We have as good as finished our fallow cull and only plan to take a buck or two before the end of the month if we feel the need. Thankfully,…
Liam Bell
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How to stop a fox in its tracks
Now is a good time to organise a fox drive to reduce numbers. Foxes eat more pheasant and partridge poults than all the other predators put together. You don’t always…
Using traps and snares: how to do it legally and effectively
Traps and snares play a vital role in gamekeeping. If you are looking to establish new ground for a shoot or simply increase the amount of wild game in your…
Non-lead ammunition works well
A few weeks ago, I said I would report back from a day I had been invited on where most of the Guns had decided to use non-lead ammunition. (Read…
How to keep your poults happy
Poults start to wander three to four weeks after release. Not very far initially but, as they grow more confident, they wander further and further from their pen. It isn’t…
The new GL43 general licence – here’s what you need to know
Defra has published its new and long-awaited general licence (GL43), to cover the releasing of gamebirds on European protected sites. These protected sites are Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special…
Shoot bookings 2021 – it’s looking good for next season
I have been chatting to friends who let days and run shoots commercially, and others who manage small syndicates and run shoots of their own and, to a person, they…
Here’s why you should consider planting perennial cover crops
The cost of planting and managing game and cover crops is ever increasing and we, along with many others, are slowly expanding the acreage we plant with permanent and semi-permanent…
Are ex-layer pheasants worthwhile or a waste of time and money?
At first glance, buying ex-layer pheasants for £2.50 each appears to be excellent value for money when compared with buying in a seven-week-old pheasant poult at £4. But there are,…
Why keepering is a wonderfully rewarding job from beginning to end
Gamekeeping jobs – tips for finding one Network, network, network —if people don’t know you are looking to move, they are not going to let you know what’s coming up.…
What to look out for before taking a lease on some new land
I know of several local self-run shoots that have decided not to start up again this year. The catalyst for the decision for two of them was the reduced number…
Why I’m becoming increasingly confident about the next shooting season
I have been trying to get a handle on chick and poult prices for the next shooting season. Rather unsurprisingly, I am struggling to get any consensus from the keepers…
What do you do with birds leftover at the season’s end?
With the ever-tightening COVID-19 restrictions in operation in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, there is little hope for those of us longing for a return to driven shooting. It…
How can we tell a Gun that his dog isn’t welcome at our shoot?
Q: How do I ask one of our Guns, who has been a member of our syndicate for the past 10 years, not to bring his dog, without upsetting him?…
Why you shouldn’t tackle rural crime by yourself
As sure as day follows night, hare coursing and the poaching of gamebirds and deer become more prevalent after harvest. The seasonal increase in poaching and rural crime generally isn’t…
How to keep your pheasants close to home
Very often, it is the little things that make a difference and will keep your pheasants closer. This is never more accurate than when said in relation to the management…
Liam Bell on the latest raptor killing reporting
The silly season appears to have come early this year. Whether this is a direct result of journalists and press officers suffering from cabin fever because of the COVID-19 lockdown…
How to control foxes when they’ve become lamp shy
Lamping may be one of the most efficient ways to kill foxes but if you miss then, you'll have created a much fightier foe. Liam Bell outlines other options for…
What will be the long-term effect of COVID-19 on shooting?
What will be the longterm effect of COVID-19 on shooting?
How to use traps for pest control
How to use traps for predators