Gamekeepers' course a success (From Gazette & Herald)

Gamekeepers' course a success

Gamekeepers from across the north of England met last week to be updated by the Game Conservancy Trust (GCT) on their latest work in the field of shooting and conservation.

The contribution game shooting has made to the landscape of the countryside we all enjoy, and the benefits game conservation has made to many other species of wildlife, not just game, can often be overlooked.

No better example of this can be found in the ongoing work the GCT is engaged in to halt the decline of the iconic English partridge.

By encouraging shoots to provide suitable nesting and brooding cover for the grey partridge, the bird is showing signs of recovery, and there is now clear evidence that this work is also helping corn buntings, skylarks and yellow hammers.

The Harwood House Estate hosted the course and their game management program showed how gamekeeping has moved on with the introduction of the Red Kite to the estate where it is flourishing in harmony with pheasants, ducks and partridge.

A trip to the Marcon game farm in Ryedale was also included, where proprietor Brian Pillow demonstrated the remarkable ingenuity and dedication he and his staff put into their work to produce strong healthy birds that can quickly adapt to a life in the wild.

The whole concept of correct game management is to create a habitat that can produce an abundance of game where the surplus can be harvested through shooting. This provides a welcome stimulus to the rural economy, as well as a healthy and tasty different option for the table.

All the keepers on the course said they would recommend it so please contact the GCT for more details.

Game Conservancy Trust website

National Gamekeepers Organisation

A Red Kite flying over the Harewood estate.

Updated: 08:56 Wednesday, March 22, 2006