Shooting Times & Country Magazine
GAMEKEEPER
All those vital jobs seem to have to be done at once: release pens built or upgraded, drinkers and feeders cleaned, and game crops sown
The weeks of June always seem to fly by with the last, hurried tinkerings to complete before the poults arrive. We have been putting the finishing touches on a newly built release pen, as the old one had to be relocated because of recent forestry work.
Luckily for us, an area of natural regeneration — birch, spruce and large beds of bramble — had sprung up nearby, but it was a mammoth task preparing the ground. It had become a jungle. That said, several days of hugely satisfying work with chainsaws and strimmers transformed this patch into a home fit for a pheasant pen. It will be a key pen for me as the birds will be split and fed out to two of my main drives.
We strive to make our pens easy to maintain, with ideally just an annual overhaul needed, as we have a lot to get around. With that in mind, one feature we have changed in recent years is the pop-holes. Jos, the headkeeper, came up with a new design made from 2in-square plastic-coated mesh, which is simply bent and cut to the required size and shape. These robust, non-rot frames have now replaced our traditional wooden boxes with droppers. They are quick to make, the birds find their way back into the pen far more efficiently, and the only preparation required is the removal of leaf debris.
We spend many hours during the year controlling the fox population by snaring, lamping, sitting out or driving them. With a large boundary to patrol, as soon as one fox is removed another will be along. Which is why electric fences are the single most important element of a release pen; it is, our last line of defence. We use a simple, single strand of electric wire, suspended by homemade insulators, with Roundup sprayed along its length to stop it shorting out — but we still test it every day.
The new pen completed, we have been sprucing up the older ones. There is always the odd post to replace and wire to peg down. A week before putting the birds to wood, we cut out the rides for the drinkers and hoppers using strimmers and a tractormounted swipe for the wider ones.
Next, the drinkers are set up, flushed through and checked for leaks. We ferry most of our water out in bowsers from the mains supply. It is time-consuming work as we have a number of release pens, and each takes 1,000 litres at a go. The upside is the peace of mind from the birds getting fresh, clean water. Depending on the size of a pen, we would expect to refill the tanks weekly, up until we begin feeding out to the drives.
We rely on Manola hoppers when the poults are on pellets, giving them clean, dry feed ad-lib. I also trail feed around the inside perimeter of the pen, flicking bits through the wire for any birds outside, and put some down the rides to get them used to feeding on the ground. I use a whistle right from the start so the birds begin to associate the sound with the act of feeding. In due course, the poults gradually move to a wheat-only diet, the hoppers are removed and hand-feeding begins.
Perfect conditions
Our game crops are every bit as important as the pens. The first crop to go in was triticale, which was drilled at the end of May, then rolled to seal in any moisture before being fertilised. The conditions were perfect this year and the seed struck within the first few days. I am keeping my fingers crossed for good weather when our next batch of crops, the game mix and the Utopia, is sown in mid-july.
Triticale is hardy but it is a magnet for crows and pigeons, and keeping them off is crucial to giving the crop the best possible start. We find the birds rarely return, however, when shot consistently during the first few days after drilling. Fortunately, we have some willing volunteers who help us by decoying a few while enjoying some good shooting in return. What could be better?
“I use a whistle from the start so the birds associate it with feeding”