Decoying pigeon,,,,

[Britsmoothy]

in England, wood pigeon thems called with my Peder's....it's been too long!

Here is a bird having a siesta.
.

Britsmoothy.

 

[George]

I've been aware of the wood pigeon in England for a long time, but have never learned much about how you hunt them. We have a very similar species, of course, the rock pigeon or rock dove, but they aren't generally hunted, at least not in my area. They can be got at around rural buildings which they roost in, but that's the only way I've ever shot them. Like our mourning doves, they are a fast, tough target, easy to kill but hard to hit. I understand they can be decoyed and that pigeon shooting is happening in some places over here. There are no seasons on them, they are listed as a feral or pest species in most states, I think.

Is your wood pigeon considered a full-fleged game bird, seasons, limits, etc.? How do you generally hunt them? Our rock pigeons are good eating, are the wood pigeons?

Spence

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thanks for the questions....as far as I know the woodie is the largest pigeon.
We also have rock doves commonly known as feral pigeon. They are smaller than the woodie.

Known as the wiley woodie he can be a tough nut to fool when decoying! An upturned decoy or the decoys not placed just right and away they will turn. Get it just right and in they will flop. The art of fooling them is the essence of the sport really!
Another method is roost shooting and flighting. Roost shooting is as it suggests...waiting in a favoured wood for roosting birds returning for the night. Flight lines are sometimes observed and can be exploited. A flight line can last days or just ten minutes!
There are no seasons or bag limits, in fact thousands are sold to game dealers every year.
I hold these birds in high esteem. Masters of the wind and long distance I admire them despite sometimes being a pest as they ever more and more urbanise.

Eating wise they have a strong liver taste to the meat, a flavour that my palette does not favour but many do...many game dealers export the meat to France!
I make burgers for friends with the ones I take.

Farmers appreiciate the crop protection and that buy's me freedom to roam.....with a gun :hatsoff:

Brits.

 

[longcruise]

Do you per chance have any of the Eurasian Collared Doves. Supposedly got to North America via the Bahamas. Big like a pigeon but are actually a dove.

 

[dbutch]

Brit, nice to see your double barrel in action again!
Go Get-um! :thumbsup:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Do you per chance have any of the Eurasian Collared Doves. Supposedly got to North America via the Bahamas. Big like a pigeon but are actually a dove.

This feller; http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://prometheus.med.utah.edu/~bwjones/wp-content/uploads/iblog/Eurasian%2520collared%2520dove.jpg&imgrefurl=http://prometheus.med.utah.edu/~bwjones/2007/05/eurasian-collared-dove/&h=399&w=600&sz=218&tbnid=m4bH4M9hjzQdMM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=144&prev=/search%3Fq%3Deurasian%2Bcollared%2Bdove%2Bimages%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=eurasian+collared+dove+images&usg=__fIM2OIiYFXW_JO65RuWXUX7oHXk=&docid=hj2jZ5y91UltrM&sa=X&ei=nTgHUrrfJpSN0wWym4EQ&ved=0CDcQ9QEwAg&dur=2314

Sure, everywhere. They get shot just the same! Good eating too.
I remember being in Germany as a kid and seeing thousands and thousands of them on one field. A huge crowd of them. I think they just made Shetland over this way so think Iceland will be next!

Get some powder in....you'll need it :thumbsup:

Brits.