Luck of the drawing
In most forms of shooting, a bird missed through lack of forethought or concentration is another survivor to breed next spring. But pigeon are shot for the benefit of agriculture as well as a sport so a more businesslike approach is necessary.
The relationship of the hide, decoys, wind and sun warrants more attention than it usually receives. The common mistake is to set up the decoys squarely in front of the hide with the result that the gun fires as the pigeon perform their “undercarriage down — prepare to land” acrobatics. They look easy shots but are not, for their movements are so unpredictable.
The decoys should be set slightly upwind of the hide so the pigeon pass on set wings, as they almost invariably do in the).
