Pigeons

[GreenDrake]

Anyone out chssing pigeons?  Gearing up here but have not been after them yet. 

[wooly]

Was out at the lake this weekend at my older sisters boat and those things were everywhere around the grain tower at the marina.

Pretty birds that seem like they would be a blast to wingshoot when they do their 90mph fly-bys!

 

[chrisw]

I have done it several times, it's fun and those little buggers are awesome to eat. Squab!

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[GreenDrake]

Waiting for my Mojo pigeons to complete my decoy spread and the heatwave to pass and then go out and set up in some barnyards and cut hay fields. Been wanting to try it for years. Something to do, along with crows in the winter, in the off seasons. Did very well with crows the last few years 

[Pygmy]

3 hours ago, chrisw said:

I have done it several times, it's fun and those little buggers are awesome to eat. Squab!

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Every time I eat pigeons I wonder why I don't hunt them more often....

Also some GREAT challenging wingshooting….And wingshooting is probably my favorite thing, since I have become too old for my OTHER favorite thing....<<sigh>>….

[GreenDrake]

Mojos arrived this morning!! Maybe I will get out this evening and make a fool of myself. 

[turkeyfeathers]

16 minutes ago, GreenDrake said:

Mojos arrived this morning!! Maybe I will get out this evening and make a fool of myself. 

You’d watch me wingshoot and say “ did ray Charles teach this guy ?”

[greg54]

23 hours ago, wooly said:

Was out at the lake this weekend at my older sisters boat and those things were everywhere around the grain tower at the marina.

Pretty birds that seem like they would be a blast to wingshoot when they do their 90mph fly-bys!

 

I remember a story in Buffalo News a few years ago of Peregrine Falcon that had nest on top of city hall in Buffalo and it used to dive bomb and catch pigeons for  its lunch. That would be awesome to see.

[turkeyfeathers]

6 minutes ago, greg54 said:

I remember a story in Buffalo News a few years ago of Peregrine Falcon that had nest on top of city hall in Buffalo and it used to dive bomb and catch pigeons for  its lunch. That would be awesome to see.

2 years in row it nested there. There was a nest cam.  Brother while in Montana fishing saw a peregrine dive bombing a bald eagle last year.  Drove eagle almost into water.  Talk about a sight to see. Said eagle looked scared lol. 

[philoshop]

If you're going after pigeons stock up on both ammo and humility. You will miss far more than you hit unless you're cutting it close to a barn or other roost structure. And don't hit the farm building or you'll never be invited back again.

[philoshop]

I shot a lot of pigeons around various farms when I was younger. It was a great past-time with friends and made for good eats. I won't ascribe any sort of real intelligence to them but if you miss them once you probably won't get a second chance any time soon. Once they've been shot at they're as wary as mid-season ducks around an open water hole. If they pick you out of the regular brush and whatnot, they will warn the rest of the flock to stay away for a few days. I'm not sure how they do that.

On the flip side it's a lot of fun with friends, good for the farmers, and very good eating. Cook them like a chicken pot pie and you won't be disappointed.

[Doc]

The very first critters I ever hunted was pigeons up in our hay loft. I used a hand carved hickory longbow and un-fletched willow arrows. Dad always wondered how those shingles got blown off the barn roof from the inside. I got quite a few, butchered them like little chickens, and found out that they were some darned good eating. I also learned that bowhunting and archery was a hobby that would last a lifetime.

[GreenDrake]

My good friend hit them good last week at a local dairy farm over decoys. Three of them shot 127 in little under 2 hours.  They set to the decoys well and it was fairly easy shooting. 

 

God bless my wife...she ordered all the dekes..including an extra dozen full body Soar No Mores...she gets angry when I deny myself things but buy the world around me everything they want/need and work like an animal most weeks. She was going to buy me a new A5 camo 12 too but I stopped her thete. I have more guns than Cabelas and cannot see wasting more on a pigeon gun. My Perazzi and A5 sporting clays she bought me last year are more than adequate. 

[Pygmy]

6 minutes ago, GreenDrake said:

My good friend hit them good last week at a local dairy farm over decoys. Three of them shot 127 in little under 2 hours.  They set to the decoys well and it was fairly easy shooting. 

 

God bless my wife...she ordered all the dekes..including an extra dozen full body Soar No Mores...she gets angry when I deny myself things but buy the world around me everything they want/need and work like an animal most weeks. She was going to buy me a new A5 camo 12 too but I stopped her thete. I have more guns than Cabelas and cannot see wasting more on a pigeon gun. My Perazzi and A5 sporting clays she bought me last year are more than adequate. 

Hold on to her..A woman like that is hard to find  !!

[GreenDrake]

She is a beautiful girl...diamonds and pearls...but also throws on the camo and sits in the box blind every hunt...chases behind the setters...drags deer...holds the legs while field dressing.  One in a million. 

[GreenDrake]

Scouted 3 farms today. Pigeons everywhere.  One just cut hay and the birds were landing and flying in from all directions. Should mske for good decoying  tomorrow.  We shall see. 

[GreenDrake]

Got 20 today over the decoys. Passed on several easy shots as there was a house a quarter mile away in the line of fire. Will know how to set up next time. To say I sm addicted is an understatement 

[GreenDrake]

Another 25 this afternoon ...steady birds for about 2 hours. It amazes me how well they decoy. 

[GreenDrake]

I do not eat them.  I breast them out for a buddy of mine who loves them. He says he grills them wrapped in bacon most of the time. 

 

[Rattler]

Learned my wing shooting skills as a boy in the 1960's shooting pigeons out of a barn in Matamoras, PA.  We used to send a boy into the barn to flush them out and blast away at them as they flew out.  It was usually a one time thing for the day, but the birds would be back in there a little later and we could do it again.

It was some of the best wing shooting I ever experienced and it was a lot of fun.  Best of all, it really taught me how to wing shoot!

 

[turkeyfeathers]

Don’t shoot the neighbors tumblers as he’ll be pizzed 

[Rattler]

Just curious about the loads people use when hunting pigeons.  I always use a 12 gauge with 2 3/4 in Hi Brass 7 1/2 shot.  I prefer a modified choke as it does well on long shots, but can still be aimed well enough for anything close.  

[GreenDrake]

In my 12 I use 1 1/8 oz target loads in 7.5...same for the 16 except 1oz. Modified chokes.  If I am using an over/under I will use IC for the first barrel over decoys. Most of the birds shot yesterday were at 20 yds or less set to land. I never use high brass for pigeons or crows.  surprising how much punch target loads have. 

[dbHunterNY]

this thread blows my mind.  i grew up on the family farm taking out pigeons. first a lever action BB gun then a cheap pellet gun, both of which they really weren't much afraid of.  then dad upgraded me to a Mossberg model 500 20ga and the walmart monster boxes of general purpose shotshells.  i couldn't tell you how many pigeons i took with that thing and we weren't even a dairy farm.  they just crapped in all the hay and on all the equipment like crazy. never occured to me or anyone i knew that you should eat them.  they were fast but not fast enough. might be a good explaination of why i shoot that gun so well.  cheapest gun in the safe but my go to for shooting clay pigeons at backwoods parties.

[dbHunterNY]

seemed like their wings were made of armor.