THE PRETEND KEEPER

Braces Airgun Masters
As one season finishes so another begins !
No rest for the wicked or pretend keepers !
Started on the machine today knocking some rides in part of the wood where the beaters could not get - got the boys in with the saws in the morning to finish where i cant get to
Happy days !
 
We've had one of our worst seasons so far on our little rough shoot. I've been involved for close to 20 years, and this year has seen the lowest return. A combination of reasons I think but I didn't see hardly any snipe this year, or woodcock,and Anglesey in a mecca for Woodcock. The birds all seemed to bugger off early on, we put 600 down and a lot of the other shoots on the island report the same apparently. Haven't had as many foxes either, usually I get between a dozen to 20,managed 6 this year and that's being out 3 times a week.
 
gelert said:
We've had one of our worst seasons so far on our little rough shoot. I've been involved for close to 20 years, and this year has seen the lowest return. A combination of reasons I think but I didn't see hardly any snipe this year, or woodcock,and Anglesey in a mecca for Woodcock. The birds all seemed to bugger off early on, we put 600 down and a lot of the other shoots on the island report the same apparently. Haven't had as many foxes either, usually I get between a dozen to 20,managed 6 this year and that's being out 3 times a week.
Click to expand...
The warm weather doesn't help , the birds just go for a wander and don't come back.
 
gelert said:
We've had one of our worst seasons so far on our little rough shoot. I've been involved for close to 20 years, and this year has seen the lowest return. A combination of reasons I think but I didn't see hardly any snipe this year, or woodcock,and Anglesey in a mecca for Woodcock. The birds all seemed to bugger off early on, we put 600 down and a lot of the other shoots on the island report the same apparently. Haven't had as many foxes either, usually I get between a dozen to 20,managed 6 this year and that's being out 3 times a week.
Click to expand...

Next year have a look at your cover - if its good enough can beaters and dogs actually get in ?

Try hand feeding with sunflowers / millet / rape / wheat mix - it really holds them where you want them
 
jall55 said:
Next year have a look at your cover - if its good enough can beaters and dogs actually get in ?

Try hand feeding with sunflowers / millet / rape / wheat mix - it really holds them where you want them
Click to expand...
What do you think about running some maize/wheat (75/25) through a chipper to smash the kernels up a bit, I know a few part-timers who are doing this to help hold birds.
 
Bo Diddley said:
What do you think about running some maize/wheat (75/25) through a chipper to smash the kernels up a bit, I know a few part-timers who are doing this to help hold birds.
Click to expand...
What's the theory there mate, just takes them longer to pick it up at feeding?
 
BenBhoy said:
What's the theory there mate, just takes them longer to pick it up at feeding?
Click to expand...
That is part of the theory Ben, plus knocking the maize into pieces makes it more appealing, a bit like when the topper smashes the cover crops down the pheasants are on it for weeks, the guy I know who uses the mix turns out a lot of partridges, he reckons they love the little bits.
 
Nickb said:
The warm weather doesn't help , the birds just go for a wander and don't come back.
Click to expand...
Definitely, this year a lot of the estates locally have said the same. Birds wondering, and word getting around then parties start cancelling.
jall55 said:
Next year have a look at your cover - if its good enough can beaters and dogs actually get in ?

Try hand feeding with sunflowers / millet / rape / wheat mix - it really holds them where you want them
Click to expand...
Interestingly, last years birds were from a different estate, and have definitely taken the leg more so than before. Previous years we've been subsidizing the feed with a mixture of crushed corn, maize etc that I get from a friend at a chicken farm and the birds have stayed around the cover far longer. Cover is an issue, we have two main drives where the pens are, and two other smaller mini drives. Not much on the ground wise, but we have tried to plant some canary grass in and around to keep birds and hand feed a lot. We have a small gorse type area off the shoot, and in the bottom where the guns would be there are some pretty spectacular high birds when you drive them off. Usually, hand feeding here has kept the wondering birds in place, but even this place has been somewhat void of life. This year I've noticed the farmer has been far more busy clearing hedges and planting fences, which also probably doesn't help in the grand scheme of things. Few years ago we also got a dose of gape, I think that's probably still in or around in the soil somewhere.
 
we always drive around the fields after the maize has been chopped.usually get
15-20 bags from spillage.this really puts good cover on the birds.
phil.
 
Sounds like the farmer is making it hard work
We are the opposite - we plant hedges and takes the fences down

If you have had gapes you really need to look at the density of birds in your pens and do some serious work in them to get the sun to the floor of the pens
 
First lot of our regular nesters have started to arrive. Every year they return to this field, will easily get to be 100+ birds in few weeks. Always rear good numbers of youngsters too.
 

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finally posted on the right thread,need to pay more attention before posting 😆.
on the scrounge today at a nearby barn conversion, people on here will know what it's for 👍IMG_20250304_163431.webp
 
Another brilliant work party yesterday - again with about 15/20 helpers
Pens all blown / raked round - posts wire fixed - feeders positioned - cleaned - water lines sorted - covered ways lifted
Happy days !
Out on the deer later and got shoot pizza night next week with about 70 coming - whats not to love !
Oh and 2 maggies in then trap this morning !
 
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