HotShot! Posted January 4, 2013 Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 Hi all. For those of you who don't know micanthus is like a tall grass which now is grown, cut and baled ready to go to power stations to be burnt and used as an alternative fuel. It was introduced into Europe in the 1980s and had mixed review but after developments it is now flourishing ! They plant it in February and harvest in feb to april so it does not coincide with the shooting season. Here is a picture of a poor crop in my opinion. It should be another foot taller !! [media=250x185]http://www.ukagriculture.com/crops/images/miscanthus_plants.jpg[/media] Just wondering if anyone has any experience of miscanthus as a cover crop. This year our farm is putting a 30 acre field into it at another farm of ours. Luckily we don't shoot pheasants at that farm but we have been told it will pull em in. At the farm where we live we have had a Wild bird mix compromising of mustard, triticale, sunflower and maize. Also we have artichokes. None of which make money. This is the last year of the government helping to pay for the seed. At £2000 per acre it soon mounts up if the farmer has to pay for it all hah. However in can earn you £500 per acre. And it is a permanent feature for 25 years. So if you are lucky you could earn £12500 per acre ! Which could help a shoot. So anyway enough gibberish. This topic was just ti discuss if anyone has had any previous experiences with it. Whether it works or not ? Pros and cons. Just toying with the idea of putting some of my drives down to it but don't want to spoil a few. Thanks very much. HotShot ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamekeeper1960 Posted January 4, 2013 Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 A friend where I shoot has been growing it for the last ten years on the huntington cambridgeshire boarder and has used it as cover the only thing is when you get a ten acre field with no path or wheeling its not ideal,trying to keep beaters in line when they cant even see the chap next to him does cause problem. and being a walking gun is a joke you dont get to see the irds. Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotShot! Posted January 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 Yeh well we have it engineered with strips every 5 or 10 m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamekeeper1960 Posted January 4, 2013 Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 Believe you me you wont be able to see through 5 metres ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted January 5, 2013 Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 We have a ex council landfill that borders my best wood, it has been capped and planted this spring with miscanthus as an energy crop and at the moment it seems open and fairly low, in nice weather like today the birds love it, however last week in a howling gale and rain there wasn't a bird to be seen in it and were all back in the wood. Can't see it being too appealing on a wet day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plank06 Posted January 5, 2013 Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 Some relatives have a field on the lane leading to there property with this stuff in it, large amounts of pheasant, partridge and rabbit in and out of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotShot! Posted January 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 Cheers for feedback guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted January 9, 2013 Report Share Posted January 9, 2013 A bit late but its utter ****. Does not hold if in strips beyond 20 yards wide, can cut dogs working it. You cant mark dead birds in it. I had a couple of seasons picking up with a pup, the field the guns stood in on one drive was miscanthus, but only a couple of years planted so still quite open. You could just about pick up in that but the dog would often be out of contact which is not good news for a pup. As for marking your own dead when standing, challenging is a good word. A dog that runs in would be ideal. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotShot! Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 orite cheers for that ! Few mixed reviews but it does make money so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil3728 Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Always wondered what that crop is, there is a fair few fields of it not too far from me. gamekeeper is correct you won't see 5 meters through it. Could see it been quite dangerous to shoot in, if its that thick and you can't see the other shooters around you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotShot! Posted January 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2013 No we were just planning on having 24 metre strips here and there.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted January 13, 2013 Report Share Posted January 13, 2013 As a game crop chickory is far superior. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotShot! Posted January 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Yeh I have heard that and toying with that aswell ! Thanks everyone ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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