Poor Pigeon Numbers !!!any Thoughts

[leethetree 4]

 

Hi all,

Been out over last week over my perms,50 acres barley surrounded by trees ,great flight lines.hardly any birds compared to last year .just been cut should be amazing ,but total rubbish ,I think to much food around this year compared to last year.hardly any birds committing to decoys etc. this time last year took over 500 birds off this land.

Any thoughts.

[brucemyster 75]

perhaps last year your permission was drilled early or harvested late giving the birds an early or late option, perhaps fields on adjoining farms were also drawing them in your direction but have now been left fallow? Maybe all the farms in your area harvested at the same time diluting the concentration of birds, you'll probably never know, maybe someone new has been bagging them all on adjoining permissions, could just be the old adage "shit happens"

[MIK 4,756]

As you say to much choice this time of year

[consett lad 43]

Never seen as many about up my way. Me and me mate shot a hundred yesterday in 3 hours birds every where!!

[engraver 44]

More than ever this year for me, its a bumper year.

 

If you only have 50 acres its not a lot look elsewhere to where they are feeding, timing is key, if something else was cut after that's where they will be going.

[leegreen 2,151]

I recon someone is shooting them .

[engraver 44]

No mate they say you never really knock a serious hole in the population.

 

Im out 4-5 days per week on my permissions, and some weeks Ive shot over 300 plus there are 4 more shooting on the permission and Ive heard them banging all day sometimes on the other fields.

 

And without sounding daft, I just shoot what I can carry at the minute but I have done the ninety mark on my own a few times this season and its plain hard work as Im disabled, to be honest I cant give them away!

 

but the point is you never seem to knock a hole in them, they are still pairing up, so there will be more young by the end of the year to shoot, Ive probably shot about 1000 this season as Ive done about 1250 cartridges.

 

Im sure your birds are going elsewhere mate, I watch them move daily, it can be the difference from one field to another in just hours.

Edited September 8, 2013 by engraver

[leegreen 2,151]

 

 

to be honest I cant give them away!

 

 

Where are you mate? I'll buy pigeon breasts off you.

[engraver 44]

That's great im in In south Yorkshire mate, where are you as Ive been taking my birds to a butcher I know but even he is fed up of them.

 

I have realised this year that they only keep 24hours then they have had it especially in summer.

 

Ive got to get a better dealer for next year as Im going to prepare even better next year as I don't want to waist half as many as I have this year.

 

I will definatley take your number for next year as game season starts in a few weeks and I cant shoot until spring with the pults down.

Edited September 17, 2013 by engraver

[shotgun12 11]

i had some pigeons over cut corn, but not as many as last year where there gone god only knows.