The hides of March and other vital kit

“Lord Walsingham used stuffed birds for roost shooting and decoying over crops”

Managing woodpigeon numbers to prevent crop damage is not a modern problem. Between 1720 and 1793, Gilbert White recorded the importance of controlling woodpigeons, due to the significant damage caused to turnip crops and staple crops such as barley.

Using a muzzle-loader, he was unable to shoot them on the wing and therefore discussed the importance of shooting birds at roost and decoying stubbles, using hand-carved decoys made from beech and ash.

In the 19th century, renowned game Shot Lord Walsingham dealt with the technique of decoying, roosting and flighting to prevent crop damage in a  volume of the Badminton Library, published in 1884 — four years after the first issue of. Walsingham used stuffed woodpigeons as decoys for roost shooting and decoying over crops. They wouldn’t have been very hard-wearing but would have fooled even the canniest birds.