Pheasant Shoot

[Deker 3,455]

Over in Marlborough today for a Pheasant shoot; now most of you will know this is not my thing...far to artificial for me.

 

Anyway, a good pal runs his own shoot on 1500 acres close to Savernake Forest and kept asking me (kept asking me for help with pens/repairs/gardening (ha Ha) all year as well)..so I went today>>>>>>

 

The usual collection of personal number plates and one prick had a personal professional loader ...NOT 2 GUNS, just the one which he would break and then stand there whilst the loader put 2 new cartridges in!!! F*** M*!!!

 

Now don't get me wrong, I had a very interesting and enjoyable day, met some good people (including one of the England fullbore team who did the South Africa tour..having fun with the shotgun) but it just confirmed why I have no interest in this type of shoot!!

 

I have no problem with those that enjoy this at all, and I can see why so many of these guys (and one girl) love it, they are so busy working and making money they have no time to get a proper shoot and it is all they can do to find a pre prepared killing field for a few £K a season.

 

Down to them and NO criticism from me..just not for me...enjoy!!!

 

Odds are I would do it again though..the grub and the Port were great

Edited November 8, 2008 by Deker

[SportingShooter 0]

Glad you enjoyed it just for the food

 

I hope you didn't find it toooo distressing to pull the trigger...................

 

Glad you enjoyed the day out

[Deker 3,455]

Glad you enjoyed it just for the food

 

I hope you didn't find it toooo distressing to pull the trigger...................

 

Glad you enjoyed the day out

 

 

I only bothered to pull the trigger once, I was beating a lot, but I have to say I spent much of the day drinking in the whole event..runs as one drive one beat...had to chuckle at how little practice most of the guys get and how much EACH shot actually cost them!!

 

I'm really not being cynical..they probably think I'm a twat walking round the fields at night with a lamp, they pay, they enjoy they support an industry..each to their own..as I say No criticism from me

 

PS..... Forgot...lots of dogs and most were great!!

[Fidgety 8]

It is a good day out. I beat, and had the opportunity to shoot today - 12 shots fired and hit nothing! Woefully out of practice with the shottie (or was it duff carts??)

Pound for pound, a good day decoying pigeon beats pheasant into a cocked hat!

Do find formal shoot too contrived.

Edited November 8, 2008 by Fidgety

[FLATTOP 3,688]

My mates family organize shoots and i cant believe what they charge and what people are quite happy too pay what absolute nonsense ( the prices) i feel lucky being able to mooch on permission and shoot what pops up.

[dicehorn 38]

Oh dear - perhaps I am one of them !!!!

 

Criteria

 

I have a personal number plate that starts off with GUN on a newish BMW -so I must be one of them

 

I belong to a syndicate that shoots >100 pheasant/partridge each day and buys a couple of days on commercial shoots each season on 3 to 400 bird days AND will use a stuffer (loader for one gun) - so I must be one of them.

 

When I am at my shoot or a commercial shoot I like to drink port - so I must be one of them.

 

The other side of the coin

 

I load on 4 commercial shoots both stuffing and double guns for on average of 60 days a season - usually paid between £60 - £100 per day - perhaps I am not one of them

 

Have 2 ESS and pick up 15 days a season - perhaps I am not one of them

 

Assist with the foxing on the commercial shoots shooting well over 100 each year - perhaps I am not one of them

 

Shoot around 100 red and roe each year - do a lot of night time rabbiting, several days on pigeons/crows a few days up in Scotland on the geese. Have a great time out with a friend on some Sunday morning ferreting - perhaps I am not one of them

 

Conclusion

 

We should not knock these captains of industry ( I'm certainly not one of them) as they help with the rural economy - shoots, hotels and gun shops especially in my area where there is little industry about in the winter - personally I feel that we need every person there is out there shooting whether rich or ordinary.

 

No offence to anyone intended.

 

....................................

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[Deker 3,455]

Lest there be any confusion whatsoever from my post I am not, and have not, and do not intend to criticise anyone here.

 

I was simply trying to make the point it is not for me!!!

 

dicehorn...you ever been up Berksfire Shooting...Pangbourne way..I've seen a couple of motors up there with GUN in the plate???!!!

[pointer28 1]

Deker,

 

I feel the same way as yourself about these driven shoots. My idea of game shooting will always be strolling through the fields with a dog hunting ahead of me and a gun in the crook of my arm.

 

I have been a gun once at a driven shoot and to be honest, I would have preferred to be either picking up or beating which I get far greater enjoyment from.

 

However, each to their own, and in fairness their money does provide employment and sport for a lot of the rest of us.

[Paul.L 0]

It is a case of each to their own ,I do and have done for years buy a days driven shooting every year ,its kind of a tradition with me and in the years have shot with some incredibly stuffy people,but on the whole most of the shoots have been pretty informal affairs which is nice . I suppose in the eyes of a seasoned game shooter the prospect of sitting in a hedge waiting for a pigeon or not may seem a strange thing to do .I went out yesterday with my lad sat in a hide and I just let him get on with it missed a few , most importantly listened to what I had to say and finished up 5 from 17 not going to break any records but what a feeling that my friends was as good a day as I have ever had .Cheers guys

[dicehorn 38]

dicehorn...you ever been up Berksfire Shooting...Pangbourne way..I've seen a couple of motors up there with GUN in the plate???!!!

 

Actually Deks no I have not. The GUN suffix is for he County of Devon originally

 

On I final note, and just for the record, I would prefer to shoot 50 high pigeons than 50 high Pheasants - they are simply more challenging

 

Peter

[hiho 5]

dicehorn...you ever been up Berksfire Shooting...Pangbourne way..I've seen a couple of motors up there with GUN in the plate???!!!

 

Actually Deks no I have not. The GUN suffix is for he County of Devon originally

 

On I final note, and just for the record, I would prefer to shoot 50 high pigeons than 50 high Pheasants - they are simply more challenging

 

Peter

and taste better

[Garypco 2]

i dont really see the point in the shooting for sport side ive done it on beates shoots etc....id rather get a point and flush the bird with the dog...for me its the dog work 100% i get loads of sport beating and my dogs get more work and training than most...we also have more sport than the guns shooting could ever imagine for them they live theyre lives shoot theyre days and it takes them away from it all... us were hawking lamping rough shooting ferreting doing all sorts i guess we shouldnt knock them,they proibably cpuldnt see the point in lamping or some of the things we do...

[SportingShooter 0]

i dont really see the point in the shooting for sport side ive done it on beates shoots etc....id rather get a point and flush the bird with the dog...for me its the dog work 100% i get loads of sport beating and my dogs get more work and training than most...we also have more sport than the guns shooting could ever imagine for them they live theyre lives shoot theyre days and it takes them away from it all... us were hawking lamping rough shooting ferreting doing all sorts i guess we shouldnt knock them,they proibably cpuldnt see the point in lamping or some of the things we do...

As has been said, Dont tar all with the same brush. I do all that I can, Lamping, Rough Shooting, Driven Shooting, Wildfowling etc :thumbs:

[comanche 2,799]

Just a thought Dekker. The guy with" loader "might have been with shooting coach.

 

After all these years people in fieldsports are still taking cheap shots at each other based on class ,choice of sport ,the "wrong" sort of long-net even.

Regardless of social standing some sports men are pompous donkey-holes & others are ignorant yobs . But there are many ,many more women and men from all social classes who enjoy various aspects of the countryside in so many different ways who may differ on outlook but are still members of a large sporting community that neets to present a united face..... Some have the land and the money ,others provide the enthusiasm and numbers. There are sadly a few who always hover about the edges contributing nothing but biased criticism and too often content to feed like parasites from the efforts of others. . Nothing wrong with having a light-hearted dig at someone or preferably with someone -but stupid steriotypical comments don't serve much purpose .

[Mr_Logic 5]

Just a thought Dekker. The guy with" loader "might have been with shooting coach.

 

After all these years people in fieldsports are still taking cheap shots at each other based on class ,choice of sport ,the "wrong" sort of long-net even.

Regardless of social standing some sports men are pompous donkey-holes & others are ignorant yobs . But there are many ,many more women and men from all social classes who enjoy various aspects of the countryside in so many different ways who may differ on outlook but are still members of a large sporting community that neets to present a united face..... Some have the land and the money ,others provide the enthusiasm and numbers. There are sadly a few who always hover about the edges contributing nothing but biased criticism and too often content to feed like parasites from the efforts of others. . Nothing wrong with having a light-hearted dig at someone or preferably with someone -but stupid steriotypical comments don't serve much purpose .

i think he actually spoke to the loader, who confirmed that he was just that, a loader...