malantone Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 After a 48% return last season 12/13, this year is looking dismal 20% with one day to go, we are only a small shoot on 300 acres, we haven`t done anything different this year to what we did last, the only difference has been the weather, its been so mild our birds seem to have left the wood. how have the rest of you faired? it will be interesting to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 We're knocking on the door of 40% again, we would have easily gone over 40% last weekend but I want to run one wood as a wild bird shoot so were catching up hens and have gone cocks only Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedd-wyn Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 Better this year for us at 35% with 200 less birds down. Last season was about 23% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonker Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Our avererage is far better on both my shoots this year, I don't know what birds you have on your shoot. On ours we changed to Kansas Bluebacks. The difference is very noticeable. Stil lots of birds about (despite a good dose of poaching) and we have found that these birds stay at home far more than others we have tried. I'm not teaching you to suck eggs, but do a bit of research and see what you come up with! If your birds are not set in stone, it might be woth a try ( my opinion only)... Kansas do tend to be slightly smaller, and fly slightly quicker. Good luck in future whatever you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Kansas had the worse reputation for straying when they first appeared on the scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Was just thinking the same! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Kansas had the worse reputation for straying when they first appeared on the scene. Heard that also. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonker Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Kansas had the worse reputation for straying when they first appeared on the scene. Can only comment on what HAS happened on our shoots, not hearsay or rumour. We have more birds around now than former years and our daily numbers are up. Perhaps we have been lucky this year (who knows)? The facts don't lie and I said to the op to do some research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webber Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 We had our last formal shoot last Saturday. Pheasants returned 41% which is the best that we've achieved; ducks only managed 20%, but we had issues with preditors. We had a cover crop for the first time; several additional feeders and mild weather coupled with more ground cover thanks to the woods being fenced off a couple of years ago. There is a mop up shoot on Saturday; sadly I can't attend as I've broken the quadbike and had no time to fix it. Hopefully the lads will manage a few more and we may achieve 42%. An excellent result for a small DIY keepered shoot. webber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Kansas had the worse reputation for straying when they first appeared on the scene. I presume Michigans are the same as Kansas, as it was Michigans which tried to get back to the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedd-wyn Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 We tried Melanistics on one part of our shoot and they sticked incredibly well, much better than the Blacknecks we had on the other side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonker Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 (edited) Sorry guys my last post sounded snotty, didn't mean it to! as Kes says it's the Mitchigans that wander, the Kansas are known to stay at home. Google Kansas Blueback and read some posts. They really have stayed on our shoots ATB Edited January 30, 2014 by tonker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifly Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 48% this season so far with the beaters day to go should be in low 50% by end of Saturday, not to bad for a wet mild season but I will be glad to see the end this year. we normally have a massive influx of birds in to the woods if we get a cold period as they are full of brambles and we straw and feed the rides very heavy but not this year the birds are all over the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffy58 Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 I`m the same, 40 % last year, this year has been dismal, we have changed nothing from last year, must be the conditions. We have Kansas first cross, same as last year, last day this Saturday, then I will do the figures. Not looking forward to that :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markm Posted January 30, 2014 Report Share Posted January 30, 2014 Ducks 86% Pheasants hope to get low to mid 20's% Gutted!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tollerman Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 I don't think the mild ( if wet ) winter has helped much .Too much food about in the hedgerows unlike last year when we had all that snow.The harder the weather the closer the birds stay to the feeders.All shoots have there ups and downs over the years so no need to get disheartened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Indeed, I don't think we've had any real cold frosty nights as yet, that's the biggest problem! Could have done with a hard week or two around mid December to bring stragglers back in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazza9t9 Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 We did well, not far off 50% return We are only a very small syndicate. Out of the 200 pheasants, mixture of poults and ex layers, we got 98 I think the last figure was plus other heads. We are looking at increasing numbers for next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 We are only a very small syndicate, the birds are put out to give us (family & friends) somewhere to go every Saturday to work the dogs, have a shot & have some craic. Anyway we put out 82 poults & shot 41, so exactly 50%. We ended up taking 30 foxes off the shoot this year, between lamping & snaring. This is a good return for such a small shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 A walk around on Saturday by three of us accounted for another 7 cock pheasants, hens were left, this put us to 38%. 115 total from 300 released. If I cheated and included the few pheasants we shot in a 'satellite' wood a few miles away from the main shoot and where we do not release the return would be 45%. Partridges were down to 11%, 9 shot from 80 Redlegs lol. None held at all in our cover strip where they were released, 60 disappeared for good a few weeks after release but 20 took a liking to a couple of feeders in a hedge bottom and it was that one covey which gave us a bit variety in the bag through the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted February 2, 2014 Report Share Posted February 2, 2014 Forgot about partridge, 2 in the bag out of 30 English released Impressed with how well they kept, seen them most shoot days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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