THE PRETEND KEEPER

[jall55]

Well, I still haven’t got much work done up at the shoot yet but popped up this afternoon to fill the drinking butts over the far side ( piggeries ) as I’ve got a few young in the edge of the crop, while over there I checked the camera for foxes, no foxes ( a couple of humbug’s) but 43 short videos of deer, always the case here when they are not in season, I also managed to drop strawberry patch raider at the farm so it’s death was not in vain as that’s now become fox bait, I just need the crops off now so I can have a bit of a clear up before the birds arrive View attachment 314917View attachment 314918View attachment 314919View attachment 314920View attachment 314921

Nice one

Our birds come tomorrow

One thing that some people forget and im not sure if you do or not Stav is to put grit out for the poults when they come

It really helps them process the feed and get some weight and strength straight on

 

[stavross]

Nice one

Our birds come tomorrow

One thing that some people forget and im not sure if you do or not Stav is to put grit out for the poults when they come

It really helps them process the feed and get some weight and strength straight on

Always put chicken grit in from the start, it’s little things like that that make the difference

I’ve got about 7 weeks before my flying chickens arrive, I could never put them in before combine as the ones in the pen nearest the farm would just disappear into the crop and there’s no way of walking them in while it’s still up

 

[bumpy22]

Clearing one of the pens this morning. Had to strim all around fox wires. Strim paths to pop holes and flush lines through for drinkers.
Ran terriers through pens. Repaired perimeter wire
Next week will finish other pen and get all the fencers on and drinkers ready for birds in next few weeks

 

[stavross]

Up to the shoot again this evening, to drop some more swag off for repairs, so I thought I’d have a few rabbits from around the farm with the little22 before going for a look around the far side for a fox or a buck, didn’t see either but it was very warm, did see a very nice roe doe in her summer attire, almost red in colour, a lovely evening just for a walk even if the flies were a bit too much if you stood still for too long, I removed a couple more rabbits with the.243 but I think the pictures are a little too graphic for here, let’s just say one was more dishcloth than rabbit once the 70gn ballistic had been through it, but they all make fox bait

 

[foxhunter]

Up to the shoot again this evening, to drop some more swag off for repairs, so I thought I’d have a few rabbits from around the farm with the little22 before going for a look around the far side for a fox or a buck, didn’t see either but it was very warm, did see a very nice roe doe in her summer attire, almost red in colour, a lovely evening just for a walk even if the flies were a bit too much if you stood still for too long, I removed a couple more rabbits with the.243 but I think the pictures are a little too graphic for here, let’s just say one was more dishcloth than rabbit once the 70gn ballistic had been through it, but they all make fox baitView attachment 315179View attachment 315180View attachment 315181View attachment 315182

Beautiful sky
I was out from 8pm until 2.30 am as farmer text to say a few fields cut. Far too warm and nothing moving , never saw a roe until last light which was a doe.
So it was out with the thermal and not a fox to be seen , but content watching the roe , badger, rabbits and hedgehogs going about their business .

 

[stavross]

Beautiful sky
I was out from 8pm until 2.30 am as farmer text to say a few fields cut. Far too warm and nothing moving , never saw a roe until last light which was a doe.
So it was out with the thermal and not a fox to be seen , but content watching the roe , badger, rabbits and hedgehogs going about their business .

It was the same up there, it was just to hot for anything to be out, I’m surprised I got a few rabbits, the bottom picture is that big gutter at the back of the piggeries, I gave that half an hour as it will of been cooler down there but only seen the back end of a fallow doe, I’m off up to the moor this evening to see what rabbits are about, I’m not that hopeful unless we get a thunderstorm before I go to clear the air

 

[foxhunter]

Just popped out at 5pm doing recon on the barley to see if there was any flat patches.
Parked the motor next to a muck heap with a crow sitting on top . Anyway I managed to get the gun out and shoot it , which made the sky erupt with pigeons and corvids.
I managed to get myself inside a hedge over looking a flat patch and had a couple of hours shooting. Shot 47 for around 60 cartridges
Going back tomorrow for a morning session.

 

[stavross]

Up on the moor after the hoppers this evening as last night turned into a washout, we did the usual game cover then headed out on the moor proper only managed 31 between us but it was a nice way to spend a couple of hours

 

[Smellydog]

I like that rifle rest Stav. Is it on suckers?

 

[stavross]

I like that rifle rest Stav. Is it on suckers?

Yeah, it’s a cut down zimmer frame with 2 windscreen sucker pads on it

 

[Smellydog]

Yeah, it’s a cut down zimmer frame with 2 windscreen sucker pads on it

Lol that's handy. Might help me in and out the car too !

 

[jall55]

Brilliant evening tonight

Knew a fox was about as the poults arrived last weekend so sat out and waited.

Whilst i did i completed my woodcock survey and was happy to see 10 separate passes

Saw the fox about half a mile away on some grass that was cut for hay but he was coming my way like a train
Past the pond
Up the track
Past another pond and my bait spot
Into the clearfell regen
Birds rising
Wait wait wait
10 minutes passes and im just thinking he has killed and is sat eating when he appears on the bank below me - only 70 yards away. Into a patch of regen - now has nowhere to go as either way i will see him come out.
1 minute later out he pops and bang !

Why am i so buzzing ? well i cleared that patch on the bank of regen by hand 2 weeks ago to create another habitat - about 3 - 4 acres. Why by hand - so as not to disturb the birds nesting on their and thats the same reason i did it alone too. I sat a short while longer as the rain intensified and got to hear the first nightjar of the year calling with us !

Proper good night !

Still waiting on the other 2 lads out to see if they have been so lucky !

 

[jall55]

Brilliant evening tonight

Knew a fox was about as the poults arrived last weekend so sat out and waited.

Whilst i did i completed my woodcock survey and was happy to see 10 separate passes

Saw the fox about half a mile away on some grass that was cut for hay but he was coming my way like a train
Past the pond
Up the track
Past another pond and my bait spot
Into the clearfell regen
Birds rising
Wait wait wait
10 minutes passes and im just thinking he has killed and is sat eating when he appears on the bank below me - only 70 yards away. Into a patch of regen - now has nowhere to go as either way i will see him come out.
1 minute later out he pops and bang !


Why am i so buzzing ? well i cleared that patch on the bank of regen by hand 2 weeks ago to create another habitat - about 3 - 4 acres. Why by hand - so as not to disturb the birds nesting on their and thats the same reason i did it alone too. I sat a short while longer as the rain intensified and got to hear the first nightjar of the year calling with us !

Proper good night !

Still waiting on the other 2 lads out to see if they have been so lucky !

My pal on the far side of the shoot got 1 too !

 

[Stalker62]

well i cleared that patch on the bank of regen by hand 2 weeks ago to create another habitat - about 3 - 4 acres. Why by hand - so as not to disturb the birds nesting on their and thats the same reason i did it alone too.

Well played.

 

[RM100]

Such beautiful pictures. Wonderful!

 

[foxhunter]

Back on the laid barley this morning for a few hours. Where I set up overlooking the flat patch turned out to be a wasps nests , I spent half my time chasing the buggers off.

Anyway it was a bit quiet but still managed 34 mixed. Best shots of the morning was a right and left jackdaw and woodie

 

[jall55]

Back on the laid barley this morning for a few hours. Where I set up overlooking the flat patch turned out to be a wasps nests , I spent half my time chasing the buggers off.

Anyway it was a bit quiet but still managed 34 mixed. Best shots of the morning was a right and left jackdaw and woodie

View attachment 316049

Still not stared on the Barley here yet

 

[foxhunter]

Still not stared on the Barley here yet

It's nice and golden here , should be some good crop protection over the Summer hopefully

 

[stavross]

Well I’ve got another fox over the far side of the shoot, this one is an early bird, coming in between 5 and 7am so I’ll have to try and coax him into a shootable position, it’s nice to see the deer using my water butts, although we’ve had a fair bit of rain over the past week it’s still very dry up there

 

[foxhunter]

Well I’ve got another fox over the far side of the shoot, this one is an early bird, coming in between 5 and 7am so I’ll have to try and coax him into a shootable position, it’s nice to see the deer using my water butts, although we’ve had a fair bit of rain over the past week it’s still very dry up there View attachment 316137View attachment 316138

Looks like a mangey fox .