Today lawyers acting on behalf of Wild Justice have written to DEFRA challenging the legality of releases of gamebirds on Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) sites and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). Wild Justice says that in September 2019 DEFRA admitted that gamebird releases needed to be assessed properly and “promised…
Gamekeeping
Gamekeepers and their profession are the unsung guardians of the countryside who ensure that the shooting industry and the British countryside thrive. The job has become more and more technical over the last century as gamekeepers now have to understand agricultural practices, veterinary medicines and annual budgets as well as interpret changing government policy.
There are plenty of useful resources and articles on Shooting UK that highlight the importance of gamekeeping but also can help guide and offer advice to those in the profession.
If there is anything you would like to see on the site e mail shootinguk@ti-media.com
Game shooting| Deer stalking| Gundog training| Gun reviews| Pest control | Current affairs
Staggering ignorance
Deer management, an activity undertaken quietly and in solitude, enjoyed — or perhaps more accurately endured — a brief moment of national attention here in Ireland. An incident in Kerry raised questions regarding the management of red deer in the county. In late October a red stag was observed by…
Rifles for pest control
I have been spending money this month and invested in two rifles for pest control. A gamekeeper’s work is never done and in the constant battle against pests and predators, I need all the tools that I can muster. New guns To this end, I managed to pick up a…
Should gamekeepers be tipped … or be paid properly in the first place?
Once, after a rather informal and very enjoyable day’s shooting, I attempted to give the gamekeeper a tip, but botched the handover. My fingers were numb and, as a consequence, a rather wet, slippery and solitary banknote flopped to the ground. Instantly, my purported friend said, for all to hear:…
General licences restricted on Leadhills Estate following wildlife crime
In the past week Scottish Natural Heritage has announced that it is restricting the use of general licences on the Leadhills Estate in South Lanarkshire after evidence of wildlife crime against birds was provided by Police Scotland. Nick Halfhide, SNH’s Director of Sustainable Growth, explained: “There is clear evidence that…
Maximising shoot returns
It is all very well saying that shooting is about the day and the size of the bag is almost an irrelevance. I agree that the number of birds in the bag is rarely related directly to how much pleasure we get from being out with our friends. But at…
Reading University bans pheasant shooting
Following an internal review, the University of Reading has decided to stop organised game shooting on its land. It will also no longer allow university farmland to be used to raise pheasants or partridges for shooting “once an existing agreement with an external group that uses University farmland comes to…
What traps will you use when the Fenn is no longer legal?
Keepers who have not already started changing are now giving serious consideration as to what trap they are to use next year when the Fenn is no longer legal. It is fair to say they are far from happy with the process that to date has left them with the…
Want to increase snipe numbers? These habitat improvements make a significant difference
Craigenputtock House has been sitting in the rural splendour of upland Dumfriesshire since the 11th century. Once the home of Thomas Carlyle, one of Scotland’s most influential authors, it has borne witness to much change. Over the years, the landscape has been transformed by afforestation, and continual drainage and tillage,…
Mycoplasma or ‘bulgy-eye’ disease is on the increase in pheasants. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Game farmers are being advised by vets to be extra vigilant this year in the battle against mycoplasmosis, commonly known as bulgy-eye.
Land management is hampered by officials with little knowledge
When a senior member of Natural England asks a grouse keeper how many birds he releases and it’s not 1 April, you have a right to worry. It is not the only example of government employees showing a serious lack of working knowledge. The licensing debacle has left the management…
5 tips for lamping foxes
1. What’s the right time to go out lamping foxes? Foxes are generally nocturnal and see excellently at night. Wait until it is properly dark outside before setting off. During the night foxes will sleep for a while – usually from around midnight until 3am. 2. Know the ground Night…
How to be an eco-friendly shooter
Eco-friendly shooting There is always something shoots can do to improve things and help reduce any negative effects we might be having on the environment, however small. In and around release pens A release pen should look pretty much the same when the birds are released after three or…
What happens when a gamekeeper loses his job?
I would hazard a guess that many a captain of industry who also runs a shoot listens as carefully to his gamekeeper as he does to his finance director. Not that he pays them the same. Gamekeepers are an iconic species. An ancient and highly respected profession, keepering is small…
New £10,000 bursary scheme available for young keepers and stalkers
A generous new bursary scheme which supports young keepers or stalkers in the first five years of their career has been announced by Holland & Holland. The company is keen to support natural resource management and to this end will give £10,000 to a successful applicant showing the desired credentials…
Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust: Text 07786 917498 for support
Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust: The Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust has added a new texting service to its helpline in a bid to provide gamekeepers with greater access to its services.
How to deal with redundancy when a shoot closes
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 or impending redundancy, there is the added body blow of having to find not only another job, but also in…
How to help save the red squirrel
We are fortunate in Northumberland to still have pockets of the native red squirrel in several areas. This is not by accident. The work that is quietly being carried out on estates by the shooting community is managing to sustain these populations. Every estate I have visited over the last…
What happened on a ladies-only shoot day with an all-female keepering team?
Shooting is becoming ever more accessible to a greater audience, none more so than women. This increasing popularity has driven the creation of fantastic communities such as Femmes Fatales and the Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club, allowing women of all ages and abilities to get involved and meet like-minded individuals.…