Getting even with the crays
Shooting Times & Country|June 10, 2020
Richard Hardy issues a call to crustacean arms against the invasive signal crayfish
Richard Hardy
Getting even with the crays

It is early June 2017 and on my little chalk stream an irregular spate of sulphur mayflies are hatching, tearing and pushing through the surface tension before coursing downstream. Bobbing, racing and spinning, faster then slower, it is almost as though they are riding an aquatic waltzer, dodging hungry wild brown trout and passing through the midday sunlight.

This pastoral drama has been re-enacted for thousands of years on our fertile southern rivers, but on this particular day it was overshadowed by my first brush with an illegal alien. A single crushed claw, the leftovers from an otter’s midnight feast, was the clue to an invader from the other side of the pond. It is most certainly not good news for my precious chalk stream beats.

The signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, hails from North America and, at 3in to 8in, it is far larger, typically brasher and considerably more voracious than our native white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes. Both share similar freshwater habitats, preferring an adequate depth of moderately flowing oxygenated water, feeding predominately on freshwater invertebrates such as mayfly, caddis and mollusc and spending most of their time sheltered among rocks, tree roots or under the riverbank edge.

Dastardly

The dastardly invader was purposefully introduced to our freshwaters during the mid-1970s as a fast-growing cash crop, with the intention of supplying the lucrative Scandinavian market, which was suffering from a disease known as crayfish plague in its native stocks.

Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin June 10, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin June 10, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 dak  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 dak  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
4 dak  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
6 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
6 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 dak  |
August 02, 2023