Running a Shoot E-Book

J C Jeremy Hobson

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

To those faced with running a shoot, the difficulties are very substantial and they require imaginative solutions. Running A Shoot - A Complete Guide contains many of the answers and is essential reading for all those involved in organizing and running shoots. This invaluable book is probably the most comprehensive work on the subject, and considers how to find suitable land, rental options, preparing a budget, letting days, keeping records, insurance, health and safety, taking over new ground, buying in poults or rearing chicks, shoot transport and habitat improvement. It examines in detail predator control, springtime management, rearing and releasing, game crops and summer tasks, and discusses the necessary preparation for the shooting season, the shooting day itself and how to avoid problems. Along with information on health, hygiene, diseases and veterinary legislation and a useful month-by-month summary of tasks and duties, it is essential reading for all those running a shoot efficiently and prodcutively. Superbly illustrated in colour with 95 photographs and 14 line drawings.

Leseprobe

Running A Shoot

A Complete Guide

J. C. JEREMY HOBSON

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2007 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2015

© J. C. Jeremy Hobson 2007

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 060 7

Disclaimer

The author and the publisher do not accept any responsibility in any manner whatsoever for any error or omission, or any loss, damage, injury, adverse outcome, or liability of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any of the information contained in this book, or reliance upon it. If in doubt about any aspect of running a shoot readers are advised to seek professional advice.

Acknowledgements

To Roger Morris, for his diligent research on my behalf. To Jonathan Powell, who gave me much invaluable information regarding game crops and the ways in which contracting methods work. Paul Goddard told me of his experiences renting many shoots and proofread the relevant chapter, for which I am very grateful.

Many of the photos were taken during the course of various shooting days, and I would like to thank gamekeepers Frank Cox, Mark Munday, Tony Hewlett, Nick Brown and James Gammon for allowing me the opportunity to do so. Special acknowledgements are due to Mike Davies of Damerham Fisheries, Hampshire. Thanks also to Greg Knight (www.ruralshots.com) for supplying the wonderful jacket photos – his kindness and help is also much appreciated.

Much of what I have written is a result of personal experience over thirty years of gamekeeping, but a great deal has also been gleaned from the exploits and anecdotes of landowners, employers, keepers, beaters, farmers and foresters – to all of whom I owe enormous thanks.

Three employers and three gamekeepers have had a great influence on my life. To the first three, Peter Nutting, Nicholas Nutting and Richard Northcott, thank you for the opportunities, trust and friendship. To the three gamekeepers, Albert Porter, Jack Rough and Reg Wright, I will always have cause to be grateful for what you taught me, and I dedicate this book to your memories.

Contents

Introduction

1

Making a Start

2

Some Basic Elements

3

Predator Control

4

Springtime Management

5

Rearing and Releasing

6

Game Crops

7

Summer Tasks

8

Preparing for the Shooting Season

9

The Shooting Day

10

Avoiding Problems

11

Health, Hygiene and Legislation

12

A Month-by-Month Summary

Appendix: Shooting Seasons

Useful Contacts and Website Addresses

Glossary

Index

Introduction

How some things change! In the early 1970s, when I first became involved in running a shoot, shooting rights in south-east England could be had for 25p per acre; each pheasant or partridge shot would have cost you £4.00 to produce, and the services of a full-time gamekeeper would have been around £1,800 per annum! Gamekeepers’ jobs were still relatively easy to find, and it was possible to look through several pages of adverts in the ‘Situations Vacant’ column of Shooting Times, indicating that large, professionally run sporting estates were still in existence. Many of these keepers were working for owners who would have been horrified at the prospect of having to consider letting out days on a commercial basis – a syndicate formed amongst friends was one thing, but to allow paying strangers into the fields and woodlands was another thing entirely.

Furthermore, in our litigious society, it is also necessary to worry about completing risk assessments, and to spell out the obvious to those participating in a days’ shooting in order to avoid the possibility of being sued as a result of a beater tripping over barbed wire or cutting his thumb on the edge of a particularly sharp leaf of maize. Both of these scenarios have actually occurred in recent years – whatever happened to self-care and common sense?

Legislation was far less restrictive in the 1970s, and ‘antis’ were not so vehement. The British Field Sports Society (BFSS) had just created their ‘Fighting Fund’, but that was only ever intended to be used to fight a possible ban on hunting because it was never, in anyone’s wildest dreams, considered possible that shooting might come under threat. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) was still known by everyone as ‘WAGBI’ (the Wildfowler’s Association of Great Britain and Ireland), and was primarily involved in what its title suggested. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) concerned itself with research into game rearing, the control of disease and the general well-being of the ‘up-market’ game shooter. There was no Countryside Alliance or National Gamekeeper’s Organisation (NGO), and certainly no ‘NOBs’ (National Organisation of Beaters and Pickers-up).

The fact that these organizations have changed names, become affiliated, amalgamated, and have created or felt the need to add the word ‘Trust’ to their letter headings in order to emphasize the scientific and conservation aspect of their work, is definitely a sign of how some things have changed in the thirty or so years since I went to my first job of keeper’s boy in 1972.

Thankfully, however, some things do not change: the big professionally run shoots still exist, and it has always been possible to create a small amateur shoot by renting some unwanted parcels of estate land on the outskirts of the bigger shoots, or from the Forestry Commission or from interested farmers.

The latter are run mainly on a DIY basis by a group of enthusiastic and like-minded friends, who quite often carry out the keepering duties on a rota system. In other cases, members might employ a part-time gamekeeper throughout the year, or one full-time between the busy months of July and January. Some are in the shoot because, even though they could easily afford to take a full Gun elsewhere, they have no wish to shoot large bags, and take much greater pleasure in being involved on a daily basis. The majority, however, are busy, often young, very keen on their sport, and are prepared to work hard during the week to pay for their season’s shooting.

No matter how they are formulated, every one of these shoots makes a significant contribution to the countryside’s flora and fauna in all sorts of incidental ways. Woodland management, coppicing, and the creation of shooting rides benefit all manner of birds, insects and butterflies; game crops provide winter cover and seeds to birds and hares; flight ponds are a haven for all manner of waterfowl; and the regular feeding of gamebirds in hoppers or by hand has proved literally a lifesaver to thousands of songbirds weakened by a particularly severe winter.

Of course, no one is pretending that all this work is being carried out through altruism – the ultimate goal is to provide an environment that encourages either wild-bred or annually released birds to stay and flourish; nevertheless a good shoot cannot be established in a single year, and will only ever improve steadily provided that effort is maintained, and that all the work necessary is done efficiently and in the right order.

However one tries to enjoy oneself nowadays, it always seems to cost more, and game shooting is no exception. Every year the costs go up, and still further economies are brought to bear – as a consequence of which, some shoots are far better run, whilst on others, cutting corners has led to falling standards. Throwing money at a shoot will not necessarily make it realize its full potential: more birds released do not always produce bigger bags, but may merely increase the prospect of straying and disease – besides which it is not always possible to ‘make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear’. To those faced with running a shoot, the problem is a real one that requires imaginative solutions.

If a person’s pleasure in shooting only begins when game is sighted, increases as it approaches and the gun swings skywards, reaches a climax when the brain says ‘pull’ and ends when the body thumps upon the ground, then he will never fully understand the joy of running a shoot. The size of the bag at the end of the season is obviously important, but the manner of its filling, and watching the shoot improve steadily from year to year, must be of far greater importance. To gain the ultimate satisfaction, it is essential to enjoy and understand the whole cycle – and it is for this reason that this book has been written.

Between its pages, I hope to help and advise both newly established shoots, and those that have been in existence for many seasons, in the many ways of ensuring that their particular enterprise continues to run efficiently and productively.

CHAPTER ONE

Making a Start

It is relatively easy to find an existing team of Guns and to join them just as soon as a vacancy occurs, but to the majority of enthusiastic sportsmen the idea of actually running their own shoot has a greater appeal.

With the right landlord, it should be possible to plant game crops where and how you want them, to plan the shooting days and drives to suit your individual ideals, and to invite guests you wish to spend a day with, rather than having complete strangers foisted upon you, as is often the case when buying a day as a roving Gun or in an unknown syndicate. There is also the undoubted satisfaction of building up a successful shoot over several seasons and perhaps gaining a considerable reputation as one does so.

It is not, however, as straightforward as might be supposed, and drawing up a comprehensive ‘action plan’ must be the first step. Unless you are very wealthy or the shoot is to be a very small one, it is unlikely that you will be able to afford to finance it all on your own, so a greater part of the action plan must be taken up with deciding who is going to shoot, how much input they will have (both financially and in the decision making), and how the costs of any unexpected outgoings might be met (for example, will your lease allow you to sublet shooting?).

A major part of a shooting day is the enjoyment gained from spending time with like-minded friends.

It is also essential to discuss thoroughly any gamekeeping arrangements. Can you afford the services of a full-time keeper? Might it be possible to employ a retired person to work part-time throughout the year, or even to find someone with employment that will allow him to work for the shoot between July and the end of January? If it is to be a truly DIY syndicate, will everyone take a turn at keepering on a rota basis, or will those who cannot, pay more annual fees than those who can? Can you be sure that the ones responsible on a rota system will understand and take their duties seriously?

Will the birds be hand or hopper fed? It is a decision that needs taking now, as the need to purchase hoppers and other equipment will obviously affect capital expenditure when it comes down to preparing a budget. For the same reason, you also need to decide right at the outset whether you are going to concentrate purely on pheasants, or if you want to include a few partridges, which cost more to purchase and will need pen sections from where they can be released.

FINDING SUITABLE LAND

Ideally, the proposed shoot should be within comfortable travelling distance for all those likely to be concerned with its day-to-day running, and not too far out of the range of guest Guns or syndicate members who may just visit for the shooting. To find Utopia on the doorstep is, however, a dream that, unfortunately, remains unfulfilled for the majority, and compromises will undoubtedly have to be made.

The way in which land is cultivated may limit or expand your potential: small fields, wide hedgerows, a few shelterbelts or small attractive woodlands will obviously give the best results, while huge cereal fields may confine your shooting to a few odd corners where machinery cannot manoeuvre. Large woodlands tend to be dark and have little undergrowth, but if they are intersected by wide extraction tracks, it should be possible to create a few drives and, at the right time of year, there could be the added bonus of a few migratory woodcock.

There is also the relatively new problem of diversification and the need for farmers to find an income from something other than the usual cereal and livestock enterprises. Depending where in the country you are, this could be an advantage or disadvantage. On poor land, the revenue from a shoot may well be a welcome bonus: on better soil and grassland in a more affluent area, a landowner will earn more money by horse livery or setting up a polo yard. In the latter instance, it is unlikely that horse owners will want a shoot anywhere in the vicinity for fear of disturbing their very expensive animals.

Some local knowledge is obviously an advantage in your search for suitable shooting ground, as you may get to know of parcels of land available to rent before they are put on the market. To this end, it will definitely pay to go picking up or beating in your area, and to make a friend of every gamekeeper you can find. If, or when – being of an optimistic nature – a suitable piece of land becomes available, ask the keeper if he will come with you to view the ground: between you, you will be able to find several ways of determining how many days’ shooting the land will support, and what may be the potential for new and/or existing drives.

Establishing the initial contact is always the most difficult part of any plans you may have to run a shoot of your own, but if you are successful, be sure to make all agreements in writing, and check with a solicitor that they are legally binding.

RENTAL OPTIONS

To guarantee a regular income, there is a tendency for a growing number of estates to let out the entire shooting to a syndicate. There are at least three obvious advantages for the estate: the first is the stability over the entire period of the lease; the second is that it immediately removes all the practicalities of the day-to-day running; and thirdly, not only does the syndicate pay for the running costs, but also the rental value from the land is a positive contribution to estate income. A possible disadvantage may be the fact that some of the overall control is lost, but to avoid this, the estate could insist on keeping the gamekeeper on its payroll, even if the syndicate pays the actual cost of his wages.

It is an unfortunate fact that not many shoots will have woods, valleys and cover in such ideal conformation as seen in these two photographs, and most land on offer will be a compromise.

Some local knowledge is essential when assessing the potential of any land on offer.

The syndicate (that is, you!) would normally be responsible for all the day-to-day costs such as vehicles, birds, feed and medicine. Your costs might also include those of the aforementioned gamekeeper, as well as a contribution towards the cost of his house. There are advantages to this particular type of renting, not least of which is the fact that depending on the length of the lease, there is time to plan the shoot properly and to develop gradually.

There are usually some shoots of this nature that come up for rent on 2 February each year, and it is an option well worth considering. The prices will obviously vary tremendously – on estates near London or in areas such as the West Country where the quality of sport is high, then rental costs per acre could be as much as three times what would be charged at the lower end of the scale. Other incidentals, such as whether the estate is keepered on the boundaries, and whether birds previously released there have been prone to wandering, are all contributory factors.

When considering creating a syndicate and leasing a shoot from a large estate, make sure that it is rented on an agreement of no fewer than two years; preferably it should be at least five. There are obvious advantages in obtaining a long-term lease (preferably with an option to renew). If you are not ‘inheriting’ a gamekeeper from the estate, it may be necessary to rent his accommodation on a separate lease, together with any rearing equipment that may be required. Rent is often paid half yearly, and always in advance.

Remember that there may be VAT chargeable on the rent, and any business running a shoot that has an excess of £61,000 a year must be VAT registered. The value of all goods and services sold, including shoot days, should be taken into account when assessing turnover. As one might expect, nothing is clearcut, and leased shooting rights, for example, are taxable supplies and should be accounted for by owners, while syndicate shoots run on a cost-sharing basis are not required to register. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office have available a letter which incorporates a simple questionnaire that can be used to confirm to them the status of your shoot, or to indicate whether you would like to be contacted in order to discuss any issues that may be in doubt. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) can also offer guidance on the subject, as can the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).

If you decide to put in an offer on a shoot, you will usually be required to do so on a standard form available from the agents in charge of the letting (very few estates have their own resident agent any more), together with written details of how you intend to manage the shoot. Any deer stalking and fishing rights will not be included in the shooting lease, but they may well be open to separate negotiation.

The Forestry Commission used to let out quite a lot of shooting land at a reasonable rent, but even their advertisements are appearing with less regularity in highly populated areas, due to the conflict of shooting interests with the Commission’s main objectives of allowing as much public access on to its ground as possible. In less populated parts of the country, the Commission still puts some sporting rights out to tender but, unfortunately, the individual lessee is unlikely to be able to do much in the way of making any improvements that may be felt advantageous to shooting. It may, however, still be possible to develop certain parts of Commission land that is not part of their long-term plans, and the area land agent should be approached and written permission obtained. Any sporting shooting which is available from the Forestry Commission is also unlikely to include any stalking rights, as these are generally leased separately or retained by their own stalkers.

It is impossible to give an exact figure as to how much rent one should pay, as it depends on several factors: who you are renting from, the area of the UK in which you live, the shoot’s obvious potential, and whether there are any bidders in competition for the ground.

Contracts and Agreements

Before committing oneself to a contract or agreement, you need to establish what exactly you will, or will not, be allowed to do. There is no point in thinking that a certain high point will create a drive that will be the envy of all your shooting guests if a subsequent agreement does not include the planting of game crops.

Where cover crops are permitted, it is an unfortunate fact that the land offered to a tenant is likely to be on the most unproductive, non-government grant available and least wanted ground. I know from experience that a farm manager or tenant is only likely to offer their most unproductive areas for a game crop and, to get the better land, it may be necessary to offer an extra rent comparable to the profit on what would otherwise have been sown. Ask if it would be possible to do some soil testing on the particular areas that are being offered as potential game-crop sites.

Likewise, establish the position regarding release pens, and make certain that the materials used remain your property in the event of the contract not being renewed – you would not be the first to do all the hard work and then have the agreement terminated by an unscrupulous landlord who wanted to let out what is, by now, a well-run, well-stocked and efficient shoot for a much higher rent. Conversely, perhaps you will be allowed to cut fencing posts from growing timber?

There is quite likely to be a minimum and maximum stipulation regarding the number of birds that one is allowed to release, but you should ensure that there is an adequate stock when you first take over. By the same token, you will be expected to leave sufficient stock on the ground at the end of your lease, so you can forget any bright ideas that you may have regarding catching up and taking away laying birds with you!

Normally the tenant is required to provide a bag return at the end of each season, a list of shooting dates to the landlord’s agent and any occupier of the land, and also to inform them of any subsequent changes made. In addition, you will be expected to undertake a reasonable amount of vermin control, including ground game, subject to the rights of any farming tenants.

It is important to ensure that any agreement includes the planting of game crops.

Pitfalls and Problems

Before putting pen to paper, look at an estate map and take notice of any rights-of-way – are they likely to cause you any potential problems? Find out the landlord’s long-term plans regarding his intended farming practices, and his involvement in any government grant schemes that might affect your shooting plans

Over the years, some landowners have created habitats or encouraged certain species by becoming involved in various government stewardship schemes, the most up-to-date of which is the Countryside Stewardship. The government issued a guideline document in November 2014 and the first applications were accepted in July 2015, with the first payments being made available in 2016. The scheme is intended to operate at several levels (‘tiers’). Under these schemes, certain conditions have to be adhered to for a number of years. This will obviously have a bearing on how a farmer can manage his fields, woodland and water in the future, and could well affect what you, as a shooting tenant, may be permitted to do or plant as cover crops. Restrictive though they might be in some cases, many of the options are, however, beneficial to shooting – as are existing conservation headlands, grass margins and beetle banks.

Beware of the farmer who is letting out his sporting rights merely for financial remuneration and has no real interest in shooting, as there is a very real danger that he will fail to consider your aims and objectives, and will think little of allowing his dogs into your release areas and game crops, for example. Check, too, that he is not going to retain the rights to shoot rabbits at night, as activity of this nature may disturb roosting game birds.

The situation regarding any others currently holding permission to shoot the land will also need to be clarified. If they have been used to spending their Saturday afternoons pigeon and rabbit shooting, these activities will have to be dealt with by one means or another. The individuals involved either need to be stopped as part of the agreement, or possibly included in the shoot as syndicate members. Remember that you have certain responsibilities, and few landowners will wish to witness a mob of armed cowboys wandering aimlessly over their ground, leaving gates open, allowing dogs to chase livestock, or shooting towards their neighbours’ property!

Provided the farmer is not involved in any restricting government schemes, it should be possible to include a narrow game crop in order to improve an existing shelter belt.

PREPARING A BUDGET

It will probably pay to pick the brains of any local shoots regarding eventual expenditure, especially if yours is a newly established shoot and there are no previous costings from which to work.

The assistance of a neighbouring gamekeeper will also prove useful. Most have tried and tested formulas to work out the amount of pellets that pheasant poults will eat between the ages of six to twelve weeks, and how many tonnes of wheat will be required to see your shoot through the all-important winter feeding. Their system might not be very scientific, and the answers may be along the lines of ‘one bucket of pellets for three hundred poults fed twice daily’, but from that, and knowing that each bag of pellets contains approximately two and a half buckets, it should be possible to gauge roughly how many bags will be required before ringing round the various manufacturers in your area for the most competitive prices. (Beware of choosing the cheapest without knowing the actual make-up of a particular brand – it is neither cost-effective nor efficient to buy the cheapest only to find that the birds do not fair very well due to an insufficient ingestion of protein and vitamins.)

The big expenditures such as wages, feed, birds and equipment are relatively easy to budget for, but there are countless ‘incidentals’ that will add up throughout the year. They might be mundane and insignificant on their own, but combined they can cause a major heart attack if they fail to be included in the sums. Radios, beater’s flags, machine running costs, shoot insurance and even attendance on a compulsory game-handling course, all cost money and should be included in the annual budget.

Remember that all purchases and orders need recording in order to create an overall cash-flow picture. How will this best work in your particular situation, and who will be responsible for all the necessary paperwork and the hours spent looking at the computer screen? Do not forget to include the potential revenue from sold days, and any other income that the shoot might generate.

LETTING DAYS

Where possible, it makes sense for some of the shoot costs to be met via the letting out of some days; on a well-run shoot, these may even pay the majority of the bills and allow the owner or syndicate some ‘free’ private days. With so much choice available to the would-be client, a highly reputable and efficient shoot is more likely to attract their custom than one that merely lurches from one season to another.

Driven pheasant and/or partridge days can bring in around £25 to £37 per bird shot, depending on the quality of the birds, local demand and prestige of the location. Rough shooting or walked-up days can be let for between £120 and £170 per Gun, depending on the expected bag. It is, however, only worth considering with the full agreement of all the regular Guns, some of whom might be less than happy at the thought of strangers shooting their birds. Shooting tenants must also check that their agreement with the landlord allows for subletting in this way.

You could, of course, place an advert in one of the more popular shooting magazines, but there might be a time and cost-efficiency element in using an agent that specializes in letting sporting shooting, and who already has an existing client base. The names of these agents can be found either in other advertisements, or by typing the words ‘renting/letting, sporting shooting’ into one of the Internet search engines. Remember to restrict your search to ‘UK only’, rather than worldwide.

When preparing a budget, it can be useful to know that a bag of food will provide around 750 pheasant poults with one feed.

You will need to emphasize the quality of the shooting likely to be experienced, and to make it clear what extras – meals, for example, and on the bigger estates, perhaps loaders – are included. An expected bag must be indicated, of course, which is no problem on the established shoot where game books and estate records will provide details. On a shoot that has recently been taken over and enlarged, however, or is in its first year, this may prove more difficult.

The big expenditures such as capital equipment are relatively easy to budget for.