Running low on pigeons. Pretty sad about it :(

[wahoowad]

The dairy near me used to have a decent population of pigeons, but over the last few years they have become incredibly skittish and drastic reduction in numbers. The farmer is happy as he thinks I have run them off but in truth I've only killed less than a hundred across several years as there just doesn't seem as many. I used to be able to shoot them on or in barn areas and off silos in one part of the farm, then follow them to another area of barns and shoot them there. We'd go back and forth with me dusting as many as I could get. These are east coast pigeons (Virginia) and not the crazy populations you see out West.

Anyway, went out yesterday and this large farm looked totally devoid of pigeons. A real bummer. Finally found a few inside a large barn but gotta wonder where they all went? This farm has plenty of corn and silage laying everywhere so a surplus of food for them. Similar situation at another nearby farm - food and cover but few pigeons when I go. Was able to bust these, mostly with my 12 ft-lb HW110 shooting .177 due to avoiding putting holes in the barn roof. A few presented shots suitable for my .25 Uragan and you gotta love the pop those hollowpoint slugs make.

 

[L.Leon]

Same at my local dairy, the populations are cyclical and sometimes Hawks setup and the hunt everyday. A pair of Hawks really thinned out the flock at my local permission.

 

[Guest]

Still better than workin'

 

[Ranchibi]

Well at the very least you picked off a few! Nice shooting! I hope the pigeon traffic picks up for you soon, nice photo.

 

[bubblerboy64]

Most likely predators ( hawks ) or disease . In my area the Amish boys net pigeons and sell them. They will go into a barn at night and clean them out. I don’t know the details as to exactly how they go about it but they climb around and catch them. Pigeons are like chickens they lay eggs all year so they may come back. They also smart-in up and learn to fly off . I’m pretty convinced they recognize my truck. I drive in they hide. They definitely will sit on the back side of a silo after a shot or two . 

 

[jdanvers]

^^ THAT re: pigeons being smarter that we give them credit for being. Same here with one of my permissions - I swear that they know my car - I pull in - ( sound of a gaggle of pigeons taking off ). I've learned to 'rotate' ( hide - lol! ) where I pull in and park - this typically results in my 'daily allowance' of two - yeah - two per session before they realize / figure out where I'm picking them off from. I stop at this place in the mornings on my way into work and then again on my way home. I usually get three, maybe four a day. When I first started shooting there they were nice & dumb - I clobbered 25-30 in one half hour session on a lunch break one time! All the dumb ones are dead though (apparently) and the brighter ones are the only ones still hanging around. The farmer and his workers are quite happy that I have thinned 'em out though.

 

[darylm]

That’s the ultimate goal! Pesting to me means the elimination of said pest species. 

 

[cahil_2]

Well don’t shoot so many. I have the same problem. They get smart and avoid where they are getting shot at. I see my birds move to the farm down the road. 

 

[rcarlisle]

Looks like some nice shots were made. It's a bittersweet thing, to find yourself without any targets. I am usually overrun with chipmunks here, but they've become cagey as of a couple of years ago, and downright scarce this year. I've got zero chipmunks to smoke, which is something I quite enjoy doing. On the other hand, the little a-holes aren't burrowing under the foundation of the house, etc.I know I am not the reason for the lower population. I see many more foxes and coyotes on the game trail running through my yard. Once these predators move along, the rodents will be back. I suspect you may be in a similar circumstance.

 

[Peashooter]

Here the fur trade ( mink ) was wiped out by executive command from the PM due to corona in the animals and a fear of mutation, which resulted in the seagulls that like to hang around mink farms, well they have moved on to the people who farm pigs in the green treehuggin way ( not the industrial pig farms which is big here, there is 2-3 pigs for each of the about 6 million Danes in this country )

Anyway the outdoor pig farmers have been given permissions by gooberment to shoot more seagulls, i just cant join in on that with a .177 i think, also it probably all controlled and i dont have a pest eradicating license and i would not be surprised if there is a pest controller education here too, which you probably need to be a official pest eradicator.

 

[qball]

I feel your sense of sadness and emptiness. I too ran out of squirrels in my yard, haven’t seen one for 2 months now at the lead buffet.