The March Of The Woodies

Pigeon numbers have escalated due to the general licenses shenanigans last year and the lockdown this, which is bad news for farmers, says Robin Scott

- Robin Scott

This little corner of Yorkshire is blessed with beautiful scenery and game shoots by the bucket load. Take an hour-long car ride and I guarantee you’ll happen on yet another breathtaking high-bird drive just around the next bend.

But what of the woodpigeon? There’s no shortage of them a few miles away in the fertile vales of York and Mowbray but the higher ground here only seems to come good around harvest time. The place can then produce decent enough pigeon decoying overlaid corn, swathed rape and wheat stubbles. But after they’ve been ploughed and drilled things tend to tail off. The birds either take to the woods or move to better pastures. You rarely hear of anyone notching up a useful bag or having a red-letter day.

What probably doesn’t help is that tens of thousands of acres become no-go areas to pigeon shooters as soon as the partridge and pheasant seasons start. Maybe more birds would be shot over winter rape if the place were not so game shoot intensive. Not that we should complain, the many jobs Pea crops are likely to take serious damage created by game shooting and the money it generates are absolutely vital to the region’s economy. So while pigeon shooters may get the chance to keep decoying this season if estates do cancel shoot programmes because of COVID-19, I shudder to think of the consequences for our communities.

Chances

One of the few chances I get to decoy woodies on the farm here is late March when birds start feeding on fresh clover. But the bags are never big. On a good day, if the wind blows I might get 20 or so and once, just once, I managed a whopping 37. I wonder if I will ever better that particular little ‘record’?