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I know it's always best to build the hide in a suitable ditch or hedgerow near the birds' flight line, but can you give me any tips on erecting the hide in the middle of a field?
Pigeons
PETER THEOBALD says: I am a great believer in building my hide where the pigeons want to feed, even if that might be in the centre of the field.
It takes a lot of confidence to make what is obviously a very prominent hide in the middle of a field. but provided you keep still and remain hidden as birds approach, they are generally successful.
Why should pigeons be wary of a hide anyway? It is only if they spot you inside they take evasive action. Having said that, it does no harm to make it look as natural as possible, and this will mean decorating it with branches cut from a convenient hedge.
Also, if it makes you feel better, you can build it the day before, provided you are sure its location will be right for the next day. But I have often arrived on the day, built my hide right in the middle of the pigeons’ dining room, and killed 200.
And that’s the secret? making sure the hide is precisely in the part of the field the pigeons themselves choose to be.
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