How's the pigeon shooting going?

cookimonster

How are you all getting on with the pigeons?

We started a few weeks back on laid crop and have had enjoyable evenings out twice weekly since. No big bags smallest bag in the 40's and max so far in the 60's.

Birds seem reluctant in the earlier part of the day, while the evenings from 6 o'clock on is seeing most of the birds shot over a 2-3 hr period. This suits our after work routine perfectly.

Gorgeousgeorge

cookimonster wrote: »

How are you all getting on with the pigeons?

We started a few weeks back on laid crop and have had enjoyable evenings out twice weekly since. No big bags smallest bag in the 40's and max so far in the 60's.

Birds seem reluctant in the earlier part of the day, while the evenings from 6 o'clock on is seeing most of the birds shot over a 2-3 hr period. This suits our after work routine perfectly.

Dont know what im doing wrong. Was out from 8.30 until 1 today and got 8

cookimonster

Are there birds flying around?, if there's nothing around then it's a fruitless endeavour.
Since my last post, all the cutting on my permissions is finished for a while, but there is on going cutting in the surrounding townlands and the pigeon numbers have dropped off.
I tend to find that they only come on for short periods, an hour or so, from the early parts of the day but can decoy hard in the last feed before roosting for the night.

J.R.

Cutting has started here since Thursday.

I didn't find the decoying great so far this year - no real hard attacks.
Also, no lines of pigeons and crows perched on wires and trees ready to attack.
I've only noticed small localised attacks in places....nothing major.

I may be wrong - but I'm wondering is the seed too hard for the birds to digest?......moisture content is lowest for years and the seed is like a stone....rock hard. They don't seem to be that interested in it.

cookimonster

All the birds we've shot have full a crop of grain. I think the blaring Sun is keeping them in the tree lines and off the ground until cooler temps. Having said that I have devoted them in blistering heat before.

One of the lads said that the grain is spilling from the ears as soon as it's been cut, but I haven't noticed a large amount of spill on the ground, I must ask the farmers if there's any truth to it.

I think that because there is a race to get the crop cut there may be too much food to concentrate the birds in one place. I've noticed some birds best building again and I believe they will mate given the correct situations several times in the year.

By the way water is important so if there's local water supply that have dried up this may cause the birds to move.

Gorgeousgeorge

what is the best time to to decoy them? before the corn is cut, as its being cut or when their is bales in the field

J.R.

Gorgeousgeorge wrote: »

what is the best time to to decoy them? before the corn is cut, as its being cut or when their is bales in the field

before the corn is cut

The landowners would prefer if we decoyed while crop is standing and damage is being done

as its being cut

Birds picking up the grain that has dropped during harvesting doesn't bother the landowner - - they have lost that grain anyway.

We never decoy in the same field as combine harvester. Often these are contractors, not the landowner, who do not know you or you're safety record. They have enough to be concentrating on and worrying about besides shots constantly going off in the same field so we skip the field the combine is in.


when there are bales in the field

You have to be very careful shooting in a cut field. There is now no crop in the field to protect so you could land in trouble if ranger questioned you.

If there is standing crops nearby then you can decoy in the cut field if it's on the flight path to stranding crops that you are trying to protect.

____________________________

If I had a choice I prefer to decoy in cut field beside standing crops.
Easier to put out decoys and for the birds to see the decoys and picking up is easier.

Gorgeousgeorge

J.R. wrote: »

before the corn is cut

The landowners would prefer if we decoyed while crop is standing and damage is being done

as its being cut

Birds picking up the grain that has dropped during harvesting doesn't bother the landowner - - they have lost that grain anyway.

We never decoy in the same field as combine harvester. Often these are contractors, not the landowner, who do not know you or you're safety record. They have enough to be concentrating on and worrying about besides shots constantly going off in the same field so we skip the field the combine is in.


when there are bales in the field

You have to be very careful shooting in a cut field. There is now no crop in the field to protect so you could land in trouble if ranger questioned you.

If there is standing crops nearby then you can decoy in the cut field if it's on the flight path to stranding crops that you are trying to protect.

____________________________

If I had a choice I prefer to decoy in cut field beside standing crops.
Easier to put out decoys and for the birds to see the decoys and picking up is easier.

great thanks, and what i meant by as it being cut was straw n the ground but not yet baled

cookimonster

If there are flattened / fallen crops in the field and you can set up a decent hide close to these locations you should be able to pull birds in onto them. Set your decoys onto the laid crop, pick the bigger of the holes that would be in your shooting range. Shoot them over the holes and you should be able to pick up most of the shot birds. Otherwise birds can be shot coming onto the edge of the crops especially around roads or open patchs, also look at tramlines. Picking birds is difficult or niegh impossible so this can be counted as a pure vierman control.

IMO shoot the cut field as soon as you can as the spilt grain is the attraction. You'll get good shooting on fields that have rows of straw drying out prior to bailing. If the conditions are suitable set your decoys in the widest lanes and shoot up through them. Other wise there's no real issue setting the pattern up between rows laid left to right.

Bailed fields are good and can afford the building of a hide in the middle of a field. Remember to get good cover so lower seats are a good option if using round bails so that the round moon shaped heads don't put the birds off. I usually combine netting and bails as I like to see out the frount threw the netting and not over it. Turn bails on their side to get more height.

Old stubble fields will still present a good location for decoying as the flighting birds can be enticed to have a look see at what the others are doing there.

Field craft and some basics in pigeon knowledge will help improve your success. Flight lines, wind direction, 'sitty tree's', location along ditch lines etc all will make a huge difference.

There are times all the considerstions will go out the window and the birds will virtualy commit suicide for you and no matter what, they are mad to decoy. I've seen them continue to decoy after hide is broken and pack up began. But all the advice is no good unless there are birds around. I've often set up on birds and had poor success as the birds where pulled onto something more interesting.