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By David Whitby
Monday, 05 December 2011
Q) Normally at this time of year we have plenty of pigeon. We have an abundance of acorns and beechmast, and normally the pigeon would be attracted to this feast, but this year we have only a fraction of the number on our shoot. Where are all the pigeon? T. SYMES By email
A)You are not alone in having plenty of acorns and beechmast — indeed, all our trees are full of fruit, and I have never seen so much wild food. Add to this the unusually mild autumn and the result is that woodpigeon movements and flocking habits have changed. They have abundant food everywhere and do not need to move to their usual areas of plenty. You may also have noticed that your pheasants have reduced their hopper food consumption, as they are taking advantage of nature’s bounty. If we do not have a hard winter, this will make the rest of the shooting season difficult, as birds will be slow to return to the drives if they have plenty of food in areas where they are not shot. On the bright side, food costs will be slightly reduced, and there should be some massive roe heads next season.
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