Are you thinking of taking up pigeon shooting as a sport? Perhaps you are already a seasoned professional but you are looking for ideas on how to improve your hunt.
In this hunting blog post, we have put together a list of all of the pigeon shooting equipment you need to be successful in this popular UK Hunting sport.
Besides your gun, this might be one of the most essential pieces of pigeon shooting equipment you need if you are to be successful during your hunt.
This metal rotary unit is purpose-built for pigeon shooting and hunting. The motion is set to rotate with realistic spread wing decoys or dead birds attached, rotating in a circular motion giving the impression to birds close by that something of interest (likely food) is on the floor in this area meaning the live pigeons are likely to fly over to take a look. This will give you the opportunity to make your first shot of the day.
A normal pigeon rotary unit will come in three parts. You have the solid metal base that comes with 3 spikes to place into the ground and the motor is protected at the top of the base.
Secondly, you have two detachable arms, adjustable in length, they attach to the base unit and give the pigeon rotary more width and distance between the two decoys or pigeon’s when rotating. You attach decoys to these arms using the small clamp that is attached underneath most decoys built for pigeon magnets. (make sure these are included with your decoys when purchasing from your local hunting equipment supplier)
Additionally, most pigeon magnets will come with wing spreaders, these are for when you are using real birds that are dead. You use the spreader clips to hold their wings out whilst they are rotated on the pigeon magnet.
There are two main types of pigeon rotaries. The first is a sold metal green rotary. This is a heavier, more robust version closer to the original pigeon rotary concept.
Secondly, you have a lightweight unit, usually powder-coated black with more options for adjustability and features such as remote control to start/stop and adjust the speed on the unit.
There are lots of added extras you can add to your pigeon hunting equipment if you are to purchase a pigeon rotary. Such as:
Pigeon Decoys are a popular piece of hunting equipment used for pigeon shooting. Relativity cheap, lightweight and a must-have for a shooting / hunting fanatic looking to be successful in the sport of pigeon shooting.
Used to simulate a pigeon placing it in an area within range to attract live birds within shooting distance of your hunting area. A simple inexpensive piece of hunting equipment used by millions of hunters all over the world.
Pigeon decoys and all other types of bird decoys used for hunting are usually a life-size representation of the breed of bird. With pigeon decoys, you have the option of having a half shell or a whole shell. A half shell is just the top part of the bird because real birds will be looking at the decoy from above they will only see this part. And a whole body shell, you guessed it! Will be an entire pigeon body as a decoy.
The decoys usually come in a different array of positions such as spread wing (flying) closed wing, neck down (like they are pecking something on the floor) or the standard position of a bird.
If you are to use a pair of decoys to attach to a pigeon magnet or floater pole you will need to use a spread wing decoy. This will give the impression the pigeon decoys are flying while rotating and attached to the rotary.
You also have the choice of a standard painted shell or a flocked shell. Standard painted pigeon decoy shells are usually cheaper and more budget friendly, but these will give a glare off of the decoy during sunny days. The most expensive more realistic version is a flocked pigeon decoy. A flocked pigeon decoy has a special coating over the body giving it a more realistic feather look and it also stops there from being any glare during bright sunny days.
Full body decoy: The decoy has a full body outer shell.
Half shell pigeon decoy: The pigeon decoy only has a top section of the body
Flocked: There is a powder coating giving a realistic, life like effect to the decoy.
Standard painted decoy: a lighter, but harder to damage shell that may cause sun glare.
Some decoys, especially flocked decoys can be easy to scratch or scuff during transit so we always recommend for any hunter who has flocked decoys to use a pigeon decoy bag to keep them stored safely for when travelling to and from your hunting trip.
If you are to use your decoys for a pigeon magnet or floater pole you will need to have a bracket fitted to the underneath of the body so you are able to attach it to the pigeon magnet rotary arm. These can range between £4-£9 to purchase and are secured with screws.
A lightweight item that allows for one decoy or bird to be floated with its wings spread giving the impression to birds flying over that there is a bird hovering close meaning there is possible food or something of interest meaning they will fly over to your area.
To attract other birds to your area, by giving the impression there is something of interest within your hunting area
A metal/steel rod is usually coated black with a floor spike on one end with a footing area to allow you to use your footwear to push the bouncer pole into the ground. The base is a strong solid structure that is difficult to bend or break. The second pole is a thinner pole that will bend slightly under the weight of the decoy or bird meaning it will float and sway in the meaning giving it a hover/flying effect. The thinner pole is height adjustable. If you are using dead birds you can attach a wing spreader to the thinner pole, if a decoy you can edit using a decoy that has a bracket or you can attach it to the wing spreader.
To our knowledge, there is currently only one type of pigeon bouncer pole on the market.
A carry case to protect the item from damage and for easy transportation to and from your hunting location.
Camouflage clothing is used worldwide by every type of hunter. Whether you are a pigeon hunter, turkey hunting fanatic or a deer hunting specialist. The chances are you do not want to be seen by your target whilst you are poised in position waiting for your prey. That is why more than likely you will be kitted out head to toe in camouflage clothing.
The purpose of any type of camouflage clothing is to stop you from being seen by your prey. If the mark animals such as deer, pigeons or turkeys are easily scared away so remaining unseen whilst hunting is a requirement and it is a lot more easily achieved by wearing camouflage clothing allowing you to blend into your environment.
The range of hunting clothing available today for the uk hunting market is vast, with many brands available. You can buy a piece of hunting clothing for each part of the body, such as a long sleeve camouflage t-shirt, camouflage trousers and a camo face mask. Alternatively, you could use an all in one type of camouflage to cover the entire body, better known as a ghillie suit.
Not only do you have a large variety of hunter’s clothing available. You have many different types of camouflage patterns to choose from. The type of camouflage pattern you need for your clothing is depending on the environment where you will be hunting and also the time of year you will be hunting.
Will you be hunting in a green field area in the middle of summer? If so, the chances are everything will be lush green meaning you are going to need a standard green camo pattern.
Are you going to be hunting in a wooded area during autumn? If this is the case you will need a brown / green woodland camo type pattern for your hunter’s clothing.
It pays to have a selection of different hunting clothing to allow you to pick and choose different clothing depending on these factors.
Founded in 2013 by outdoor enthusiasts in the south west of England, Menimal supplies hunting equipment, shooting accessories, field gear, camouflage clothing, and essential tactical kit for shooters and hunters accross the UK and beyond. Each item is tried and tested in the field by us. We understand what works in real conditions because we use the gear ourselves.
From blinds and decoys to tactical accessories and outdoor kit, every product is selected for durability, function, and value.
We. Are. Menimal.
