Things to do this Autumn

Things to do online...

1. Try your luck - We are running a series of raffles this autumn, each offering ‘money can’t buy’ prizes, including our annual gun draw, the Grand Grouse Draw and the Norfolk Big Five. Find out more and take part at www.gwct.org.uk/raffles.
2. Tell us what you think - Complete the survey at www.gwct.org.uk/2019survey for your chance to win a pair of Seeland Buckthorn trousers worth £89.99. Your opinions help us to become a better organisation, so tell us how you feel.
3. Buy your Christmas presents and cards - Whether it’s for friends, family or even a treat for yourself, we have a range of ties, badges and Christmas cards available at www.gwctshop.org.uk. You can also buy our new edition of The Moorland Balance, ties, badges or the Pro Ferrum range of gun oils.
4. Keep up with the news GWCT - members can sign up for a free round-up of relevant news, delivered to your inbox at 9am every weekday morning. See for yourself at www.gwct.org.uk/morningbriefing

Things to do while you're out...

HAVE A THOROUGH look at your cover crops. Are they well grown or rather weak?Are they weed infested, and if so what are the problem weeds? Your GWCT advisor would be delighted to help you plan for better cover next season.

TAKE THE TIME to look at the cover in your woods. Is there a nice layer of shrubs and bramble, or just a bare floor? Can light reach the floor or are your woods too dark? Now is the time to start work to ensure better ground cover for next season.

ARE YOUR PHEASANTS struggling to get up through the canopy on late season woodland drives? Well- designed flushing points, and carefully laid out rising areas can make all the difference to drive quality, and your GWCT advisor is the person to help you fine tune this.

CHECK EACH OF your feeders for signs of rats and mark them down on a map. This will make it much easier to plan a comprehensive rat control policy at the end of the season. If there is lots of rat activity, you need a plan to prevent this from happening again next season.

Out and About…

• IF YOU get a skiff of snow, look for footprints and find out what ground predators are about
• PICK UP any spent cartridges that have inadvertently been dropped
• MARK DOWN pairs of crows and magpies when you see them, ready for a quick start with the Larsen traps
• WATCH OUT for any early grey partridge pairs and put a hopper of wheat into their territory
• TEACH AT least one person how to pluck and dress a pheasant, and then give them a few brace