pigeon decoys

[paul ferry]

can anybody advise the best way to shoot wood pigeons,new to the sport,went out last week put 4 decoys out none came near but they was abot 60 pigeons in the field

[rifleman56]

you want two start with about 12 decoys, put them in a horse shoe pattern with a 20 foot wide back so they can come in.you need some movement in the pattern.,i use sillo socks,so they move in the wind

[paul ferry]

thanks where do u attach the socks too,also what colour are they

[fenboy]

Could be lots of reasons why they never came to you ,always face decoys roughly into the wind ,flocked or silosock decoys are best as they dont shine,best of all is to use dead pigeons once you have some ( i keep around 40 in a freezer for this reason ) it always best to put the decoys as near to the line the birds are entering the field .
Lastly are you sure its the decoys ,it may be your hide stands out too much or they are seeing you moving around inside ,or are you peering over the top ?.
Hope that gives you a few pointers .

[Comp]

Jeez!!!!! I'm new to the sport, too... & not seen the Sillosocks decoys,....

But if I saw whats in the demo video in my local field, I'd blast it!!!!!

http://www.sillosocks.co.uk/about.htm

They do look good!!!

Cheers, Fred

[Deako]

The more realistic the decoy, the better your chances.

You can do well with as little as six of these:

http://www.decoying.co.uk/?page=show-item&item=702

ask at your nearest gun shop.

[kwiky]

there's a few videos about woodpigeon decoying on youtube that might help

[Bobba]

can anybody advise the best way to shoot wood pigeons,new to the sport,went out last week put 4 decoys out none came near but they was abot 60 pigeons in the field

The "Pigeon Watch Forum" contains a vast amount of info / exchange of ideas on patterns, tactics etc. Worth browsing there too.

Remember too, that merely sticking decoys in a field will not bring in pigeons if they are not around. Before setting up hide and decoys sit in the car and watch the skies for movement and flight paths (which can change daily) and set up under a flight path where possible.

[blade]

theres a few tips here along with which crops to keep your eye on different times of the year
http://www.pigeonwatch.co.uk/tips.htm