The wood pigeon is a wild game that offers the hunter the opportunity to compete in a type of hunting that involves the use of roof terraces. Some experts say that the hunter is as if he were to put himself on the same level as this bird, climbing high among the branches of the trees. The morphology, techniques, weapons and ammunition suitable for this type of hunting will be explained below.
The wood pigeon is a wild game that offers the hunter the opportunity to compete in a type of hunting that involves the use of roof terraces. Some experts say that the hunter is as if he were to put himself on the same level as this bird, climbing high among the branches of the trees. The morphology, techniques, weapons and ammunition suitable for this type of hunting will be explained below. Wood pigeon hunting offers unique and extraordinary sensations, considering the tools that are adopted to settle this bird. The roof terraces are an example of how fascinating it is to settle the wood pigeon, since using the latter it is as if it puts us on the same level, waiting a few meters above the ground.
Knowing this bird from the morphological point of view, its food habits and the movements it makes for migrations, can be an additional weapon for the hunter who decides to devote himself to this type of hunting. The wood pigeon is a species of bird belonging to the dove family. It is the largest and most widespread species of pigeon on the European continent.
Il wood pigeon it is 40 to 42 cm long. Its wingspan is between 75 and 80 cm, reaching a weight of 460/570 grams. The chest is slightly lighter pink-gray, while the neck has the characteristic white spots on a greenish coat. With the open wings you can recognize the white transverse bands, which are the main sign of recognition and distinction from similar species, such as the common pigeon and the little dove.
The wood pigeon is widespread not only in Europe, but also in the Middle East, in the north of Scandinavia and in Iceland, in the Black Sea area to find it in the northern regions of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
Although the build is a bit round, the flight of the wood pigeon is fast, direct and above all it allows the latter to change course and flee in case of need. When they take off, the wood pigeons produce a very particular sound noise. In fact, his "voice" is made up of 5 syllables, of which the last 2 are slightly separated from the first three: it could be written as "du-dùùùù-du ... du-du".
The wood pigeon moves in very numerous flocks in search of food. It feeds in particular on seeds, berries, apples, roots and sometimes small invertebrates. During autumn and winter they eat mainly the fruits of the beech trees and the acorns of the oaks.
The wood pigeon leaves the northernmost regions in autumn and then returns there in spring, while in central and southern Europe it is sedentary. In recent years, significant populations have also settled in Italy, with a progressive increase in the population in our territory.
In Italy the Wood pigeon it nests extensively, from the alpine compartment and along the entire peninsula and in the major islands, but with a fragmented distribution in the latter case. The wood pigeon regularly migrates through Italy also to spend the winter in the milder areas, therefore towards the south. The breeding period in Italy was found from the first ten days of April to the last ten days of October.
The post-reproductive migration begins in September and then ends in November, with a peak in October; pre-nuptial migration increases between February and early May, with maximum development in March and early April. The wood pigeon, being a fairly large bird, is endowed with a very fast and suspicious flight, whose particularly dense plumage on the chest makes this bird, to a certain extent, fairly resistant to gunfire. Wood pigeon hunting assumes some specialized types, such as hunting with laughing stock and hunting at passes, and generic situations such as when it passes over when pheasant or woodcock is hunted.
La hunting with the laughing stock it is a very traditional hunt that retains a certain charm for the necessarily perfect organization and for the game that the trained birds carry out to attract and invite the wood pigeons in flight to perch on specially pruned trees. The hunter, hidden among the branches of the tree, comes out into the open only when he decides to aim and shoot the wood pigeon: in this case a good aim and a series of two or three shots are needed to take down the bird.
In this case it is necessary to calculate, in an approximate way, the distance, speed and trajectory of the wood pigeon to shoot it down, therefore a lot of experience. The rifles do not have to have particular characteristics, but only medium length barrels with medium chokes. The situation changes when it comes to hunting at crossings, where shooting distances become longer and birds fly faster. In this context, in addition to appropriate ammunition, magnum rifles with rather long 71/75 cm barrels and very “high” chokes are needed. A semi-automatic shotgun it is considered the weapon of excellence both for the possibility of firing the third shot, which often becomes necessary for very resistant birds, and for the lower recoil effect compared to the shotgun and the over-and-under.
The wood pigeon, considered a sturdy and large caster bird, requires heavy 12 gauge or magnum ammunition, while the typical lead could be 6, although some experts say both 7 and 5 may be fine.
Finally, the dog is the specialist in the recovery of wood pigeons that are shot down: they must find the trace of the wild shot and bring it back to its owner. The dog becomes essential in this type of hunting.
Best of luck!
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