Richie10 Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 The direction in which the pheasant flies is dependant on the how much you pay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 thats how financially viable shoots are, that many days and it wouldn't cover the cost of a full time keeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Wimberley, Any sport/hobby has costs you want to play you have to pay.Clearly you want everything to be free. What on earth vermin control has to do with pheasant shooting is beyond me. A business is an activity to make profit(well it is to most people).Yes some top end COMMERCIAL SHOOTS operate to make money.My experience though is the majority of shoots do not nor are they run to make money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 oh dear, one thing I can promise you is he isn't giving up dairy and hoping to make an income from shooting. The two events will not be linked, simply because its simple to shoot the same ground as you have cows on. Indeed most of the winter when shooting takes place the cows are inside as its too wet to have them in the fields. Take your basic maths, £300 a day for driven shooting between 8 guns is £2400 a day spread it over 15 days which is optimistic and requires a lot of land and you have a total of £36000 pay for a keeper, his house, his vehicle a quad bike, pen netting, feed and a team of beaters and you can see the maths struggles to make much if anything. Its a hobby sized shoot I freely admit that I don't know the full workings of the business, who keeps, where they live etc. And I'm not sure what 'hobby sized' shoot is but they are comercial shoot run by a ltd company operating from somewhere up North, and they operate on a subsatial part of the South Downs. If they don't make money, that's neither here nor there to me, it's a business and the landowner still gets paid. Again, my point is, it's a business and not a hobby same as a fishing lake is not a hobby. They may be seasonal, even sideline businesses but businesses they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Falcon, do you tie your own shoelaces? Well done you have a commercial shoot near you.It does not mean all driven pheasant shooting is run as commercial businesses.Which is your inference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Falcon, do you tie your own shoelaces? Well done you have a commercial shoot near you.It does not mean all driven pheasant shooting is run as commercial businesses.Which is your inference. Well, I didn't mean to suggest that all driven shooting is purely commercial. I'm just defending what I said in earlier posts from red-faced, fist-waving folk who can't get their point accross without suggesting that others who take a different line are idiots. I'm not after an argument, just some balance. ATB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Well, I didn't mean to suggest that all driven shooting is purely commercial. I'm just defending what I said in earlier posts from red-faced, fist-waving folk who can't get their point accross without suggesting that others who take a different line are idiots. I'm not after an argument, just some balance. ATB Well, to be honest, mate, in my experience I don't think you're going to get what you're after from that particular source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 It has sort of changed tack from shooting being so profitable the farmer has given up dairy farming to a northern company have leased the shooting rights In that area I'm fairly sure I could work out whats the true story if i had the farm name as my brother works for the Biggest cattle vets down there who also have a game bird side Its a funny topic as people see the numbers involved and think ££££££££'s of profit are being made but you have to be very good at it to make decent amounts. Where a few posters are coming from is knowing how hard it is to make the books balance over something that is done for sport and recreation. Estates being old money rarely set out to make the maximum profit but the costs involved in the sport often means if they want to do it selling days to subsidize costs is a good way of recouping some of the outlay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
super sharp shooter Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 if you like it do it if not don't worry about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconFN Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 It has sort of changed tack from shooting being so profitable the farmer has given up dairy farming to a northern company have leased the shooting rights In that area I'm fairly sure I could work out whats the true story if i had the farm name as my brother works for the Biggest cattle vets down there who also have a game bird side Its a funny topic as people see the numbers involved and think ££££££££'s of profit are being made but you have to be very good at it to make decent amounts. Where a few posters are coming from is knowing how hard it is to make the books balance over something that is done for sport and recreation. Estates being old money rarely set out to make the maximum profit but the costs involved in the sport often means if they want to do it selling days to subsidize costs is a good way of recouping some of the outlay That's a fair point, as the farm got rid of dairy some time ago as it wasn't profitable so it wasn't an either or situation - bit disingenuous of me to suggest otherwise. But he did let the land to a shoot bescause it offered a very good return per acre, and as he isn't a big time game shooter, it was a commercial decision on a large farm. I'm willing to admit that it may not be big money, but it is money, and if a farmer can get a few extra pounds on parcel of land then they will. ATB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart21 Posted March 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Guys, So to summarise on my initial topic. the reasons for driven shooting are: - - Tradition, fun, getting out doors and working dogs - Countryside management - Food - The birds have a good life - Large financial impact on the economy - For the majority, it's not for the profit - Large days in effect are actually not that large and actually present better birds, and aren't as common as the media might suggest It is interesting to read some responses of "troll" and "anti" just because you do not agree with what someone says, it's easier to put a stupid comment than to actually create a well structured response, but thanks to the majority that provided informative answers. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Hi - fairly turbulent stuff - to answer the original question, i do a bit of 'keepering' on a local DIY shoot. Some members do and some dont but i'm happy to be out. My justification for being involved with driven game shooting is threefold; 1 Becsuase if I wasnt doing it I wouldn't be there with a group of likeminded people in the middle of someones field looking forward to a stop midway and the craik after. Being there and just taking part is enjoyable - shooting a few is a bonus. 2. Because we work hard to hold our birds, cover crops, feeding, predator and vermin (2 legged) control etc. many odd corners would be sprayed out if we didn't use them for the birds, trees/woods would not be poperly managed, streams cleared to provide good drainage in most areas, ponds cleared and tree cover managed. As we all know our natural wildlife gains as much benefit from our activities as do the birds we put down to shoot. I've also planted thousands of young trees, made beetle banks etc. This is my singular special justification - what would the countryside be like if drive game shooting didnt provide all this? How many wild birds would have died last winter if we hadnt fed them? 3. Economic. You look at Devon; shooting maybe second to tourism but it cant be far behind in gross turnover and employment in places like Exmoor . The countryside would offer even less of a future for the people born there if shooting didnt happen. Millions also 'fly -in' to the local economy, B&B's, hotels, the list is long. Being a part of driven shooting makes me a part of all this. I, like others, marched (a lot) for the first time on the pro hunting marches, horses and shooters dont always get on but the countryside family is more important - criticise internally but to others say nowt. This is a public forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Stuart21 - for the life of me, I can't think why you need our opinion. You either justify it to yourself or don't do it. If you enjoy it, explain that to others. If you find yourself in difficulty explaining it to others - give up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 That pretty much sums it up and exactly why these posts get passionate because the people that are involved love it, and the people that haven't have pre conceived ideas much like the antis of what is involved and don't get the bigger picture. The simple fact is game shooting has shaped a lot of our countryside, its participated in by a surprising number of people and is more than just shooting. It does a huge amount for conservation of many native species as well as rearing pheasants, woodland gets managed properly and apart from anything else is its fun. I enjoy beating as much as shooting which may seem strange to many that have never been Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 I don't feel any need to justify my reason for taking part in a driven shoot either.I do it because I enjoy it. I can understand getting as much enjoyment from beating as from shooting,and turned down a shoot invite last season to go beating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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