Hazy, Lazy Pigeon Days

Woodpigeons will feed even at the height of the summer. Rupert Godfrey reflects on a few tips that will help.

In early July there will still be opportunities to shoot on laid patches of corn, or flat peas, where a pigeon magnet is often all you need to attract the birds towards the area you are shooting. Picking up is often a nightmare though, and you need to be careful not to end up doing more damage to the crop than the pigeons would have.

Obviously, you have to try and drop as many birds as you can on, or close to, the laid patch, and avoid taking long shots at going away birds which you will have little chance of retrieving.

You can try putting some decoys out on a neighbouring field - even if it’s only grass - and con incoming birds into investigating there. It sometimes works, and solves the picking-up problem The first fields of stubble are often a huge draw, especially rape.

How pigeons see the spilled rape seed is beyond me, let alone how they diligently pick it up to get a full crop: peas, beans and corn are obviously easier! But you still need to do your reconnaissance. I once watched two pea fields, side by side, and after the first was combined, the ground was covered in peas, which would have made easy pickings for even the blindest bird, but the pigeons kept going into the laid patches on the unharvested field for the next week. I had two good days on the latter field, and never shot the first.

Archie Coats used to swear by bale hides in the middle of a field, but it’s now very difficult to get small movable bales in this part of the world!

Round bales can be rolled into position: I use two, when necessary, in a V shape, with a net across the front, and pigeons seem to take no notice of them. It used to be said that you had to have a hide out for several days so that the birds got used to it. I don’t think this is true, and have had great days with a new hide plonked right in the middle of a field.

I shot a huge field of rape stubble once, with no fence-line, no trees, and no bales, where the only place for a hide was smack in the middle. I set up a net hide, which stood out like a dark blot, and rather pessimistically set out my decoys, but the woodies glided in, as if on rails, to the middle of the pattern: it was one a deadly decoy set-up.

I still prefer a hide on a hedge or a fence-line, preferably with a nice ‘sittee’ tree nearby; it’s one of the few occasions when I’ll try a lofted decoy. Although it’s tempting to set up right under the tree, especially on a hot summer day, you are often better off 30 yards to the right or left (depending which side you shoot better on!), as pigeons don’t appear to like going over a decoy pattern to fly into a tree - they will more often skirt round the edge.

You need to be careful with the birds you shoot and try and let them cool in the shade. I usually have a spare net to put them under, which keeps the flies off to some extent. Try and keep them well spread, rather than in a heap where they will ‘brew up’ and go green in no time. Put as many as possible out as decoys, using cradles, or pointed sticks under their chins, depending on how high the stubble is. Wasps can be a problem, and seem to have a particular liking for decoys, and I’ve been stung when picking up at the end of the day. If you have a big day, and have to bag the birds up, spread them out as soon as as possible when you get home, or the game dealer will not like the result!

 
 
 

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