Our English Wood Pigeon are very loose feathered. After taking the retrieve the dogs know the word 'feathers' and they come to have them removed from around their mouths. It is surprising how quickly they learn this word. There's no close season here for either woodpigeon or collared doves but I do most of my shooting from February through to April shooting as they come in to roost. There is some winter decoying over crops but that can only really take place if the land isn't used for pheasant shooting. After pheasant close season on 1st. February then that's when I really get going. Lagopus.....