markyboy Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 Hello all, this year I got a good sized pond and had a good crack with the farmer while watching what was coming in ( not very much) any way the surrounding hills all round about and are covered with thick gorse and wind bushes! And years ago rides were chainsawed out to be able to beat it out! The area is rather high up and is more prone to the elements so can be cold up there! Any advice on how to get partridges going would be great for next season and how to hold them are they a lot like pheasants ? I've got a lot of knowledge on pheasants but not partridge ! But think it might be to cold up there for pheasants ? Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted October 5, 2012 Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 I have to say ours all like large areas of open ground so not sure whether it will hold partridges be interesting to see if anyone has land like it and makes it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyboy Posted October 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2012 Well apparently it use to be a real hit a few years back lots of open hills and cover where the feeders would be and pens ? Still pens up there around 8 of them ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted October 6, 2012 Report Share Posted October 6, 2012 Pheasants will put up with far worst weather then partridges. If your high, wet and cold don't expect partridges to do well after the end of October, however they should provide good sport for September and October before the pheasants take over. As long as your birds are hardened off and your pens are sheltered you should be fine. Shelter in the pens is important. Keep them penned as long as possible and when you release them keep some back in the pens to act as call birds which will help in keeping the released ones from straying to far. Keep feeding pellets and of course water right through the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillmouse Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 I agrre the pens should be sheltered, birds fully hardened off and plenty feeders. I let mine out as soon as possible, 50% on day after release, 25% the day following, and then trickle the remainder out every other day, aiming to have all of them out after 4 weeks. Partridges in pens are very vulnerable to predators, theft and disease. Call birds are not neccesary and why would 4 in a pen have more effect than 400 out of it? I am convinced the more pens used (within reason) the more chance of them holding on an area. A solitary isolated pen of redlegs invariably fails. We released 4000 in 8 pens on a bracken and whinberry fell. Returns made around 40-50%, best 53%, worst 38% and we shot once a week for 6 weeks as the brackens died back and the weather got too much after about mid-October. A colleague releases 6000, from the same batch as mine, with NO pens at all. Straight out the crates and achieves similair returns off heather and Juniper moorland. Partridges love gorse and dust and shelter amongst it by choice. If the budget allows feeding pellets as long as possible will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markyboy Posted October 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2012 Interesting comments guys I might even put out a few pheasants aswel and see how I go! It's a large area plenty thick cover for them and open hills and wet areas! No real woodland just thick gorse ! Will need work and a partridge coming off the hill face will prove a testing shot to anyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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