Cranfield- tell us more about Pigeon hunting....

This section is for our members to talk about things not actually about fishing or boating. However, please read the Code of Conduct before posting.
Image

Moderators: bman, Chalk, Tom Keels

Post Reply
User avatar
bman
Moderator
Posts: 4800
Joined: December 4th, 2005, 9:26 am
Location: Tallahassee
Contact:

Cranfield- tell us more about Pigeon hunting....

Post by bman »

Cranfield-
After you mentioned Hunting them- I googled Wood Pigeon hunting and found a link to a pigeon forum- with a Cranfield!
Betting its you...

Image
http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/

Tell us some more about this- I love shooting over decoys and it sounds like they are used extensively for Pigeons.
What is a Bouncer?
How hard is it for a Yank to get in on some of this shooting?
Barry Bevis, Realtor and Owner of BigBendFishing.net
I liked it so much, I bought the company ;-)

http://www.bevisrealty.com
Image
TEAM "Duck Season!"
User avatar
Cranfield
Site Sponsor
Posts: 1922
Joined: December 12th, 2001, 8:00 pm
Location: Romney Marsh

Post by Cranfield »

I keep the same name on the Forums I visit , that is indeed me.

Many Americans visiting the UK and Ireland, pre arrange a day or twos guided pigeon shooting.
This is not expensive in comparison to game shooting, stalking ,or salmon fishing.
Bringing over your own guns is possible, but a lot of red tape at the moment.
Most guides will arrange the necessary paperwork for you to use their equipment, during your visit.

The wood pigeon is a major agricultural pest over here and can be shot 52 weeks of the year, with no restrictions.

Apart from shooting pigeons as they come into roost (normally in the Winter months, when the leaf is off the trees) you have to use decoys to have much chance of success, when shooting from a hide over crops.

You can start off with a few decoys and then increase the layout with dead birds, as you shoot them.

The whole art of decoying is a wide subject and big books have been written about it, but I will try to explain the basics.

The basic decoy is either full bodied, or a shell and is fixed into the ground on a spring peg, this gives the decoy some movement in any breeze.
When setting out a decoy layout, two things must be considered, pigeons prefer to land into the wind and you must leave a "killing area".

For example, your hide is in a hedgerow and the wind is blowing right to left .
Your decoys would be best placed to the right of the hide, all facing into the wind, in a ) shape.
The area inside the curve, is the killing area.
The far side of the ) would be about 40 yards from the hide and the nearside about 20 yards.

An example of a horseshoe layout.
Image

If the wind is from left to right, you would reverse the above suggestion.

If the wind is from the front, the ) would be ^ and the nearest decoy would be 25 yards from the hide.

If the wind is from the back, then split the decoys into two groups either side of the hide with the furthest decoy no more than 20 yards from the hide.
The gap between and just behind the decoys is the killing area.

Incoming pigeons will always land behind feeding birds (never in front, nor among), they may then leapfrog over them as they work the field, but by that time you should have shot them.

I will post some more about different decoying equipment and I will try to find some pics and drawings to explain things a lot better.
Last edited by Cranfield on August 1st, 2007, 4:50 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
Sir reel
Site Sponsor
Posts: 6206
Joined: January 22nd, 2003, 11:35 am
Location: Tallahassee

Post by Sir reel »

Good stuff Cran :thumbup: We colonial's always enjoy hearing about your activities over there in the mother country :D
"Good Judgement" comes from experience, ... and a lot of that..... results from "Bad Judgement".
User avatar
Cranfield
Site Sponsor
Posts: 1922
Joined: December 12th, 2001, 8:00 pm
Location: Romney Marsh

Post by Cranfield »

As well as fullbodied and shell pigeon decoys, there are a number of other options and additions to a decoy layout.

The bouncer/floater is a length of slightly bendy steel rod, with a fitting at one end that holds a dead pigeon, with its wings outstretched.
The rod is stuck into the ground at a 45-50 degree angle and the weight of the pigeon "bounces" it slightly.

Here are some pictures.

Image

Image

The spike on the fitting goes in the birds vent and up to its head.
The wing are stretched out and held on the end of the arms by crocodile clips.

Image

This is probably the most consistently effective decoy you can have.


There are also a number of electronic decoys that are driven by battery.
The rotary is probably the best known, it has a motor that pushes round two long arms, at the end of each is a decoy with its wings outstretched, these can be dead birds or an imitation.

Image
Second Chance
Site Sponsor
Posts: 385
Joined: January 2nd, 2002, 8:00 pm
Location: McDonough, ga

Post by Second Chance »

Very cool :thumbup: Apparently a lot more involved than our dove shoots.
User avatar
bman
Moderator
Posts: 4800
Joined: December 4th, 2005, 9:26 am
Location: Tallahassee
Contact:

Post by bman »

Thanks Cran!
I pulled some photos and It looks like fun...
Image
Image

I'm ready for dove season!
Barry Bevis, Realtor and Owner of BigBendFishing.net
I liked it so much, I bought the company ;-)

http://www.bevisrealty.com
Image
TEAM "Duck Season!"
User avatar
sundown
Site Sponsor
Posts: 757
Joined: October 31st, 2004, 12:08 pm
Location: Lee County, Ga

Post by sundown »

Cran,
What you do with them pigeons after you shoot em ? They any good to eat ? We use doves over here to make dove pie..very good...Imagine that pigeon is kinda tough...........
User avatar
Cranfield
Site Sponsor
Posts: 1922
Joined: December 12th, 2001, 8:00 pm
Location: Romney Marsh

Post by Cranfield »

Pigeon is a dark meat and quite "strong", very nice to eat especially in a pie, on its own, or mixed with other game meat, like pheasant, partridge, rabbit etc.
It is also nice in stews.

Most of the pigeons I shoot I freeze complete (feathers, guts etc), in lots of 50.
These are sold to a Game Dealer and exported whole to France and Belgium.
What I receive for them keeps me in cartridges.

Most of the lads that are consistently shooting 50-300 birds plus have the same arrangement.
A Game Dealer will only enter into an agreement, if you can "guarantee" a steady supply.
I think he sells them before he gets them.

Although there are decoys and lots of other gadgets, flappers, peckers etc., to help attract the pigeons, there is no substitute for field craft.
You have to spend time watching the birds in your shooting area, seeing where the flightlines are and do they vary in different weather conditions, or crop cycles.
Time spent on reconnaissance is never wasted. :wink:
User avatar
bman
Moderator
Posts: 4800
Joined: December 4th, 2005, 9:26 am
Location: Tallahassee
Contact:

Post by bman »

I am really into decoying ducks- just started experimenting with dove last year.
Tell me about Flapers and Peckers.... sounds like I can guess what they are but I would have never thought of the bouncer setup.
Barry Bevis, Realtor and Owner of BigBendFishing.net
I liked it so much, I bought the company ;-)

http://www.bevisrealty.com
Image
TEAM "Duck Season!"
User avatar
Cranfield
Site Sponsor
Posts: 1922
Joined: December 12th, 2001, 8:00 pm
Location: Romney Marsh

Post by Cranfield »

The easiest way to explain the mechanised decoys, is to post a link to my friend Paul Hart's site, there he has pictures and a brief explanation.

I would stress that like lots of outdoor sports, pigeon shooting has a few "lures" that catch more shooters than pigeons. :wink:

http://www.thepigeonshooter.com/Product ... egoryID=18

It seems that most US hunters buy dove days and therefore rarely shoot the same fields twice.
Here, a pigeon shooter gets permission to shoot on a Farmers land to protect the crops and then becomes very familiar with the layout and detail of the land.
Pigeons definitely follow specific flightlines when moving about normally and I am sure doves do the same.
This is one aspect of the two sports that I believe applies to both.
Find out where the flightlines are and a good decoy layout enables you to intercept the birds every time.
Post Reply