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 crops. The advantages of perennial cover crops Not only do perennial cover crops reduce costs after the initial year of…
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
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, of course, huge differences between the two and there is a reason why one is almost double the price of…
Gamekeeper of the year – Paul Childerley
Gamekeeper of the year – Paul Childerley Paul Childerly is not only an award winning gamekeeper, sporting company founder and owner, Fieldsports Channel team member but also a five times world champion kickboxer and founder of Pro Style Kickboxing. Coming from a family background of gamekeeping, Paul was introduced to…
Eight key steps for creating a successful shooting syndicate
In 40 years of delivering game management advice, I’ve seen all sorts of shooting syndicates, from big formal shoots to little groups of working people who simply want to escape into the countryside for a few winter Saturdays. Some of these gangs are the happiest of people and others much…
Today thousands are protesting concerns over Scottish rural policy
The Rural Workers Protest had been planned to take place in Scotland’s capital, however COVID restrictions forced organisers to think creatively and the protest moved online. The event was jointly organised by the Scottish Gamekeepers association and Scotland’s regional moorland groups. However support is going far beyond gamekeepers. As well…
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. Work on your CV — keep it updated and relevant. Check job sites daily and apply as soon as you…
Scottish gamekeepers plan Holyrood protest on 19th March
The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) has announced The Rural Workers’ Protest 2021, #RWP21 and says it is: “… an opportunity for everyone across the countryside, on land and river, to unite and find their voice.” The event will take place on Friday 19th March 2021. The association is mindful of…
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 of days they shot in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The keepering team realised that the number of hours they…
What makes a good gamekeeper?
For those of us who shoot, it is the nature of the sport that you come into contact with that unique and special brand of individual, the gamekeeper. But what do we really know about the men or women who have devoted themselves to the job? With the increase in…
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 who rear a few to sell on and the keepers and shoots who only buy in for themselves. Game farmers…
Why predation control needs an integrated plan
Let’s start by noting the words ‘predation control’, rather than predator. In managing game and wildlife, how many predators you kill is of no great relevance; rather it is the predation that you prevent that matters. As a consequence, shooting odd random predators is of no great moment. What is…
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 seems pretty certain that most of us will have more leftover pheasants on the ground at the end of this…
Gamekeepers suffer abuse on a daily basis – so what’s to be done about it?
The moderators were quick to pull the comment down, but I doubt they managed to do it before at least one of the many gamekeepers in the group had read it. It had been posted on a thread discussing grouse shooting on one of the large rewilding groups on Facebook.…
Under the coverts with Alex Hogg, Chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association
SG: Firstly, many congratulations on your MBE. How does it feel to have those three letters after your name, Alex Hogg? Alex Hogg: I feel very proud to have been given the MBE but, at the same time, very humbled. This has been a huge team effort from all the…
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 for any noble reason or observation of a season of any sort, it is simply due to the fact that…
How to create your own deer management plan
Deer management in any landscape requires a coordinated and well-thought-out plan. When it comes up in conversation, as it does more regularly than one would imagine, the viewpoint of those unfamiliar with deer management is more often than not, “Isn’t the aim simply to shoot as many as possible?” While…
LACS report slammed by shooting groups
The publication of Calculating Cruelty by the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) has been blasted by shooting groups, who criticise it for inaccuracy, misreporting and unsound science. The report was timed to coincide with the start of the grouse shooting season. LACS claims that an “independent surveyor” was appointed to…
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 of poults inside a release pen, and the area immediately outside. Attention to detail is so important, and little tweaks…
New underkeeper apprenticeship launched
A new apprenticeship scheme for underkeepers has been given the green light. Unveiling details of the scheme, Adrian Blackmore, director of shooting for the Countryside Alliance, said: “We seized the opportunity in 2016 to support estates in developing a gamekeeper standard, when it was announced that the existing courses would…
The skill of caring for pheasant poults successfully
My pheasant poults came yesterday, so by the time you read this they will have been here for a few weeks. The birds look good, all well-feathered and around seven weeks old. They are caught the night before from the rearing sheds and are delivered to me at around 4am,…