Stopping Birds Running Forward

[Millomite]

Just want to pick peoples brains here. One of our woods is a fir wood, approximately 35m wide by 250m long. There are a number of rides cut through this wood so we can get the quad in, and as fir woods tend to be, they are a bit sparse on ground cover. We have felled a few trees and left them in for a bit of cover and to try and stop the birds running down the length of the wood to the end of the drive which is normally what happens. They then tend to all flush together no matter how carefully the beaters move in on them.

 

Does anyone have a similar situation and how do you combat it?

 

We're going to try sewelling approx 30m from the end of the wood this year.

 

Also spoken to someone else who suggested putting chicken mesh, 3 foot high, at intervals across the wood to stop the birds from running. Has anyone tried this method?

Edited September 17, 2008 by Millomite

[Guest stiv24]

Also spoken to someone else who suggested putting chicken mesh, 3 foot high, at intervals across the wood to stop the birds from running. Has anyone tried this method?

 

This is the ideal option but it doesn't need to be 3 foot hight, 18 inches will be fine. Our estate shoots 150/200 bird days and puts down about 4000 birds and all flushing points are chicken wire.

 

If you just hang the chicken wire the beaters can lift it off the ground as the beat the drive so the birds can come and go normally until the next shoot when you drop the wire the night before or early on shoot day.

[henry d]

Check your skyline too, birds won`t/can`t flush unless there is a clear area of sky. Several open areas of skyline with thick brashings nearby will be better than a wood where there is no skyline until the birds exit the wood .....usually in one flush.

[snozzer]

Can you cut a couple of large openings (10yds wide) about 2/3rds of the way along so they have a clear skyline to launch out of and over the rest of the trees towards the gun line.

 

Where is the release pen and feed hoppers in relation?

 

What incentive is there for them to fly towards the gunline?

[al4x]

pheasants run as there isn't enough cover, as said encourage some openings further back, line up the brashing in piles which will give them somewhere immediately to hide but over the next few seasons you'll find brambles should establish and the ******* can't run through them so tend to sit tighter

[Quist]

If you make brush cover or put up chicken mesh, angle it towards a chosen break point as they will run along it.

[highseas]

well after asking head keeper andy is the wood flatish or on bank even so make 2 3 flushing points along the wood with brash lines and open canopy so the birds have some where to aim for are they flying to their home wood and are they fed to this wood

some times they will just go all in one and theirs nowt can be done can you drive the wood the other way maybe