To feed or not to feed, know that is the question

[The Essex Hunter]

One flew over the hedge

 

Two friends and I have a rough shoot of around 160 acres, which is not a vast expanse by any means these days. However, there is a good mixed bag including pheasants, partridges, woodcock, ducks, rabbits, and a flight line of geese.

I have found a couple of nesting pheasants, so there is know doubt that they are breading on this ground, but our shoot backs on to a farm which has a pheasant shoot on it.

Our ground has a lot of natural cover with quite a few wild apple trees lots of long grass and thick hedges.

There are two ponds and a couple of wet areas so it is quite an oasis for live.

The birds make their way to and from a very large wood that is around half a mile away from our shoot.

We decided to place a number of feeders out for the forth-coming season to try to encourage the birds, which spend their time on our shoot to stay there.

Yes, we do not pay for these birds, but they choose to make their way to our shoot, as all the rest of the game and vermin, which is on this ground.

Vermin is also on our list and we make sure they are taken care of to the best we can, this must help the local shoot, as nobody likes to see broken eggs and a big fat magpie wiping his beak.

We have a friend who brings his working dog as some of the ground is quite over grown.

We are aware of how lucky we are to have this shoot and have written this article to share what we have and to take on board what people’s comments are as to our decision to place the feeders.

 

TEH

[David BASC]

Nothing agianst the law in doing what you do.

 

Game, once out of the pen, is a wild animal and does not belong to anyone.

 

Not at all a bad idea to do all you can on your bit of land to attract and hold game, and encorage wild stock to breed.

 

Feed through the year and keep well on top of preadators

 

David

[scolopax]

You will not have much breeding stock if you keep shooting all the hens.

 

If the ground is as good as you say it is and attracts enough pheasants to keep you entertained naturally (happiness is not always a big pile of dead birds) then why bother with feeders to entice even more birds onto your patch, birds which you say come from the shoot next door.

[The Essex Hunter]

You will not have much breeding stock if you keep shooting all the hens.

 

If the ground is as good as you say it is and attracts enough pheasants to keep you entertained naturally (happiness is not always a big pile of dead birds) then why bother with feeders to entice even more birds onto your patch, birds which you say come from the shoot next door.

 

[davecooper1]

Looks like you have a good little shoot there lads

My pheasant shoot starts next Sat, cant wait.

[al4x]

there is a slightly ethical side to this and ok its missed a few but obviously someone spends time and money putting birds down on the shoot next door, putting feeders out to entice their birds to come over your boundary is perfectly legal but do be ready for a load of potential agro from an angry keeper. What you need to be doubly sure of is that you are on very good terms with your landowner as they don't generally like disputes with their neighbours

[magman]

there is a slightly ethical side to this and ok its missed a few but obviously someone spends time and money putting birds down on the shoot next door, putting feeders out to entice their birds to come over your boundary is perfectly legal but do be ready for a load of potential agro from an angry keeper. What you need to be doubly sure of is that you are on very good terms with your landowner as they don't generally like disputes with their neighbours

 

 

 

Keep your feeders around a flight pond