Millomite Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 We have a small shoot on 500 acres of valley bottom. Surrounding that there's well over 10000 acres of open fell. As such we struggle to hold the birds which are closest to the fell side as they get on there and carry on walking!!! Cover crops arent an option up there as the terrain is just too steep. Anyone got any practical solutions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 We have a small shoot on 500 acres of valley bottom. Surrounding that there's well over 10000 acres of open fell. As such we struggle to hold the birds which are closest to the fell side as they get on there and carry on walking!!! Cover crops arent an option up there as the terrain is just too steep. Anyone got any practical solutions? Regular dogging in and plenty of full, functional feeders I would have thought. WGD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millomite Posted January 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Problem with dogging in is that it's a syndicate shoot we run ourselves and we all work during the week so really only leaves weekends for any serious dogging in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markm Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 Problem with dogging in is that it's a syndicate shoot we run ourselves and we all work during the week so really only leaves weekends for any serious dogging in Try hay bales with corn poured on or you get get blocks of mixed seeds held together is molasis (spelling?) I think, only problem is rats love em as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 in that case feeding is the only option make sure you have hoppers and that they are never empty. Then keep on top of vermin and if you can't dog in then thats about the limit of what you can do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nav54 Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 all that has been said mate is good but do remember that a pheasant is naturally inquisitive and it will allways roam the hedge rows but if your hoppers are full and in the right places they all ways remember where the food is easy get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
young airgunner Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 ANISEED game spice. just dont stop though as they will ****** off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted January 24, 2008 Report Share Posted January 24, 2008 We have a small shoot on 500 acres of valley bottom. Surrounding that there's well over 10000 acres of open fell. As such we struggle to hold the birds which are closest to the fell side as they get on there and carry on walking!!! Cover crops arent an option up there as the terrain is just too steep. Anyone got any practical solutions? Regular dogging in and plenty of full, functional feeders I would have thought. WGD Feeders being the most important of the two ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 You also may want to re-think the amount of birds that are put down, could be to many pheasants densily populated for the habitat. You could may try and put down some ducks if you have a pond? and put less pheasants down, i always think that you have to get the balance right and its all down to trial and error. Was there a time where less birds where put down? if so how did those returns go? Just a suggestion. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millomite Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Not sure mate. I think the woods where we release them are big enough for what we put down, 400. Our main wood is approximately 40m wide by 200m long. 180 birds were released last year into a pen approximately 120m circumference. The next biggest wood is about 35m wide by 120m long. This got 150 birds and held well The other pen was about 15m x 35 metres and had about 70 in. This again held well until about December The main problem we have is our release pen in the big wood. It is too close to the open fell so we are going to give it a miss this year. We got 1 pheasant from the wood although many were shot at. We have a couple of other option for pens on the low ground, closer to the other woods. Probably split the 180 from the big pen into two batches in smaller, scrubbier plantations. We're going to be releasing duck in addition to the pheasants this year as we used to with great success. We used to release 50 and get about 35-40 back. I've just ordered a load of books on keepering and running a small syndicate shoot from Amazon so will be reading them to try and help out with the shoot when work allows. Also going to have a chat with the farmer about the possibility of game crops or planting willow, holly etc in woods as a bit of low cover for the birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 If the wood holds the birds early season but not later then it sounds like the wood may be too cold with insufficient ground cover. Plant some windbreaks or use bales of straw, also put in some ground cover shrubs, privet snowberry brambles etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millomite Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Yeah not sure about snowberry as it's not a native. Main woods are pine plantations so very little light gets through to ground level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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