Shooting and conservation

[Mossie]

I am a member of a small (farmers) rough shoot in West Yorkshire. We have a fairly large wood of native trees on the shoot, which is completely fenced off and kept as private as possible as it is where we keep our pheasant pens. The local guys on the shoot are fairly active in the control of corvids and greys.
Now I was in the wood a few days ago and Wow, what a magical place !
I've never heard birdsong like it. Within the first half hour I'd seen, Tree Creepers, Nuthatches, Green and spotted woodpeckers and several other small birds that I couldn't indentify, but the sound in that wood was something else !
About half a mile away we have another slightly larger wood, which we are allowed to shoot, but as it has a couple of public footpaths running through it, we tend to keep clear. Now the amount of birds you see or birdsong you hear in this wood is on a much lower level.
In my view this is how managed shooting can benefit wildlife. In fact I'm trying to persuade our shoot manager to invite some of the local wildlife groups for limited access.

[RoyW]

There could be all sorts of different reasons for the apparent difference in the amount of wildlife in the two woods - with the potentially far greater disturbance in the unmanaged wood being one of these.
In my opinion the greatest conservation benefit that shooting provides is that areas of land are protected (with generally little disturbance when no shooting is taking place). Any suggestion that the control of corvids/Grey Squirrels/etc is one of the conservation benefits of shooting will probably be disputed by some on this site though!

I'm sure that local wildlife groups would welcome the opportunity to be allowed some access to your site, which would allow the birds and other wildlife present to be recorded.

[captaincarot]

well done sherlock you've worked out that if you persecute all of the predators out of existance you get an increase in prey species.

right up to the point where some contagious disease is introduced, then as there are no controls to remove the sick and weak from the environment disease runs through it like wildfire, yet you celebrate your massively degraded environment as some form of thriumph and the benefits of conservation.

usual dross from the shooting lobby

[RoyW]

Captain carrot: while I appreciate that you have strong views on the subject of shooting and predator control (as do many others) replies like your one here will do nothing at all to change present, and entirely legal, practices - and in a case like this could potentially make the OP thing that it is not worth pursuing the idea of allowing access to wildlife groups (something which could help to greatly benefit some of the wildlife present because the shooting group may be prepared to act on management advice that could potentially be given).

Mossie: Don't let similar replies put you off contacting local wildlife groups/recording organisations. When you make it clear that the wood is managed for shooting most people will still welcome the opportunity to record the wildlife on a private site - and respect the right for the land and wildlife to be legally managed in the way it is. It is possible that some alternative management may be suggested, for the benefit of some wildlife - and it may be that some small changes would work well for wildlife without adversely affecting the shooting interests.

[the poacher]

Here Here.

[Mossie]

Yes, thanks for the replies.

As a shooter for the last 20 years and a member of the RSPB for the last 25 years, I think I'm as passionate as anybody on this forum about conservation.
But the fact is, wildlife in the wood managed by shooting thrives and has done for all the many years it has been shot.
So no, I will quite definately not be put off by that earlier post.
And Captain Carrot, my post was merely an observation not a post to try and win over people to the views of the shooting fraternity. If you feel so passionate about it, go and and let rip on one the many shooting/gun/stalking forums and not here.

[captaincarot]

Originally Posted by Mossie

Yes, thanks for the replies.

If you feel so passionate about it, go and and let rip on one the many shooting/gun/stalking forums and not here.

how dare you tell me to go somewhere else particularly as this is a site dedicated to wild life NOT SHOOTING

[rossy]

Originally Posted by captaincarot

how dare you tell me to go somewhere else particularly as this is a site dedicated to wild life NOT SHOOTING

im right behind you captaincarot on this one, this forums isnt for the cowboys and their toys, go and find another site, i dont want to read your posts, as stated its mainly birds on here and wildlife. rossy.

[stigofthedump]

Welcome aboard Mossie. Its going to get a little passionate methinks.

Just wanted to say all are welcome here as long as we all abide by the site rules.

Great idea re letting some wildlife groups into your woods. Lets hope you can persuade your shoot manager.

Vince

[Ukwildlifeo]

I think the fact that there are public footpaths and the inevitable disturbance that comes with it would account for the higher numbers of birds in a relatively undisturbed wood, not to mention the fact the higher numbers are in the wood with pens full of pheasant food....