I have virtually given up pigeon shooting. Bird flu has probably done for a large proportion just as it has for many other species - how many blackbirds do you see in the garden these days? Pre- covid, I can remember fields being blue with pigeons. Not now. And if there is a half decent number on a field the flock leaves as one never to return. 

all evidence suggest pigeons are highly resistant to avian flu.

I think there are more about than last few years but they have far more choice for food due to the change to cropping /land use and thus behave differently....

7 hours ago, Halitosis said:

I have virtually given up pigeon shooting. Bird flu has probably done for a large proportion just as it has for many other species - how many blackbirds do you see in the garden these days? Pre- covid, I can remember fields being blue with pigeons. Not now. And if there is a half decent number on a field the flock leaves as one never to return. 

What you mean is YOU CAN'T FIND THEM to shoot at?

You need member kitchrat to accompany you,,,, that'll draw the pigeons in for sure ??

i was out on rape yesterday there hundreds of them on it all day.

We have hundreds, but it’s not cold enough and a lot of fields to feed on?

9 hours ago, Halitosis said:

I have virtually given up pigeon shooting. Bird flu has probably done for a large proportion just as it has for many other species - how many blackbirds do you see in the garden these days? Pre- covid, I can remember fields being blue with pigeons. Not now. And if there is a half decent number on a field the flock leaves as one never to return. 

nothing to-do with bird flu, they are just not in your area.

 

21 minutes ago, Morkin said:

We have hundreds, and a lot of fields to feed on?

How many Blackbirds do I see in my garden??? ONE and only ever one till he finds a mate. He even resents me being in the garden cos it's his! 

Very strange , I twice beat my personal best with two bags over 400  and several 300 plus bags. Sorry but they are not in short supply at all. 

We were out all day yesterday and I can assure the op that there are no shortage of Pigeons , we had gas guns going off yesterday and the woods were full of Pigeons , most of these have been on freshly lifted beet fields and not the rape , we don't expect to see many on our rape fields till after Christmas , rape is now the last resort and being in a area where a lot of game shooting take place they will move on to cover crops as soon as the season is over in about six weeks time .   MM

8 hours ago, JKD said:

You need member kitchrat to accompany you,,,, that'll draw the pigeons in for sure ??

Ha Ha but it's not me, it's Rick Onissance that finds the pigeons. All I have to do is fund it, carry it and shoot it!

6 hours ago, DUNKS said:

How many Blackbirds do I see in my garden??? ONE and only ever one till he finds a mate. He even resents me being in the garden cos it's his! 

Lots here, not many cats..... 2+2=4??

5 hours ago, marsh man said:

We were out all day yesterday and I can assure the op that there are no shortage of Pigeons , we had gas guns going off yesterday and the woods were full of Pigeons , most of these have been on freshly lifted beet fields and not the rape , we don't expect to see many on our rape fields till after Christmas , rape is now the last resort and being in a area where a lot of game shooting take place they will move on to cover crops as soon as the season is over in about six weeks time .   MM

Unusually good numbers of pigeons round here, quite a lot of rape, which may account for it as many farmers elsewhere seem to be giving up on it. Flea beetle, pigeon damage and poor price to blame.

hardly a bird on my rape here their all on the neighbours and I’m hoping they stay there! 

51 minutes ago, kitchrat said:

Ha Ha but it's not me, it's Rick Onissance that finds the pigeons. All I have to do is fund it, carry it and shoot it!

Lots here, not many cats..... 2+2=4??

Unusually good numbers of pigeons round here, quite a lot of rape, which may account for it as many farmers elsewhere seem to be giving up on it. Flea beetle, pigeon damage and poor price to blame.

No two years are never the same John , we know they are about in good numbers in certain places , sadly not everyone is in the right place , but if they are in a Pigeon area then there turn will come , might not be for a while but they need to keep looking as they might arrive for a few days and then move on again for no reason . they are masters at the art of surviving .  MM

18 hours ago, Halitosis said:

I have virtually given up pigeon shooting. Bird flu has probably done for a large proportion just as it has for many other species - how many blackbirds do you see in the garden these days? Pre- covid, I can remember fields being blue with pigeons. Not now. And if there is a half decent number on a field the flock leaves as one never to return. 

 It's just the time of year typical winter behavior 

22 hours ago, mossy835 said:

i was out on rape yesterday there hundreds of them on it all day.

Your lucky, I see more maggies than pigeon on my friends farm, !!!!!!!! There are pigeon about the Vale but all ready taken by other lucky shooters?

Edited December 16, 2024Dec 16 by oldypigeonpopper

10 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Your lucky, I see more maggies than pigeon on my friends farm, !!!!!!!! There are pigeon about the Vale but all ready taken by other lucky shooters?

I hope you shoot them.  

The best bags I had in 2024 were 7 and 5 and that was on lodged barley. Stubble - zip. Maybe the wrong location but the location was fine pre-covid. 

I appreciate that some people on here consistently shoot hundreds. But how many others are prepared to say that they are shooting next to nothing.

16 hours ago, Halitosis said:

The best bags I had in 2024 were 7 and 5 and that was on lodged barley. Stubble - zip. Maybe the wrong location but the location was fine pre-covid. 

I appreciate that some people on here consistently shoot hundreds. But how many others are prepared to say that they are shooting next to nothing.

What area are you in and how many farms do you have to shoot over? 

18 hours ago, Halitosis said:

The best bags I had in 2024 were 7 and 5 and that was on lodged barley. Stubble - zip. Maybe the wrong location but the location was fine pre-covid. 

I appreciate that some people on here consistently shoot hundreds. But how many others are prepared to say that they are shooting next to nothing.

No disrespect to your skills in Pigeon decoying but your top bags of 7 and 5 create more questions then answers , questions like , How long have you been Pigeon shooting , on what crops , how much land do you shoot over and where , what is your previous personable best and so on .

I think the reason why there isn't many who post there bags of there best days with bags like 7 and and 5 is because if they are serious  about what they do then very few if any would get bags like that on there worst days let alone there best ones . 

If your best days for the the whole of 2024 was 5 and 7 then what on earth were your worst days , not taking the pixx , just curious as you were the one who started the thread referring to a lack of Pigeons   MM

 

4 minutes ago, marsh man said:

No disrespect to your skills in Pigeon decoying but your top bags of 7 and 5 create more questions then answers , questions like , How long have you been Pigeon shooting , on what crops , how much land do you shoot over and where , what is your previous personable best and so on .

I think the reason why there isn't many who post there bags of there best days with bags like 7 and and 5 is because if they are serious  about what they do then very few if any would get bags like that on there worst days let alone there best ones . 

If your best days for the the whole of 2024 was 5 and 7 then what on earth were your worst days , not taking the pixx , just curious as you were the one who started the thread referring to a lack of Pigeons   MM

 

What he didn't say was, that he'd only been out twice in 2024 ?‍♂️??

5 minutes ago, JKD said:

What he didn't say was, that he'd only been out twice in 2024 ?‍♂️??

And that was on the same day 

I hope the op don't take our comments like our good friend from the depth of the fine county Essex did at first , now we are all the best of friends and I did hear we are on this years Christmas card list and an invite for a days Pigeon shooting , after he said he walked all his gear over 500 yds over a muddy field then sadly I turned his kind offer down , mind you the card would be very nice 

2 minutes ago, marsh man said:

And that was on the same day 

I hope the op don't take our comments like our good friend from the depth of the fine county Essex did at first , now we are all the best of friends and I did hear we are on this years Christmas card list and an invite for a days Pigeon shooting , after he said he walked all his gear over 500 yds over a muddy field then sadly I turned his kind offer down , mind you the card would be very nice 

Yes of course we are only jesting,,,, as none of us really likes a fruitless day after putting in lots of effort ? But look on the bright side,,,, the OP's outings can only get better ??

7 minutes ago, JKD said:

Yes of course we are only jesting,,,, as none of us really likes a fruitless day after putting in lots of effort ? But look on the bright side,,,, the OP's outings can only get better ??

I'll tell yer what JKD , as I am a decent human being ( some of you might have doubts? ) that if the op is in striking distance from mine ,then if he got in touch with me in the Summer months I would do my best for him,  to beat his two best bags of 2024 in the same afternoon , I can't be fairer than that as the invite is for all to see 

12 minutes ago, marsh man said:

I'll tell yer what JKD , as I am a decent human being ( some of you might have doubts? ) that if the op is in striking distance from mine ,then if he got in touch with me in the Summer months I would do my best for him,  to beat his two best bags of 2024 in the same afternoon , I can't be fairer than that as the invite is for all to see 

Good old MM.