Bangers ‘n’ pigeons

I shoot over a big acreage of oilseed rape and have the constant problem of pigeons settling well away from my pattern – or on an adjoining field, and drawing birds to them. Would it help if I used rope bangers to keep them moving, or would I be wasting my time, and money?

Peter says:

There is nothing more frustrating than watching pigeons pile into another field. The use of rope bangers certainly can help prevent this from happening.

However, when the birds lift it does not necessarily mean they will now head to where you might be set up!

Paul and I go to great lengths before we set up to identify those parts of the field where pigeons want to feed. By knowing where they might head once the shooting starts, one of us will then cover that spot and keep the birds from settling.

If there is more than one option open to the pigeons then we often use flags to dissuade the birds from landing, only using rope bangers as a last resort because they usually blow the birds right out of the area.