KFC Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Speaking with the Keeper of a neighbouring shoot yesterday morning. The numbers of Buzzards and Kites in our region over the past three years have rocketed to the point where they are causing real problems. On every single cover he's got Buzzards that have taken up residence. They sit on the end of the pens which causes the birds to crowd up to one end and keep them away from the feeders and drinkers and generally stress them out. The Kites are harassing Partridge coveys. He's lost hundreds of birds and they've had to cancel their first three days. It is all very well the various avian groups enthusiastically re-introducing Raptors but there's seems to be no sense of responsibility once the numbers go out of control. It's heart-breaking to see the amount of work, and balance of nature, overturned. We've spent days building conifer tepees for our birds to shelter under to give them a sense of security against Raptors. If anyone else has any constructive suggestions that they have found works then I'd be happy to hear them. I think we should start lobbying DEFRA and Natural England for licences to control. Please do not post any illegal remedies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Make more noise, write to the Daily Telegraph, take photos of the birds killed by the raptors (they do not carry them all away), and yes lobby for licences to control. You should also look out the figures recently released by the RSPB as to the number of predators killed by them. They never wanted the figures to be released for obvious reasons but I believe that they were in this weekend's papers. If the RSPB can kill predators then others can surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Ah, but not the money generating, oh so incredibly rare??, holier than thou, golden geese, keeper beating tools that are birds of prey. Make more noise, write to the Daily Telegraph, take photos of the birds killed by the raptors (they do not carry them all away), and yes lobby for licences to control. You should also look out the figures recently released by the RSPB as to the number of predators killed by them. They never wanted the figures to be released for obvious reasons but I believe that they were in this weekend's papers. If the RSPB can kill predators then others can surely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scobydog Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 On one of the shoots near mine the keeper uses old camouflage netting, this is held off the ground on canes with tennis balls on top to stop the netting sliding down. This is at a height of @ 3 foot, he says it works really well, the corners and middle have string attaching it to trees to keep as taught as possible, this height also allows dogs to run underneath during shoots, he uses smaller galvanised chicken feeders under the netting. S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Ah, but not the money generating, oh so incredibly rare??, holier than thou, golden geese, keeper beating tools that are birds of prey. Perfectly true, but the principle is the same, or rather it should be but maybe it is not for the RSPB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KFC Posted October 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 On one of the shoots near mine the keeper uses old camouflage netting, this is held off the ground on canes with tennis balls on top to stop the netting sliding down. This is at a height of @ 3 foot, he says it works really well, the corners and middle have string attaching it to trees to keep as taught as possible, this height also allows dogs to run underneath during shoots, he uses smaller galvanised chicken feeders under the netting. S Like it, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 There are huge numbers around my area. I took these short films last year as the hay was being cut/baled and I tried counting them as best as I could and there was more than 50 buzzards and red kites. Sorry for the poor filming but I had to zoom my rubbish phone right in to get a half decent picture. What chance does anything else have with this lot hovering everything up and scaring whatever is left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Over the years there's often been one, sometimes two buzzards, sitting on the freshly ploughed furrows but this year from seemingly out of nowhere there are regularly five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 We put a net over our pen until the pheasants are almost fully grown and then we take the net off about 3 weeks before shooting. By this stage the pheasants are almost too big for a buzzard to handle. I do agree that the numbers in our area are ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 We put a net over our pen until the pheasants are almost fully grown and then we take the net off about 3 weeks before shooting. By this stage the pheasants are almost too big for a buzzard to handle. I do agree that the numbers in our area are ridiculous. I know of a small shoot near to me that have made a smaller pen inside the pen using sections and netting the top of it, then once they have got a decent size they've started letting a few at a time out until they're all out. It's the first season they've tried it and it seems to have been quite successful. Don't think it is practical for large pens with large numbers of birds though as it could cause problems especially if the weather was as bad as last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 I know of a small shoot near to me that have made a smaller pen inside the pen using sections and netting the top of it, then once they have got a decent size they've started letting a few at a time out until they're all out. It's the first season they've tried it and it seems to have been quite successful. Don't think it is practical for large pens with large numbers of birds though as it could cause problems especially if the weather was as bad as last season. Quite true about the large numbers. Our pen is probably 40 yards long x 20 yards wide and we got our net made for us about 10 years ago. The net is still going strong and it has saved us a lot of birds over the years. Quite often in the summer we see as many as 7/8 buzzards in the sky at the 1 time on our shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSoanes Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 I counted 7 buzzards circling on the thermals above the field adjacent to one of my release pens last week, not a nice sight. I'm sure the smell of the Bernard Matthews factory less than a mile away draws them in!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Quite true about the large numbers. Our pen is probably 40 yards long x 20 yards wide and we got our net made for us about 10 years ago. The net is still going strong and it has saved us a lot of birds over the years. Quite often in the summer we see as many as 7/8 buzzards in the sky at the 1 time on our shoot. Quite true about the large numbers. Our pen is probably 40 yards long x 20 yards wide and we got our net made for us about 10 years ago. The net is still going strong and it has saved us a lot of birds over the years. Quite often in the summer we see as many as 7/8 buzzards in the sky at the 1 time on our shoot. Have a look at my post #7 and look at my two vids. It's getting beyond a joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 It is unfortunate that released pheasants and partridges attract BOP as they provide an easy food source. It is not uncommon for us to see 30/40 in the air above our valley. All one can do is try and provide cover and shelter in the form of standing crops so that birds can seek shelter when that are at their most vulnerable. Once birds are fully grown and out and about after harvest there is little one can do other than to put down enough extra birds to cover the losses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrshiretaxidermy Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Its not only game birds that are suffering. Years ago, I can recall flocks of Lapwings around here, now hardly any. All the young will have been hoovered up by Buzzards. Kestrels, once a common sight, are also in decline due to huge buzzard numbers. As for Kites, that's just a money making exercise for the RSPB. If they were released and left to disperse and breed naturally that would be fine, but they are held close to feeding stations, so Joe Public can come along and OOOO and AAAA at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parapilot Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 Me and Evo had our decoys attaked by buzzards last week lol, trying to fly off with one!! Quite nice to watch but agree you are seeing a lot more bop these days. I would never shoot one even under a licence I enjoy watching them but can see how they would cause game shoots issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1steele Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 It is unfortunate that released pheasants and partridges attract BOP as they provide an easy food source. It is not uncommon for us to see 30/40 in the air above our valley. All one can do is try and provide cover and shelter in the form of standing crops so that birds can seek shelter when that are at their most vulnerable. Once birds are fully grown and out and about after harvest there is little one can do other than to put down enough extra birds to cover the losses. +1 it's an easy meal on tap. Biggest problem is for some of the smaller shoots who only put small numbers down to start with or anyone running a wild bird shoot. Not quite as bad for taking them once they're fully grown but they still scare the **** out of them and can make it hard work getting them where you want them. Providing good cover is about the only thing that helps. I find that when cutting feed rides you're best off not cutting them in a straight line but in a sort of S shaped curve so the BOP doesn't get an easy flight path to have a good run at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted October 21, 2013 Report Share Posted October 21, 2013 How many BOP would there be without the free food we provide annually. NE are a bit of a waste of space IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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