Game cover part 1

[British gamekeeper]

So the main reason we use game cover in the UK is to draw pheasant to a certain area in large enough numbers to produce 'drives' to push birds over standing guns. This applies to reared and wild birds. We also feed the game cover as an extra draw for the birds with whole wheat. This is done by hand, by ATV attached spreaders or feed hoppers. As I'm employed as a full time gamekeeper I tend to feed 'by hand' as this lets me know what numbers of birds are in a certain drive and what time of day they are there. Certain drives work best at different times of the day.

Game cover is 100% man managed wether it be farmed or natural and is the most important habitat in my profession..

Maize: by far the best all rounder cover used in the UK. We all know it's good points. We tend to plant it in blocks of 1+ acres or in strips down the side of hedgerows or woodland. Want to improve it? I have! Well not me personally but the gamekeeping profession has. The bad thing about maize is by the end of the shooting season and in cold winters maize can be a bloody cold place for a pheasant to hang around in. They tend to rush in, get their feed and go and find somewhere sheltered. Make it warmer! We plant a 3-5 meter border of canary grass around the edge of the maize. It's a perennial and over 2-4 years grows taller and thicker. Other variations are pampas grass and elephant grass. Other maize 'warmers' include sorghum,millet,kale and chicory. Anything that lasts more than a year and keeps on improving in height and thickness is a good winter warmer.

 

[oldandnew]

Because a lot of what you have domestically hatched and introduced, it seems that retention cover is premium. Is wild production emphasized? or not practical in the setting? Because of the management, I also assume the predator control is job one! What predator control is effective?

 

[British gamekeeper]

Because a lot of what you have domestically hatched and introduced, it seems that retention cover is premium. Is wild production emphasized? or not practical in the setting? Because of the management, I also assume the predator control is job one! What predator control is effective?

We are lucky because of the size of our hunting ground. We are able to have both wild and reared pheasants as we have a major highway that splits the estate in half and keeps the hunting grounds separate. You are right about having good retaining cover. We have neighbouring shoots and don't wish to supply them with extra birds. Predator control is on the top of the list. Ive worked here for 15 years and have nearly 20,000 entries in my vermin book. Raptors are highly protected and are a big no,no. We don't really have a major problem with them anyway. Foxes and badgers our the biggest problem. Again badgers are protected. Good old NV sort out the foxes. Also, I personally run 500 mark 4 fenn traps. (Google them) they are most most commonly used spring trap. 12,000 squirrels have fell foul of them.They must be covered with a box so as not to trap non target species. And I also run 15 funnel cages and 12 Larsen traps for corvids. Crows,magpies,jackdaws,rooks and jays. They are the biggest egg thieves.

 

[wesslpointer]

We are lucky because of the size of our hunting ground. We are able to have both wild and reared pheasants as we have a major highway that splits the estate in half and keeps the hunting grounds separate. You are right about having good retaining cover. We have neighbouring shoots and don't wish to supply them with extra birds. Predator control is on the top of the list. Ive worked here for 15 years and have nearly 20,000 entries in my vermin book. Raptors are highly protected and are a big no,no. We don't really have a major problem with them anyway. Foxes and badgers our the biggest problem. Again badgers are protected. Good old NV sort out the foxes. Also, I personally run 500 mark 4 fenn traps. (Google them) they are most most commonly used spring trap. 12,000 squirrels have fell foul of them.They must be covered with a box so as not to trap non target species. And I also run 15 funnel cages and 12 Larsen traps for corvids. Crows,magpies,jackdaws,rooks and jays. They are the biggest egg thieves.

MAGPIES area big problem here to but our biologists have not done anything for the last 30 years because I guess they're worried that Mexico might stop importing cheap labor or drugs If they were to change the treaty. With todays limited habitat you must manage all things that includes predators if you want a hunt able surplus.

 

[Prairie Drifter]

Nice post Game Keeper! Good to see what's going on on the other side of the pond. Is your perennial cover mostly broadleaf or grass? If the pic is representative of the landscape, most everything is high quality nesting and brood-rearing cover.

 

[mnmthunting]

British Gamekeeper, Welcome to UPH.
Can you tell us about your wild pheasant production?
I've read Robertsons "Pheasants" and found it interesting.