Pheasant Shooting

pheasant shooting

Everything you need to know about pheasant shooting

The pheasant shooting season runs from 1 October through to 1 February in England, Scotland and Wales and pheasant is the quarry most game shooters are likely to come across.

Our experts have written articles to help you achieve success when you’re out in the field. From how to get ready for the new season to how to mark those high birds. You’ll also need to know what the best guns are for shooting pheasants, what load to use and what the distance limit is to shoot.

And then when you’ve got your bag, you can finish off by browsing through our pheasant recipes.

Beginners and improvers

If you want to start pheasant shooting, this is the perfect place to read up on the know-how and make sure your shooting etiquette passes muster.

If you’re looking improve your shooting technique when you’re after pheasant, then you’ll find a host of articles here on how to be a better shot – with plenty of advice on gun mount, stance and eye dominance.

We’ve also investigated many game shooting grounds and you can read our reports here and see how they match up to your expectations for shooting pheasant.

Shooter with single-barrelled shotgun

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…

flying pheasant

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…

Female Gun

An invitation to a driven day – a female Gun reports back

I have been fortunate enough to be involved in the wonderful world of fieldsports for most of my life. 
From rough shooting with my 
father to great times on the beating lines, I can still claim that one of my greatest achievements was to be head beater by the age…

springer spaniel

Is the pheasant the perfect gamebird?

Good looking, fast flying, delicious as well as easy to rear, tough and adaptable. The pheasant comes in a perfectly designed package. Like anything that’s relatively trouble-free, we don’t think about it much. So are we in danger of taking the pheasant for granted? An exotic alien We expect it to thrive…

high pheasant shooting

Which type of pheasant shooting is superior?

High pheasant in open fields By Giles Catchpole Snap shooting is all very well and good. Couched on a ride in the midst of the shelter belt or in a clearing in the heart of a block of forestry can be exciting, for sure. Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of…

man with gun in gunslip

Popular shotguns for the pheasant season

What you need to consider when picking out a game gun Weight Gauge Style Action Budget Patrick Galbraith, Editor of the Shooting Times, comments when discussing shotguns for pheasant shooting: “I would say that there has been a move towards affordable guns, with pairs of Mirokus becoming a frequent sight…

Kansas pheasant

How to improve your pheasant shooting technique

Here are some pheasant shooting techniques to help you in the field Footwork and balance In all forms of driven shooting, good footwork is the building block for any shot, and with good footwork comes good, controlled balance. Without these two factors at the start, shooting consistently is not possible.…

flying pheasant

Which is the faster bird – partridge or pheasant?

Game shooting: Which bird flies faster and needs more lead - a partridge or a pheasant? I’m reasonably okay at game shooting, but I do struggle on partridge shown on the same drive at the same height. Can you shed any light on my problem?

sunrise in countryside

20 of the best UK pheasant shoots

TREGOYD, POWYS This stunning shoot just to the south of Hay-on-Wye is run by the ambitious team of Ben Brown and headkeeper Clive Hussell, and recent years have seen significant investment in the infrastructure of the shoot. But what has not changed is the quality of the shooting. The terrain takes care of itself but Ben’s attention…

man shooting pheasants in field

Better pheasant shooting tips

The season is well under way and many of you will have no doubt already enjoyed your first outings. I’ve spoken with many gamekeepers and they are all singing from the same hymn sheet: pheasants have done well this year and in many cases have feathered up nicely too. There has been a lot of dogging-in on many…

release pens

How to manage release pens correctly

Time and again as I wander into the depths of a wood in my role as a Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) game adviser, I come across an embarrassment. The combination of tatty fencing, battered feed drums, broken drinkers, bags hanging from branches, and other mess is a dreadful advert for shooting. Add a bit of over-stocking to…

pheasants in pen

Golden rules for rearing gamebirds

With more than 200 gamefarms and business members, and a history going back to 1908, the Game Farmers’ Association (GFA) is in a unique position to share its wisdom with anyone thinking of going into game rearing. It won’t provide detailed “how to do it” advice; there are almost as many ways to rear…

Researchers show how to breed a fitter, stronger pheasant

Researchers from the University of Exeter have discovered some useful tips for improving the ability of pheasants to flourish out in the wild. Firstly, if poults are given access to raised perches in pens they tend to grow bigger and stronger leg bones, are able to fly higher and can…