Should you wear gloves in a hide?
Do you wear gloves to camouflage your hands when decoying?
A friend of mine says he does this because pigeon flare at the sight of his bare hands. It must be uncomfortable in hot weather, though.
Peter says: I have never felt that wearing gloves or facemasks is essential to shooting pigeon. Provided you can see the birds approaching your setup, it should not be difficult to keep your hands and face out of sight. What pigeon react to instantly is movement on the part of the decoyer, so keeping still is far more important than anything else. I often watch other decoyers set up on a field, and what strikes me almost immediately is how they are constantly bobbing up and down when a pigeon is on its way. Invariably the bird spots him first and veers off before he can duck down. I shoot mainly from a sitting position, with the front of my hide level with my eyes, having taken great pains to position it so I can see pigeon approaching from a distance. When I spot one, I simply lower my head behind the net until it is committed to the pattern.