stavross
Well-Known Member
For those that don’t know ( which will be most as I’m new here ) I’m a keeper on a small private pheasant syndicate on the edge of the north York moors ( near Helmsley for those who know the area ) it’s around 600 acres of privately owned woodland that is leased to forestry to farm timber and to me and my syndicate for our pheasant shoot, for the past few years I’ve kept a diary of my season on another forum, sadly that place has gone down the pan a bit so thought I’d try it on here and see if anyone was interested
Last season was an interesting one, it was very hit and miss if I was getting any birds, in the end I ended up with 500 of the 800 I normally put down, after a rocky start the season turned out to be a cracker, we had 7 days and accounted for just over 250 pheasants and a handful of woodcock, now a couple of weeks ago I put my poult order in and this season I’m going for 1000, hopefully to arrive the first or second week in August and to have our first day on the first Saturday in November
Today was my first day back up there to see what repairs are needed to the pens and it’s quite a bit, I have 3 pens up there but only use 2 of them now, my first pen is called “ forestry “ and my second is “ Gordon’s “ named after the old boy that owned the place, he passed away leaving the farm to his wife and my landlady “Mary” a lovely lady who is now in her 80’s but shows no sign of slowing down yet, just today when I arrived she was out setting her mole traps around the veg plot.
Anyway I’ve made a list of what’s to do so I can start gathering materials for repairs, hopefully for free as this is a shoestring shoot where every penny counts, I’ve a few posts to replace on the pens, a shelter to replace in Gordon’s pen that’s finally given up and my drinker system to repair because the bloody squizzers are obsessed with chewing the pipe, I had a run around on the bike while I was there over the far side of the shoot to a couple of drives known as “ the piggeries “ where the bluebells are starting to show, not long now and the whole backside will be a stunning carpet of blues and purples
Anyhow, I hope that a few on here take an interest in this thread and contribute to it as I will as I make my way to the start of the season and you never know you might even get an invite for a day’s shooting if that’s your thing, they are never big days ( normally between 40/50) but it’s worth coming just for the elevenses
Last season was an interesting one, it was very hit and miss if I was getting any birds, in the end I ended up with 500 of the 800 I normally put down, after a rocky start the season turned out to be a cracker, we had 7 days and accounted for just over 250 pheasants and a handful of woodcock, now a couple of weeks ago I put my poult order in and this season I’m going for 1000, hopefully to arrive the first or second week in August and to have our first day on the first Saturday in November
Today was my first day back up there to see what repairs are needed to the pens and it’s quite a bit, I have 3 pens up there but only use 2 of them now, my first pen is called “ forestry “ and my second is “ Gordon’s “ named after the old boy that owned the place, he passed away leaving the farm to his wife and my landlady “Mary” a lovely lady who is now in her 80’s but shows no sign of slowing down yet, just today when I arrived she was out setting her mole traps around the veg plot.
Anyway I’ve made a list of what’s to do so I can start gathering materials for repairs, hopefully for free as this is a shoestring shoot where every penny counts, I’ve a few posts to replace on the pens, a shelter to replace in Gordon’s pen that’s finally given up and my drinker system to repair because the bloody squizzers are obsessed with chewing the pipe, I had a run around on the bike while I was there over the far side of the shoot to a couple of drives known as “ the piggeries “ where the bluebells are starting to show, not long now and the whole backside will be a stunning carpet of blues and purples
Anyhow, I hope that a few on here take an interest in this thread and contribute to it as I will as I make my way to the start of the season and you never know you might even get an invite for a day’s shooting if that’s your thing, they are never big days ( normally between 40/50) but it’s worth coming just for the elevenses
”
