English Game Season

Today the 31st January marks the end of the 2017 -18 game shooting season .The big and small estates will now be preparing for the coming game season which for the red grouse begins in the 12th August and the partridge in September and pheasant in October .The keepers will be keeping vermin to a minimum , land will be worked for new game crops plus the rearing of game to go to the woods by late June ready for the shoots which begin on most estates in November . These big estates are the back bone for game shooting which all shooters of game benefit ,it is the strays that keep small rough shoots in game along with the wild stock.
Feltwad

Thought it was February the 1st Feltwad :thumbsup:

B.

Feltwad,

Yes, a lot of work before next season!

Great grandfather was a keeper on one or two estates in Norfolk & Suffolk. Very hard work in those days.
Best do we ever had, was when we planted a good few rows of artichokes. One side was bordered by a steep bank covered in whinn bushes, and woods at one end. It held pheasants like I didn't think possible!

three or four of us tied to "surround' it, and I turned the old lab in. 57 pheasants came out of that acre!
We did get a few, but it was wonderful to see them. We always fed and kept vermin down, and didn't shoot very often.
Same with a grand flight pond we had.
Fed it with barley, (Legal over there) and chat taties, and only shot once every two weeks, and left while they were still coming in.
We never tried for a big bag. if Ken and I were there on our own, a couple each was plenty.
Magic listening to the wings of mallard, wikkering up in the darkness! Pure magic.

I think you get out of something what you put into it, and we always put a lot into looking after them.

Best,
Richard.

RJDH said:

Feltwad,

Yes, a lot of work before next season!

Great grandfather was a keeper on one or two estates in Norfolk & Suffolk. Very hard work in those days.
Best do we ever had, was when we planted a good few rows of artichokes. One side was bordered by a steep bank covered in whinn bushes, and woods at one end. It held pheasants like I didn't think possible!

three or four of us tied to "surround' it, and I turned the old lab in. 57 pheasants came out of that acre!
We did get a few, but it was wonderful to see them. We always fed and kept vermin down, and didn't shoot very often.
Same with a grand flight pond we had.
Fed it with barley, (Legal over there) and chat taties, and only shot once every two weeks, and left while they were still coming in.
We never tried for a big bag. if Ken and I were there on our own, a couple each was plenty.
Magic listening to the wings of mallard, wikkering up in the darkness! Pure magic.

I think you get out of something what you put into it, and we always put a lot into looking after them.

Best,
Richard.

Click to expand...

Yes it was hard work in those days February and March was the capturing up months for hen pheasants for the laying pens for which they began to lay about the middle of April depending on the weather .Then it was time to go around the local farms looking for broody farm yard fowl which we called {clockers}these were used to hatch about 10 to 15 pheasant eggs depending on their size When hatched they were transferred to a small hutch with a enclosed run known has a coup until 6 weeks old then transferred to the woods . Yes it was hard work the rearing field could have up to 50 pens and more on it and was a fulltime job for one keeper but then a estate could employ up to six keepers ,today with modern methods a head keeper and under keeper can do the same work.
Feltwad

RJDH said:

... didn't shoot very often.
...only shot once every two weeks, and left while they were still coming in.
We never tried for a big bag.

Click to expand...

Richard....you hit the nail on the head for great hunting and field enjoyment no matter where the location. 1) Respect and care for the game; 2) LIMIT your take. :hatsoff:

If seeing lots of game and just enjoying the sight of it, and having a quality experience is what hunters want, they need to abide by these two key principles.

Spikebuck,

Yes, we used to reckon they were a lot fresher running around the fields than in the freezer, And a Lot nicer to look at!
Always loved seeing them, that in itself was magic. Here we don't have any to see.

Feltwad.
Clockers. Never knew them by any other name as a bairn!
The good thing about raising the chicks with these, is when they were turned out, the 'mother' went with them, and would warn the poults of danger. Th eold girs would be gathered up when the young pheasants had wised up to life.

Ours I mentioned above were all wild birds. Used to feed all winter around under the hedges as well as in feeders with a thatched or tin sheet roof.
Had Fen traps down for rats and "wezzles" etc. and kept on top of stray cats and such...... Maggies and carrion crows.
No, if a group of us went out for a look 'round, we were happy if each of us got a brace.
Partridges were to me The birds though. I have always loved these little birds!
Nothing in the world like sitting in a hedge -back at dusk, listening to partridges "chizzick!" as they call the covey together for the night.
That Is pure magic!

Vermin was the main worry on the rearing field weasels and stoats also rats were the worst offenders for killing young pheasants not forgetting the crow family .When they went too the woods then it was sparrow hawks and foxes. I still think that pheasants reared with broody hens were better birds and more sporting than those we see today.
Feltwad

Are there no shoots of completely wild birds?

Spence

George said:

Are there no shoots of completely wild birds?

Spence

Click to expand...

Spence yes there are some estates who only have wild birds but the bag is always a lot less. these estates will only shoot a few days in the season . You must remember on any shoot be it the big estates of the small rough shoots you must put back what you take off .you will find that a lot of rough shoots do not do any rearing or pest control and rely on the big estates for few stray birds If relying on only wild birds the pheasant will become almost extinct like the grey partridge this already has happened in some parts of the UK It is the big estates which are well keepered and put back with rearing are the future of game shooting
Feltwad

A high bird

RJDH said:

57 pheasants came out of that acre!

Click to expand...

I suspect most of us American shooters will never really understand what English 'shoots' are all about. Reading about them, I see that Lord Ripon, Frederick Oliver Robinson, 2nd Marquess of Ripon, killed 556,000 birds, 241,000 of them pheasants, during his shooting career, and during one shoot killed 28 pheasants in 60 seconds.

Someone is alleged to have said Americans and Englishmen are two peoples separated by a common language. Our respective definitions of 'hunting' might be an example of that. :haha:

Spence

George said:

RJDH said:

57 pheasants came out of that acre!

Click to expand...

I suspect most of us American shooters will never really understand what English 'shoots' are all about. Reading about them, I see that Lord Ripon, Frederick Oliver Robinson, 2nd Marquess of Ripon, killed 556,000 birds, 241,000 of them pheasants, during his shooting career, and during one shoot killed 28 pheasants in 60 seconds.

Someone is alleged to have said Americans and Englishmen are two peoples separated by a common language. Our respective definitions of 'hunting' might be an example of that. :haha:

Spence

Click to expand...

Holy Smokes! :shocked2:

It's a shame what's happened to our pheasant and quail here in Indiana. You are so lucky to see quail at all. Pheasants? Forget about it.

Many blame the 78 blizzard for their demise, but, a lot of time has passed since that terrific event with no improvement in numbers. That's right, terrific.....I was out of school for days on end making palatial snow forts with my buddies! :haha: That blizzard came upon me at the perfect age :thumbsup:

I think herbicides and insecticides may be the main culprits. Those chicks need clean bugs to survive.

Loss of habitat is another key probability.

In any case, it's sad.

Best regards, Skychief

George said:

RJDH said:

57 pheasants came out of that acre!

Click to expand...

I suspect most of us American shooters will never really understand what English 'shoots' are all about. Reading about them, I see that Lord Ripon, Frederick Oliver Robinson, 2nd Marquess of Ripon, killed 556,000 birds, 241,000 of them pheasants, during his shooting career, and during one shoot killed 28 pheasants in 60 seconds.

Someone is alleged to have said Americans and Englishmen are two peoples separated by a common language. Our respective definitions of 'hunting' might be an example of that. :haha:

Spence

Click to expand...

Yes you are right about Lord Ripon and there was also others but this was back in Edwardian times but remember the estates then but back what they took out . If you look at records of what it was like in the States in the late Victorian and Edwardian time there used to be vast amount of wing game but instead of putting back it was shot to the last bird later helped along with pesticides till now they are extinct in parts am I right
Feltwad

Market hunters, back then. In our day, it was pesticides and herbicides. When I started hunting as a lad, there were thick hedgerows around the farm fields. Provided cover and food year round. Now, it's neat and clean right up to the wire fence, and if you want a bug, you better bring it with you.

Now I hunt the Gamelands, and the pheasants are in the woods more than the fields.

It does my heart good to see you fellows enjoying the hunt.

Richard/Grumpa

Not old enough to know first hand but my dad claims it was nothing for him and his dad to go out and shoot a two man limit by 10 o'clock in the morning back in the 60s and early 70s

We never had bag limits, apart from one!...."If you shoot it, you Carry it!"

Seemed to work very well.
More than happy to go home with a brace. Watching the dogs work was the best part.

Terrible shame the way pesticides are messing it all up.
I'm still farming up here, but do not to use pesticides. I do use some herbicides, but try to be more organic whenever poss. Mind, it's Years since I saw a covey of partridges!

RJDH said:

We never had bag limits, apart from one!...."If you shoot it, you Carry it!"

Seemed to work very well.
More than happy to go home with a brace. Watching the dogs work was the best part.

Terrible shame the way pesticides are messing it all up.
I'm still farming up here, but do not to use pesticides. I do use some herbicides, but try to be more organic whenever poss. Mind, it's Years since I saw a covey of partridges!

Click to expand...

I would say the biggest downfall of the partridge is modern farming ,gone are the small fields with thick hawthorn hedges that is the main stay for young partridges in June for insect life that they need .These small fields with their hedges have been grubbed out to make one field for the big combines .For winter feed partridges would feed on corn stubbles and corn drilling began in the spring now that has changed stubbles are ploughed straight in and sown mostly with rape and winter wheat.
Yes I used to sit and listen to the grey partridge calling its mate ,but now with most of the big estates closed I have never seen or heard a grey partridge for the past 15 years . I will be 80 year old this year and have seen many changes in the method of shooting sadly not for good it is mostly reminiscing
Feltwad

Days gone by
Feltwad

It would seem there are no bag limits at the traditional shoots, but how do the seasons work? Are they the same for the big driven shoots and for individual hunts such as Britsmoothy reports on? Do the English have the equivalent of our game wardens who enforce any laws concerning seasons and limits, legal equipment, shooting hours and such?

Spence

Spence,

I don't pretend to answer for Feltwad, but the game seasons are fixed, whether big shoots or small.
If I recall correctly, Wildfowl season (Ducks, geese waders and etc. ) begins 1st Sept, as does Partridge season.
Pheasants 1St Oct.
Most of us would never dream of shooting right at the beginning of the season, gave the birds time to mature. No joy in shooting cheapers.

Large estates have keepers, who do their best to patrol and watch out for poachers, but no game wardens per se, not in the N American style.
No bag limits but over there , it would be to our own detriment to shoot too many.
(It would be like a farmer over here killing more chickens than he raised. Only himself to blame for no birds).
As most shooting apart from coastal wildfowling is on private land, those with the shooting rights, even rough shooters, have a vetsed interest in preserving game and destroying the enemies of game. (vermin) so it all works out very well with no government interference.
We do need a game licence but it is a negligible amount compared to over here.
Never asked to show one though.

Now, I'm sure Feltwad will put me right if much has change din the last 30-odd years!

One thing I Did like, is that the deer seasons are separate for bucks /does, or hinds & stags.
Made an awful lot of sense!

Feltwad said:

RJDH said:

We never had bag limits, apart from one!...."If you shoot it, you Carry it!"

Seemed to work very well.
More than happy to go home with a brace. Watching the dogs work was the best part.

Terrible shame the way pesticides are messing it all up.
I'm still farming up here, but do not to use pesticides. I do use some herbicides, but try to be more organic whenever poss. Mind, it's Years since I saw a covey of partridges!

Click to expand...

I would say the biggest downfall of the partridge is modern farming ,gone are the small fields with thick hawthorn hedges that is the main stay for young partridges in June for insect life that they need .These small fields with their hedges have been grubbed out to make one field for the big combines .For winter feed partridges would feed on corn stubbles and corn drilling began in the spring now that has changed stubbles are ploughed straight in and sown mostly with rape and winter wheat.
Yes I used to sit and listen to the grey partridge calling its mate ,but now with most of the big estates closed I have never seen or heard a grey partridge for the past 15 years . I will be 80 year old this year and have seen many changes in the method of shooting sadly not for good it is mostly reminiscing
Feltwad

Click to expand...

I think that is also one of the biggest reasons for the loss of upland game here in the great plains area of the States. When I was a kid and irrigation was coming into play, most farms had pasture, weedy fence rows, and due to the dust bowl a lot of wind breaks of trees had been planted. Over the years larger and larger farms came to be with larger equipment. Now most of those pastures and wind breaks are gone and a section of land is mostly farmed from road to road. There are not many areas for game to live.