18th January
It's good to see the wildfowl back on the loch. The mallard, teal and swans disappeared for weeks on end while the water was frozen solid and the whole place felt abandoned and bare.
The break in the weather is also good news for us because we're able to get on with some practical work, like dismantling some of the pheasant pen sections and taking them home to be cleaned up and creosoted for the next season. Maintanence is constant when all your equipment is exposed to the elements.
And the other never-ending job is my Poacher Patrol. On Sunday I came across a couple of blokes who'd parked just off the main road and wandered onto the estate with a few ferrets to give them some rabbit catching practice! The trouble is that a lot of these lads don't have the patience to wait for their animals to come back once they've put them down a hole. So they drive off, leaving us with countless feral ferrets.
On the political front there's a meeting this week about the industry's venison assurance scheme which guarantees all deer carcasses are handled properly at every stage of the chain. And then our regular meeting with the Police on Friday to continue to thrash out ways of stopping raptor persecution. We won't rest until solutions are found, but that takes political will as well as peer pressure.
6th January
There will be relief for the many businesses which run walked-up rough shooting days when the clocks strike midnight tonight as it's been a whole month since shooting was suspended. The freezing conditions meant most people were showing restraint even before the ban was imposed, but that comes at a financial cost and has had serious repercussions for hotels, guest houses and other small businesses which rely on the welcome winter tourism rough shooting attracts.
At home we've been concentrating on brashing - cutting down branches and tidying up in the woods - before the weather starts to close in again. We need to maintain clear paths through the woods and it doesn't take long for branches to stretch and making the going difficult. It's a bit like painting the Forth Road Bridge, an endless job, but the heavy snow made it an impossible one for six weeks.
The other never ending chore is keeping on top of rabbits, and that's where the snow comes in useful. We found fresh tracks in the plantation the other day so got the ferrets out. They're always ready to work, whatever the weather, so off they went down the hole and sure enough, we got our rabbit. But nothing is wasted, he was food for the ferrets last night.
31.12.10
All the beaters are away home after the last shoot of the year with a brace or two of pheasants, the dogs are fed and so after two hectic days, that's the work finally finished for 2010. We're high enough to be above the fog which meant the weather was clear and the guns were in fine form so the year ended on a positive note.
The last 12 months have been tough politically and I suspect 2011 will hold even more challenges but for now I'd just like to thank everyone for the moral, practical and financial support they've given the SGA in the last year. We're just a small organisation composed mainly of volunteers, yet keepers from all over the country regularly turn up for committee meetings on Sundays, their one day off in the week, to discuss the issues that affect our profession and the wider countryside. That takes dedication and a belief in all that we're fighting for.
But for now it's time for a dram. All the very best to you all for a very Happy New Year.
22.12.10
So the shortest day is past. For those of us who live and work by daylight and the seasons, that's by far the most significant celebration this week.
We marked it by going down to the loch last night, having a dram and lighting some Chinese lanterns which were released into the sky. It was -14 degrees and so cold our breath froze on the Landrover windows as we drove down to the water. But it felt right to mark the moment by watching the flickering lights float upwards and we can now start to look forward to the days lengthening, minute by precious minute.
Not that it was a pitch black night. Earlier in the evening I shot a fox in the moonlight, a first for me. We always use spotlights, but it was so sharp and clear last night there was no need for artificial light. The tracks in the snow were so numerous I knew a lot of foxes were out and about in the woods and on the hill - and that's despite the number we've culled this year. What devastation they'd cause if they were left unchecked.
Today's outdoor work was completed in good time, pipes unfrozen and pheasants fed, and I thawed out in front of the computer watching a live feed of the Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs and Environment Committee as they debated Stage 2 of the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill. And, as expected, some of what I heard had my blood boiling soon enough.
15.12.10
We all know that kids who're divorced from the reality of food production grow up believing that eggs and milk come from supermarkets. I'm concerned that the self-styled conservationists who've taken over the running of the countryside are creating an equally artificial impression of nature and our place in it.
Take that Scottish stoat, for instance, which made the mistake of hitching a lift to Orkney in a bale of hay. No-one would have given a damn if the protected Orcadian vole hadn't been a delicacy on its menu. But since it was, the full weight of the conservation cause fell on its head and they captured the thing. Stoats are indiscriminate, vicious killers so that much I go along with. But after the negative publicity over killing hedgehogs in the Western Isles , they didn't cull it: oh no! Instead they exposed it to the full glare of television cameras, lights and transport and then RELEASED it back on the mainland!
It's this sort of claptrap which overshadows the real work being done for the benefit of Scotland's biodiversity by gamekeepers all over the country. It's not glamorous and it doesn't grab the headlines but without us putting in the hours, Scotland's precious waders and ground-nesting birds would have a lot more to fear than one fugitive stoat and those hungry (but awfully photogenic) hedgehogs.
06.12.10
The snow's falling heavily in the Borders as I write and we're already wading through 24 inches of the stuff with drifts of 6-7 feet in places. We can get the Landrover out to the road-end with a struggle but otherwise the estate is blocked in and scheduled meetings are either cancelled or having to take place via conference call. Attempting to go out just doesn't make sense.
The struggle to feed pheasants continues but they're coping ok and rushing to the feed as soon as we arrive so it's easy to tell exactly how many there are in the woods. And as soon as we throw the feed out it's covered in hundreds of small birds; goldfinches, blue tits, robins and dunnocks all vying to get the oil-rich niger seeds which we mix in to make it really tasty. But other wildlife aren't doing so well and like deer stalkers all over Scotland, we're putting out blocks and bales of hay for animals which are really hungry now. In our case it's roe and fallow deer but the red deer in the most exposed high places are facing another severe winter after high mortality already this year.
Like farmers and shepherds our responsibility to our stock is 24/7, 365 days a year. Our animals may be wild but they're on our beat so we don't finish work on a Friday evening and venture out again on a Monday morning like some of the conservation bodies. I watched the Altnaharra keeper out feeding his deer in temperatures of -20 on the BBC News last week while much of the rest of the country shivered indoors. It's devotion like that which means tourists will be able to watch deer herds when they go to the Highlands next year. But let's hope the snow stops soon, it's getting serious.
01.12.10
Political meetings and pheasant shoots in this part of the country are all cancelled for the rest of the week because of the weather so you might think I had some time on my hands.
Instead I'm struggling through snow drifts with the Landrover then walking a good half mile up each of the steeper sections to the pheasant feeders which are scattered all over the estate. That took me seven hours today and I'll have to repeat the whole process tomorrow beause we feed all of the pheasants by hand so that we can check on them and make sure all the hoppers are working.
So I tramped through a few miles of snow today and it seemed as though most of the wildlife is lying low (or the snow was so heavy I just couldn't see!) but I watched a fallow buck eating out of a sheep trough this morning, and I'm concerned about the hares because they had such a tough time last winter.
The car is snowed in again so there's no way out for the moment, although that's not such a bad thing when I see the disruption and delays on the roads. But as always there are serious financial implications for the countryside if the freeze continues. We have a shoot scheduled for next Thursday so we need to get rid of this white stuff before then!
23.11.10
We're now in the middle of the shooting season so it's just as well I have help here at home because the political scene seems to have taken over most of my waking hours. The SGA has been involved in an endless stream of meetings and briefings, announcements and lobbying as we get ever closer to the nitty-gritty of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (WANE) Bill.
We stepped up the lobbying effort with an evening reception for MSPs in the Scotish Parliament, briefing them and their teams on the biodiversity work done by gamekeepers and highlighting the concerns we have over measures proposed and the amendments being tabled by Government and others. We discussed deer issues and the importance of keeping snaring, set the record straight on wildlife crime and the proposals around vicarious liability and estate licencing which mean the WANE Bill is in danger of developing arms and legs that have little to do with biodiversity and real conservation. Even the most hardened antis listened intently to what some of our guys had to say although only time will tell if it made any difference.
We're also continuing to plug away at Government on the tail docking ban and have had constructive meetings at the highest level. I know it's a real worry for the owners of working dogs and I assure you we're fighting hard to get this ridiculous law reversed. I'll update you just as soon as there's any news.
08.10.10
A report was published this week by Scottish Natural Heritage on the value of nature tourism to Scotland which doesn't remotely do justice to the input of wildlife managers like stalkers, ghillies and gamekeepers.
The report reckons game shooting, deer stalking and angling account for £136m of the £1.4bn a year generated by all nature tourism in Scotland. Wildlife tourism, with activities including bird watching, guided walks and conservation holidays, apparently brings in £127m. And adventure activities such as mountain biking and kayaking are worth £178m a year.
But who would go on a walking or cycling holiday if the heather was long and rank or if there weren't managed paths and routes through dense woodland? Would there be any birds to watch if foxes and other vermin were left to multiply and devastate all ground-nesting birds? And how much weight (if any) is given to the importance of seeing people working in the environment and adding to the rich culture of the countryside?
I know for sure that if farmers, shepherds, gamekeepers and stalkers weren't out there putting in the hours, Scotland's landscape would resemble a tick-infested tundra which would be a massive turn off for tourists. And that would be an end to the valuable revenue they bring to remote areas.
Something for the next round of researchers to consider.
28.09.10
Autumn's a great time to live off the land and over the last week there's been very little need for trips to the supermarket.
I culled a fallow buck for my boss's freezer on Friday and it hung in the larder over the weekend before I butchered it yesterday. Then last night Caroline made the most fantastic meal of sirloin of venison with a port and cream sauce. Delicious! Venison is appearing in supermarkets now but it's still an under appreciated meat.
Over the weekend I shot a couple of mallard which I gave to my son Kyle who's a great cook. He scored the duck breasts with a sharp knife and fried them in olive oil. And he also made short work of the plentiful rabbits we're catching at the moment by currying them. They're not for me though; I've eaten far too much rabbit stew over the years!
We caught a couple of grey squirrels in traps in the last few days which brings us to nearly 70 so far this year. That's a good job done and I'm told there're a delicacy in fashionable circles although I haven't tried them yet. I pass them on to others though, who are delighted, and our efforts are also appreciated by the Red Squirrel Survival Trust. It launched a new initiative last month to establish a 14 mile wide corridor along the Borders to keep greys out and give the reds some protection.
The reds are now returning to parts of Melrose, Galashiels, Selkirk and Hawick so the strategy seems to be working and we're happy to help. In fact if it hadn't been for the efforts of gamekeepers the reds would have gone from this part of the world for good.
The Trust is looking for support from the public too so if you're interested look them up at www.rsst.org.uk
16.09.10
I spent several satisfying hours with my chainsaw yesterday afternoon. Rogue branches and spindly trees bore the brunt of pent-up frustrations after a long morning in Parliament giving (and listening to) evidence to the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee.
Some of the "evidence" we were subjected to didn't stand any scrutiny and the Committee appeared to recognise it as nothing more than propaganda. One feathered charity rep, for instance, waxed lyrical on what he regarded as the excessive size of pheasant release pens in Scotland, but under questioning admitted he was referring to statistics for "North Britain". Useful, perhaps, for the North British Government?
Statistics were generally in short supply from the anti field sports brigade but when the subject turned to wildlife crime they weren't shy of making up for that in rhetoric and wild accusations. Fortunately there was a legal voice in our midst who firmly pointed out that wildlife crime had to be looked at in the context of criminal law, the presumption of innocence, the concept of reasonable doubt and the rules of evidence. That the law and human rights should apply to gamekeepers appeared to come as a shock to our opponents and blew many of their proposals out of the water.
But undoubtedly they'll regroup and fire more salvos before this Wildlife Bill makes it through Parliament. Why is it that some of the organisations most opposed to blood sports appear to take such satisfaction in bludgeoning those with different views? Could it be that they don't have chainsaws at their disposal?
08.09.10
I drove down to Langholm yesterday to give evidence to the Scottish Government's Rural Affairs and Environment Committee. They had spent the morning out on Langholm Moor looking at the Demonstration Project which is trying to find a way of resolving the conflict over grouse and raptors which exists on many of the moors in Scotland.
The aim is that hen harriers and other raptors can be managed at the same time as grouse numbers are increased to a point where there's a harvestable surplus for shooting. Our moors are big enough for all biodiversity and interests to flourish but because many of these interests are so diverse we need to find a balance that's practical as well as political. And that means compromise all round.
Anyway the meeting in the afternoon was about answering questions from the Committee on some of the key points in the forthcoming Wildlife and Natural Enviromnment Bill and I was on a panel alongside Advocates for Animals and the SSPCA (which, needless to say, don't always have the same objectives as gamekeepers and land managers) so the committee heard some polarised views on issues such as snaring.
We're adament that snaring is retained to ensure foxes don't destroy the great biodiversity for which Scotland is renowned. It's not just young grouse that are protected when foxes are controlled, after all. The science shows clearly that waders and all ground-nesting birds benefit from good land management and snares are the most effective way of doing that.
27.08.10
I'd a cracking breakfast this morning of freshly picked chanterelles from the woods and a couple of free-range eggs from Caroline's hens. That's the third helping this week and the way things are going the mushrooms are going to outlast the eggs - another hen was taken by a fox yesterday despite us killing 27 of them since mid-July. They're clearly homing in on this estate from unmanaged ground and view our free-range poultry as a well stocked takeaway!
I stopped short of adding frogs legs to the feast even though I've never before in my life seen so many miniature frogs in one place. For a couple of days there were tens of thousands of them migrating from the banks into the loch and they were so thick on the ground it was almost impossible not to stand on them.
The whole estate is a wildlife haven at the moment and there are butterflies - like this Peacock butterfly - crawling all over the rhododendrons and the new buddleias in the garden.
And the abundance seems to be replicated on the grouse moors with all reports indicating a healthy surplus of birds this year - fantastic news after the worries of so many grouse dying over the Winter. I'm loading on the moor tomorow so looking forward to a day out and some good exercise after too many meetings and hours sitting at the computer.
11.08.10
A photographer from Reuters came to take some pictures on the heather moor yesterday prior to the 12th (they turned up in the Irish Times and the Los Angeles Times apparently, so you probably didn't see them!) and while he was here we counted 21 buzzards around the pheasant pens. He coundn't believe his eyes. I wish I could convince members of the Scottish Government to come out and see for themselves what we're facing day after day despite all my efforts to divert the raptors with freshly killed rabbits every morning. I think it's just making them stronger and is beginning to feel counterproductive.
And now I hear the Government's flagship conservation project at Langholm Moor is in trouble thanks to buzzard predation. The word is that thanks to good keepering the grouse count was up by 25-30% this year but once this season's buzzards had fledged the young grouse were rapidly decimated. It's exactly what we predicted would happen and totally skews the experiment which is all about demonstrating an effective means of resolving the hen harrier-grouse moor controversy by restoring moor management.
I've seen the comments of protectionists who read this blog and mock the gamekeeper's understanding of wildlife management. It's true we may not all have read all the management manuals or have university degrees in ecology but we're out and about on the hill from 5am till dark every day watching wildlife and seeing the implications of even the most subtle changes at first hand. We know what we're talking about.
04.08.10
It's buzzard central here and they're not just predating the release pens. Only an hour ago I watched one fly off with a poult it killeed within a few yards of the garage beside my house and I'm pulling my hair out with frustration.
We put in every possible deterrent and I really thought the problem wasn't going to be so bad this year but the last week has been a nightmare. So on Friday I contacted the local Government office and asked inspectors to come and see the problem and issue a licence to control the buzzards that are doing most of the killing. They came yesterday (four days later) and heard and saw the menace for themselves. At one point we could hardly hear ourselves speak for the noise the birds were making.
But the officials confirmed what we have suspected for the last six weeks: that despite the SGA negotiating the conditions for the issue of such licences with Government at numerous meetings over the past year, the process has come to an abrupt halt. No licences will be forthcoming. No matter how severe the problem.
What the hell do I do now?
21.07.10
When the weather forecasts warned of "standing water" on the roads and flooded tees at the Open at St Andrews, my heart sank. It's the last thing you want to hear when pheasant poults are about to be delivered and I worried about how they'd cope with acclimatising from the relative comfort of the rearing field to the torrential rain, with only natural shelter from trees and shrubs in my release pens. At least it's not too cold and they're hardy stock.
And, all things considered, they're doing well ... fingers crossed. So far I've been able to avoid releasing any poults near the sites where the buzzard predation was worst last year and the kills have been largely from tawny owls. We just have to live with that.
Elsewhere on the estate the work is focused on fox control and despite all we do they continue to breed in big numbers. We thought we had things under control after we found seven litters earlier in the year but have had to shoot another 19 young in the last 10 days. I can't imagine the impact on wildlife if these sorts of numbers were left unchecked across the country. We certainly wouldn't be seeing the healthy broods of red-legged partridges and pheasants which are breeding in the wild in our neck of the woods.
06.07.10
Driving past the loch in the early evening yeterday I caught sight of two birds I'd never spotted on the estate before so grabbed the camera and here they are - black-tailed godwits. They're high conservation status and rare - certainly in Peeblesshire!
It's good to get back to the land and some physical work after three days at Scone where it was all about talking, politicking and meeting old and new members. We were selling veniburgers this year for the first time, after many years success at the Highland Game Fair at Moy, but the stall wasn't well enough situated to maximise sales. It's a learning point for next year.
Otherwise we signed up lots of new members and there was a stready stream of people buying raffle tickets. One generous supporter handed over a large banknote and by the time 100 tickets had been filled out, his name and phone number was certainly permanently etched in one keeper's brain!
And just in case you passed by the tent and wondered (but didn't like to ask) why a pink bra was decorating our doorway, it was courtesy of the Gamekeeper Welfare Trust which was advertising its saucy new calendar. Needless to say I highly recommend it - contact them on 01677 470180 !
