Jump to content

am i poaching birds????


Recommended Posts

hi


over the last 3 years i have been trying to increase the number of birds on my land by using cover strips, feeders, habitat improvements and predator control its only small (140 acres) and has no where suitable to put birds down! i am really paranoid i could be upsetting my neighbours, we shoot maximum 30 birds per year so not too many the idea is to increase the wild population especially grey partridge (although we dont shoot them), its become a brilliant hobby and this year i'm seeing great results but i don't want my neighbours thinking i'm poaching there birds don't get me wrong im under no illusion and no full well that there will be a percentage of birds that will come on to my land and that we will shoot but i can also see the results of the time and money we put in too.


i would really appreciated what you guys think and what you think i should be doing


cheers


mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds to me like you are doing all the right things, if you happen to end up with a few of your neighbours birds then so be it, your ground is obviously more to their liking and when all is said and done you are not slaughtering 100's a week.

 

keep up the good work on the habitat improvement and vermin control and you will be putting far more in than you are taking.

 

Atb

 

Ade

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Might be worth releasing some ex layers next season? You could release them from a temporary pen made from pen sections? I have got a small shoot that is surrounded by shoots. I release 100+ pheasants and 50 Mallard every season and shoot less than 50%. Only shoot cock pheasants and have built up a nice number of birds on the ground. One of the neighbouring keepers is a real gent. By being fair I have been invited on his beaters day and got some vermin shooting. If possible its worth getting on with your neighbours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Invite your neighbouring keepers to come and have a walk through with you to show them what work you have put in creating your little shoot. Explain you only shot 30 birds last season (unless they only release 500 birds or less) then they can't really see you as a poacher. You never know, you might get an invite their shoot.

 

Good luck for the season

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As someone else suggested, why not buy some ex-layers and then you can enjoy guilt free shooting. One crate holds 16 birds so two would cover your annual bag, and would cost you in the region of £2.75 per bird to buy, and then release them onto your land. A shoot near us releases about 100 ex-layers each June to supplement wild stock and they don't even have any pens. They just open the doors and let them be going.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You're doing nothing wrong, but to keep a clear conscience I'd be releasing a few ex-layers - just as others have suggested.

 

Keep your records of purchase etc and if you are ever challenged then at least you have some evidence to back it up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it was me I would,

 

Invite keeper round to have a look and a chat.

 

Suggest your shoot numbers

 

Either release ex layers

 

Or ask if you could contribute a few birds to his shoot

 

Don't forget vermin control is helping him

 

See how you go, maybe invite him on a day, you never know.

 

Good luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The neighbouring keeper actually told me to once when I was scrounging Pheasant for dog training but still I don't that much at all, I don't put any down. That said I dont feed either IF I fed I certainly think you should release something otherwise it looks like your just baiting for his birds to come in

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

hi

over the last 3 years i have been trying to increase the number of birds on my land by using cover strips, feeders, habitat improvements and predator control its only small (140 acres) and has no where suitable to put birds down! i am really paranoid i could be upsetting my neighbours, we shoot maximum 30 birds per year so not too many the idea is to increase the wild population especially grey partridge (although we dont shoot them), its become a brilliant hobby and this year i'm seeing great results but i don't want my neighbours thinking i'm poaching there birds don't get me wrong im under no illusion and no full well that there will be a percentage of birds that will come on to my land and that we will shoot but i can also see the results of the time and money we put in too.

i would really appreciated what you guys think and what you think i should be doing

cheers

mike

 

I take it you are carrying out pest control on the foxes as well then don't worry about it...............

 

TEH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep onside with your neighbours - keepers can be a funny bunch especially if they are under pressure. I beat on a shoot near our small syndicate and get a lot of stick about how many of 'their birds' we shoot. Our shoot has two p/t keepers they have full time keeper plus work experience lads and other help - who has the advantage??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How many birds do your neighbouring shoots put down?

If they are a big commercial shoot putting 30,000 down then your 30 won't make the slightest difference. However if they are a small syndicate only releasing 200 then your 30 will make a huge dent in their returns.

You are helping them out with predator control, but I would still have a chat to be polite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would try to start a good working relationship with the keeper next door , ask them for advice, most keepers like to help each other, communal activity's like fox drives / pigeon & crow roost shoots can be held on the same days on both estates making them more effective for both of you !

 

at least try to release some birds, it would give you more questions to ask him . if you need any pen sections and nets I have some old ones you can have ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think on 130 acre u will always be poaching birds, BUT if ur shooting so few and with doing all the habitat work :good: instead of just feeding them in, u could actually be doing the keeper a favour by driving them back out of ur little haven. Otherwise they would all just settle there and not move if not getting disturbed, which would actually be far worse for the nieghbouring keepers

 

I would try and speak to the neighbouring keepers, mibee text them if u see a fox or someone snooping about there ground etc, all keepers are different some will not be bothered while others might be but in reality 30 birds a year should not really matter to any larger shoot

 

U prob would be as well to release a few ex layers and like someone else said ring/tag them and see wot u shoot and wot ur neighbours shoot of ur's

Edited by scotslad
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No such thing as poaching birds unless you are shooting them on his ground. Just gamekeeper's excuses for losing their birds.

 

If a keeper can't keep his birds on his place then that is his fault, not yours, and he will just be looking for a excuses for failing to do his job. Crack on and tell him to do his job better

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No such thing as poaching birds unless you are shooting them on his ground. Just gamekeeper's excuses for losing their birds.

 

If a keeper can't keep his birds on his place then that is his fault, not yours, and he will just be looking for a excuses for failing to do his job. Crack on and tell him to do his job better

 

That Sir, is the biggest load of tosh I have read on this forum and shows a complete lack of knowledge, etiquette and understanding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No such thing as poaching birds unless you are shooting them on his ground. Just gamekeeper's excuses for losing their birds.

 

If a keeper can't keep his birds on his place then that is his fault, not yours, and he will just be looking for a excuses for failing to do his job. Crack on and tell him to do his job better

I can agree poaching can only take place on land you have no authority to be on, but from the above it is clear you don't really understand how driven shooting works.

To deliberately place feeders, especially on boundaries bordering land on which birds are released to entice birds onto your land or keep birds on your land with a view to shooting them without stocking the land yourself isn't poaching, but it is certainly underhanded and frowned upon. If you allow the 'keeper and his staff onto your land to dog in (without putting out feeders on your land) then fair enough, but it doesn't appear that is the case.

If it were me, I would buy a few ex-layers simply as a token gesture of goodwill. You never know, as a result you may even get the odd invite, whereas following your train of thought you certainly wont.

It is good to get on with ones neighbours rather than antagonise them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...