Ashbiker Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 I am new to shooting, only recently having bought my Beretta 687 o/u. I would appreciate if someone could please guide me as to how to go about game shooting? I am interested in pheasant and grouse shooting in particular, in the East Midlands region. Many thanks Ash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinistercr0c Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Thats a bit like asking - 'I'm interested in Astronomy, can you please tell me all about the Universe' - Its a big question! If your interested in shooting game, then my best advice would be to look at either joining a syndicate or try scouring the Guns on Pegs (www.gunsonpegs.com) for a days driven shooting. Either way its expensive, you can reckon on anywhere from £500 and up to join a syndicate and get maybe eight days shooting (bags around 30-50 birds per day between eight guns) or £1000+ for a full gun on a single days driven shoot at one of the estate in your area You need to be insured (BASC, or any other reputable organisation) and you might want to look into the 'etiquette' of game shooting. People like to dress up you know! Other than that, its a case of spend time on't tinterweb looking up everything to do with game shooting! I've been on driven shoots, and to be honest Pigeon Shooting is 1000% better. Low cost, good sport on truly wild 'n wily birds, not like yer 'grown to order pheasant slaughter' estate shoots. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 "Grown to order pheasant slaughter estates" That's the sort of qoute i would expect to hear off an anti ! Tell us abit more about yourself.Have you been shooting long ?Do you shoot clays ?Do you have any experience of shooting game ?As for shooting grouse,you will need deep pockets for this type of game shooting as even a walked up day will cost you £200-£300 quid a day and a driven day will be a four figure sum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbiker Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Many thanks Sinistercroc and Blackbart for your quick replies. I have had a few lessons at clays and have shot a few hundred cartridges. In the past, whilst I was in India some 12 yrs ago, have done a bit of rabbit shooting. I would get the BASAC insurance as am joining the Leicestershire Wildfowler's Association tomorrow. So you reckon I should do some more clay shooting at local club (Kibworth) and then start off with wood pigeon shoots before anything fancy? Cheers. Ash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 It would be better to start off on the clays and pigeons before shelling out lot's of dosh on game shooting.Pigeon shooting is a great way to get used to the way real birds jink and jive,speed up,turn etc.Something you cant experience at a clay ground and if you can get some permission off a farmer it will only cost you the price of the cartridges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbiker Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Many thanks again for your advice Blackbart and I shall try getting hold of some local farmer. Would I need to purchase decoys? Also, sorry for my ignorance, how does the 'bags' work out? I mean how to calculate the total cost? For eg., I came across an advert saying '£125 a day for 100 bags, 6-8 guns. £30 a bird...'? Does one get all the birds one has shot? Once again, apologies for my naivity! b/w Ash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinistercr0c Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Blackbart, no offence meant on the pheasant comment, its just my opinion based on having seen thousands of 'em bred for the shoot. Not really my thing to be honest. Now Grouse is a different matter.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbiker Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Really...so they are not 'wild' birds, albeit, pheasants bred for organised shooting? Interesting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Really...so they are not 'wild' birds, albeit, pheasants bred for organised shooting?Interesting... Grouse are truely "wild" birds and are helped an awfull lot by keepers that give them the enviroment to survive. Most pheasants are bred and released into the wild,again keepers try and provide an enviroment they can thrive in. Both are up against it being ground nesting birds they are open to every predator out there,foxes,stoats,rats,trolls,weasels,hawks to name but a few are all out to eat them and if pheasants werent bred and released there probably wouldnt be any to be seen as only approx 50% of those released are shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbiker Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 I get it. Perhaps thats how the word 'conservation' gets into shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbiker Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Once again, sorry for my ignorance, how does the 'bags' work out? I mean how to calculate the total cost for a days game shoot? For eg., I came across an advert saying '£125 a day for 100 bags, 6-8 guns. £30 a bird...'? Also, does one get to keep all the birds one has shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobyb525 Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 (edited) Many thanks again for your advice Blackbart and I shall try getting hold of some local farmer. Would I need to purchase decoys?Also, sorry for my ignorance, how does the 'bags' work out? I mean how to calculate the total cost? For eg., I came across an advert saying '£125 a day for 100 bags, 6-8 guns. £30 a bird...'? Does one get all the birds one has shot?Once again, apologies for my naivity! b/w Ash Wait untill you have some permision first as it can take a while to find some Edited October 11, 2009 by Tobyb525 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbiker Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 You mean permission from the local farmer for the shoot or does one need a permit to shoot game too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinistercr0c Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 (edited) You need written permission from the landowner (usually the farmer but not always, as some can be tenants). I use the 'pest control' form on this page and get the farmer to sign it: http://www.basc.org.uk/en/departments/game...-agreements.cfm With reference to your earlier query about 'bags'....The bag is the total number of birds shot. If say, the limit is a 100 bird bag, and your party of eight guns shoots 105 in total, you would pay an 'overage' of £30 per bird, i.e 5 x 30 = £150. Divide that by eight guns and you'd each pay an additional £18.75 for the extra five birds shot. You are normally given a brace (two) birds by the shoot captain or head keeper, everything else is theirs to sell onto the game dealer. You pay to shoot the birds, not keep 'em. You will also be expected to pay the head keeper for the work done by the beaters on the day. This is in the region of £50.......all adds up don't it.... As stated by others on this thread, shoot some more clays, try and find a willing farmer, and get yer eye in on the pigeons. You'll probably find that if you do, you won't want to spend money on driven shooting. Hope this helps. NB. No farmer will allow you to game on their land (least not any I've ever spoken to...) Rabbits, pigeons, corvids (and foxes if you get a firearms certificate, but don't go there just yet) Edited October 11, 2009 by Sinistercr0c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbiker Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Many thanks again for your reply which has answered nearly all my immediate queries re. game shooting. Just wondering if I was to join a driven 100 bird shoot with 8 Guns and say £30 a bird, I would then have to fork out £100x30=3000/8=£375 plus the £50 tip to the game keeper so roughly £425 and get to get 2 birds home? Cheers. Ash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dangerzone Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Many thanks again for your reply which has answered nearly all my immediate queries re. game shooting.Just wondering if I was to join a driven 100 bird shoot with 8 Guns and say £30 a bird, I would then have to fork out £100x30=3000/8=£375 plus the £50 tip to the game keeper so roughly £425 and get to get 2 birds home? Cheers. Ash Yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinistercr0c Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Yep, thats about the sum of it. The cost of buying poults (young pheasants), rearing them, feeding, watering etc. etc. is all factored into the cost to you, the 'gun'. you can expect to pay between £25 - 30 per bird on a driven shoot. Big estate shoots are more expensive, but only because you get to shoot a bigger bag. The most expensive pheasant shoot I've seen up in North Yorkshire is £1600 per gun for a 400 bird day. Thats £32 per bird..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashbiker Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 I get it! Many thanks again matie. b/w Ash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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