Call birds

norma 308

Well-Known Member
Interested to see if shoots leave a few call birds (partridge) in the release pens or do you inline with the good shoot practice release everything and pack it all away before shooting commences I am not looking to pour scorn on those that do leave call birds in just wanting to see if others do and if the size of shoot and number of birds released makes any difference to release methods .
regards
norma
 
we did but we had ours out in mid August and trickle released them and all were out come mid september. Works very well but wouldn't keep them in close to shooting, only a small syndicate but they seem to hold well using this method.
 
im using call birds atm but then i put out a few thousand partridge over the week end

call birds will be iout and targets before we commencein a fourtnight
 
Put down 4000 partridge in 6 pens first week of August. Second day released a couple of hundred from each pen, left it a day, fourth day released about 100 from each pen, left it a day, sixth day released about 200, seventh day 100. Left it a couple of days and then opened a corner of the pen to release the remainder. Prior to shooting parts of the pens have been dismantled so that birds can run straight through. Roughly 8 feeders per pen and all are located near to the release pens. Feeders are slightly moved daily onto clean ground and into sheltered spots dependant on wind. We have now shot 5 days averaging over 200 birds/day and have 3 days to go so hoping to reach 40%. Despite buzzards, sparrow hawks, peregrines and a hen harrier, horrendous rain (at times) and shooting, the birds have held well. I don't know whether keeping birds in as call birds would improve matters.
 
Have in the past but like Gazza, not too sure on the efficiency. If I were to release partridges again, likely not. I'm pretty sure the penned birds drew in vermin as well, luckily never had any disasters.
With pheasants, I'm in the thinking now of getting them roosting and out the pen asap, obviosly easier helps when buying in at 10wks. When I started, we used to try and keep birds in about pens for as long as possible, now get them out but hopefully not too far. Also no longer hand feed [diy shoot, so don't have time]
Incidently, we have averaged 58% return over the last 3 seasons, so we can't be that far off the mark!
 
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