SPORTING ANSWERS
Flapper decoys and airguns
AIRGUNNING
Q Flapper decoys work well but can spook birds when they get close. I have a flapper decoy cradle that works brilliantly when it comes to attracting pigeons to my decoy pattern. Would it work when using an airgun in fields that are too close to houses to use a shotgun or will the movement make birds reluctant to land?
A Flapper decoys that inject movement into shot birds are a brilliant attractor when decoying with an airgun. You are correct to assume the movement might spook birds when they get close. The solution is to set up your hide and decoys within range of a ‘sitty’ tree, where birds will land before they get too near the flapper.
The safety implications of taking elevated shots at birds in trees is an important consideration, especially if you are shooting close to houses, so check the backdrop and fallout zone before you set up.
Another way around the problem is to use one with a remote control, such as the FF6 Remote Combo from Flightline Decoys. I often use one of these on the outside of a wide pattern of full-body or shell decoys and use the remote control to stop it moving when birds commit to the
