Keeperchris

Hi All, Just a quick one, at what age do any of you out there that rear duck release them? We usually put ours out at 5 1/2 - 6 weeks old but they have grown so much this year that they are starting to peck. They are now just over 4 weeks old and I am considering releasing a few to free up the space a bit more. We have given them more space than usual as it is. They have a pond in the run/stables and plenty of drinkers and feeders. Any views welcome. Cheers Chris

Get and buy a Larsen mate, in my opinion and being a little useless at DIY that's the best option. Depending on where u are there are people all over the country that make them. Ladder traps won't work too well for magpies. I bought my last one for £60 from albi traps in norfolk but that was a few years ago. Hope that helps Chris

Just for a comparison the shoot i keeper is just over 300 acres and we shoot 14 driven days! Pm me if you want to chat through it.

I noticed on heart of England game farms website they were selling some if that's any good??

Checked mine today they are all sprouting well and a good inch high. So keep your eyes open scalopax and webber

I use the orange motorway netting does the job!!

Cheers Guys, I agree I need to spend as much as I can. But £100ish is all I have at the moment the Bushnell are anti fog and waterproof so I have hopefully overcome that issue with them. I have managed for 10 years now with a really pants pair, so anything better will be a bonus. Cheers Chris

I release 1200 duck accross 3 ponds on our shoot and dont fence them at all. I spend alot of time foxing early on and it pays off. We shot nearly 850 ducks this year so the returns dont suffer too much. We find it keeps them wild and teaches them early the ways of the world. Works for me but others may disagree. Hope that helps. Cheers Chris

Hey all, am after a decent cheap pair of binoculars for stalking. Am looking at the bushnell h20 in 8x42 or hawke in the same magnification. Both are around the £100 mark. Anyone got any experience with them? Or suggest something else?? I can't afford anything better spent all of last shooting seasons tokens on a Schmidt and Bender scope!! Cheers Chris

I am sure it will be fine fella. Where we hand planted them we ended up topping the ground really hard first, down to the top soil, then planted into that. Worked a treat but not as good as ploughing in.

They don't do well with competition in the first year with grass etc. we hand planted 8sacks last year all but the ones in grass grew. We then ploughed in the rest of the half tonne in a different place and they were all above my head by September!!! If they are not sprouting yet I suggest spraying the area with round up if you can mate! Hope that helps, good luck.

Hope this works what do you think??

Cheers guys, He is probably pushing 3 inches but has poor brow tines, not sure if that efects the scores or not?? Will pop a pic on when I work put how to do it from my Iphone! Cheers Chris

Hey all caught up with a nice munty buck this morning, anyone got any idea on the length that medals start at? Cheers Chris

Hi Paul, I am nearly finished now and we are getting £5 a piece but was also offered by another game farm £4 a piece or 2 poults per hen. Hope that helps.

Cheers all been reading up and I dont think they r for us. Gonna go with canary grass, easy to establish and will hopefully get tussocky over a couple of years.

Well ya learn something every day !!!!lol Well ya learn something every day !!!!lol

Hi All, Have any of you got any experience with pampas grass for game cover? I am considering it for planting in between rows on a new woodland to help with early years cover. We are not allowed to plant artichokes (my first choice)as it is classed as an agricultural crop and we would void our grant if we did, so hence the out of the box thinking!! Cheers c

Cheers guys, meeting this weekend. We will see how it goes. Ended up with an overall of 51% so i am pleased with that. Typical we get this cold weather once the season is over tho. Thanks again for all the comments.

Ello there we have got loads of lonicera which is like box hedging. Takes a couple of years to establish but is well worth it. We have got one drive with it in which if we get it right we can make the drive last three quarters of an hour!!! Laurel is also good. But both need some decent light to get going. Hope that helps!

Cheers for the compliments chaps, we are on 1900 for this season so far for 12 days shooting. Just beaters and a mop up day to go. I certainly don't work from 7 -2!!! But in the summer it's 4 till 10 with the day job in between! I don't hammer the foxes about 20 this year we have such lumpy ground lamping is a nightmare so I sit out on dawn and dusk alot.

Cheers all it's interesting to hear your thoughts, and gives me some serious ammo for negotiations. We are lucky with good ground for holding birds. Would love to say its coz I am amazing but ..... Lol!! And I am sure some out there are thinking we must neighbour a big shoot but we don't we are pretty much stand alone. Cheers

Def not mate but am interested in others views on a part time wage. Cheers

I reckon easily 1000 hours a season bear in mind i dont obviously do it for the money but I think I should get what I am deserved for it coz I don't do a bad job!! Lol cheers for considering it guys.

7 in the syndicate no let days! 4000 birds use of farm mule. No fuel allowance for my commute. 16 miles each way!! And yup no house.