THE PRETEND KEEPER

[jall55]

I can understand a bit of over excitement when you don’t get out much and if you shoot a low one you will get a bit of ribbing for it and told not to do it again ( as you know I’ve got a couple of members that get carried away now and then ) but every now and then you get one who just thinks “ I’m going to fill my boots here “ so they can tell their Facebook friends they shot 25 birds, zero tolerance to unsafe shooting, I know we have what I think is good firearms law in this country but they really will give a shotgun to anyone with very little vetting

You lads must meet some real odd bods - we are so lucky that we have so few / no idiots really

If you are worried about "guests" bagging up - move the pegs about a bit ? get them on the higher stuff
You really cant have anyone endangered
It should all be about having fun at the end of the day not worrying

 

[Smellydog]

Just in - but i swear steel today has been - honestly incredible

Barrrrhumbug....

 

[jall55]

First day in the bag so to speak - birds really mature and flew very well - had so many people want to come today we ran out of cobs at 825 am ! must order more bacon and cobs next week !
Ended on 90 odd not that it matters that much - 7/8 [pints in the pub after - 4 tired dogs and cant wait to go feeing and picking any lost ones in the morning !

 

[jall55]

Barrrrhumbug....

I know mate - honestly im not an arse about steel at all really im not - come look if you want mate ?

 

[Smellydog]

I know mate - honestly im not an arse about steel at all really im not - come look if you want mate ?

How was the day?

 

[stavross]

You lads must meet some real odd bods - we are so lucky that we have so few / no idiots really

If you are worried about "guests" bagging up - move the pegs about a bit ? get them on the higher stuff
You really cant have anyone endangered
It should all be about having fun at the end of the day not worrying

There’s some right morons around here that pay for cheap days because they can’t get into a syndicate, I don’t bother moving the pegs, I just tell them to pack it in, they need to have a bit of respect and appreciate the opportunity they have been given, saying that, there’s just the few that are idiots, but it’s these that spoil it for others

Just popped out for a bit locally for some fresh air, life’s been a bit hectic lately so I needed a bit of Stav time, not sure how long I’ll last, the wind is mental

 

[BenBhoy]

the wind is mental

Was it sprouts or beans??

 

[snoozlecracker]

There’s some right morons around here that pay for cheap days because they can’t get into a syndicate, I don’t bother moving the pegs, I just tell them to pack it in, they need to have a bit of respect and appreciate the opportunity they have been given, saying that, there’s just the few that are idiots, but it’s these that spoil it for others

Just popped out for a bit locally for some fresh air, life’s been a bit hectic lately so I needed a bit of Stav time, not sure how long I’ll last, the wind is mental View attachment 440254

Wind here is nuts! Fancied going foxing but had a night in with my mate stella

 

[stavross]

Was it sprouts or beans??

I’m just naturally full of hot smelly air

 

[stavross]

Well, the wind has beaten me, I would of said it was a waste of time but it never is when you are outside, I did see one that walked up a hedgeback, I thought I’ll have a go at that when it gets to the opening, following it through the scope it looked like it had a duck in its mouth, anyway it got to the opening and decided to lay down in the bottom of the hedge, I gave it 20 minutes but it wasn’t for moving ( who can blame it in this weather) and with no way of creeping up on it and the wind getting stronger, along with the rain just starting that’s enough for me to head for home

 

[BenBhoy]

enough for me to head for home

 

[stavross]

Oh yes

 

[jall55]

How was the day?

Awesome day thanks mate
Just over a hundred - a line of people the length of the car park to take the birds home - not a feather left
Someone - honestly - even took the crow to feed the cat !

The birds flew mega well in the wind - the regen now and for the next perhaps 5/10 years is just about perfect to provide cover and lift birds over the new rides etc
The covers while not head high as in a normal year are thigh high and providing excellent holding and are still in nearly full flower so still have insect life - sunflowers are just going over and seed is becoming viable food

We had another 2/3 beaters - and their number totalled over 25 - with pickers up / flaggers / guns etc we had over 65 people ! Young old - men women and kids ! A lovely community feel and about 20 of us went back to the pub !

 

[stavross]

Nothing to do with this but I’ve just been at my mates farm and he was telling me about his day on the partridge last week at Warter Priory, he was telling me what an amazing day it was and been free made it even better

He then told me who paid for it and what it cost him the lad who paid for it is a bloke I’ve done work for and he owns a farm that is just used for pheasant shooting, he paid for his team of guns at a cost of 40 grand, how can anyone justify that, I suppose if you have that much money it’s just a nice day out for him

 

[bumpy22]

Nothing to do with this but I’ve just been at my mates farm and he was telling me about his day on the partridge last week at Warter Priory, he was telling me what an amazing day it was and been free made it even better

He then told me who paid for it and what it cost him the lad who paid for it is a bloke I’ve done work for and he owns a farm that is just used for pheasant shooting, he paid for his team of guns at a cost of 40 grand, how can anyone justify that, I suppose if you have that much money it’s just a nice day out for him

That is mad I run a small shoot but how anyone would pay to shoot pheasants baffles me lol

I enjoy the social side and rearing them etc but I can't see the appeal of spending a fortune for someone to push birds over your head to shoot at

This will be controversial

 

[jall55]

Completed my "pick up" on Sunday and ended with 106 for the first day
Had pheasant in breadcrumbs for dinner ! Bloody lovely !

 

[stavross]

That is mad I run a small shoot but how anyone would pay to shoot pheasants baffles me lol

I enjoy the social side and rearing them etc but I can't see the appeal of spending a fortune for someone to push birds over your head to shoot at

This will be controversial

I’m the same, I don’t shoot them, I’ve go no interest in shotguns but if he’d have offered me a day free of charge at Warter I’d of been there in an instant, my mate said one of the drives he had 104 shots ( double gunning ) for 16 birds, he said some of them there was just many too pick a bird out

 

[Nickb]

That is mad I run a small shoot but how anyone would pay to shoot pheasants baffles me lol

I enjoy the social side and rearing them etc but I can't see the appeal of spending a fortune for someone to push birds over your head to shoot at

This will be controversial

Same here no interest at all in driven birds much rather shoot wild birds like crows , pigeons , geese etc

Only pheasants I shoot are walked up and they are so wild you can't get within 100 yards of them most of the time.

 

[jall55]

I’m the same, I don’t shoot them, I’ve go no interest in shotguns but if he’d have offered me a day free of charge at Warter I’d of been there in an instant, my mate said one of the drives he had 104 shots ( double gunning ) for 16 birds, he said some of them there was just many too pick a bird out

16 birds for 104 shots ! I think next time he needs to take one gun and just slow down a bit mate

 

[stavross]

16 birds for 104 shots ! I think next time he needs to take one gun and just slow down a bit mate

To be fair to him he’s no digweed but he showed me a little video and this was on their show off drive, ( this is what we have, see if you can hit them ) I showed it to a sparky and his son I was working with yesterday who are proper game shooters, here and abroad and the first thing he said was “ that’s ridiculous “ he has shot there a couple of times and said although it’s an amazing place, in his opinion they put too much down and that drive is just there to “ amaze “ people, knowing that most people aren’t going to hit them, it’s all very well set out and managed so you will reach your bag but not to early