We’ve searched out a number of the best pheasant shoots around that will welcome shooters from September, with social distancing measures in place. Tregoyd, Powys If you like the challenge of tricky birds on a variety of terrain then this shoot is one you should visit. Situated to the south…
Gameshooting
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20 of the best UK pheasant shoots that will be open this season
Tregoyd, Powys If you like the challenge of tricky birds on a variety of terrain then this shoot is one you should visit. Situated to the south of Hay-on-Wye in stunning countryside. Visiting Guns are tested in every possible way in a mixture of woodland and open drives. And if…
How to buy a shoot on a shoestring
Many sporting folk dream about owning their own shoot. The idea can become a constant, niggling temptation and it is a recurring topic of discussion at shoot lunches. We all love to compare and contrast different shoots, and everybody has a favourite sporting scene in mind when we’re left nursing…
How to start up your own DIY shoot
Starting a little DIY shoot can be great fun and very rewarding. In fact, it is the DIY shoot that is bringing some ‘fresh air’ to shooting. Why start a DIY shoot? Basically you and your shooting companions should get moderate driven shooting at a reasonable cost. Of course, while…
The rules you must follow when rearing gamebirds
Before you take any steps to start on rearing gamebirds yourself you need to be aware of the key factors involved. Rule 1: Think of it as a business You need to think seriously about rearing gamebirds right from the beginning and consider it as a business, whether you’re rearing…
How to hatch and rear your own pheasants
Many DIY shoots are looking at ways of reducing costs, and one way of achieving that is rearing pheasants yourself. There are plenty of benefits. You know where your birds have come from The birds will be the age and strain you want You will be aware of any pheasant…
The Bolton Estate, North Yorkshire. Where gameshooting and conservation work together …
You will probably need to visit Bolton Estate more than once to fully appreciate just how important its 12,000 acres are to the fabric and ecology of the Yorkshire Dales. Many of the more than 60,000 visitors from across the world with any number of agendas will probably know the…
Dates for UK game shooting seasons
The pheasant, partridge and grouse shooting seasons are now open and it's not long until the season opens for some deer in Scotland. Find out when the seasons open with this guide to game shooting seasons
One barrel is all you need
A single-shot, single-barrelled shotgun is not popular these days. The guns are looked down upon as somehow ‘less than’. When I began my shooting life under my father’s instruction, I was as excited as any 14-year-old could be. I had completed my three-year apprenticeship of various gun-, dog- and bird-related…
Leading figures in fieldsports look back at 2019 and forward to 2020
Shooting Gazette asked a host of leading figures in gameshooting community for their reflections on 2019 in fieldsports, what they are looking forward to about 2020 and also the one issue they are concerned about in the year ahead. Eoghan Cameron, chairman, BASC High on the list of successes for…
Why I’ve found cock shoot days to be a shambles
Mark Forester remembers some past cock-day debacles and wonders if it will be safe to venture out this season
Having trouble shooting high pheasants? Then read these expert tips
Chris Bird at Hollands offers some high pheasant shooting tips
How to know which is your bird – and which is your neighbour’s
Ian Grindy shows you how to work out if it's your bird or your neighbour's and discusses etiquette on driven shoots
Is your shoot transport safe?
Legal obligations for shoot transport Q: I am a relatively new member of a modest driven shoot and for the past two seasons Guns have been transported to drives in a tractor-drawn trailer that belongs to another era. Guns sit on bales of straw and, while the trailer is covered, the…
Facts about the pheasant – phasianus colchicus
Just how long the pheasant has been found in Britain is open to question but it is likely that, as with so many of our non-native species, the Romans had a major hand in bringing them to our shores. It is also likely that they were bred as table birds…
Tips on high-driven birds
A high driven target is quite straightforward, the shooter moving the gun on the same line as the target and giving the required lead and follow-through. But there are a few mistakes to watch out for. Easiest place to shoot high-driven birds The easiest place to shoot a high driven…
The bigger the shoot, the less respect?
Picking-up is about one thing — finding shot birds. The joy I get from finding one bird that would otherwise be lost gives me more pleasure than shooting even the highest of pheasants. Over the years I have managed to climb the picking-up tree, from a small syndicate with one…
Do beaters, loaders and pickers-up get paid fairly?
It is a pretty fair assumption that there are few people for whom beating, picking-up or even loading is their main source of income throughout the season. Though the money is welcome, it by no means replaces a regular salary — particularly since earnings on a shoot now have to…
High pheasant shooting – how to master it
High driven pheasant shooting lesson: It’s getting to that time of the year when the birds are really beginning to fly well.