Working with gamekeepers

[Ty Unnos]

Hi

 

I am going to be working on an estate which is managed for pheasant shooting.

 

I will be cutting over stood coppice and making charcoal.

 

I have pretty much been told that I will have to work around the shooting and that the gamekeepers word will be final. I am a planning a low impact approach so will only be using a small vehicle like a quad.

 

Is anyone in a similar situation? I think the shooting season ends in January which means I can only fell from Feb - April? What about if I don't use a chainsaw and just use hand tools will that still disturb the birds?

 

I think that the cut coppice will make a better habitat for the birds with more ground cover. Is there anything else that I can use to get the gamekeepers onside?

[Billy68]

talk to them you will probably find that the problem is as much as health and safety issue as a bird issue - they'll be worried that you might get shot!

Edited June 5, 2011 by Billy68

[Chris Sheppard]

In my experience, most gamekeepers are overly cautious and worried about you disturbing the birds, even if you aren't working anywhere near pens.

 

In reality though, pheasants really don't seem that bothered by the presence of work going on and I've even seen them come back to roost in the woods on an evening when we've been thinning the same wood.

 

I was lucky on one estate that the head keeper was from a forestry background so the only time we weren't allowed in a drive was the day before a shoot or one really important days, a few days before.

 

You will still struggle to find a keeper that will let you do any work out of the Feb-June window so all you can really do is Blitz it in that time window and live with it IME - not ideal but on most estates, pheasants come first

[Charlieh]

offer to help beat on shoot days, offer to make flag sticks and posts for them and make yourself an asset to them and not a hinderance, let them know if you see any vermin about, offer to help trapping squirrels etc if your in the woods daily, and have a meeting over summer with some plans for your cutting the following winter and go through it with them

[Matthew Arnold]

I help out on a number of shoots with regards to habitat management and creation. As i beat and shoot on them too i can identify areas that need work and then do the work from Feb onwards. During March i cleared an area of hazel coppice and took down some dodgy ash with alot of rot in the base. During the season i help out with any trees that hinder access to the gunbus and tractor trailer.

[cousin jack]

Most gamekeepers are paranoid about "disturbing the birds". Apparently a chainsaw working within half a mile of them will frighten them into the next parish, but driving them over a line of guns, and shooting at the feckin things once a week dos'nt do this.

In my experience you will do no harm whatsoever, but you will be lucky to find a gamekeeper who thinks that way, many a time I've been hedgelaying and had no end of birds around me. Most gamekeepers are stuck up their own arse I'm afraid. Just my opinion mind.

Edited June 5, 2011 by cousin jack

[MattyF]

Most gamekeepers are paranoid about "disturbing the birds". Apparently a chainsaw working within half a mile of them will frighten them into the next parish, but driving them over a line of guns, and shooting at the feckin things once a week dos'nt do this.

In my experience you will do no harm whatsoever, but you will be lucky to find a gamekeeper who thinks that way, many a time I've been hedgelaying and had no end of birds around me. Most gamekeepers are stuck up their own arse I'm afraid. Just my opinion mind.

 

Ha , about sums them up! Have seen more pheasants come back to a site when you pack up , I think they are curious....

[Paul Smith]

Just had a huge area of softwoods clear felled and there are more birds than ever! They are not bothered about work but the keepers are. Any excuse to blame a bad days shoot!

[Matthew Arnold]

Just had a huge area of softwoods clear felled and there are more birds than ever! They are not bothered about work but the keepers are. Any excuse to blame a bad days shoot!

 

Ive been chainsawing in a pen wood the day before a shoot. When i stopped at lunch the birds were flooding back in and when i finished for the day they were coming back again. Although they are frightened at first as soon as the noise stops they are back. The keeper was a bit apprehensive for obivous reasons but when i showed him the trees he wanted them down ASAP as they were leaning heavily towards the main track through the estate and had obvious root heave.

[screwie]

you can say all you want about keepers but untill you have actually been a keeper with a tied house you really cant say anything!! it makes not an ounce of difference to a shoot owner that you have been working 7 days a week from april rearing the birds from day olds or you have been out all night after that fox that has been causing you problems and have only had half an hours kip, if the birds aren't there its your fault, been there, done that. so any keeper will not want to run the risk of it disrupting his birds even if in the long run it will benefit the shoot. just work with them as much as you can and when you get the green light work as fast as you can