So you’re a keen airgunner and you’ve set up a safe range at home for a spot of garden airgunning. But now you’re keen to expand your horizons. Maybe carry out a bit of pest control for a local farmer. But how do you go about getting a formal airgun…
Pigeon shooting questions
How to get permission for pigeon shooting
Permission for pigeon shooting can be hard to get. A lot of the time it’s about getting to know people before you’ll get anywhere. Think of it from the farmer’s point of view. He or she needs to have complete confidence in the person asking and won’t give a permission…
How to prepare and dress a woodpigeon
Woodpigeon shooting provides fantastic, healthy meat and is a sustainable food source. The pigeon is an agricultural pest but it is only ethical that the shot birds are put to good use. Many people are put off by the thought of dressing birds, but instead of just giving the game…
Which crops should you shoot over for big bags in late spring?
For many a pigeon shooter, once the spring drillings have been completed and have started to germinate, and pigeon interest in them disappears, there often follows the slowest period of pigeon shooting. I am fond of this time of year, however, because it is now that, as a pigeon shooter,…
How to shoot more pigeon from a hide
So many pigeon shooters forget to practise when they get the chance, only to suffer inconsistent results when they shoot from a hide. I find this lack of preparation confusing. Shooting pigeon can be expensive if you take into consideration the price of kit, cartridges and fuel for reconnaissance trips. I’m…
What is the right weather for shooting pigeons?
Most articles written about pigeon shooting mention, at some stage in the proceedings, the weather conditions on the day in question. Indeed, I have written many times, how Paul and I wait for the “right” weather, when planning a sortie. So what, in order of preference, are we looking for? Wind…
Setting up a pigeon magnet
Tom Payne has been using more pigeon magnets this year than in the previous six because they work so well. Learn how to set up a pigeon magnet to boost your bag
The pigeon shooter’s code
There are some occasions on which the responsible pigeon shooter must turn down outings that sound good in favour of prior arrangements or more pressing needs. I’m lucky enough to manage pigeon on many farms and estates, and I do my best to be there when there is a problem,…
Pot-roast pigeon with vegetables and juniper
This pot-roast pigeon recipe is a lovely, warming dish that requires minimal preparation, and yet is an intensely flavoured and hearty meal. The breast of the pigeon requires far less cooking time than the tougher leg meat, and the key to this dish is to add the breast meat once…
Which are the best chokes for pigeon shooting?
Edward Watson: Now the season is over, it is so important to keep shooting. Most of you will break some clays in the off season, but if you do get the chance to shoot some pigeons, then please do. It is a wonderful way to shoot at live birds while…
Can you recommend a good pigeon shooting seat?
Pigeon shooting: Can you recommend a commercially available seat that’s suitable for pigeon decoying? I’ve tried various tins and drums but found them awkward to carry and uncomfortable.
Are static decoys good when pigeon shooting patchy rape?
Pigeon shooting: What’s the best way of decoying pigeons coming to small bare patches in standing rape – do I use a rotary machine and, if so, should I place it away from the area where birds are trying to drop in?
My pigeon shooting bags have dropped!
My whirly machine is broken and I’ve noticed my bags have dropped quite considerably recently.
Can I refresh my pigeon shooting decoys by painting them?
Pigeon shooting: Can I get a new lease of life out of my decoys by painting them? If so, which bits should I concentrate on?
Is it right pigeon shooting when they’re in poor condition?
Pigeon shooting: Last winter’s cold weather really affected the pigeons around here and they were in a very weakened state.
What are those pigeon shooting decoys that look like socks?
Last winter I went goose shooting with a guide and he used a brilliant set of decoys, made like wind-socks, that moved and fluttered in the breeze.
Does ‘bagging off’ pigeon shooting areas actually work?
Is it worth going to the effort of ‘bagging off’ parts of large fields to stop pigeons landing there? Does it actually work?
Can you go pigeon shooting over water troughs?
A couple of books on pigeon shooting say it’s possible to get a good bag of woodies in hot weather when they visit water troughs or streams for a drink.
I have trouble pigeon shooting over pea fields
I went pigeon shooting over some pea fields for the first time last year and did reasonably well but, considering the numbers of birds continually being drawn to them, feel I should have done a lot better.
My clay pigeon shooting gets worse on holiday!
I really enjoy clay pigeon shooting on holiday to Spain and Cyprus in the summer for an odd competition shoot or two, but I’ve noticed that I never manage to match the Sporting averages I get here.