Neilsmith Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 Hi all, My mate and I have taken over an ex small shoot, with 3 lens 2 in woods and 1 next to trees, we put down 1200 poults, all the land around the lens about 1000 acres is all maize about to be cut. The farmer said he would leave strips/blocks in for cover crop, how far from woods/lens should we leave the crop in and how much. Cheers Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decoy1979 Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 It's almost impossible to give a definitive answer in my opinion as it will depend upon the topography as much as anything. You say ex small shoot, Is there anyone that has previous experience of the ground that could offer first hand advice? Failing that try and find a local keeper that could come take a look and offer there opinion maybe? Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 (edited) Just had a quick measure on google maps, my drives are 3-600 yards from the pens and the guns are 60-120 yards back from the centre of the drives. Blocks are around 1.5-2.5 acres Edited September 19, 2019 by kennett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilsmith Posted September 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 11 hours ago, decoy1979 said: It's almost impossible to give a definitive answer in my opinion as it will depend upon the topography as much as anything. You say ex small shoot, Is there anyone that has previous experience of the ground that could offer first hand advice? Failing that try and find a local keeper that could come take a look and offer there opinion maybe? Good luck. Thanks for repling, I was a gun on the shoot but felt some of the cover worked well but some i thought didnt, ie the strip right next to the wood/pen needed to be further away to make another drive back to wood.Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilsmith Posted September 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 13 minutes ago, kennett said: Just had a quick measure on google maps, my drives are 3-600 yards from the pens and the guns are 60-120 yards back from the centre of the drives. Blocks are around 1.5-2.5 acres Thanks for that, will meet the farmer sat to discuss size and position, would you leave cover either side of ditch/hedge or just one side, or in middle of field, also was going to cut feed rides down middle of cover. Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 Most of mine are up against hedges, ditches or belts on 1 side but you can do whatever suits you or the farmer the best. Have seen plenty of blocks out in the middle of fields that work well, but makes it easier if you have something to feed your birds up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decoy1979 Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 1 hour ago, Neilsmith said: Thanks for that, will meet the farmer sat to discuss size and position, would you leave cover either side of ditch/hedge or just one side, or in middle of field, also was going to cut feed rides down middle of cover. Neil. It may be worth zigzagging feed rides if possible rather than straight line to give birds more sense of shelter/cover too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 1 hour ago, decoy1979 said: It may be worth zigzagging feed rides if possible rather than straight line to give birds more sense of shelter/cover too. And it stops them running straight to the end and flushing all in 1 go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted September 19, 2019 Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 It may seem obvious but you need the cover crops where you want the birds to be driven from. On a hill above the guns is favorite. I like my cover to be up against a hedge or something, but I do have one on a hump near the middle of a field, this is only because the ground is so stoney the farmer can't drill it so we get it for nothing. Birds can be moved quite a distance just move the feeders a bit everyday towards the cover they will soon find it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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