What is pigeon decoying!In short pigeon decoying is the use of plastic immitation pigeons strategically being placed to encourage pigeons to land. This is done in order to bring pigeons in close enough for a shot. in this section i will give you the basic knowledge and equipment that you will need in order to start this great Sport. Before you start you will need a Shotgun and a license, for more information on this please go yo our Useful links page and Application form page. The choice of shotgun is down to you there are litterally millions of different guns out there to choose from so have a good look around. Pigeons are very clever animals and are very suspicious so you will need to be well hiden in order to not scare them away whilst landing any sudden movements and they will fly away so camoflauge and suitable hide will be needed. a hide being somewhere you can literally hide form the pigeons |
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 | What equipment do i need? If you wish to take up this sport here is a short description of what you will need. Firstly a good strong bag big enough to carry the following, Pigeon Decoys. I use the half shell type as pictured left as they stack and take up alot less room in your bag. A hide net and poles, Camoflauge clothing including hat and gloves, Shotgun, lots of Cartridges depending on how good a shot you are, a Game bag for your quarry and if you are very lucky a well trained gundog. This is just the basics you may wish to take food drinks etc but above is the essential. How much does it cost? Like with most things there is cheap and expensive versions of pigeon decoying gear. although with the internet so popular now you can get very good quality stuff and very resonable prices. other than the gun no single item in this picture cost me more than £35.00 and it is all of good enough qualityto start you off, the only thing i will change in the coming years is my jacket as it is not overly warm but for £29 it is also one of my best bargains and has never let me down fully waterproof, just needs a few extra jumpers umderneath to keep the heat iin. The Decoys average at about £3.00 depending where you go and guns vary greatly on what you go for. Ebay is an excelent place to look if you are starting out for all your clothing and decoys etc. and dont forget your local free ads it does not need to be new when starting out. |
How Should i set my decoys?
The most popular way of setting out decoys is in a u-shape facing in to the wind this encorouges the pigeons to land in the larger open space right in fornt of your hide, this is because like aeroplane birds need the wind in theyre face in order to slow them down when landing. if like mine your decoys have to holes to connect your stands then you can arrange them all differently. If you use the hole closest to the head this will make the decoy duck its head as though it is feeding, using the second hole will cause the decoy to do the opposite and stand up . theese are just the basic decoys you can get many different types that fly about called a flapper which runs off a car battery which will bring the decoys to the attention of the passing birds. Below is a diagram of the standard U-shape pattern using standard decoys. Most importantly just try new things when in the field you never know what might work just remember what does and you will soon have a range of patterns to use.
Above a standard u-shape pattern there are many variations of this some people may like to set their hide with their back towards the wnd or to have the decoys to the left of the hide . This wil give you a better chance to take two shots at the bird as they will take off with the wind behind them and will give them the extra speed to get away. so being down wind will give you more opportunity to get more shots off.
How do i know what crop i should be Shooting on when?
As pigeons eat different crops at different times of year depending on what is growing below is a small chart showing you what crops you should be decoying on and when.
When is the pigeon shooting season?
Pigeon like rabbit has no open season as they are classed as vermin so can be shot all year round but below is a list of birds which are restricted by seasons so if one comes your way when decoying you know if you can shoot or whether to leave it be.
- Grouse: The grouse shooting season opens on August 12th. In Northern Ireland, November 30th is the close of the season, but it doesn't end until December 10th in the rest of the UK
- Pheasants: The pheasant shooting season lasts from October 1st to February 1st in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, it lasts from October 1st to January 31st.
- Partridge: The partridge shooting season lasts from October 1st to February 1st in England, Scotland and Wales. Like the pheasant shooting season, it closes a day earlier in Northern Ireland.
- Ptarmigan: The ptarmigan shooting season lasts from August 12th to December 12th. The birds are found mostly in Scotland, so there is no shooting season in Northern Ireland.
- Blackgame: The blackgame shooting season lasts from August 20th to December 10th in England, Scotland and Wales. They aren't found in Northern Ireland, so there is no shooting season there.
- Common snipe: The common snipe shooting season lasts from August 12th to January 31st on the UK mainland, and from September 1st to January 31st in Northern Ireland.
- Jack snipe: The Jack snipe shooting season lasts from September 1st to January 31st in Northern Ireland. The bird is protected at all times in England, Scotland and Wales, which makes it illegal to shoot or hunt it all year round.
- Woodcock: The woodcock shooting season lasts from October 1st to January 31st in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the woodcock shooting season starts on September 1st and closes at the same time as the rest of the UK.
- Ducks and geese: Inland, the shooting season lasts from September 1st to January 31st in England, Scotland and Wales, and this is the same in Northern Ireland. If the HMV is less than ordinary spring tides, the shooting season closes on February 20th on the UK mainland.
- Coots and moorhen: The shooting season lasts from September 1st to January 31st across England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, the birds are protected at all times, so it's illegal to shoot them at any time in the year.
- Golden Plover: The Golden Plover shooting season lasts from September 1st to January 1st all over the UK (including Northern Ireland).
- Curlew: The curlew shooting season lasts from September 1st to January 31st in Northern Ireland. It is illegal to shoot curlews in England, Scotland and Wales, as they are protected at all times.
