Pheasant, woodcock – should the season be extended?
October 1st sees the start of the shooting season for pheasant and woodcock.
After changing weather patterns affected last season’s numbers, what are your feelings about the coming season? If events of the past few months have shown us anything it is that our weather patterns are changing rapidly (floods in July anyone!) and as a result the migratory patterns of birds such as the woodcock are also changing. Unfortunately the weather and not our shooting seasons provide the main impetus in the timing of their migratory flights, maybe explaining their relative abundance later on in the 2006/2007season. Coupled with confirmed reports from the woodcock’s home territories of Scandinavia and Russia that they were delayed in beginning their flight due to unsuitable conditions we can only hope that this season the weather holds true and birds arrive at more traditional times. Or will we ever again see a harder winter?
What do you think? Are there fewer migratory birds about or is it that their migratory patterns have been affected by global warming? Do we need a reassessment of the shooting seasons or do we need to reassess if we need that holiday in the sun or all of those appliances left on standby? Unfortunately it seems to be those who already exist in unison with the land and seasons that are set to suffer as the climate changes.
