If there is anything more upsetting and unsettling than impending redundancy, I have yet to hear of it. And for gamekeepers who have been given notice of a shoot closure…
Liam Bell
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A guide to fox control
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…
Is there a minimum recommended calibre for a foxing rifle?
Fox control: Why do all the rifle experts have such a low opinion of the .22 rimfire for fox control? I have taken numerous foxes at ranges of 100 yards…
How to use traps for pest control
Using traps for pest control to control small predators such as stoats, weasels and rats is time-consuming, but is nevertheless important for those of us who want to try and nurture…
Trapping grey squirrels – do I need a licence?
Advice on trapping grey squirrels has been distributed by the European Squirrel Initiative
Questions to ask when booking a driven day somewhere new
New shoot: The key things to cover with a prospective new shoot.
How to organise beaters’ day
As January approaches, thoughts of keepers, beaters and pickers-up are turning to the end-of- season cock’s or beaters’ days. Originally called keeper’s days — because they were gifted to the…
How do you safely shoot ground game?
At this time of year the same old topic of conversation crops up at shoots far and wide - namely the shooting of ground game and/or low birds.
This is how to put out the pegs
When I worked in Wales, not far away there was a rather elderly and eccentric estate owner, who employed a full-time keeper and shot six days. One of his more…
How to keep your pheasants close to home
As birds mature, they start to wander. Not necessarily because there is something badly wrong with where they are, nor because they are looking for something particular that their release…
Keeping everyone happy on keeper’s day
As the season draws to a close, talk among the beaters and pickers-up is of the end-of-season keeper’s days. For many gamekeepers, it is the only day of the year they get to shoot pheasants.…
Late-season driven shooting – how to get the most from it
Driven shooting in December and January is arguably the cream of a season’s sport. The birds are strong, the cover has died down, there is hopefully some cold weather and, of course, there should still be…
Insurance for shooters – is it necessary?
A: It isn’t, but it would be foolish of you to go shooting without insurance. Accidents when out shooting are more common than you might think and can happen to anyone. It is common practice for…
How to deal with wet weather when you put your birds out
If the weather is on your side when you put your birds out it makes such a difference. A nice run of dry days — when the birds can sit out, dust and sun…
How to care for your gamecover crops
Planting gamecover crops is one thing. Getting them to grow to their full potential is another. We nurture ours through the first few important weeks after planting and, providing the…
It’s time for fox control
No matter how hard you try, and no matter how many foxes you kill, litters of cubs will always appear — usually where you least expect them. Keeping fox numbers…
How to deal with poorly poults
The only real way of finding out what’s wrong with your birds – if you are picking up dead ones or they look off-colour – is to take them to…
Why gamekeepers should keep detailed records of a shoot
For gamekeepers, record keeping is so much more than five columns in a gamebook. Records, which can be as complicated or uncomplicated as you like, are key to the long-term management…
How to hatch and rear your own pheasants
Hatching and rearing your own birds isn’t as hard as you might imagine. It takes time and there will be the inevitable ups and downs, but rearing your own has…
Beaters’ days at the end of the season
The end of the season brings the long-awaited beaters’ days. Traditionally, it was the day that the estate owner gave to his gamekeeper to invite his friends along to shoot. It…