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 The woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) is Britain's major agricultural bird pest; it provides excellent shooting and is important to many sportsmen and farmers. It is legal to shoot the bird all the year round. The woodpigeon makes good eating and provides nourishing cheap food.
Woodpigeon decoying is the art of building a hide on a field where pigeons are feeding and using artificial or dead bird decoys to attract pigeons to within shotgun range (20 to 35 yards). The sport requires considerable reconnaissance and much patience and fieldcraft to achieve results.
Hides may be built with camouflage nets, straw bales or natural cover. When using bales remember to ask the farmer's permission to move them and always replace them after the shoot. Natural hides are made with materials found on the farm and should be dismantled at the end of the shooting day. Do not cut into hedgerows or otherwise damage the farmer's property. The hide should be large enough (3ft. square) to accommodate the shooter, his dog and equipment, and have as level a floor as possible.
Shooting pigeons on flightlines is very popular and, after reconnaissance has determined the line of flight, Guns stand concealed on the edges of woods or in hedgerows and shoot passing birds without the aid of decoys.
For roost shooting Guns position themselves before dusk in woods where pigeons are known to roost during the winter and wait for the birds to return from their day's feeding. Mixed woods of conifers and hardwoods are the most popular and pigeon droppings under the trees will show the places to stand. As it will be almost dark before the shoot ends fallen birds should be retrieved immediately.
Click here to view the BASC Woodpigeon Shooting Code of Practice
Click here to view the BASC Picking-up Code of Practice
It is vital that all pigeon shooters read the general licences covering the country in which shooting will take place. These licences permit us to shoot pest bird species such as the woodpigeon so long as we abide by the terms and conditions of the licences.
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