Despite the problems we are all encountering this year, for gamekeepers in particular the summer workload continues. Much of this revolves around the preparation for the arrival of the new season’s poults and all that involves. Pens and other equipment will have been checked and where necessary, sterilised, and of course the poults will have to be ordered or raised depending upon the system employed.
One thing that is never ending for professional keepers and fox controllers is the perpetual war on vermin. This continues all year round of course but reaches its peak in early and mid summer when the new season’s crop of fox cubs start hunting for the first time. These youngsters tend to present rather different problems to their parents as being that much smaller they can get to places the adult can’t. However, young or old, all foxes numbers need to be controlled and summer fox control presents difficulties that don’t occur at other times of the year. Midsummer also raises problems for anyone who keeps livestock, especially poultry. Cubs are growing apace and in some cases are starting to hunt on their own; they all have to be fed and poultry, unless well protected, are always in the firing line.