Pheasant shooting

[Gnome of the Woods]

I beat on the village shoot, it is nothing like you describe Tim.
Yes there are plenty of commercial shoots like you describe, but just as many nothing like it.
I also have one paid day a year, so can speak from both sides of the coin.

On our shoot which is a closed family shoot, it is a congenial affair with all the guns and beaters mixing before during and after the shoot. This also the case on the 2 other shoots I have beat on. They have welcomed me and my daughter into the fold and always ask about her if she is not with me.
I will grant you big commercial shoots are a completely different proposition. But they are there to meet a demand, if nobody wanted to pay £1500+ for a days shooting they wouldn't exist.

As for the birds being slow and easily shot, that is the last thing that is required on any shoot. The aim is for the birds to fly high and fast and to be challenging. I have seen Pheasants fly as fast as Partridge at heights most people don't even raise a gun too. Again there are shooters who will shoot at birds that others won't and are considered unsporting.

On the one day I pay to shoot I want sporting bids, my shot ratio is 4 shots to 1 bird. if you average out everybody that shoots on the day it works out to be roughly the same, admittedly it is mainly partridge but I would think if it was pheasant only it wouldn't be any better than 3 to 1.

In my opinion it helps local communities and economies, provides stewardship of the local countryside and can be enjoyed by anyone.

Like any sport the upper levels bare no resemblance to the base ones.

Just my opinion and I respect your opinion. I would be more than happy to have anybody join me on my local shoot next season, I will even provide your packed lunch;)

[Kev Todd]

Fishing should be banned too...... Damn sharp those hooks, and as for those poor tortured maggots........

[Raj]

...., I will even provide your packed lunch;)

I might take you up on that offer, Paul but I aint eating your packed lunch. We have seen what you (dont) wear when you walk around the house at lunch time

[Gnome of the Woods]

There's a shoot every other Sunday, just 1/2 mile from my house, as the Crow flies. They are a good bunch of lads, and will stop and chat to any locals who are about when crossing the bridleways to get around the fields and woods.
The poor sods must be knackered when they've finished for the day, after trudging over cold boggy fields all morning.
I don't know how much they pay for this privilege, but good luck to them!

Hopefully not shooting pheasants! Game shooting is banned on Sunday and Christmas day.

[GrandadG]

Looks like i'm another suffering from memory loss
i've been chatting with the gamekeeper this morning while out on my walk, and he mentioned tomorrows shoot (Saturday), ah well, old age is creeping up on me

[Bunny Bagger]

The worst thing about this is when the birds are shot, mounds of dead birds are piled up near the incinerator (on one of my permissions) because these guns don't know when enough is enough ! I posted a picture on here years ago showing the waste.

[Timmytree]

The worst thing about this is when the birds are shot, mounds of dead birds are piled up near the incinerator (on one of my permissions) because these guns don't know when enough is enough ! I posted a picture on here years ago showing the waste.

That sort of proves my point. Not a lot more to be said about the ethics is there?

[Kev Todd]

The worst thing about this is when the birds are shot, mounds of dead birds are piled up near the incinerator (on one of my permissions) because these guns don't know when enough is enough ! I posted a picture on here years ago showing the waste.

That sort of proves my point. Not a lot more to be said about the ethics is there?

If they weren't going to be shot, they wouldn't have ever been alive in the first place...... Neither would any of the other wildlife that benefit from the conservation and feeding of the shooting areas.

I thought folk on here had more sense than the average anti...... Seems not though.

[Pat g]

The worst thing about this is when the birds are shot, mounds of dead birds are piled up near the incinerator (on one of my permissions) because these guns don't know when enough is enough ! I posted a picture on here years ago showing the waste.

Well it sounds to me matey that the Game shoot on (one of your permissions) have'nt got a clue!!!!! All the syndicates i have been a member of including my current syndicate distribute the birds to each gun (usually one or a couple of brace each) then the beaters receive a brace each too. Any remaining birds are sold onto the restaurant trade and the proceeds of that go back into the shoot. This season we have had bags of well over 100 birds. That could mean a lot of money wasted if we piled birds up near an incinerator
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but one or two people posting on this topic are condemning Pheasant shooting without ever having participated. And by participating i mean participating as a gun. TT you seem to have the the opinion that all game shoots are the same well i'm sorry to tell you pal but they are not. I seem to recall having this debate with yourself on the old forum and whilst i appreciate that you are probably trying to get some debate going on what could be described as a quiet period on this and other forums you are actually doing nothing more than dividing the shooting fraternity.Like i say everyone is entitled to their own opinion but may i kindly ask that you keep your own biased opinion to yourself on an open forum where every comment is free to view to all and sundry and especially when the facts are not quite correct.
You seem to forget as Kev Todd quite rightly points out, of the conservation that comes out from game shoots. And finally you condemn Pheasant shooting then in your next breath almost brag about shooting or should i say poaching Pheasants with your airgun!!!!!! A bit hypocritical i would say. Call yourself a countryman eh!!!! I appreciate that you are a well respected member of this forum but i think you need to grow up a bit. At least certainly where this subject is concerned!
Pat

[Bunny Bagger]

The worst thing about this is when the birds are shot, mounds of dead birds are piled up near the incinerator (on one of my permissions) because these guns don't know when enough is enough ! I posted a picture on here years ago showing the waste.

Well it sounds to me matey that the Game shoot on (one of your permissions) have'nt got a clue!!!!! All the syndicates i have been a member of including my current syndicate distribute the birds to each gun (usually one or a couple of brace each) then the beaters receive a brace each too. Any remaining birds are sold onto the restaurant trade and the proceeds of that go back into the shoot. This season we have had bags of well over 100 birds. That could mean a lot of money wasted if we piled birds up near an incinerator
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but one or two people posting on this topic are condemning Pheasant shooting without ever having participated. And by participating i mean participating as a gun. TT you seem to have the the opinion that all game shoots are the same well i'm sorry to tell you pal but they are not. I seem to recall having this debate with yourself on the old forum and whilst i appreciate that you are probably trying to get some debate going on what could be described as a quiet period on this and other forums you are actually doing nothing more than dividing the shooting fraternity.Like i say everyone is entitled to their own opinion but may i kindly ask that you keep your own biased opinion to yourself on an open forum where every comment is free to view to all and sundry and especially when the facts are not quite correct.
You seem to forget as Kev Todd quite rightly points out, of the conservation that comes out from game shoots. And finally you condemn Pheasant shooting then in your next breath almost brag about shooting or should i say poaching Pheasants with your airgun!!!!!! A bit hypocritical i would say. Call yourself a countryman eh!!!! I appreciate that you are a well respected member of this forum but i think you need to grow up a bit. At least certainly where this subject is concerned!
Pat

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