No time to rest on our laurels

As fewer shoots are taking place this season, this offers a chance to jump ahead with those conservation projects for the close season

- DR MIKE SWAN

Shoots during the Christmas and New Year break will likelyhave a special significance this year. With a chunk of the season lost to lockdown in most cases, we will all be relishing the Boxing Day armed ramble more than ever. And, as always, it will be a joy to see the younger generation out and enjoying what may be their only day of the season.

With a month to the season’s end, and perhaps a bit more to pack in than usual due to postponements, it will be all too easy to forget that what next season will look like is influenced by decisions made right now. But, if you are involved in shoot management in any way, do try to pause for thought through the festive season.

Low bird counts

With longer breaks than normal between shoot days, we might hope that there are extra birds for the late shoots. If this does not materialise, ask yourself why. Have you failed to provide the extra feed that the higher numbers needed, or is something more fundamental wrong?

Cover crops that have not stood up well could be a factor, so could declining habitat quality in the woods. Is there still a decent shrub layer, or has canopy closure started to starve out the sunlight that is so essential to woodland floor habitat?

Aside from a few very early starters such as ravens and mistle thrushes, there are three months between now and the start of the breeding season for work in the woods that will not risk disrupting any nesting attempts. So working up a plan now gives you the chance to get going as soon as shooting is over, and perhaps hire some help too.