The South of England - 2003
Pigeon Shooters name - Sean
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 24
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 22/6/03
The Crop type - Hemp
The day details - Set up all good at about 11.30. I had about 15 decoys out but no rotary. High wind and good flight path, birds came round and flew straight at the hide. It was not a bad bag for 3-4 hours. Nice and warm too!
Pigeon Shooters name - Tom Saunders
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 306
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 12/8/03
The Crop type - rape
The day details - Excellent! Shot from six in the morning till five at night. The pigeons were a bit off during the morning but at lunch time they arrived in force. I was using a rotary device with static shells and two floaters. I was using my five shot repeat benelli and I only fired 350 shots! An excellent days shooting.
Pigeon Shooters name - James Conachie
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 112
Gender - male
The gun you used - 20 Bore
Bag Date - 11/05/03
The Crop type - Maize
The day details - I shot 112 pigeons and 2 rooks.
Pigeon Shooters name - Mark and Allen
Part of UK bag was shot - The Midlands
The total number of pigeons shot = 90
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 07/11/2003
The Crop type - Winter rape
The day details - We set up at about 7 weather over cast and blowy, we had about 15 birds on cradles and 2 rotaries ,first hours was slow then after 12 the birds started to flock to the rotaries for the last feed of the day ,then it was all out panic we could not load fast enough, both of us were shooting hull cart special pigeon no6 32 grams me quarter and half choke Allen 3quater choke single auto good shells hard hitting and good patterns all in all a great days shooting its better than any day at work. Short note on decoying over winter rape now the rape is getting higher use cradles as the birds can see them from a long way of this will attract more birds to your pattern.
Pigeon Shooters name - Leslie
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 346
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 8/11/2003
The Crop type - rape
The day details - I started at 7 o'clock birds where there in there thousands and didn't finish until 4, another very good day!
Pigeon Shooters name - Leslie Bashford
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 163
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 20/8/2003
The Crop type - Wheat stubble
The day details - I woke up at 5.00am drove round for an hour put out 5 ropes of crow bangers on similar fields set up at around 6.30am had birds coming in every 5 minutes. We ended up shooting 223 cartridges for 163 pigeons shot over two magnets one with flapping arms the other with floating arms had around 50 decoys and put out every bird shot and got a good price of 30p per bird.
Pigeon Shooters name - Saki
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 23
Gender - male
The gun you used - 20 Bore
Bag Date - 31/8/03
The Crop type - Broad Beans
The day details - Im a 15 yr old hunter. I came 2nd in a clay competition against 2 experienced adults. I enjoy pigeon and pheasant shooting very much. With a bag of 23 this was my best day yet!!!
Pigeon Shooters name - Stuart Fellingham
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 84
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 28/9/03
The Crop type - Corn Stubble
The day details - Warm, breezy, sunny day.We set up approx 13.30. Large well spaced pattern in no particular shape.Wind from behind us. Within the first 10 minutes the birds started to arrive, not in great numbers but a steady 3 or 4. My friend and i shot a couple of nice pairs each.Lets just hope we can have more days like these!
Pigeon Shooters name - Robin Grinstead
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 15
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 20/09/2003
The Crop type - A recently sown wheat field.
The day details - This was the second ocasion in as many weeks that my father and I attempted to decoy woodies on this field, located near Dallington in the heart of East-Sussex. Having gained permission from the land owner to shoot his ground the previous week, we decided to carry out a quick reconnaisance of the area the same day and spotted the pigeons feeding on a recently sown wheat field, which also had two flight paths. One to the north-east and one south of the 12-15 acre field. This took place on the 13/09/2003. Having seen the pigeon activity, we could not resist a couple of hours decoying, starting at 4.30pm and finishing at 6.30pm. We managed 6 kills, four to my father and two which were mine. We deployed the decoys in an irregular pattern and took little time in building hides.
The majority of the birds seemed to be heading some 2 miles to the west of our position. Given what we had learnt the previous week and that we are a determined pair, we felt we should try the same spot again a week later. After a half hour vidual we concluded that the flight paths remained similar and that birds were still feeding in the same areas but in larger quantities. We tried to adopt a more scientific approach and we decided to deploy a dozen decoys directly under the flight path to the north-east of the field in a traditional horseshoe pattern facing into the south-westerly wind and replacing them with real thing later. We built two hides along a strip of trees about forty metres apart using natural materials as I think that is always the best option. After fifteen minutes of waiting and beginning to wonder if we had made the wrong decision as we could see several pigeons flocking and landing at the other end of the field our first woodie glided down from the flight line to the decoy pattern and was promptly meet by 7 shot lead made by lyalvale from my Beretta 682 sporting 12 bore and the unsuspecting woodie fell like stone. No sooner had this fantastic event taken place, my father took another. Another twenty minutes past until I watched my father shoot one of the most sporting birds I have ever witnessed, forty yards up, crossing left to right on a wicked angle, 2-1 to the old man. The proceedings met a lull for some 60-75 minutes. Then the real fun began, birds flying in from differing directions and not just from the path making a challenging task. However, I think we need practice as the kills to cartridge ratio was a poor 46%.
I finished with nine and my father six, over a five and a half hour period from 1.30pm to 7.00pm. We still think we can improve as we don't think we have the right tactics for the area yet. After cutting open a couple of the birds crops, we discovered one was full of the sown wheat and the other peas, odd as we didn't think there was any peas in the area, I think we shall have to find the field, as this probably where most of them are going as pigeons fly over peas and I guess from the above it is 2 mile west of the sown wheat field. I'll keep you posted.
Pigeon Shooters name - John Stares
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 38
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 20th September 2003
The Crop type - stubble with greens coming up
The day details - Warm, sunny day with light southwesterly wind. Arrived 1230 and after observations found the pigeons feeding on a stubble field. Their flight lines varied, so we decided to set up our hide in front of a hedge where there was some cover and with the sun initially behind us. This was our first time out with a newly acquired pigeon magnet. Two decoys were lofted above the hedge and we set up about 150 metres apart at 1330. We needed some fresh birds for the magnet so I put out half dozen plastic decoys on short sticks, plus two on bendy poles which provided a good silhouette and moved in the breeze. The hedge was rather sparse there so I had to shoot from a kneeling or sitting position - not very easy! Birds came from a combination of the right, left and from behind.
After a few misses from trying too hard to make sure, I relaxed and the next 3 came down. Great, we can now use the pigeon magnet. The machine was simple to assemble, although it was a bit difficult to get the wings fixed in the outstretched position and the ground so hard/stony that it was hard to get the prongs into the ground. The battery (3 amp ph) was then connected and the birds began to go round! It looked really impressive. However, eight high pigeons, some distance out just flew by and ignored the tempting sight - something was not quite right. Got it, slight adjustments were made to get the flight level and the first bird came in....
We were very impressed with the magnet, but we only used it for half an hour as the newly charged battery went flat - well it was over about 2 years old, so an order will be put in for a new 7 amp ph model. I went back to the other hide and started again after adding a lofted decoy to my right. Most birds were a fair way up with the blue sky, but those that saw the lofted pigeon and the few decoys in front came closer to have a look and the bag mounted. Two horseriders crossed the field about 200 metres out, so we waited until they were out of sight before taking the next bird. As the cloud came over around 3.45 the flight slowed right down and only the odd bird showed thereafter. Nevertheless, it had been a good afternoon, and we look forward to using the pigeon magnet again.
Pigeon Shooters name - Jim
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 333
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 19/09/03
The Crop type - Winter Rape
The day details - I used to be a fisherman so the above bag was only 33 if the truth was told!! In all honesty we were able to make something of nothing, there was nothing about we set up on an old flight line and that whirly thing brought them in. Great day.
Pigeon Shooters name - Gary Richardson
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 68 pigeon
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 12 September
The Crop type - stubble
The day details - I made a hide placed 6 decoys out and 4 decoys bunched up all facing each other as if they were fighting to feed and sat back and waited for the fun to begin. I also bought a box of rice crispies along not to eat but to scatter over a freshly sown field with a catapult and boy does it work.
Pigeon Shooters name - Charlie Duggan
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 71
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 22 august 2003
The Crop type - ploughed field
The day details - I set up under a well known flight line at noon. At 1-00pm pigeons started committing to my 7 decoys. I bet that won't happen again in a hurry! Overall I used 115 cartridges (good for me ).
Pigeon Shooters name - Doug
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 42
Gender - male
The gun you used - Other Shotgun
Bag Date - 5/7/03
The Crop type - Barley
The day details - Great day-just decoys but it messed up my gundog, he now bites birds (not such a good day!!)
Pigeon Shooters name - Jonny Morris (13)
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 8
Gender - male
The gun you used - Air Rifle
Bag Date - 01/08/2003
The Crop type - Rape
The day details - Warm with small breeze in the air. I was hidden in bushes 30m from where pigeons were. 3 dead pigeons as decoys.
Pigeon Shooters name - Andy
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 87
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 19/7/03
The Crop type - Spring Barley
The day details - Bright and sunny with a little breeze from the east. Grabbed a few hours to catch up with a mate and enjoy a bash at the pigeons. Placed a magnet about 10ft out from the hedge too close we thought but it was in a square of missed drill but it worked a treat. Despite 3-4 hours of taking the mick out of me we had a good bag.
Pigeon Shooters name - Wayne
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 70
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 17/7/03
The Crop type - Standing wheat
The day details - Just out for 3hours in the afternoon. I left the magnet working, but moved 100yrds up hedge, as birds were veering off.
Pigeon Shooters name - Dan
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 79
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 18/07/03
The Crop type -
The day details - I set up about 11.45am started with 5 decoys. I finished at 6.00pm they came steady all day great wind to help. It was the best day I have had for a long time.
Pigeon Shooters name - Phil Ragless
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 83
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 5/07/03
The Crop type - last years beans, this years wheat
The day details - The farmer just cut the headland of this wheat field, where last years beans had come up through, this gave me about 35 yards to the edge of the wheat field, looked at the field first thing in the morning, a few birds showing interest , went back at about 2.30 set up 1 rotary just on the inside edge of the wheat field, then they just came for about 2 hours solid ,but then they started to go to the other corner of the field, so I called my dad up, he set up which kept the birds moving, a good lucky afternoon shooting. By the way my dad shot 26 birds in just over 1 hour.
Pigeon Shooters name - Tom
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 11
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 18/5/03
The Crop type - Hemp
The day details - We went out at about 2 and stayed for about 3 hours. Before we got there there where about 50 or so birds pecking away at the hemp. The birds came in at a steady pace. A great day!
Pigeon Shooters name - matthew henly
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 5
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 14-06-2003
The Crop type - setaside
The day details - I'm 13 year old - first time shooting, went with my grandad. never shot any thing before ever..
Pigeon Shooters name - Gubbs
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 3 pigeons 1 crow
Gender - male
The gun you used - Air Rifle
Bag Date - 12/5/02
The Crop type - None
The day details - Quick go at the pigeons coming into roost. Also shot one crow - brancher.
Pigeon Shooters name - Joe
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 54
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 7/6/03
The Crop type - kale
The day details - Started about 12 oclock using 1 pigeon magnet 8 decoys, the 2 of us managed to pull at least 60 pigeons in unfortunately we didn't manage to shoot them all perhaps next time!
Pigeon Shooters name - peter hall
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 57
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 7/6/2003
The Crop type - grass
The day details - We had a rookery on both sides of us we had only 3 decoys we soon changed that that was my best day of shooting.
Pigeon Shooters name - Nigel Tranter
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 60
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - Saturday 31st May 2003
The Crop type - Peas
The day details - Hot sunny day with strong breeze. set up at 2pm and finished at 8.15pm no magnet as it was spooking the pigeons and kept the pattern small as that also detered pigeons decoying friend also shot 56 on another pea field at the same time.
Pigeon Shooters name - Jamie Ralph
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 16
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 16/03/2003
The Crop type - rape
The day details - We turned up at 7:00 and there was 2000 pigeons on the field when we arrived. the biggest flock for ages. We got set up and strugled at first to bring the pigeons in but then they started coming in like beautys at 11:00, it all stoped and we was seeing pigeons every half an hour, so we decided to pack up. We put our guns in the slips and two pigeons came into the decoys. WHAT A DAY!!
Pigeon Shooters name - JIM
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 8
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 20/03/2003
The Crop type - rape
The day details - Well i had a day off work so i went out but it was bright and sunny with no wind, there were hardly any birds moving. After i had shot 2 i put them on my pigeon magnet and they really come to it. I only stayed for a little while before i called it a day.
Pigeon Shooters name - Lee Hurst
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 16
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 14 March 2003
The Crop type - Rape
The day details - This wasn't a day shoot. I decided to finish work early and set the decoys out for about an hour and a half before picking my wife up from work. The weather was sunny with a light South Westerly wind. I decided not to set the decoys out in the standard horse shoe pattern but in rough group with plenty of space between them for the pigeons to come into. I had only been in the hide for 5 minutes when the first woodie received the good news from the 12 bore and from that point on the fun did not stop. A great start to the weekend.
Pigeon Shooters name - Aaron Johnson
Part of UK bag was shot - The Midlands
The total number of pigeons shot = 18 pigeons
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 08/03/03
The Crop type - Rape
The day details - lots of flat rape feilds but the pigeons were only feeding on the same field 12noon i put 8 decoys out and crouched behind a tree in the fist 10 minutes a flock of 5 came in and i shot 1 for 1 shot then a big flock came in of about 50 pigeons came in at the same time i stood up and took 1 shot and 3 pigeons droped they just kept coming in after that in 2s but then i had to go home for my dinner at 2 I took 26 shots for 18 pigeons.
Pigeon Shooters name - emma mann
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 92
Gender - female
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 2/03/03
The Crop type - cauliflowers
The day details - I set up at 7.00 and it was freezing I had no action for about an hour and then they started to flock in a was on a flight path and in a good feeding crop so they saw my decoys and flocked down I only used 15 sitting decoys and one rotary device.
Pigeon Shooters name - jethro-darren
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 145
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 19/2/03
The Crop type - rape
The day details - We'd been looking at this field for three days, and the pigeons had been there in there hundreds.we set up with two magnets and a dozen decoys. It was slow at first but it got lively about 11 o'clock it was a windy day so the pigeons were very sporting we packed up about 4-30 - what a day! We just hope we have a lot more enjoyment when the rape is cut.
Pigeon Shooters name - Phil
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 25
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 23 02 03
The Crop type - rape
The day details - The day was rather a waste of time,it seems in this area they prefer feeding on berries until peas and beans are sown - please plant sooner!!
Pigeon Shooters name - robie phillips
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 73
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 19 jan 03
The Crop type - Rape
The day details - Rain in the morning then over cast. Birds went mad at magnet for a couple of hours then it seemed as if every bird in Hampshire went AWOL. Had to walk across a very large feild with all my kit twice at the end of the day!
Pigeon Shooters name - joel
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 21
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 15.02.03
The Crop type - roost shooting
The day details - I went out about 1 ish set up the hide just below some ash trees and waited. I got a steady flow of birds coming down but then about 3-4 they started to come alot more frequently. It was a good day out and i'm going out again with my dad next saturday
Pigeon Shooters name - Harry Batchelor
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 17
Gender - male
The gun you used - Air Rifle
Bag Date - 05/01/2003
The Crop type - rape
The day details - Iwent into my garage to fetch my decoy bag and hide equipment and saw all the pigeons falling on the earl planted rape so i grabbed my weirauch hw 77 and headed that way and put my 15 decoys out and had a wonderfull day with the airgun and went on to shoot 17 pigeons and a rook
Pigeon Shooters name - Phil
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 25
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 23 02 03
The Crop type - rape
The day details - The day was rather a waste of time, t seems in this area they prefer feeding on berries... Until peas and beans are sown - please plant sooner!!
Pigeon Shooters name - robie phillips
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 73
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 19 jan 03
The Crop type - Rape
The day details - Rain in the morning then over cast. Birds went mad at magnet for a couple of hours then it seemed as if every bird in Hampshire went AWOL. Had to walk across a very large feild with all my kit twice at the end of the day!
Pigeon Shooters name - joel
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 21
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 15.02.03
The Crop type - roost shooting
The day details - I went out about 1 (ish) set up the hide just below some ash trees and waited. I got a steady flow of birds coming down but then bout 3-4 they started to come in a lot more frequently, it was a good day out and i'm going out again with my dad next Saturday.
Pigeon Shooters name - Harry Batchelor
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 17
Gender - male
The gun you used - Air Rifle
Bag Date - 05/01/2003
The Crop type - rape
The day details - I went into my garage to fetch my decoy bag and hide equipment and saw all the pigeons falling on the early planted rape so I grabbed my Weirauch HW 77 and headed that way and put my 15 decoys out and had a wonderfull day with the airgun and went on to shoot 17 pigeons and a rook.
Pigeon Shooters name - Sam Farrow
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 4
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 7th Febuary 2003
The Crop type - Roost shooting
The day details - Could not hit bugger all.Fired 25 Express Pigeon specials fibre wad through my knackered Lanber O/U. Shot at 20+ pigeons but it was fun anyway.
Pigeon Shooters name - Cranfield
Part of UK bag was shot - South East England
The total number of pigeons shot = 32
Gender - male
The gun you used - 12 Bore
Bag Date - 13.01.2003
The Crop type - Rape
The day details - It was cloudy,with a strong Westerly wind and I set up at about 9am.at the end of a thin strip of land, that almost bisected a rape field. I had the wind from my back and I put out a decoy layout either side of the hide and slightly behind it. This was a mistake, as I was trying to look in two places at once.
Later I changed the layout to all birds on one side of the spit,only. Before the change mentioned, I shot about 5 birds, but missed the chance of shots, as I would be looking "the wrong way". Following the change, I shot steadily until around 3pm when I could see birds going to the woods. I packed up at 3.30pm, having not seen a bird for 15 minutes. Interestingly, I didn,t use my rotary device (left the battery at home), the birds came into the decoys quite confidently.
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