Getting the balance right in countryside

[Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin]

What your thoughts on the state of our countryside in terms of human impact due to leisure industry or farming and the impact of hunting and pest control in your area.

 

Has keepers reduced the pests EG foxes magpies to level that there is hardly any or the on the other hand no keepers so the it out of control.

 

Is wildlife in good state songbirds it seems that we all operate a volly close season on most of our quarries for one reason or another .

 

Is there any quarry you feel needs a close season that currently has none due to low numbers etc.

 

As for me it seems despite humans best efforts to reduce numbers of rabbits pigeons foxes we still only seem to manage to control numbers rather than reduce them to a dangerous low level to call for a close season or not to take animals with young etc .

 

ATB Cookie

[BLACKWATER... 157]

each countie has diffrent issues on control and whats a pest , ive been lucky to hunt at wil and travel alot the hunting and fishing industry is up and down the quicker they lift bans give people hunting licences like fish licences and have close seasons the better ,for all round nature ,in some areas hare are more plentiful roe to than pest species , hook beaks sharp tooths well there always goin need some measure of control , to keep a happy balance same with rats crows etc , rabbits are up and down in this country at moment,and need checked on , all season on some areas ,if you live with the seasons you learn , alot more , and whats crops atract pests etc so yo get to no whats eating a mans profit and whats not more setaside helps head rigs ,you have to be at one with the land and its surroundings to give notice on what needs doone in the uk at times, total bans like coursing was a demise in areas for hares as well coursing is fair shooting and plugging them with 22 lamp isnt , hate the gov will always fight it

Edited May 16, 2012 by BLACKWATER...

[Lab 10,979]

What your thoughts on the state of our countryside in terms of human impact due to leisure industry or farming and the impact of hunting and pest control in your area.

 

Has keepers reduced the pests EG foxes magpies to level that there is hardly any or the on the other hand no keepers so the it out of control.

 

Is wildlife in good state songbirds it seems that we all operate a volly close season on most of our quarries for one reason or another .

 

Is there any quarry you feel needs a close season that currently has none due to low numbers etc.

 

As for me it seems despite humans best efforts to reduce numbers of rabbits pigeons foxes we still only seem to manage to control numbers rather than reduce them to a dangerous low level to call for a close season or not to take animals with young etc .

 

ATB Cookie

Well its all down to the individual i think. A man who works on a building site for a living but enjoys hunting as a sport would probably vote for a close season on many pest to secure his sport. But i'd doubt if you'd get a farmer or keeper voting for close seasons on pests that can cost them a hell of alot of money.

Said it before but there should be a 'cull' period on certain BOPs..........mainly Buzzard.

[Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin]

What inspired this thread was stumbling on a book called more tales of the old gamekeepers by Brian p .Martin .

And how keepers of pre 1970s attacked pests to point of not seeing any on large estates be intrested to here stories from members who are old enough to give there views first hard of the countryside and there views in pre 70s .

From the memories of the the lost hedges and spinneys due to change in farming to product more etc.

 

ATB Cookie

[paulus 26]

the countryside the same the city relies on its income to survive, thus it will always be changing to suite the ecconomic climate of the time

[Lab 10,979]

the countryside the same the city relies on its income to survive, thus it will always be changing to suite the ecconomic climate of the time

Of course it is mate. Where moneys involved emotions have to take a back seat........

[paulus 26]

the countryside the same the city relies on its income to survive, thus it will always be changing to suite the ecconomic climate of the time

Of course it is mate. Where moneys involved emotions have to take a back seat........

left to it nature pritty much takes care of itself but mans intervension alters the ballance and with that alteration comes responsibilitys. we are all just a very small part in a very big machine thats called the countryside

[Lab 10,979]

the countryside the same the city relies on its income to survive, thus it will always be changing to suite the ecconomic climate of the time

Of course it is mate. Where moneys involved emotions have to take a back seat........

left to it nature pritty much takes care of itself but mans intervension alters the ballance and with that alteration comes responsibilitys. we are all just a very small part in a very big machine thats called the countryside

Maybe a small part but we can have the biggest effect.....good and bad. We see many threads on here critisising shooters but really they play a small part when next to weather and new farming methods. You cant have it both ways.......we either have a small island under populated with vast amounts of wildlife or we have a crowded island with less wildlife. Cant have everything......

[paulus 26]

the countryside the same the city relies on its income to survive, thus it will always be changing to suite the ecconomic climate of the time

Of course it is mate. Where moneys involved emotions have to take a back seat........

left to it nature pritty much takes care of itself but mans intervension alters the ballance and with that alteration comes responsibilitys. we are all just a very small part in a very big machine thats called the countryside

Maybe a small part but we can have the biggest effect.....good and bad. We see many threads on here critisising shooters but really they play a small part when next to weather and new farming methods. You cant have it both ways.......we either have a small island under populated with vast amounts of wildlife or we have a crowded island with less wildlife. Cant have everything......

theres a time and a place for everything, pity the people who make the rules didnt understand this, emotions shouldnt come into the countryside as nature has none. if we alter the ballance we have to control the inballance its as simple as that, if we want more food per acre then the stuff that eats the food needs to be controlled,

[weasle 1,119]

Way to many of these

 

[kenny14 656]

What inspired this thread was stumbling on a book called more tales of the old gamekeepers by Brian p .Martin .

And how keepers of pre 1970s attacked pests to point of not seeing any on large estates be intrested to here stories from members who are old enough to give there views first hard of the countryside and there views in pre 70s .

From the memories of the the lost hedges and spinneys due to change in farming to product more etc.

 

ATB Cookie

 

It was so different back then, for example compared to nowadays very few Corvids or Grey Squirrels were found living in gardens or Town/City parks, so estates could far more easily control a local population.

Also unlike now, very few people put out Bird feeders, which attract Corvids and Squirrels, plus we're far more wasteful with food, so the food supply can now support a much higher density. Very little or no control of these species is done in gardens and parks. This means there's far more pests to quickly move into areas where the residents are controlled.

This also applies to urban foxes.

 

As for close seasons, I think it's a matter of personal opinion and whether or not the pest is causing problems at the time. I think most keepers would agree that they'd be taking a massive gamble if they didn't do any Fox control until say August or september.

[paulus 26]

Way to many of these

 

oh yes, but there cute and so carnt do any damge can they :laugh: as i said emotions shouldnt come into it

[kenny14 656]

Way to many of these

 

 

I've said it many times before - A classic case of protection working too well.

IMO protection of any species should be reviewed regularly.

[Born Hunter 17,788]

We have trapped more magpies and crows this year than in any other year in our small shoots history. Keepers and other land owners just aren't hard at it like they should be around us. Plenty of 4x4 cowboys wanting to lamp a fox though! I can walk out my back door to a field within 5 mins of the house and count 10-20 magpies all together! The land is shot over ocassionally but not properly managed. There seems to be a lot of reasonably wealthy folks renting some land and chucking out a few hundred birds with no real interest in really managing the land. It's a great feeling doing the job the best you can with hundreds of hours of work put in each year to achieve it and seeing song birds in abundance on land that would otherwise be pretty dead.

[undisputed 1,664]

Round our way the impact of urbanisation and a change in farming practices has devastated the local wildlife population. No hares, no grey patridge. Ponds filled in farms demolished to make way for industry. Hardle any bunnies either.. What we do have is more roe deer than you can shake a stick at.