pigeon360 Posted May 13, 2012 Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 I have a small DIY shoot which has been going pretty well over the last few years I had a phone call from the farmer this week to advise me that he will be putting oilseed rape in August in the fields alongside the woods where our release pens are located, he has warned me that if the pheasants damage the rape and cost him money he will have no alternative but to call it a day with the shoot. I will obviously dog the birds back but I cannot stop them wandering into the fields. any advice Please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted May 13, 2012 Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 keep control of the pigeons and rabbits, the damage they can do to rape is huge and pheasants could be blamed for this. in my opion pheasants prefer grain and seeds to rapr seed or leafs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted May 13, 2012 Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 Whatever happens deny everything and insist it is slug damage (which it most probably is!) The only other alternative is to agree an independent valuation of any damage due to game after the event and compensate the farmer accordingly. It is the only fair way to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted May 13, 2012 Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 Not alot you can do really ,but if pheasants like rape as much as partridge be very carefull as ive seen first hand the damage they can do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon360 Posted May 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 Thanks for the :good:replys , I have a meeting with him this week I'll let you kno how I got on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprinter Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 I think you are in for a rough ride here, we had rape surrounding a wood in which we had 600 poults. They did a very fine job of keeping it well mown out to about a 40 yard radius..... Same with duck, we had 125 on a pond and they ate/paddled rape flat for about an 80 yard radius.... No direct experience with keeping large numbers of partridge, but i do remember commenting on how short the rape was near the cover crops on out local partridge shoot... I think it's all going to depend on numbers, if you are putting down a hundred or so and it's a largish bit of wood you're probably not going to notice that much above rabbit/pigeon damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 its hand in pocket time if you want to keep your shooting. That and hope its warm with plenty of moisture to let the rape get away as fast as possible. By offering to compensate him thats about all you can do, it won't be a huge amount assuming they don't take huge areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin g Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 (edited) Just an idea,and may be others can advise more, but would an attractive wild bird mix with aniseed fed out of the pens and scatter fed in your wood to keep them more occupied and away from the rape help. Edited May 14, 2012 by Martin g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSoanes Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 That would help, you could also try putting some bags along the edge of the field just so it looks like your trying to stop them if nothing else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark g Posted May 24, 2012 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 i have had aggro with birds on rape for years and the best way we have found is that we put our later birds where the rape is going and keep them in the pen as long as possible, the farm lads also do thier bit by putting a bit more nitrogen on the areas that the birds will damage, if it gets away ok before the birds get on it, it is ok, if it struggles to establish the birds really dont help, but you are always best to try and work things out beforehand, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smig4373 Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Is there a residual problem that the short rape will attract more pigeons too...therefore increasing the potential damage..?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark g Posted May 26, 2012 Report Share Posted May 26, 2012 Is there a residual problem that the short rape will attract more pigeons too...therefore increasing the potential damage..?? i think there is, pigeons dont seem to like landing in a well established crop, there are farmers round here who dont seem to have any pigeon bother at all and dont use gas guns either and i am convinced it is the way they get the crop going in the first month or two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted May 26, 2012 Report Share Posted May 26, 2012 i think there is, pigeons dont seem to like landing in a well established crop, there are farmers round here who dont seem to have any pigeon bother at all and dont use gas guns either and i am convinced it is the way they get the crop going in the first month or two i agree, goes back to my earlier post, pigeons and rabbits will take advantage of short rape. for sure pheasants will have a go at it , but the pigeons and rabbits will really take the ****. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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