jall25

Respectfully this is perhaps where we can let ourselves down Rob has asked for some information as he is not quite sure - so why not help him make an informed decision - If he still is not for shooting of live quarry - well at least hopefully he wont be against it Rob - i will not deny a game shoot is "fun" - its a brilliant social occasion - its the culmination of many months of work - in some cases - its the opportunity to watch the droves of duck come off the ponds you have built that have been fledged from nests you constructed - Its the opportunity to watch flocks of fiches come and then return to the game covers en masse - Its the chance to see the dogs doing what they do - the people away from work and pressures in the fresh air. The actual killing ? Its all part of it and should be as quick as possible - i would perhaps think better than the way most animals go out Keep asking the questions and maybe get out and go and see a shoot for yourself. If you dont like it no need to ever return Regards

Without a shadow of doubt

Mosaics of habitat is whats bringing the results for us

We are here Clangerman -but for how long -and with what red tape ? I remember the days as im sure you do - when you could walk a hedgerow as a kid and shoot a pigeon - just for dinner To me the biggest loss if game shooting went would be the conservation work that is put in as part and parcel of it all on so many shoots. Me and indeed many of my members enjoy that aspect of it more than pulling the trigger

950 posted ?

I would also suggest spreading this amongst fishermen - and all our farming friends I wonder what the effects would be if live quarry shooting was banned Would that mean less shooters and therefore higher costs Would it mean less clay grounds - the shoot we run has a few clay days and i know would not have those if it was not hand in hand with the game shoot What would happen to all the gunshops ? Would the clay shooters offer enough trade If they ever get to ban live shooting it will be a rapid domino effect -Guns will go - then fishermen - Its time to make a stand about all this stupidity My opinion

Yes that is odd Our last year had perhaps 40 percent occupancy - but every one was used as a look out post Put them the other way in the wind - even if you think its wrong for a try Try straw rather than hay - and make them wider so they can get in and out I have had mallard - coot - moorhen - mandarin use them for definite I think a teal is in one now - but i dont want to look too close because they almost have their own little pond they use and are very skitty - something is in there for sure - i can see it on the thermal

Amazing work that is

Just as another tip that i have found that has worked well is the addition of supplementary feeding of the ducklings - particularly the first hatches because certainly up here the insects are not always about in numbers this early I use meal worms

We Well the wife actually made ours this year perhaps 1and a half times larger and we used wheat straw - Seems to have made all the difference I have put some in the water and also some on the islands

Great ! May i ask do you always use hay ?

Just starting to see the odd egret up here Getting a few parakeets about and hundreds and hundreds of stock doves

Good stuff ! Yes we have had a few Greylag - its funny only 3/4 years ago we never saw a single one round us - now they are a fairly regular sight Watched the canada gander give the greylag a right hiding last week Never seem to bother with the ducks - just a quick swim at them and the ducks move off

Would just say try and get them up ASAP Walker As i put them up they move in within a day or two One of my new ones got flattened when we had all that snow - and it was full of eggs early March i think

Ask Conor on here from BASC for a contact within BASC He is a good guy @Conor O'Gorman

Good to see I used chicken wire for the last few years and had an occupancy of circa 40 percent on the 20 odd duck tubes out During this year refurbishment of the ones that needed doing i used sheep fencing wire - made them a lot stronger - also made them a bit wider for access Occupancy of these is circa 90 percent so far ! - i perhaps refurbed and made 15 new ones I also have used wheat straw instead of hay They have mandarin / mallard / moorhen in so far Got another 2/3 going up this week and expect the first broods out this next week Made about 25 little ponds / splashes and all are teaming with duck and geese now

Couple of pairs left

£1250

£1000 posted ?

Done and shared with 125 shooting associates

Great idea !

I bet knowing Country Gun was amazing ! I grew up reading him and Colin Willock I recently asked shooting times to re-run from the beginning all their articles ! Happy happy days

27 yesterday Mix of crow and jackdaw on dairy farm Total 124

Im with you I say it to the Mrs all the time

Dog fox tonight - circa 80 yards Shot good but ran 15 yards with a hole in him the size of a football - amazing what nerves can do - .270 130 grain Saw another so will be back out tomorrow after a day on the corvids