Jimmer

I have a massive problem that a fox/foxes have moved into our pheasant pen, there are several entrances to the earths inside and just outside. We have our ex-layers coming soon and need them gone ASAP. What is the best way to get rid. It's not ideal for rifle shooting as the terrain is difficult. I did think about baiting them to a nearby field where a safer/ easier shot can be taken. Any help much appreciated Cheers

We are currently setting up a new dairy unit and Arla are now deciding if they do or don't want to take on more customers, so we may not even be able to sell our milk. Unfortunately robotic milking, high input dairying and high genetic herds are really going to struggle to turn any profit even with there single farm payment. We're a cross bred herd on a grazing system with 1.5 men and one 25 year old loader tractor and make very good money from dairy, but with compotition for land from digesters and pv is only going to get harder, only the best businesses will survive. With most milk now being powdered and exported and joe public drinking less milk than ever, it really is a global supply and demand thing and no one will stop that. No one was complaining last December when the prices were at a record high, you just have to take the rough with the smooth. The problem is when the price was high people have expanded their inefficient systems and all other costs(feed, machinery) always track with the milk price, so sheds were being build left, right and centre and now these people have really got it tough, but there is no direct link between output and profit, 3p per litre profit on 3 million litres, or 14p per litre profit on 1 million litres, milk price goes down 5p per litre = carnage.

Pm'd Many thanks

Want to make a shooting frame for our Polaris ranger and wondered if anyone has any pics of theirs on any other make.

Am currently using a lightforce pred9 and it is fine for bunnies but seems to lack the range for spotting foxes, but I am used to the 240. Was looking at a nightsearcher commander xl-m, does anyone else use this? Or are there any other alternatives that throw out a 400 yard beam and one possibly with an adjustable beam, or am I looking for the impossible! Any views welcome

Great advise thanks

I was told never to tag our birds as I'd end up cheesed off by the end of the season on how little of the ones shot were actually ours. I think the fact is that quite a few will always leave and its up to you to attract some back, if your shoot has a good habitat and plenty of feed and a good keeper small shoots surrounded by other shoots can potentially always poach others back, whether there yours that have left already is another question.

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like anything around an acre will be fine. A bit more info:- It's our own land(250 acres) and have our own drill, plots are on edges of fields on top of steep hills above a valley. When I say put up 60 a drive, I don't mean shoot 60 per drive I would expect to shoot 1 in 5 ish, that's 11 per drive ish at the start of the season from 3 drives, using 5 beaters 4 dogs and a couple of flagers/stops, guns are all on pegs.I would expect to shoot al least 40%(we shot 50% last year) and we are well on target this year (43% shot already and still 3 days left)we are pretty much the last shoot in the exe valley at its narrowist point with all of exmoor above us, theres 1 small shoot about 2 miles away and a commercial shoot 1.5 miles away. We have been using only kale, was thinking of canary grass/game bird mix next year that contained some food, to make a plot that would not need reseeding. All birds are ex-layers. We open pen up 6 weeks before the first shoot, they generally wonder a bit and then come back when winter sets in.

+1 for bazantys, we have them this year and they are jumpy, but fly amazingly, and seem to hold as good as any other, if not a bit better. You just need some good shots on peg.

Is there a ratio of m2 to a pheasant? Or what are people's plot sizes for birds put down? Is south facing preferable? We have plots from 0.85 acre to about 2 acres and sometimes 8 acre fields of kale. We find small plots easier get the birds going over the guns, but they do sometimes all go up at once. We put down about 400 birds and want them in 3 permanent drives roughly 0.85 each. Would like to put 60 birds out on every drive, is this reasonable? Many thanks in advance

Not sure if this should be in the equiptment section but thought this was more appropriate! Can anyone reccommend a reliable model of walkie talkie as I'm fed up of my Motorola xtr446 from not working properly. Probable need 12 km range or better as our shoot has deep valleys. Any help much appreciated.

Swift, I drilled some patches last Thursday as the pigeons got our kale.

Think this might be the one for me.I have a 6-18x44 redfield revenge with parallax. Will this work well with the NS200. Also what is battery life like? Cheers

Looks really promising. Cheers

Looking at purchasing a nv scope for my .22 LR for rabbit control up to 100 yds. I have a limited budget. Also what are they like for daylight use? Any help much appreciated. Cheers