Pheasant Shooting
Posted by: i am simon 2 on 03 January 2007
I had my first ever day shooting driven pheasant a couple of weeks ago, and what a charming day out it was, on may levels.
First of all the people involved from the "guns" to the beaters and the Keeper were all a friendly bunch and much good banter was enjoyed.
Secondly the oportunity to spend a day out in the fresh air of our beautiful english country side was almost worht the trip in its own right.
I understand that we owe the fact that we still have some of the english woodland that used to cover much of the country is down to shooting. Small woods and copses are ideal game cover, and as a result, land over which game is shot is generaly well managed from a conservation perspective, in order to create a sustainable habitat for both wild and reared game. In fact I read that shooting occurs over about two thirds of the british country side these days!
The sport was excelent, this was only a small shooting syndicate and we had in total 45 brace of pheasant (90 birds) and a few woodcock.
As a clay shooter I found it dificult initialy to get a feel for the speed of the birds, and shot behind several before I realised that they only look slow as they are quite large, and realy they are quite quick. But in the end I bagged 7 birds, which was a fair contribution to the overall bag for my first day.
The chance to see peoples gun dogs in action was also a treat, from labs to pointers and cockers, they were all well versed at picking up and they all demonstrated how much work must have gone in to training them for their intended purpose. The dogs clearly enjoy the chance to use their natural instincts.
I do not feel the need to defend this sport against the criticism I might get from lefties as every bird shot was taken for food. In fact this is much more rewarding than going to the supermarket to buy a chicken.
My freezer is now well stocked and I think Pheasant roast is in order at the weekend.
If you get the chance to have a go, or even do a bit of beating I would highly recomend it.
Kind regards
Simon
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by acad tsunami
quote:
Originally posted by i am simon 2:
The sport was excelent,
If the birds could shoot back I would accept it was a sport.
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by Nigel Cavendish
Simon2
You are a parody of yourself; oh! my aching sides...
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by Rasher
Ahh, country folk and their ways, eh?
I've got my granny in the freezer. It was fair, okay, I gave her a ten minute head start. People just don't understand that it benefits everyone to keep the numbers down. I'll probably not eat the ulcerated leg though.
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by BigH47
Sorry misread the title. I thought MP was advocating thinning the plebs again. Don't think they taste as good as pheasant.
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by acad tsunami
quote:
Originally posted by Rasher:
I gave her a ten minute head start.
Sounds fair to me
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by garyi
I have never had the pleasure of shooting, but did a bit of beating and certainly enjoy the freebies that come my way each season.
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by Nigel Cavendish
I'm sure Simon2 enjoyed a good beating whilst at school...never did him any harm, what.
Posted on: 03 January 2007 by count.d
Out of the 90+ birds that were unfairly and unsportingly blasted out of the air, how many were hit by a handful of pellets to be killed instantly? How many were winged by a pellet, fell 70ft, writhed around in pain for a few minutes before a dog gnawed on their necks until their eventual death?
If you want to anticipate criticism, think before you write.
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by Rockingdoc
I always thought fowl shooting was an activity for the toffee-nosed country set, but my recent wanderings on the marshes and mudflats of Erith (this is not posh, to a Dickensian degree) have led to encounters with several locals bearing arms. Knowing these locals from my day job, my first guess was that they were on their way to make unauthorised withdrawls from the Building Society.
Kept my eyes averted and hoped not to be recognised, but was greeted and told the story. In fact, they regularly shoot some Thames ducks to eat, for genuine economic reasons. A duck in Morrisons costing more than a shotgun cartridge.
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by Steve2701
How many that have replied here give a second thought as to how the meat that they buy from a supermarket / butchers / fishmonger has been reared and the manner of its death before they walk to the till with it?
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by JohanR
I'm one of those few who doesn't hunt myself but actually hasn't anything against hunting. The meat is excellent and the animals lives a happy life in their natural habitat until the day they get shot (as opposed to many animals grown in meat industries).
JohanR
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by garyi
Agreed Steve, people are sometimes pathatic where this area is concerned. I have killed 4 or 5 pheasants by driving to work.
I like pheasant, its reared in lovely surroundings as close to free as an eating animal can be, and whne its day comes so be it. A majority of shooters I have known are just guys and gals, working people like myself who enoy the shoot when it comes round.
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by Bob McC
The pheasants around Andover are stupidly suicidal. I've killed several with my car and the annoying thing is that its illegal for the driver who did the deed to pick up the road kill, but others can, so you need to hunt in pairs!
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by Rasher
quote:
Originally posted by Steve2701:
How many that have replied here give a second thought as to how the meat that they buy from a supermarket / butchers / fishmonger has been reared and the manner of its death before they walk to the till with it?
You'd be surprised. We are a breed of discerning and over-fussy hi-fi nerds after all. We are not your “Mums go to Iceland” lot here you know.
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by Rockingdoc
quote:
Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
In fact, they regularly shoot some Thames ducks to eat, for genuine economic reasons. A duck in Morrisons costing more than a shotgun cartridge.
p.s they shoot straight out across the river from a hide made of old pallets, on the south bank. So choose your seat on the ferry with care.
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by i am simon 2
I am glad to have sparked a healthy debate, and I chuckled to myself having read some of the comments. The argument that shooting birds is not sport does not stand up.
To combine enjoyment with procuring food can be no worse than buying a pair of leather shoes, when a pair of fabric shoes would have been just as good.
To enjoy any animal derived food (an nice sirloin) is no differnt from shooting for sport - you could just as well be a vegetarian.
I can assure you that in an automated slaughter house, many more birds are wounded rather than being killed instantly than those not killed by the first barrel of a 12 bore.
I was not convinced I would agree with shooting game before I went along, and I thought I would dip my toe in the water when a business associate invited me. I still feel that I would not like to go on a large commercial shoot where more birds than can be sold to the game dealer are shot, but a small syndicate shooting a sustainable bag is a benifit to our countryside.
Regards
Simon
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by acad tsunami
quote:
Originally posted by i am simon 2:
The argument that shooting birds is not sport does not stand up.
Well explain why then.
So you get enjoyment from killing defenceless animals. Get some therapy. I have rarely ever read so much drivel in my life. 'Benefit to the countryside' - it beggers belief.
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by Roy T
Good posting Simon.
I'm so glad that you have not censored your thoughts, sports or postings just because they may not be inline with the thinking of others. Although I do not shoot I know a good few who do and iirc it is still not against the law to shoot game birds for sport or the pot so while it is still within the law then kudos to you. I do sometimes catch a few brown trout for the pot and rather nice they taste.
More hunting postings please.
Posted on: 04 January 2007 by BigH47
quote:
I have rarely ever read so much drivel in my life. 'Benefit to the countryside' - it beggers belief.
Wait until the pro fox hunting lot start. Ridding the world of the scurge that is fox.
If people want to kill something we have plenty of flighing rats here and in London.
Posted on: 05 January 2007 by Bruce Woodhouse
quote:
quote:
I have rarely ever read so much drivel in my life. 'Benefit to the countryside' - it beggers belief.
I'll gingerly raise my head above the parapet here.
Sport shooting sustains a significant economy where I live; grouse, pheasant and wildfowl. The heather moorlands are managed actively to promote grouse for example, but in so doing this supports may other upland species. Estates employ quite large numbers of people to support the shooting, and the associated 'leisure economy' is not trivial. Farmers have added pheasant shooting to a wider range of earnings, particularly post foot and mouth.
I have problems with the ethics of shooting and hunting for pleasure rather than just for the pot. I have less qualms about the hunting of animals that are pests-such as rabbits and foxes. I also accept arguments that this may not be a 'humane' way of killing these birds. I'm not sure I could personally shoot birds, although I do take pheasant from local hunts and eat them.
Whatever your personal feelings the shooting/fishing/hunting fraternity are some of the most powerful forces of conservation and investment in the countryside and to suggest otherwise is incorrect.
At the risk of being patronising I think some 'townies' have the impression that our wilder landscapes are somehow frozen in time, and entirely 'natural', requiring nothing more than to be left alone. Most need careful active management and investment to remain healthy, prosperous and accessible.
Bruce
Posted on: 05 January 2007 by Rasher
Townies?? We don't want those sort around here. This is a local shop for local people.
Posted on: 05 January 2007 by Willy
quote:
Originally posted by BigH47:
quote:
I have rarely ever read so much drivel in my life. 'Benefit to the countryside' - it beggers belief.
Wait until the pro fox hunting lot start. Ridding the world of the scurge that is fox.
If people want to kill something we have plenty of flighing rats here and in London.
Forget the rats we have cats to deal with those. It's the bloody foxes that eat my hens.
Regrads,
Willy.
Posted on: 05 January 2007 by Rasher
Owning up, although I haven't eaten meat (except fish now - docs orders) for over 20 years now, I do have great respect for someone like Hugh Fearless-Whippingpost who takes responsibility for the animal and respects it. It's the ones that eat meat but shut their eyes to the mechanics of it that I take issue with, but have to say that it just seems unnecessary to shoot animals for food when you don't need to. Sure, so go get a bird when you specifically need one, but going out for the shooting and having the food as a by-product seems disrespectful, if you know what I mean. In fact that is the difference, you are doing it for the wrong reason; it's the wrong way around. It isn't Sport, it's an animals life.
Posted on: 05 January 2007 by Bruce Woodhouse
Rasher
I like the idea of respect for the animals you eat. Living close to agriculture has actually increased my appreciation of meat and game as food to be genuinely savoured.
Bruce
Posted on: 05 January 2007 by Rockingdoc
quote:
Originally posted by Willy:
Forget the rats we have cats to deal with those.
Willy.
Well you've either got braver cats or wimpier rats than us. Came home to find decent size London rat up on its back legs in our toilet, screeching at our THREE pathetic cats cowering in the corner.
Er, I was a bit scared of it myself actually.
