First casualty of the season.

[Stalker62]

Probably a buzzard, you’d be better off getting birds in at 7 weeks old and clipping them, at 10 weeks they’d be too big for a sparrow hawk.

I had been expecting the birds for some time, but I am in the hands of others when it comes to the arrival date and ages of the birds.
However, all this does educate me for planning and making a case for next season's delivery.

With regards to your comment about feed and water just outside the pen. This is good advice and exactly what I did yesterday.

 

[steve sxs]

Sparrowhawk I would say.......and good on her too. If she is eating poults then she is not predating on our native song birds. She is only trying to scratch a living......can you blame her. She belongs here......1000's of pheasant poults dont

Couldn't have put it better but theirs still to many JMHO

 

[bogtrotter]

This will be my third season.

The number of birds put down is very modest, but has gone up each year.

I keep records (tragic) and for the first season the return was 48%, for the second season (only two of the four days because of Lockdown) so I have extrapolated the dates we did shoot, to give a return of 36%.

Those figures are not at all bad.

 

[Stalker62]

Those figures are not at all bad.

More down to the Gods of Hunting really.

They are only small days, with more Guns than Beaters, and a couple of dogs.

In spite on myself, I really enjoy the days. My wife turns out with one of our ESS and (untrained) he "clicked" last year and worked really well.

Always seem to relax when the Guns have a dozen or so in the bag.

Funny thing really. Never felt pressure at work.

However, trying to keep a line of Guns in place, and paying attention to what is going on...

 

[bogtrotter]

Do you have a steady dog? Or are yours like ours lol.Try walking them gently back home you will be way ahead of us in the frozen north has your barley been harvested yet bit too early for wheat I know or don't you grow grain on your ground
difficult to get them out of standing grain.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Simple fix, this time.

LR tip of the month:

Ensure windscreen wiper assembly is well oiled (a squirt of WD40) before switching on if vehicle hasn’t been used for a month or so. And don’t be tempted to ‘uprate’ the fuse to 30 amp if you do blow the factory rated one!

K

 

[Stalker62]

LR tip of the month:

Ensure windscreen wiper assembly is well oiled (a squirt of WD40) before switching on if vehicle hasn’t been used for a month or so. And don’t be tempted to ‘uprate’ the fuse to 30 amp if you do blow the factory rated one!

Excellent tip regarding the WD40.

Rather embarrassingly, (its like you watched me do it) I have stuck a 20 amp fuse in there until, MrsS62 picks up some 10 amps from the garage this afternoon.

Spot the 20 amp in a line of 10 amps...

 

[Stalker62]

MrsS62 to the rescue!

 

[Beretta V]

At ten weeks they would pushing blood quills, you would have to pull them to prevent damage. Best of luck getting a gamefarmer to do that also any newly grown primaries would remain clipped for the greater part of the season.
S62, there's a reason old keepers whistle fed their birds,they associated it with being fed hence hefting them to that part of the shoot. Appreciate it works best if you rear your own and hand-feed but it's got to be worth a try. Even if it only works on the birds in the pen,it provides you a nucleus of birds that will help hold the wanderers a bit.
Best of luck with your endeavours

Most shoots get the birds younger and have the wings clipped. It keeps them in the pen and they then get to know it as home. They will return to roost.
putting nails in post tops will help but there are places where hawks will sit and wait!

 

[Tim.243]

Thanks awfully.

Sparrowhawk it is.

Will have a wander around in the morning with a hammer and bag of nails as suggested by Sika98k.

I do not mind (and expect) the hawks to take a couple, but I have a two issues.

1) I do not have that many birds to start with.

2) With them delivered at 10 weeks, they are at a difficult age. Old enough to wander, and too young to have learnt where home and "safety" is. So they will stroll off, unable to fly properly, and having not yet learnt what a Sparrowhawk means.

What is your plan for foxes...take a chance or get out with the TI sticks and rifle?

 

[Stalker62]

What is your plan for foxes...take a chance or get out with the TI sticks and rifle?

I have given that some serious thought.

What I have done, is made up some signs and put them all around the pen...

 

[Stalker62]

What is your plan for foxes...take a chance or get out with the TI sticks and rifle?

Seriously.

I have some snares (which I do not like) although I have not set them this year thus far.

I made sure the pen was clear of vermin before the (almost fully grown!) birds arrived; and then ensured it was "fox proof" in so much as such a thing is possible.

The issues I have with shooting them, is that I do not have a thermal set up on a rifle. I have a TI but when you "go to guns" I (of course) cannot see a damn thing.

One of the Guns and a chap who helps out, will probable enjoy a couple of nights on the lamp. That said (famous last words), I have not seen many foxes on this ground.

There is an option of me sitting up in the dark (there is a High Seat) and waiting to ambush any fox trotting in as it gets light.

 

[Stalker62]

Just back from this morning's trip to the birds.

Just outside the pen and in a open area of the woods, I found this "evidence".

I think I know what it is, what say you?

 

[Red Dragon 2]

MrsS62 to the rescue!

Good old Lucas 'smoke', having had series 2 and 3 know full well about fuses and LRs

 

[Tim.243]

Seriously.

I have some snares (which I do not like) although I have not set them this year thus far.

I made sure the pen was clear of vermin before the (almost fully grown!) birds arrived; and then ensured it was "fox proof" in so much as such a thing is possible.

The issues I have with shooting them, is that I do not have a thermal set up on a rifle. I have a TI but when you "go to guns" I (of course) cannot see a damn thing.

One of the Guns and a chap who helps out, will probable enjoy a couple of nights on the lamp. That said (famous last words), I have not seen many foxes on this ground.

There is an option of me sitting up in the dark (there is a High Seat) and waiting to ambush any fox trotting in as it gets light.

The TI hand held, your deer rig and a lamp...
The problem is you seem to consumed in breaking down, getting stuck or no willing

I shot hundreds of foxes with lamp and rifle, however if you struggle spinning plates or diving with just one tank then don't go foxing.

 

[old keeper]

Always a bit of a guessing game as to what kills poults. I had massive problems with buzzards, in fact, they were far worse than any fox. The number of feathers does point to a sparrowhawk, but buzzards once they start taking poults will keep on and will progress to adult pheasants. They really can be a bloody menace.

 

[landkeeper]

Hang up old dvd/cd discs around your pen on string they twist and spin in any breeze bops dont like them , anything to spook them helps
I feel your pain i had a bloody escaped redtail at one of my pens years ago

 

[Stalker62]

Hang up old dvd/cd discs around your pen on string they twist and spin in any breeze bops dont like them , anything to spook them helps
I feel your pain i had a bloody escaped redtail at one of my pens years ago

One of the Guns (on here) gave his old CD collection (IT not music) - I have them strung up all around the pen.
Damn place looks like a 1970s disco...

 

[Shotgun572013]

A Pine Marten visited us last week . Around 35 dead in the morning!

 

[steve sxs]

A Pine Marten visited us last week . Around 35 dead in the morning!

Just a big weasel that has learnt to climb trees and murders all he meets (lovely)