First outing on Pigeons

[Sidelock 10]

First use you eyes for a day or two, then once you know where they are returning to try and find the flightlines they are using. Now you want the hide as close to a flightline as possible, ( a hedge, tree, bales anything to cover your back ) i find a 1/2 roof best when seated your under the roof but when you stand to shoot your in free air.. try and position your hide and decoys so that you have the wind at your back,,,, not always poss,,,

Decoys,, as many as you can carry but dead birds work best, pattern well ive tried many and as you say the U shape or soft V work well however always leave them a good escape route too pigeons dont like to over fly each other, an angel at the head but slightly to one side, a floater to the rear of the pattern, dont set your coys like soldiers basic head to wind ,,, but they dont march in ranks they are searching for food,,,, rotorys mmmmm bit of a blessing and a curse, i dont use mine anymore to heavy for the gains.

Gun and chokes,, anything realy but i like a sxs 12 bored 1/4 3/4,,, and a load of 1.1/16 6 shot. little tip for you once you have birds coming to the pattern , always try and let one or two land,, then your first shot will be the next incoming bird ,, fire your choked barrel first, this is a slow deliberate shot you have lots of time, save the open barrel for an exiting bird which will be a quick snap shot and the extra spread will help.

Camo,,, As long as its a fair match for the back ground dont worry too much, more important is face hands hair and MOVMENT,,, pigeons see movment first doesnt matter how well covered you are if they see movment youve had it.

[saxonmaster 74]

I am off tomorrow for a decent go at deeking i have picked up my kit and am ready to have a go!!!

any good tips on flight path's is it pot luck or is it an educated guess using layout of land (i.e do they fly more or less when near tree locations, ponds, hedges large fields, small fields?)

you need to get out the day before mate with the binoculars,set yourself up somewhere near the area your going to shoot and watch over it for a couple hours,you will soon see where they are going to and from and fields they are dropping into,

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might have a drive up this afternoon for a look!!!

whens best early morning ? do they drop off during midday?

 

this is my first season so im only speaking from what i have seen for myself. i did think watch the flight lines, find which field are they feeding in and then back next morning nice and early set up and wait for them to come flying in, but soon found out it doesnt always work like that. they can be in one field one day then in another one a few miles down the road. so now i go out about 9 or 10ish so that gives them time to sort out where they are feeding on the day and i just drive around looking for feeding pigeons and try to set up as close as poss and u will probably spook them but if your still and your patton and hide are right then they should be back. when there having it there having it last time we were out we even had pigeon coming in while i was packing my hide away. just like to say thanks to everyone who gave me advise on here when i started

[adam scott 1]

Mr Farmer phoned me the other day asking to lay off the rabbits for a while to let the mixie take hold. Anyway to make up for it he's given me a shed load of pigeon shooting. My only experience of this is rough shooting and popping them as I wander about so need a bit of advice on hide technque. I'll be using my Hatsan semi. So here we go with my bone questions...

 

1. Best choke?

2. Seat in the hide?

3. Hide built around me or over the top too?

4. U/V shaped pattern with the wind behind me so they fly at me when landing?

5. How long is too long before giving up and moving fields?

6. Distance of dekes from the hide?

7. 6 dekes enough until I can use shot pigeons to add to the pattern?

8. What do you guys do with what you have shot?

9. Surely you can't eat all of a good days bag?

10. 30g 6's good enough for the job?

 

I've read the tips thread but any other advice greatly received

 

choke what u fancy, i use 1/2 then 3/4. comfy seatbut light! hide built around you and not over you. horse shoe shaped pattern into the wind with the killing zone being in the middle of the shoe shape. i have waited 3 hours befor and then it picked up so whatever u can handle mate. deek's at 30 - 45 yards from hide, 12 deeks really to have better interest. freez what u shoot so they can be used for deeks in future or to be eaten. any thin from 6 to 7 1/2 shot i find will do the trick. always always check the day befor for flight lines! spend a good hour or two lookin at where they come from and go. then get on the line.