Many times in my role as a GWCT adviser, I have been asked about where to put a pheasant pen on a bare farm with perhaps just one small wood on the boundary. My response is that we need to think about the potential of the ground before we address that; there could be lots of other options that do not involve any pheasant pens.
There is a little block of about 200 acres just over the hill in Wiltshire that is a typical example of the problem. It is basically a bare arable farm, running along a gentle valley, with a small spring-fed stream running through. There is hardly any woodland, just a small piece right on the eastern boundary, directly against a huge forest on the other side.
There are some nice hedges though, with quite a few hedgerow trees, and the stream has a narrow strip of soggy pasture running alongside it at the northern end.
I have known the place for many years, and even visited to advise the little fishing club that stocks the stream, but a new owner who took over a couple of years ago wondered about the shooting potential. When I went, there were already some wild pheasants about, so it was clear that there could at the very least be one for the pot. That said, there really was nowhere for a release pen. With all that woodland over the boundary, most of any release were bound to wander off.
So what to do? First off, a modest hopper feeding programme and some spring predation control could easily help the few pheasants to become a few more. This would offer the owner the chance to take a friend hedgerow bashing several times a season, with every prospect of coming in with a couple of brace to share after a morning’s wonderful sport.
Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin May 19, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin May 19, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside