NITEHAWK Clear View Camo Hunting Hide Net 4m x 1.5m Pigeon Shooting Net

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Once the trap is set, it is simply a matter of waiting to see how the birds react to the decoys. Sometimes the response can be immediate, but there are days when the action unfolds much more slowly. Before I close, I’ll just mention some things I never do, starting with wasting edible quarry. Please find an outlet for your pigeons, rabbits and squirrels. Pensioners, wildlife sanctuaries, butchers and restaurants will take your lead-free offerings, so don’t leave them for the foxes. This mindset, and the ever-growing list of things time and experience have taught me, have allowed me to become successful at hide-shooting and hunting with an air rifle. I hope it does the same for you.

Carry on attaching those smaller branches until you have a network of twigs that will support the hide’s final covering. Don’t worry about making a door or windows at this stage, these can be cut out later. Shooting insandy or snowy conditions rather than a wood? Hunt out a hide that can be specced in a choice of covers.Finally, build yourself a comfortable seat. Sitting for hours on end is considerably less enjoyable with a numb bum, and being uncomfortable will divert your attention from the task in hand, making you and your hide less productive. I usually make a bench from a couple of log sections and sit on a beanbag shooting seat, so I can be comfortable whilst on full alert for incoming birds. I’ll also set up a small shelf for essentials such as binoculars, a flask, or even my old radio – yes, radio, that I listen to on my longer stints. Its volume is set really low so the birds can’t hear it 25 yards away, and it keeps me in touch with events as I’m enjoying my own little world. The height of a hide is important. You need to be able to move your gun comfortably and freely. Setting the front of the hide four inches below the top of your shoulder should allow for comfortable movement.

For the upper sections of your hide, ivy is an incredibly useful example of natural cammo, especially if you take care not to have too many leaves with their undersides showing. Leaves that have been turned over are a highly visible warning, so if you’re using ivy, ferns, or any other form of greenery, keep those leaves the right way up. I believe it’s really important to make yourself comfortable throughout your hide-shooting sessions. You’ll be more relaxed, more successful and you’ll definitely get more enjoyment from your hide hunting. For decoys to work properly, you need to place them in an area where the pests you are targeting are already active. It is all about knowing your ground and the habits of the birds that live and feed there. In this, the second part of my hide-hunting feature, I’ll explain the system that has worked for me these past 20 years and more. I’ve been hunting for many more years than 20, though, so you can immediately see that I spent a huge amount of time trying all sorts of methods that were nowhere near as successful as the ones I use now. The whole point of this feature is for me to pass on what all those years of experience, and my many, many failures, have taught me, so you learn from my mistakes and save yourselves a whole lot of time.If you are going to shoot from a seated position, your choice of seat is important. I see so many shooters with the wrong seat – and, especially, the wrong height of seat, which is absolutely crucial. It is key that your seat is set at a height that ensures that your knees are below your hips when you are seated. This will allow you to stand comfortably, slowly and correctly to shoot. Once you’ve mastered the siting and building of your hide, the key to getting the most from it is far more down to timing than marksmanship. It might surprise people to learn that I rarely spend more than three hours in a hide, but that’s usually an hour more than I need to make a good-sized bag and keep my freezers topped up with what I regard as the best wild food on the planet. As ever, getting the timing right is all about preparation; specifically watching the birds and learning their habits. After years of observation, I know the times that certain hides really come into their own, because the birds will be either feeding or digesting what they’ve eaten in the various sitty trees covered by those hides. With this information in the bank, I can target the birds at the most productive times, rather than sitting around all day hoping they’ll turn up. Setting up a ‘feeding’ bird is a simple matter of propping up its head with a twig and facing the bird toward any breeze there might be at the time. Four or five pigeons, seemingly feeding contentedly, is more than enough enticement to encourage others to perch in the branches above them, and that’s all the chance you need. Although clearly agitated by the owl decoy, these crows are obviously not entirely trusting, as they have chosen to land a few metres away and rasp at it from what they believe to be a safe distance. Although one of the birds is shielded by a screen of twigs, the other isn’t as safe as it thinks it is.

Mat has quite a wait until the birds home in on the owl. The first arrival is a single crow, which circles above the decoys while making the occasional suspicious croaking call. A dedicated hide is a great choice, and many wildlife pros will swear by them. Many use a tent design that provide windows to shoot through. They're usually very portable and easy to set up, meaning you can make your shooting location pretty much anywhere. As an added bonus, many will also offer rain protection..Additional info: Crows are sharp-eyed and very wary of man. Getting within range usually takes a high level of fieldcraft and concealment. I use between five and eight poles and multiple nets to provide a good-sized, natural and strong hide. I don’t go over the top space but I like to be able to move comfortably and, most importantly, be able to move my feet. Natural hide Many shooters cause themselves problems when shooting from a
hide purely because the hide set-up
is wrong. If this happens, it can actually end up being a hindrance as opposed to an advantage. Mat uses his caller to replicate the calls of the first crow when the owl decoy initially caught its attention. A reply comes after a few minutes and Mat keeps calling until the bird is within sight, and then stops immediately. The incoming crow is now close enough to see the decoys, so Mat leaves it to them to coax it in closer.

With three birds accounted for, Mat is off to a good start, but after a long quiet spell he decides to reach for his caller. He hopes that a few croaky blasts will mimic the real crow calls that prompted the first mobbing and persuade the birds to return. It pays not to get too flustered when corvids gather like this. Don’t be tempted to take chancy shots at birds that pitch into trees at the limits of your effective range, as you will account for more if you hold your nerve and wait for easier opportunities. Generally, I begin by assembling a basic framework from the largest dead branches I can find and handle. A folding saw is the best tool for this job, and a ball of thin rope or paracord is perfect for binding the framework together. One day, I ran out of my usual cord and had to use some bright blue plastic baling twine I found on my shoot. It was highly visible and I vowed to replace it on my next visit, but I never did and that hide has been one of the most productive I’ve ever built. I still won’t use anything as visible as that, though! Mat almost always uses a beanbag seat for hide shooting. Filled with polystyrene balls, the bag doesn’t just improve comfort, but also makes for a stable sitting position, which really helps when you need to settle the crosshairs on aim.

Mat doesn’t hang around, as he wants to get the decoys in place without being spotted by his quarry. With the imitation birds in position, he slips into his hide ready to make his final preparations before any crows start to arrive. Finally, I never forget what a privilege it is to be doing what I so love to do, and how easily it can all be lost. I do my best to avoid losing it by trying hard to be an asset to those who grant me permission to hunt on their land, rather than regarding myself as doing them a favour by controlling vermin for them. However, the weight and bulk of a full-on portable hide can be apain when you’re on the go. That’s where camouflage clothing comes into its own. Go for a hoodie and trousers that’ll slip straight over whatever else you’re wearing and hey presto: instant cover. Then there's also camouflage gear for your equipment itself; blend your camera and lens into the environment, and you need never again worry about being given away by a big, obvious telephoto lens. Most imitation owls will wind up corvids during the spring and summer months, but ones with really piercing eyes seem to aggravate them the most. What is important is to set up the decoy in a prominent spot where passing birds won’t fail to miss it. Adding real birds proves effective and, combined with more calling, produces another chance for Mat. The corvids eventually wise-up, but it has been a productive session and Mat has accounted for five crows when he decides to call time.