With all the news about new rules for trapping stoats, and changes to general licences for corvid control, it’s easy to forget that there are other predators out there that we need to address – like the American mink Why we need to control mink When we think about mink…
Pest control
Pest control can be undertaken for a variety of reasons – to prevent crop damage, protect wild birds and their habitats, keep vermin numbers down.
We have a variety of experts writing on the subject and if you have a query about pest control you’ll find some good advice here.
Rabbiting
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This is the kit you’ll need for going out foxing
When it comes to equipment for foxing, there’s so much conflicting advice around that I thought it would make sense to look at what’s actually used out in the field. In this enterprise I have chosen to focus on four experienced fox shooters, including me, Paul, my usual shooting partner,…
Why has Natural England introduced new controls for corvids?
Things had calmed down after Natural England helped stoke anger over the general licences two years ago, but it has heaped coal back on the fire. Back then it was Wild Justice that threw a spanner in the works, helping to strip vital protection from endangered curlew, lapwing and other…
Outwitting rats with thermal imaging scopes
Brown rats are prolific and resilient opportunists. This is in no small way due to their intelligence. Rat brains are remarkably similar to humans’ in both structure and function. They learn through observation, response to stimulus and have a high-functioning memory. This means that while a few sessions of lamping,…
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…
How to control rabbits in and around solar farms
Rabbit management on solar farms Over the years, solar farms have popped up all over the country in a bid to utilise renewable energy. The sites vary in size, along with the amount of energy they generate, but rabbits often favour them, though they clash with the smooth running of…
How to avoid 2021’s corvid control trap
With the season all but over, my mind as usual turns to planning for the next. In just a few weeks, the pheasants will be setting up their territories, strutting their stuff and doing everything they can to keep their harems together. The corvids will be getting frolicsome too. Rooks…
When the king shot thousands of rabbits
No other animal in the British countryside has played both hero and villain like the rabbit. The great warrens of the sandy Brecks in East Anglia were constructed to serve the fur and felt industry and cheap, plentiful meat was a bonus. The free-draining soil of Breckland was perfect for…
Airgunning in the cold
It might be cold out there but many of the pest species we can control with airguns are much easier to pinpoint during the winter – so airgunning in the cold will probably bring the results you are looking for. Dress warmly, take the right kit and you’ll have a…
Am I allowed to shoot my airgun in local woods open to the public?
So you’re a keen airgunner and you’ve set up a safe range at home for a spot of garden airgunning. But now you’re keen to expand your horizons. Maybe carry out a bit of pest control for a local farmer. But how do you go about getting a formal airgun…
Taking a look at ammunition for vermin
Vermin cartridges review: Give game and song birds a chance to survive by shooting the vermin that prey on them.
Just how deep do rabbits burrow down?
When you’re out walking near a rabbit warren, have you ever wondered just how far the tunnels go down? Just how deep is the average rabbit burrow? A rabbit warren is basically a home for a large colony of rabbits, that interconnects the different tunnels. The answer to how deep…
This is how to take somebody night-time foxing for the first time
To those of us who do it regularly, night-time foxing is no big deal. For many others who have never, or rarely, been before, it can be a really memorable occasion. As a result, one of the things that Paul, my regular shooting partner, and I like to do is…
Tackling corvids to protect lambs
The long layoff from shooting during lockdown has been a frustrating time for many of us. Most of my shooting entails the control of grey squirrels, and it seemed difficult to justify a drive of 10 or so miles to keep my feeding stations going when we were all being…
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 fox control
How to use an air rifle to clear pheasant pens of rats
One evening that really sticks in my mind is a ratting session with my friend Kev Hawker in February. As the pheasant season had drawn to a close, we were allowed to shoot inside the release pens on a local estate and the early signs suggested that we were in…
Airguns and summer squirrel shooting
Squirrel shooting with an air rifle can be very tricky over the summer months. The trees are covered with dense foliage which makes your quarry almost invisible in the treetops. Lure of the pheasant feeder The colder months are an easier time for squirrel shooting with an air rifle. Hungry…
How to use a Larsen trap correctly and effectively
A Larsen trap is an extremely visible form of pest control but using one needs be done correctly. A passer-by who spots a dirty Larsen trap with a dejected-looking calling bird (decoy), standing on a heap of splattered droppings and flyblown carcass remains is not going to come away with…
