Caprelous 217 Posted January 16, 2012 Report Share Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) What work programs do members on here participate in to promote their habitat and describe the invironment or piccies of what it was like before and after you work program if you would please. Do you think that stalkers should consider being involved more in improvement or do you think nature should be left to fend for itself. Do those who involve themselves in improving the habitat see results in deer control also do you consider you could do more or less in your efforts. Does your efforts involve soil and fauna improvements if so please describe what work and methods you adopt. I appreciate due to work comitments etc some people are not in a position to partake in work programs but those in syndications should they tolerate these excuses or should alternative arrangements be made for those who cant take part ie financial renumeration to opt out for instance or engage someone else on that persons behalf so all are seen to do their share or would you allow such people into a syndicate who could not participate in work programs ? A lot of questions I know but i am interested in the replies for a reason. Non participation does create rifts in game shoots and ill feelings but does this also effect stalking and is this why many drop out of syndicates, basically what i am saying is what alternatives would the membership here suggest being a working option. Cheers Stu Edited January 16, 2012 by Caprelous Quote Link to post
shootlodge 146 Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 (edited) What work programs do members on here participate in to promote their habitat ??????? A*** All plants & matter benefit from a good dose of manure, peat or chicken shed dusting. In the rainy season ,herb & fruit seeding /berries also scattered, especially wild benefit the herds & wildlife too, making the area good & keeping plenty of movement about.The plants grow helping diet. Also depends whether is an area for conservation & well being, or tree preservation, culling or stalking !! Do you really want to encourage deer in new woodlands !! Do you think that stalkers should consider being involved more in improvement or do you think nature should be left to fend for itself ????? A*** Involvement from some stalkers would benefit the ground, & the well being of the animals , food distribution in the hard winter & regular walks keep the area secure. This would also help some respect the animals more, seeing & understanding the animals. Nature will cope, but a helping hand improves. Do those who involve themselves in improving the habitat see results in deer control also do you consider you could do more or less in your efforts ?? *** Yes, in better animals, better weight & size, along with better breeding & numbers born . Care & some nutrition feed of the wild animals has proven results. Does your efforts involve soil and fauna improvements if so please describe what work and methods you adopt ?? A***All depends on the area, farm cattle/ sheep wandering the area occasionally , will fertilise. Edited January 20, 2012 by shootlodge Quote Link to post
dogs-n-natives 1,182 Posted January 29, 2012 Report Share Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) Im currently planting 30 hectares of native woodlands, over ,000 trees. Species including birches, oak, ash, hazel, alder, willow, scots pine, rowan, juniper, aspen. I have also been fencing off huge areas to protect against deer damage. Ive always worked with the environment, trying to improve diversity. Too many deer are a major cause of habitat degradation in my work areas, stalkers culled hard over the last 20 years, and we have less sheep on the hills, we can see the improvements coming with better growth of heathers and blaeberry, and naturally regenerating trees. I think more folk with sporting rights should do more work with their environment, lots dont bother. Edited January 29, 2012 by dogs-n-natives 2 Quote Link to post
Caprelous 217 Posted January 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2012 Im currently planting 30 hectares of native woodlands, over ,000 trees. Species including birches, oak, ash, hazel, alder, willow, scots pine, rowan, juniper, aspen. I have also been fencing off huge areas to protect against deer damage. Ive always worked with the environment, trying to improve diversity. Too many deer are a major cause of habitat degradation in my work areas, stalkers culled hard over the last 20 years, and we have less sheep on the hills, we can see the improvements coming with better growth of heathers and blaeberry, and naturally regenerating trees. I think more folk with sporting rights should do more work with their environment, lots dont bother. Your views are music to my ears ,something both my stalking partner and myself are trying to educate to would be stalkers. young blood coming into the sport who work on improvement habitat programs who have worked hard, will see what benefits can be gained over a short period of time. older stalkers seem to be set in their ways to a greater extent and cant be bothered in improvement. Unfortunately they are the first to moan when rides are over grown with bracken where deer are present in large numbers but visually impossible to control etc. Where if they got themselves involved in clearance and habitat improvement they can see deer and control numbers all year round. Also by carrying out these types of improvement reduces tick infestation where breeding areas are present to acceptable numbers. Creating open glades with the correct growing fescues can bring deer to designated feeding areas that are more easily controlled. installing owl boxes in areas where vole infestation is present during there 5 year influx cyles help reduce damage to new planting that are often blamed on deer damage can help forest relations with those who manage the forest. There is so much that can be achieved with effort , We need to get away from the idea that deer stalking is just about pulling a trigger and more in getting involved with creating a managed inviromental habit for the benefit and control of all wildlife be it mammal, avian or flora, or reptile. such can be achieved with the right attitude and we need to change our way we approach wildlife management especially when it comes to deer management. Cheers Stu Quote Link to post
WILF 49,663 Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Im currently planting 30 hectares of native woodlands, over ,000 trees. Species including birches, oak, ash, hazel, alder, willow, scots pine, rowan, juniper, aspen. I have also been fencing off huge areas to protect against deer damage. Ive always worked with the environment, trying to improve diversity. Too many deer are a major cause of habitat degradation in my work areas, stalkers culled hard over the last 20 years, and we have less sheep on the hills, we can see the improvements coming with better growth of heathers and blaeberry, and naturally regenerating trees. I think more folk with sporting rights should do more work with their environment, lots dont bother. Sadly, so many hunters of all kinds just want to kill stuff...............same a fishermen, they will sit in a landfill site as long as they catch fish after fish Well done you, keep up your good work 1 Quote Link to post
leegreen 2,244 Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 I am involved in rivers and the recreation of spawning beds for Brown Trout. The projects involve opening out over grown streams to allow light in to promote photosynthesis which intern encourages invertebrates which feed fish. This is all back breaking work and also very secretive because of the risk of poaching. Many farming practises have damaged natural reproduction of our native Browns and in the south east they need all the help they can get. I've also been involved in a couple of other projects but I fear these are just a waist of government money. 1 Quote Link to post
Caprelous 217 Posted January 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 I am involved in rivers and the recreation of spawning beds for Brown Trout. The projects involve opening out over grown streams to allow light in to promote photosynthesis which intern encourages invertebrates which feed fish. This is all back breaking work and also very secretive because of the risk of poaching. Many farming practises have damaged natural reproduction of our native Browns and in the south east they need all the help they can get. I've also been involved in a couple of other projects but I fear these are just a waist of government money. Well done to you the more people (sportsmen) who see and act as to how to benefit all Wildlife the better. we all need to get away from this I have paid my money and i am entitled to take attitude,our syndicate operates a system if your prepared to get stuck in and involve yourself in work parties your also deserve the right to control the wildlife in a balanced way to benefit it . If more had the attitude as you have in what you do we would see better quality and more healthy animals and other wildlife as the correct type of foods and habitat will be in place. Well done to you. keep it up. Stu Quote Link to post
leegreen 2,244 Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 I am involved in rivers and the recreation of spawning beds for Brown Trout. The projects involve opening out over grown streams to allow light in to promote photosynthesis which intern encourages invertebrates which feed fish. This is all back breaking work and also very secretive because of the risk of poaching. Many farming practises have damaged natural reproduction of our native Browns and in the south east they need all the help they can get. I've also been involved in a couple of other projects but I fear these are just a waist of government money. Well done to you the more people (sportsmen) who see and act as to how to benefit all Wildlife the better. we all need to get away from this I have paid my money and i am entitled to take attitude,our syndicate operates a system if your prepared to get stuck in and involve yourself in work parties your also deserve the right to control the wildlife in a balanced way to benefit it . If more had the attitude as you have in what you do we would see better quality and more healthy animals and other wildlife as the correct type of foods and habitat will be in place. Well done to you. keep it up. Stu Thanks. Thing is people become blinkered and can not see a bigger picture. And by this I mean a future in the sport they are involved with. Not only this you make contacts, gain trust which in return gains permission and this is sometimes hard to come by. Quote Link to post
martin 332 Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 The problem I have as afar as making any changes to any of my stalking permissions is that the permissions are usually working farms rather than 'The Hill' .And as such if a farmer drove round some of his fields and come round the corner to be confronted with a block of young saplings I think I would have my ass in a sling....lol I do have a 1/2 decent strip of woodland that does hold Roe and Muntjac,but I think all I could possibly do in there is to open up a couple of glades,but I never shoot Deer in the woods so I am not sure that would actually benefit anyone(?) The reason I don't shoot the woods is that I want the population to know they have a sanctuary,and that has meant that they tend to stick around a bit longer than some of the other areas in the valley that get shot all over(not by me).Do you have any comments at all that might be applicable in my situation Stu? Quote Link to post
Caprelous 217 Posted February 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2012 (edited) The problem I have as afar as making any changes to any of my stalking permissions is that the permissions are usually working farms rather than 'The Hill' .And as such if a farmer drove round some of his fields and come round the corner to be confronted with a block of young saplings I think I would have my ass in a sling....lol I do have a 1/2 decent strip of woodland that does hold Roe and Muntjac,but I think all I could possibly do in there is to open up a couple of glades,but I never shoot Deer in the woods so I am not sure that would actually benefit anyone(?) The reason I don't shoot the woods is that I want the population to know they have a sanctuary,and that has meant that they tend to stick around a bit longer than some of the other areas in the valley that get shot all over(not by me).Do you have any comments at all that might be applicable in my situation Stu? Hi Martin nice responding to you mate. With not seeing your actual wood and shooting ground I can only comment on possible circumstances that may or may not exist there, so please take on board my views accordingly. The obvious would be as you have a wood would be install a few owl and bat boxes south facing this would bring down both insect population like midges and voles which do endless damage, encouragement of those species in an area can only do extreme benefit to the invironment. If you have old willows inside the wood around marshy ground cut right back to the floor this will encourage new growth very quickly from the old stock ,from which the bucks can clean their velvet on the antlers on the fast growing fronds in spring. Also save the brashed out willow as they make good natural wicket deer blinds that you can plant and trail ivy up which the deer also love to feed on, these blinds can be constructed inside the wood either for observation or culling. Open up a few areas in the wood and rotovate a few areas and plant succulant fescues, I know you want the deer to have a safe area but you dont have to shoot in the wood but it will create a stock holding area where they will congregate in a coffee house invironment. Generally Roe deer are margin browsers less so muntjac by their very nature so strip back aeas on the perimeters of the wood and install high seats covering these areas as the deer come out to browse on the likes of blocks of brambles and dog roses you will have perfect culling zones, Keep the grass on the perimeters regularly strimmed down which creates what natural fescues that are present to be more acceptable to eat for the deer instead of harsh fronds, above all strim back mass areas of bracken both inside and outside the wood but not it all leave pockets of it so the deer feel secure but keep it under constant control so that it remains just that pockets of it. In areas where there is bog plant bog myrtle the deer like to lie up in it ruminating it also has a natural ingredient that keeps ticks away. That would be a good start and improvement, I am sure you would see vast changes in the deer numbers and not only that the population would be more easier controlled because you will know their habits at any time of day so be able to increase your cull rate. It will take time I accept that initially they will be disturbed but when it all settles down and you keep on top of it you will be pleased with the result. The only worry that anyone who has ground should be concerned about is loosing it after doing all the work which others benefit for your endevours and thats painfull but if you consider your ground is secure in tenure then go for it i would. Hope this Helps Stu Edited February 1, 2012 by Caprelous 2 Quote Link to post
shootlodge 146 Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 (edited) Im currently planting 30 hectares of native woodlands, over ,000 trees. Species including birches, oak, ash, hazel, alder, willow, scots pine, rowan, juniper, aspen. I have also been fencing off huge areas to protect against deer damage. Ive always worked with the environment, trying to improve diversity. Too many deer are a major cause of habitat degradation in my work areas, stalkers culled hard over the last 20 years, and we have less sheep on the hills, we can see the improvements coming with better growth of heathers and blaeberry, and naturally regenerating trees. I think more folk with sporting rights should do more work with their environment, lots dont bother. How the h3ll do you do this? I asked the woodland 'funding scheme' to plant 32 acre of hard wood & local wood, they quoted me, & said i had to foot the bill, with half my money returned in 5 years the rest in 10 !! If i maintained & weeded the crops......... yeh right. They led me to beleive they wanted land to grow trees etc...scammin &^%%"!!'s & they wanted the say where what was goin ....on my property woodlandtrust.org.uk = jokers Edited February 2, 2012 by shootlodge Quote Link to post
Caprelous 217 Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) I am up carrying out some more Wild life and Habitat work back end of this coming week with a few of the lads who have taken up our offer to help out with the program. One of the lads has made and donated a High seat made from shuttering ply that we intend erecting this weekend at the juction of three rides. I understand from my stalking partner Andrew hes been busy up there with some lads carring out ride clearance work and brashing . With not being up there myself for a few weeks as its expensive for me fuel wise to get up as regular as I would like, I am looking forward to seeing the improvements to our ground that hes done. We are both going to take out the lads i am taking up as part of our commitment to introducing newcomers into the sport. Hopefully they will all get as much out of the experience as we intend, everyones a winner in this we hope. I will hopefully put up some piccies of the lads and whats been achieved so far, I hope the weather is kind to us and this snow thats forecast this week soon clears. Cheers Stu Edited February 4, 2012 by Caprelous Quote Link to post
martin 332 Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 That is a good way of getting stuff done Stu,and as you say win win situation. M Quote Link to post
dogs-n-natives 1,182 Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Im currently planting 30 hectares of native woodlands, over ,000 trees. Species including birches, oak, ash, hazel, alder, willow, scots pine, rowan, juniper, aspen. I have also been fencing off huge areas to protect against deer damage. Ive always worked with the environment, trying to improve diversity. Too many deer are a major cause of habitat degradation in my work areas, stalkers culled hard over the last 20 years, and we have less sheep on the hills, we can see the improvements coming with better growth of heathers and blaeberry, and naturally regenerating trees. I think more folk with sporting rights should do more work with their environment, lots dont bother. How the h3ll do you do this? I asked the woodland 'funding scheme' to plant 32 acre of hard wood & local wood, they quoted me, & said i had to foot the bill, with half my money returned in 5 years the rest in 10 !! If i maintained & weeded the crops......... yeh right. They led me to beleive they wanted land to grow trees etc...scammin &^%%"!!'s & they wanted the say where what was goin ....on my property woodlandtrust.org.uk = jokers Nightmare mate! Lucky for me the landowners or foresters sort out the grants, I just do the donkey work! Quote Link to post
Caprelous 217 Posted February 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 (edited) Constructing High Seat covering 3 Rides work in progress in our Wild Life Habitat Program. Link found on my Web Page WWW.Deerstalking-UK.COM Just a few piccies of the high seat we constructed concerning the intersection of 3 rides and roadways and a tangent ride in the forest. Access to the double high seat through the floor with the ladder constructed out of alder fixed internally for security and safe operation. 4 Corner steadies have been added at the angle of repose since the last photo, one of the other lads involved in the program has further photos of it complete and method of operandi in its construction and how it was erected in situ which can be seen on my Deerstalking forum Edited February 15, 2012 by Caprelous Quote Link to post
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