Quist

Just watch the status of the goalposts in the proposed updates to the Natural England licenses

They also moult this time of the year and may not be able to fly so they have to walk everywhere. They like to stay quite close to water to escape to if threatened though. I think they find Rye grass a bit tough and prefer the softer grasses that you find on Golf Greens.

It could be something to do with the length of grass. They like it short

Its no longer legal in the UK. The manufacturers withdrew it because they couldnt afford to have all the necessary EU testing done. Sadly missed IMO

If youve got deer on the property, you could try suspending the feeders from trees since it stops the deer from knocking them over.

Hi, I'm looking for a half gun in a syndicate in the Exter-Torbay area. PM me if youve got something

Hilux, its got all the grunt you need when in matters

Unlucky to slaughter rooks by their nests and not eat them. "Curses like Rooks's fly home to roost in bosoms and bairns"

Yep, there's a reason for those bone-like tendons in the drumsticks. They didn't get them by flying everywhere!

You don't say much about cover or feeding. Check that there is plenty of understorey, bramble, bracken etc for them. Try a battery operated grain spinner on a timer. I think Cabelas do them. Whatever you do, you aren't going to be able to shoot every bird you put down.

Buzzards are quite territorial so, if you have a pair on your shoot, they will tend to try and drive off others, other raptors and even their own young when grown. They don't feed every day and the number of losses you could put down to them over the course of a year is probably quite small. Since you can't legally do anything to drive them off, the sensible thing to do is protect yourself. Put a cap net over the pens until you new birds can properly fly and make sure that there is lots of groundcover and understory for your birds to hide in. Put out rabbits, crows and other vermin for them. Every one of those they eat is a pheasant less. Warn the guns on shoot day briefings so that some silly sod doesn't mistake one for a hen pheasant. You will lose some birds to them. Pheasants are even more stupid than sheep and will go out into the middle of open spaces to feed. However, they will soon learn that Buzzards are to be avoided and hug the cover more. Keep up the predator control, you can still lose more in a single night to a fox or mink than a buzzard will take in a year.

Yep, IanF is good. That is, if he's the guy that shoots the West end of Dorset area? I went out with him a couple of times and learned a lot.

It may have got imprinted on the operater at the hatchery and is confused as to who you are and its relationship with you. In the wild it would imprint on its mother follow her around and learn feeding and other behaviours from her. Maybe your parenting skills are lacking 80)) Since their early months are in an artificial environment, you can expect a percentage to grow up a bit loopy!

You see the problems but miss the points both about the law and those willing to prosecute it.

Put up a notice by the pen saying killing or wounding pheasants with an air rifle during an act of trespass probably counts as "Armed Trespass" and if cuaght, they could do time for it. The RSPCA would be only too pleased to have their scalps too.

Good advice from Alycidon & Mr Pieman. I would add a formal safety briefing before each shoot day using a written check list so that both guns and beaters have been freshly reminded of what is expected.

We've used one. You can set them to use IR and no flash and to only record on movement. All for around the £100 mark. However, the challenge is to get them close enough to record faces good enough to be considered evidence without being spotted and vandalised. An ivy covered tree might help but bear in mind that any leaves with sensor range that flap about in the wind will trigger a picture. Also, try to ensure a light background because they record in B&W and dark on black doesn't give you much to go on. Take the time to play with it first so that you thoroughly understand what they can and cant do.

Sheep worrying will have left blood on them too. The owner should have spotted that the first night and not let them out again. I too would have shot them without a moment's hesitation. Caught red-muzzled. The owner has only himself to blame. Bad training and management lead to their deaths, not your attempts to create a living in the countryside.

If you're using a modded 22 on the coneys, on foot and with just a spotting torch and no dog it shouldn't disturb the greys. However if your'e charging about on a quad bike with a lamp, then yes it will disturb them

I've found the small birds messy eaters and they scatter seeds below the heads which the game feeds on. Squirrels completely mullah a head and theres nothing left for anything. You can try putting a paper bag over the heads to protect them. Don't use plastic as it keeps moisture in and the seeds will go mouldy. This should allow the heads to mature

Well, if you don't want flack from neighbouring shoots, feed early before they release their poults so that you know you really do have wild or overwintering birds. Otherwise you are going to get an earwigging from some very hard working and annoyed neighbours. Feelings run high on our shoot because the next door one shoots our ducks without putting any down themselves

Alycidon is right, only burn non processed wood, you don't want the birds ingesting staples and nails from the ash either

Its illegal to release any non native species into the wild. If you release them but claim them to be domestic livestock, you could find yourself facing cruelty charges if you don't provide them with adequate housing and support. The RSPCA would love to hang your scalp from their wall.

These opportunities don't come up often. So if you have an interest, get in touch with the chap and offer to assist.

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