A Little Go At Decoying

[Craig Fosse 286]

For the past month or so I have been playing around with decoying with my air rifle as i have just picked up a sgc and i am currently in the process of restoring a shotgun(thanks to moxys advice via a generous phone call) which i would like a go at with. this is mainly due to the rabbits on my permission being very scarce at the moment, with the long grass causing all kinds of issues, (that and a shotgunner that comes down every moth and runs his ferrets through but he has been doing it for 30 years so I'm the new guy),

 

So being as though I have a pheasant licence so can shoot them any time of the year and with all the potatoes being dug up the pigeons have started coming in. So I can have a go at getting two species at the same time.

 

Went out yesterday and tried a field where I have seen pigeon before but none were around so it was a bad day, I ended up getting my targets out after 2 hours so my time wasn't wasted, infanct I could do with the confidence and ended up with a 10 round group at 27 yards covered by a 5p.

 

On my walk back I noticed a freshly dug field with pigeons ad pheasants scattered all over it, talking to the land lady I have found that she actually owns the field and its on my permission, a bonus that she has a shed in a corner of the field with a window that overlooks the field.... Problem is I can't get out till next Monday at the earliest....

 

Will the pigeon still be feeding? I know there's a flight line that goes over it but its miss and match. A lot of fields are being dug at the moment and I dot want to turn up, set up and spend another few hours twiddling my thumbs(as much as I love the quiet country and the time to reflect)

 

At the moment I have been starting around 2 in the afternoon which is Late for decoying but it's the earliest I could get out, wed is a better day depending in the whether and in tempted to set up before first light

 

What's the best times to decoy?

 

All the best

 

Craig

Edited May 30, 2013 by Craig Fosse

[kruby01 114]

I usually get there about an hour or two after sunrise, Roughly 8pm. I have had a bit of luck in the afternoons but I find on my permissions i get about 1/4 of the birds in the afternoon compared to the morning

[Craig Fosse 286]

Cheers for the advice, looks like Wednesday on my day off is better, so 8am set up and ready by say half 8?

[kruby01 114]

Thats my personal preference, I have set up before sunrise before an usually end up sitting about for an hour or two before they start coming over

[csd_88 138]

Just as fun shooting crows imo, get some crow decoys for when them woodys don't show up.

[Craig Fosse 286]

I only have one crow, worth a shout tho, I can put two patterns out can't I? Haven't really thought bout crows before..

[kruby01 114]

I only have one crow, worth a shout tho, I can put two patterns out can't I? Haven't really thought bout crows before..

Put a crow out with your pigeons, Corws are alot more intelligent so If pifgeons see a crow feeding the will come an as they know its safe

[Craig Fosse 286]

That's what items to do, except put the. Crow out 29 yards or so away from the pattern yer?

[Craig Fosse 286]

20

[kruby01 114]

I personally dont have any crow decoys yet but thats what I have seen others do

[Craig Fosse 286]

Yet I normally put one out and it's does work quite well

[Craig Fosse 286]

Tim,

 

What great advice, thank you!,

 

Unfortunately the urge to just go to my permission and find out the flight lines doesn't tend to work with me as I end up just wandering around my Forrest, I really should just sit down and watch some day

[Craig Fosse 286]

Cheers mate much appreciated, although I'm coming up to two years shooting I'm still on a steep learning curve!

[bigmac 97kt 13,842]

Love shooting the crows with my crow sport must of shot over 100 on one of my perms but there is a rookery on it i just go all ca-mod up with my face net sit back against a tree and shoot love it atvbmac