Woodcock Study

[Trapper]

As you probably know, several countries in the EU are trying to ban Woodcock shooting. The reasons behind this are based on relatively inadequate understanding of the species and the Science is largely left to be done.

In the UK, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust is sponsoring continuing research by the expert in the field: Dr Andrew Hoodless. I've met him a couple of times at conferences and he really is a first rate Scientist.

G&WCT are trying to raise funds to continue to track Woodcock migrations from Eastern Europe but they need funds. Of course, any donation would help but every £3512 they get will cover the costs of fitting a satellite tag and monitoring the migration route of an individual bird for a year.

They need the money before February 2012.

Check it out on www.gwct.org.uk

Thanks

[MJR]

we have introduced a levy on our shoot for any woodcock shot and will be forwarding the funds at the end of the season.

[brown dog]

any donation would help but every £3512 they get will cover the costs of fitting a satellite tag and monitoring the migration route of an individual bird for a year.

 

£3512 per bird Is that a typo?

[simonl]

£3512 per bird Is that a typo?

 

I'm guessing with their overheads the price would come down if they did quite a few..

[londonhunter]

I'm guessing with their overheads the price would come down if they did quite a few..

 

 

Hell

 

I better stop shooting left and right pairs before I have to remortgage the house AGAIN !

 

This and snipe are probably the most challenging game there is .....

[shaun]

£3512 per bird Is that a typo?

 

No thats not a typo and covers the cost of the satalitte tag and air time, we tagged two woodc ock at the end of last season, our boss being an absolute fanatic, two of his friends also tagged two birds each from their estates in wales and cornwall.

Our two woodc ock (derwent and rose) went off the radar for months, which they put down to the lack of sunlight on the solar pannel.

Derwent migrated to sweden and then appeared back in the uk in mid december near dundee, they think it may well return to county durham but has not had any more updates since then from the satellite.

Rose went to poland and the last location she was pinned in germany at the end of november so theres every chance that she could be back in the uk now.

[shaun]

For some reason it keeps changing to "woodmale chicken" and wont let me change it

[Ronin]

Shaun

 

its the swear filter we have on the site, space the letters or leave as is...

[Gandy]

male chicken Female chicken.... oh how exciting!

[Alycidon]

I usually shoot them on driven days if safe, this year I had only seen one which I shot until last week. In Dec I was advised that teh Game Conservancy has advised that they were having a hard time of it so I asked my guns not to shoot any for teh remainder of the season.

 

I was a guest on a woodland shoot in Beds, about 40 miles away, other than in Scotland I have never seen so many, up to 25 in a drive most drives. I had a lovely potentail right and left come past when walking up to my peg with gun slipped and I have never shot a R + L at them. Had a few singletons but the R + L opportunity never arose again.

 

A

[MJR]

W/cock arrived into our shoot early october as far as I can tell (when we began to see them). As the season progressed we saw more of them and have shot a few. Last saturday we saw more than ever, 9 erupted from one patch of blackthorn alone. I love to see them about and look forward to seeing the results of the study.