Pigeon hunting in Entre Rios
There are wood pigeons in almost every district. But only in a few are the ringed ones specifically hunted. Pity! Because if the hunter pays attention to a few things in winter, the grey -blue can rattle mightily in the cold months.
For dedicated shotgun shooters looking for a challenging shooting experience and pigeons that arrive by the thousands – all day long
HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR TRIP
- Pigeon Shooting “High Volume”
- It’s not uncommon to fire more than 2,000 shots a day
- Shooting at a very high level
- Fantastic accommodation with very good food
Pigeon hunting – Basically, the success of the decoy is much more effective in summer than in winter if it is well structured and in the right corner. In winter, the hunter will wait in vain for several hundred ringlets to approach the lure image. But even in the cold months, success can be significantly increased by following a few tips.
The top priority when hunting pigeons in winter: camouflage is mandatory. Leafless trees and bushes offer no privacy, and the hunter looks in vain for tall grass. A stretched camouflage net or a mobile parasol open at the top are the solution. Thin mesh fabrics, which can also be packed up easily, are highly recommended. If you also wear a camouflage suit, you are well prepared. Balaclava and gloves complete the camouflage.
Stand choice for pigeon hunting
In winter, when hunting pigeons, the hunter should position himself near tall trees. The ringed ones like to invade there. These places are absolute hotspots, especially for a cross-district pigeon hunt. A few conifers near the screen won’t hurt either, as these are preferred sleeping trees. Rows of trees or bushes in the immediate vicinity are ideal, as the pigeons like to roam there.
If the flocked decoy pigeons are significantly better in the summer months, they are of great use in the winter when it is wet. Then the unflocked dummies shine unnaturally and spoil the efforts of the hunters. You should always choose your position so that you have the wind at your back, as the gray-blue ones mainly fall against the wind.
Fields with winter grain, peas or catch crops can also be a place to catch, but only during the feeding times at the end of the morning or in the afternoon. In addition, the weather has to be right, in wet weather you should avoid the fields. At the beginning of my pigeon hunting attempts I tried it in winter with a summer decoy image. The success was modest. I don’t want to say that it’s useless, but it’s more of a coincidence. At least no pigeon will fall for a decoy picture set up on the ground. With a lot of luck, one or the other ringed tree will grow up nearby. This led me to place several small groups of dummies in small clearings in the forest or bushes. Some decoy pigeons outside in front of the vegetation edge act like signposts. But it must also be noted here that the pigeons stand with their beaks in the wind. I have also had very good experiences with the pigeon magnet. As soon as the pigeons make an overflight, the goal has been reached.
Elevator dummies
English hunters use lift systems to lift decoys up into the surrounding trees. That’s the best in winter, but it’s very difficult for us to get the decoys up to the right height. Those who manage to place 3-5 pigeons as if they were sitting there in a flock will have the best chance.
The dummies must be placed as high as possible. There is nothing to be gained with a 5-6 m pole under 20 m high trees. The alternative of building the lure in a lower tree when there are tall trees nearby is treated with contempt by the ringed. The best unaided experiment was weights tied to string (.60-.80 nylon fishing line). As a weight I took 250 g lead weights from the tackle shop. With a bit of skill you can then throw these over branches and then use them to pull up the decoy pigeons. This technique works best under oak trees, as they usually have broad crowns. If the pigeons “dangle” a bit, that’s still better than not placing any.
You often hear that it should be rougher in winter, when you sometimes have to shoot into a tree. That’s wrong. A fast 28 g trap cartridge is
also completely sufficient here. The speed of the shot is crucial. A shot pigeon with bullet holes 4 mm thick is usually no longer usable. Even tests with 2.7mm general-purpose shot were no better than trap ammunition and significantly more expensive. If the ringlets are too wide, the hunter has to keep his finger straight.
The hunter learns something new every time he hunts decoys. It is therefore important to keep rethinking your strategy. So you can reach up to 40 pigeons a day even in winter.
