The Unintended Keeper ( Diary of a keeping blagger )

[Stavross 15,203]

18 minutes ago, shovel leaner said:

You are sounding more optimistic now Stavross.

I’m feeling a bit better about them now, I was talking to my mate earlier and he was on about the amount of farm syndicates that haven’t got anything this year and will just be doing a day or two around Christmas, at least we have some, I just need to accept that it’s just a farm shoot but in the woods and I can’t be there all the time and can only do what I’m doing and it will be what it will be, just need to make sure there’s a few to go over my guests, I’m not bothered about the members

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Good acorn year this year here.

Your oak wood, is it full of acorns? That will draw the pheasants.....and fallow ().

 

[Stavross 15,203]

It’s not a massive crop of acorns which is strange because down off the hill the trees are laden with them, what there is loads of is beach masts

[BenBhoy 4,706]

Lovely chill in the air this morning! Bloody lovely!! 

[shovel leaner 7,650]

9 hours ago, Stavross said:

I’m feeling a bit better about them now, I was talking to my mate earlier and he was on about the amount of farm syndicates that haven’t got anything this year and will just be doing a day or two around Christmas, at least we have some, I just need to accept that it’s just a farm shoot but in the woods and I can’t be there all the time and can only do what I’m doing and it will be what it will be, just need to make sure there’s a few to go over my guests, I’m not bothered about the members

You are right about farm syndicates . My mate Tim isn’t doing his this year , and there are also a few around here that haven’t bothered . And even the bigger shoots  were struggling to get birds . Most have put some birds to wood in July , and then had to put the rest in as and when they could get them . So they have days sold in early October , but they have birds on the ground which won’t be ready till late November. They won’t be wanting dogs in the beating line and the pickers up are going to be mopping up squeakers and wet youngsters. 
          So you mustn’t beat yourself up . It’s a season like no other I can remember. But you must keep pushing yourself to do your very best , always gave it 100%. Because you are fighting Mother Nature and she doesn’t take prisoners. I think it’s probably the most challenging but ultimately most rewarding pastime there is . 
           Anyway glad it’s going well , I’m off down the bait shop in a bit . They were catching codling on the beach last night and some conger , but all I managed was some Pouting . Have fun  
             

Edited September 14, 2022 by shovel leaner

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

My mate just had his pheasants delivered this weekend so wont be shooting til November but has a healthy over spill from the Dukes estate next door His ducks were flying really well last week too so looking promising for him.

I have seen a few wildies knocking about on one of my farms so hopefully get a couple with Bert come the start of the season .

[Stavross 15,203]

So we have worked out that they love a wander in the sunshine, I pulled up in the back yard and there was bloody loads on the stubble, so the first mission was to get the bike out and run round to the bottom of the field, I took the bike out wide around them and they all headed to the wood/tip drive, I then took the bike back to the bottom of the field and preceded to walk the edge of the wood and push between 70 and 90 birds into the beast field, these then set off up the fence towards the pen, while I was walking the wood I could hear quite a few in it so I went out into the field and back to the bottom, dropped into the wood on the deer track and slowly walked up again, by the time I got to the tip and back out in the field there looked to be the same amount as the first go but this time, much more of a mixed bag of ages, they too hopped the fence and followed the others towards Gordon’s pen. That job done I headed for the oak wood, next doors birds have found the feeder there was about 20 or so around it and there was loads bobbing about in the rape. A quick bomb to the pens to top the feeders up and then over to the piggeries where there was a small group having a last feed before roost, everything was looking good so I thought I’ll have a run to the bottom ( tree side ) to check the deer traffic, this is where it all went wrong, I came a little to close to the edge of the gutter and I managed to roll the quad into the gutter and into a big pile of stinging nettles, that’s a bloody heavy thing to have on top of you when you are out on your own, my arm still feels like it’s on fire just as I managed to get the bike off me and out the gutter my phone rang, it was one of the members who walks in for me, so I reloaded the quad and headed to Gordon’s pen where we watched to see what came in, by the time it got to 7pm they were coming in from all angles, which I was very happy to see

[FOXHUNTER 5,021]

Well it looks like you've plenty birds about

[BenBhoy 4,706]

I've had it myself mate, scary when you flip one over. My old college teacher broke ribs when quad sat on him. Makes you realise, sometimes just gotta steady up a bit. I'm world's worst, always rushing through one job to race to next. But I was talking to a lad on SD that got burnt from tractor radiator exploding on him, after week's of ignoring lights... I'm trying to be more safe, for family sake. Take care mate cos there's only one of you and you'd be missed. Probably. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shit that was all a bit nice for me..... you probably rolled it cos your a tubby wankeř. There, that's better. 

[Stavross 15,203]

8 minutes ago, FOXHUNTER said:

Well it looks like you've plenty birds about

Plenty of next doors  

hopefully I can hang onto a few and the members get a couple of good days, 

what I really mean is I hope they hang around and the members bring guests who have a good day and feel the need to tip me well

[Stavross 15,203]

37 minutes ago, BenBhoy said:

I've had it myself mate, scary when you flip one over. My old college teacher broke ribs when quad sat on him. Makes you realise, sometimes just gotta steady up a bit. I'm world's worst, always rushing through one job to race to next. But I was talking to a lad on SD that got burnt from tractor radiator exploding on him, after week's of ignoring lights... I'm trying to be more safe, for family sake. Take care mate cos there's only one of you and you'd be missed. Probably. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shit that was all a bit nice for me..... you probably rolled it cos your a tubby wankeř. There, that's better. 

I’m worth more dead than alive, she’d probably only miss me until the cheque arrived

[FLATTOP 4,336]

Brilliant read Stav there’s a book here mate and in the previous thread back up the shoot, good luck for the season but I don’t think you will need it

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

7 hours ago, FLATTOP said:

Brilliant read Stav there’s a book here mate and in the previous thread back up the shoot, good luck for the season but I don’t think you will need it

More like a pamphlet really

Nah joking mate ,always a good read about getting out and being there .

[si brown 8,486]

Dangerous things them quads.. funniest thing I’ve seen was some hill billy up on the moors years ago doing trace element dropppin on the grass, I was repairing a wall at time!

he worked it out he had to go so many mph to deliver the right amount… the land was steep as f and rolled every way imaginable… that was over twenty years ago and I can still hear him screaming when I think about it

 

least you dint break any bones stav

[Stavross 15,203]

16 minutes ago, si brown said:

least you dint break any bones stav

I’m in some pain this morning, I don’t bounce as well as I used to