swathed (spelling), cut and put into rows. By Faringdon, Oxfordshire. And I saw it being combined yesterday. Looks as if someone will have a cracking day out there soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turk101 Posted July 13, 2005 Report Share Posted July 13, 2005 Hi every1 it's been a long time since i've posted,so it's nice to post after such a long time. Here i go as to some of the posts above,i'd like just a little more info.. I saw the tractor in the rape fields just yesterday,checking the field it was cutting rows as stated but it was leaving rows of long fully grown rape,WHY IS THAT? I was thinking of shooting the field but the chances of dropping the birds in a cut row seem to be less than losing more in the long rows. Will the other rows be cut shortly or does it stay like that until they cut the whole lot? SORRY TO WAFFLE,BUT SOME OF U KNOW ME,ALWAYS ONE 4 DETAIL. thanks all (nice 2 b back) turk101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsnuts Posted July 13, 2005 Report Share Posted July 13, 2005 Started down here (Canterbury) on Monday, looking good for the weekend... :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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