Help please

[chris5 1]

I have been shooting with my air rifle for a while now and wanted to try decoying. I ordered 6 online but they wont be here for a week or two and being impatient I went and bought three decoys from a shop near me. I got 2 sillosocks, 1 head down and 1 up, and a plastic shell. Will this be enough for the pigeons, and if so how should I arrange them?

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

[aaronpigeonplucker 32]

Decoys are only to encourage pigeons into thinking the field they're about to land in has lots of food in it and is safe. so theroeticly, you only need a pigeon to see another pigeon in a field for it to deem it safe. of course the more decoys you have the more chance you have of a pigeon spotting one. get out to the fields you want to shoot on. where are the flightlines (areas which pigeons fly over regurlarly)? when do te pigeons start, stop feeding? what are there favourite fields? find a good area with plenty of natural cover to build a hide. i think you should use this time to recce areas, and build a hide. im not sure 2 decoys will work but you could give it a try. space your decoys about 3-4 yrds apart and facing in different directios, but never with there backs to the wind. as long as theyre pointing vaguely into the wind, thats fine.

[chris5 1]

Thanks I went for the use the time for preparation idea so hopefully when the other decoys come i'll be all ready to go out and shoot

 

Thanks again

[stevethefish 80]

You are better trying lofted full bodied decoys in trees for airgunning, you will have a better chance of getting a good shot as they walk about when they land as apposed to sitting in trees.

[Sidelock 10]

This time of year a sitty tree is the place, dont sit under it but a few yards away ( makes the shot easier and you can see all the tree )

Edited January 2, 2011 by Sidelock

[chris5 1]

Thanks both will be trying that out another question, ive been seeing loads less pigeons flying recently, do things like low cloud and cold cause this?

 

thanks again

[Sidelock 10]

pigeons wont waste energy flying around in bad weather they find food and stay close by, but they do have to feed and drink, in realy cold weather you can often pick up a few by sitting it out at a spot that has water and not ice,,, small brook, animal truffs, anywhere they can drink

[chris5 1]

thanks ive got a few streams on the permission so ill look out for them there

[theinvisiblescarecrow 0]

Sitty tree for me in the winter.

Deeks are ok on stubble at harvest time or sometimes on clover patches in winter.

If you have any bushes / trees with berries on you might have pigeon feeding, they allso eat acorns in really bad weather.

[chris5 1]

thanks everyone decoys came today wont be out for a bit caus of school exams, but when i do ill get some pics

 

thanks again

Edited January 4, 2011 by chris5

[stubby 175]

thanks ive got a few streams on the permission so ill look out for them there

 

pigeons will prefer to drink from puddles rather than streams

what are the pigeons feeding on at your permission

the two you have shot so far, did you breast them?, as you could then have looked in the crop and seen what they had been feeding on, giving you the heads up