Easy does it

In the first of two articles, Marc Bull of Bright Seeds gives his blueprint for achieving the right balance between game and stewardship cropping

- Marc Bull

Gamekeepers today must be familiar with the various growing options that qualify for stewardship funding. The range of schemes denoted by an array of names and numbers can even appear intimidating, especially to the uninitiated. Yet, whatever the complexities, knowing your way around the structures is the premise to viability for shooting in the UK.

Accepting there is no escape from the environmental agenda and the administration it brings (nor should there be), it can be a useful exercise, even a liberating one, to step into the imaginary world of the perfect shoot. Here, the climate is free of excess - not too much heat, wind or rain; food and water are readily available; bird health and welfare are attained with ease, and cover crops stand proud throughout the winter while providing a habitat of textbook diversity. Figuratively speaking, it is the equivalent of an avian five-star country hotel and resort.

Art of the possible

On the basis that high goals are best, should the gamekeeper aim for this ideal? There is certainly no point in seeking an outcome that falls short of what can realistically be accomplished; equally, it is as well not to make perfection the enemy of progress. As all gamekeepers know, life is the art of the possible.

A good starting point is to avoid putting too many eggs into one basket. A sensible scenario is to divide the overall covercrop area into three roughly equal parts perennial, biannual and annual. This not only achieves greater diversity of habitat, it spreads the risk of crop failure, i.e. disease specific to one should not affect the others. To this end, brassicas, chicory, canary grass, mustards and others all have a role to play. And while maize stands out as exceptional in many ways, it is still possible to have too much of a good thing.