pigeon shooting guides

[dougall]

Will,

Perhaps you could give an update as to how your season is going?

What are yo charging these days?Is it fully guided only or are DIY options still open?

I don't know what the matt Hance reference above is all about,all I can say is Matt H has turned into an incredible shot...his 94 at Royal Berkshire Classic,1st time up was a stunning score...so all his pigeon shooting sure helped him!!

ATB.

[Will Beasley]

Will,

Perhaps you could give an update as to how your season is going?

What are yo charging these days?Is it fully guided only or are DIY options still open?

I don't know what the matt Hance reference above is all about,all I can say is Matt H has turned into an incredible shot...his 94 at Royal Berkshire Classic,1st time up was a stunning score...so all his pigeon shooting sure helped him!!

ATB.

 

We've kept prices the same this year, and until Nov 1st we only do guided.

 

However its absolute pants right now. With it being so dry and warm the spring rape and peas arent growing, and consequently pigeons are still feeding on buds, short spots in winter OSR and clover. And its hard to pin 'em down. Very hard!!

[M ROBSON]

I do about 100 days guided pigeon shooting each year, nobody could get big bags on all those days.

 

It's the way you treat the clients that counts, not just dumping them in the morning and not seeing them all day till you pack them up.

 

I've had clients have bad days, tried moving them and given them all my attention, end up shooting just a handful of pigeons but still got a tip at the end of the day for all my effort.

 

I've got french clients who have come to me for the last 4 summers in a row. They went with a guide in England who after a few poor days shooting told them he didn't need their business anyway, he had plenty of clients wanting to shoot with him!!!! :o

 

Nobody likes being ignored, especially when their paying for your services.

 

But as mentioned before we're not magicians and if the birds don't want to play ball there's nothing we can do about it.

 

Cheers,

Mark

 

 

ps, This year has been my best spring shooting period for the last 5 years, that's not to say we didn't have a few bad days though!

[Guest liaddardscorner]

We've kept prices the same this year, and until Nov 1st we only do guided.

 

However its absolute pants right now. With it being so dry and warm the spring rape and peas arent growing, and consequently pigeons are still feeding on buds, short spots in winter OSR and clover. And its hard to pin 'em down. Very hard!!

 

How about that late spring barley drilling near wantage thought you and dad had a very good bag did you have clients out with you .

 

All the best Andrew

[jamesneale89]

dv sporting , easily the best guide in the uk!! fact!!

 

 

visit www.dvsporting.co.uk

[big simmo999]

I have no idea what Salopian is on about.

 

A member asks for pigeon Guide information and someone is bound to recommend Will Beasley.

The Beasleys have been conducting guided shooting for years and there have been many glowing reports on here and in magazine articles.

 

Its possible the inference is that I mentioned him because of his association with UKShootwarehouse, who advertise on Pigeon Watch.

Thats what they do, "they advertise", they don't own Pigeon Watch and certainly couldn't influence what I say about them.

As for becoming a Moderator, that happened a long, long time ago , when there were so few members I think we were all Moderators.

 

Well said Cranfield

[viking]

well thanks for all the replys chaps, there are plenty of guides for me to look into there and some comments on them from people who have used them, im in no doubt that they cant guarentee big bags or any thing and im not overly expecting that, although it would be a bonus, i just love pigeon shooting and would enjoy a little bit more to shoot at than whats round my area, im lucky to have land to shoot on i know that, but as a treat to myself and as my holiday this year i thought it would be a nice change,

 

cheers, lee

[viking]

dont now where u shoot around leeds i had alot of red letter days last year took some mates out aswell and some lads off pigeon watch all had good days in and around leeds thay is no point traveling miles and paying for it hopeing 2 av a better year this time les

 

hi les.

 

i shoot round aberford, saxon, there arnt many pigeons around, but i still enjoy going out and having ago, like some one said, its not the size of the bag that counts, for me its just a great day out, a bad days shooting is better than a good day at work.

 

cheers, lee

[les gedge]

hi les.

 

i shoot round aberford, saxon, there arnt many pigeons around, but i still enjoy going out and having ago, like some one said, its not the size of the bag that counts, for me its just a great day out, a bad days shooting is better than a good day at work.

 

cheers, lee hi leei also shoot round saxton on the hill bros its best when he has peas in also go alot round lotherton hall thay is only me shoots it so that can be good also got some big farms on a64 this side of york so your welcome for a shoot whenthay start cutting lee if you want my number p m me les ps i dont take money off the lads just like to help lads if i can cheers

[scolopax]

What annoys me and other shooters is when a guide move into an area where previously pigeon shooting was easily available by knocking on doors and starts to take up 'exclusive rights'. Yes it may be market forces and the way of teh world blah de blah but it does cause alot of resentment. The only people benefitting are the guide, the landowner (financially) and a few Frenchmen and Danes. The same could be said of when commercial goose decoying started to kick off in the seventies and eighties only that was worse as more money was involved. My local analogy, and this has happened here, is when a fishing club takes on a previously free stretch of river and start charging for it, to cover their 'rent', but why rent what was once free and open to everyone!!

[Will Beasley]

What annoys me and other shooters is when a guide move into an area where previously pigeon shooting was easily available by knocking on doors and starts to take up 'exclusive rights'. Yes it may be market forces and the way of teh world blah de blah but it does cause alot of resentment. The only people benefitting are the guide, the landowner (financially) and a few Frenchmen and Danes. The same could be said of when commercial goose decoying started to kick off in the seventies and eighties only that was worse as more money was involved. My local analogy, and this has happened here, is when a fishing club takes on a previously free stretch of river and start charging for it, to cover their 'rent', but why rent what was once free and open to everyone!!

 

Respectfully, I'd like to reply to that.

 

Recently we have had several farmers contacting us in preference to their usual "hobby shooters" as we can be there the next day guaranteed, make a concerted and strategic ALL DAY effort to kill as many birds as is possible, and clean up every last cartridge, sandwhich wrappers etc at the end of the day. Their stance on the matter ( and it seems a pretty uniform theme judging by the opening conversation ) is that they had "a few old boys" who they'd phone when the pigeons were battering the poo out of the rape. These guys would rock up randomly 2-5 days after the phone call from the farmer, set up in the easiest position possible on the field which didnt mean a long walk, park a hoofing great 4x4 25 feet away from their hide, stay there for an hour and a half shoot 5 cartridges for a couple of pigeons and then pack it all up again after a short while and go home. Then come the summer time they'd be banging on the door nigh on hammering it down to shoot the pigeons on the rape stubbles which they put SO much effort into protecting for the farmer during the winter. Is it any wonder the farmer prefers a guide to Bill and Ted who rock up whenever they please, put in little effort, chop whacking great big holes in hedges and pi$$ off the gamekeeper.

 

Dont take this personally as I quoted your post scolopax but as a guide I know we have several thousand pounds invested in Land Rovers modified with mud terrain tyres, wheel spacers that fit the tramlines so they dont make a mess, 2 quad bikes and trailers, chairs, hide poles, nets, deeks, magnets, shell decoys lofters..... the list is ENDLESS. not to mention the phone calls made to and from clients on the day and before their booking, land rents, insurances, the dreaded FUEL ( I average 120 miles a DAY, running round looking after clients, moving birds, changing the odd hide etc .....every single day ), depreciation of equipment, replacement of equipment (often broken by clients are hide poles stamped to death into the ground and bent and snapped, cammo nets cut with knives to form peep holes so they can see out of them, busted seats where they've flopped down so hard in them they've broken, Pigeon magnets left to fall over and catch fire. How much more do you want? Still think I'd make Dragons Den? I can hear it now... Peter Jones a telecoms magnate worth 200 million...... Theo Pathitis a retail magnate who owns La Senza and Rymans the stationers... Will Beasley... Pigeon Shooter.

 

Its all time effort and money invested, and speaking as a guide what we charge is certainly NOT 100% profit.

[viking]

hi les.

 

small world, i to shoot on jonh hills land, iv been shooting it for 3 years now, maybe iv seen you about up there as im seeing more and more people up there now adays, never saw anyone for the first couple of years, i would love a day or 2 out with you when you feel the time is right, thats most kind of you.

 

cheers, lee

[les gedge]

hi les.

 

small world, i to shoot on jonh hills land, iv been shooting it for 3 years now, maybe iv seen you about up there as im seeing more and more people up there now adays, never saw anyone for the first couple of years, i would love a day or 2 out with you when you feel the time is right, thats most kind of you.

 

cheers, lee

hi lee when thay start cutting will send you a message les

[viking]

cheers les, i will look forward to that,

 

Lee

[here iam]

Respectfully, I'd like to reply to that.

 

Recently we have had several farmers contacting us in preference to their usual "hobby shooters" as we can be there the next day guaranteed, make a concerted and strategic ALL DAY effort to kill as many birds as is possible, and clean up every last cartridge, sandwhich wrappers etc at the end of the day. Their stance on the matter ( and it seems a pretty uniform theme judging by the opening conversation ) is that they had "a few old boys" who they'd phone when the pigeons were battering the poo out of the rape. These guys would rock up randomly 2-5 days after the phone call from the farmer, set up in the easiest position possible on the field which didnt mean a long walk, park a hoofing great 4x4 25 feet away from their hide, stay there for an hour and a half shoot 5 cartridges for a couple of pigeons and then pack it all up again after a short while and go home. Then come the summer time they'd be banging on the door nigh on hammering it down to shoot the pigeons on the rape stubbles which they put SO much effort into protecting for the farmer during the winter. Is it any wonder the farmer prefers a guide to Bill and Ted who rock up whenever they please, put in little effort, chop whacking great big holes in hedges and pi$$ off the gamekeeper.

 

Dont take this personally as I quoted your post scolopax but as a guide I know we have several thousand pounds invested in Land Rovers modified with mud terrain tyres, wheel spacers that fit the tramlines so they dont make a mess, 2 quad bikes and trailers, chairs, hide poles, nets, deeks, magnets, shell decoys lofters..... the list is ENDLESS. not to mention the phone calls made to and from clients on the day and before their booking, land rents, insurances, the dreaded FUEL ( I average 120 miles a DAY, running round looking after clients, moving birds, changing the odd hide etc .....every single day ), depreciation of equipment, replacement of equipment (often broken by clients are hide poles stamped to death into the ground and bent and snapped, cammo nets cut with knives to form peep holes so they can see out of them, busted seats where they've flopped down so hard in them they've broken, Pigeon magnets left to fall over and catch fire. How much more do you want? Still think I'd make Dragons Den? I can hear it now... Peter Jones a telecoms magnate worth 200 million...... Theo Pathitis a retail magnate who owns La Senza and Rymans the stationers... Will Beasley... Pigeon Shooter.

 

Its all time effort and money invested, and speaking as a guide what we charge is certainly NOT 100% profit.

Hi your a business making money Nowt wrong with that but do not put us partimers down we also work i pay for shooting and also get my own and also help other people out not all partimers do a bad job i recentley had a landowner ring me up because i had done a good job before on the bunnies and she new i would keep turning up being safe and do a good job yes their are idiots out their buts thats life a lot of my shooting buddies are hard working class guys and pigeon shooting etc is excessiable to average joe bloggs . If it becomes out of reach job over Then it becomes a rich mans sport

Edited May 7, 2011 by here iam

[gddoodles]

wouldnt bother with beisley son or father , father very rude and arrogant , son useless and stitched us up !! over priced and there ground has been shot to bits . would stay well clear of these .

[rustylee]

As a newbie trying get a insight to the sport I am willing to pay for shooters knowledge ,would I use a guide who so arrogant towards what he calls part timers err no.

Are you saying that others dont shoot good bag of pigeons and you seem not so keen on answering the question about good number being shot by you and your father when claiming to clients that theres very little about is that because you want to save the best shooting for yourselfs not your paying clients .

 

Russ

[Cranfield]

As a newbie trying get a insight to the sport I am willing to pay for shooters knowledge ,would I use a guide who so arrogant towards what he calls part timers err no.

Are you saying that others dont shoot good bag of pigeons and you seem not so keen on answering the question about good number being shot by you and your father when claiming to clients that theres very little about is that because you want to save the best shooting for yourselfs not your paying clients .

 

Russ

 

All Will Beasley is saying is what has been posted on here for years concerning the "Summer stubble shooters", who appear at harvest time for the easier pigeon shooting and disappear for the rest of the year.

There are plenty of pro shooters on here that will back those comments up.

 

I posted some months ago that two large farms I shoot on are issuing permission on a yearly basis and if you haven't been seen on the land throughout the year, the message is it won't get renewed.

 

I think most professional pigeon Guides do very little shooting themselves, their time is taken up with their clients.

[rustylee]

wouldnt bother with beisley son or father , father very rude and arrogant , son useless and stitched us up !! over priced and there ground has been shot to bits . would stay well clear of these .

 

You must admit the guides responce to this reply is very much in line with this members statment.

 

 

All Will Beasley is saying is what has been posted on here for years concerning the "Summer stubble shooters", who appear at harvest time for the easier pigeon shooting and disappear for the rest of the year.

There are plenty of pro shooters on here that will back those comments up.

 

I posted some months ago that two large farms I shoot on are issuing permission on a yearly basis and if you haven't been seen on the land throughout the year, the message is it won't get renewed.

 

I think most professional pigeon Guides do very little shooting themselves, their time is taken up with their clients.

 

I am sure that there must be cases of guides following this method to provide max sport for there clients as I cant see many clients paying for keeping pigeons of fields diffcult to shoot in the winter time I understand pigeons can be wary in winter with clouds of birds shifting with one shot .

So are guides providing a service to the farmers or his clients I know the snswer should be both .

As if thats true then is the guide taking good money of clients in winter knowing full well that they may struggle to even shoot one bird as he is trying to please a farmer who is phoning him say my crops are being eaten.

 

Its a intresting debate and one that I know will help me chose my way into the sport and at the moment I am not over keen on the guides arogrant nature towards other pigeon shooters.

Does he think he is the greatest pigeon shooter in the UK as his reply denotes that.

 

Russ

[Cranfield]

 

Its a intresting debate and one that I know will help me chose my way into the sport and at the moment I am not over keen on the guides arogrant nature towards other pigeon shooters.

Does he think he is the greatest pigeon shooter in the UK as his reply denotes that.

 

Russ

 

90+% of pigeon shooters probably never pay for a days guided shooting, so I would suggest that other topics on this Forum will be of much more help to you in choosing your way into the sport than this one.

[rustylee]

90+% of pigeon shooters probably never pay for a days guided shooting, so I would suggest that other topics on this Forum will be of much more help to you in choosing your way into the sport than this one.

 

So you and Will beasley are saying 90% of pigeon shooters are part timers who deserve very little respect as there rubbish at pigeon shooting and leave empty cartridge cases behind sandwich wrappers etc a very broad sweeping statement .

 

So I should only look at a days guided shooting to gain good knowledge as getting a day out if I was lucky would be pointless with a part timer.

 

Russ

[Cranfield]

So you and Will beasley are saying 90% of pigeon shooters are part timers who deserve very little respect as there rubbish at pigeon shooting and leave empty cartridge cases behind sandwich wrappers etc a very broad sweeping statement .

 

So I should only look at a days guided shooting to gain good knowledge as getting a day out if I was lucky would be pointless with a part timer.

 

Russ

 

What I am saying is that 90+% of pigeon shooters have never had a days guided pigeon shooting, because they don't need to.

They have been shown the ropes in the past by a parent, or a friend and have land to shoot over.

Although I do know a few experienced guns that have a days guided shooting as a change from their usual area.

 

As a new pigeon shooter you may choose to book a day with a guide, or try to get a local mentor from among the experienced pigeon shooters on here.

 

I am sure you will be successful in which ever course you decide.

[M ROBSON]

I think most professional pigeon Guides do very little shooting themselves, their time is taken up with their clients.

 

 

Absolutely!!! I do far less now than when I wasn't a guide.

 

I don't know about other guides but I get calls all the time from farmers worried about thier crops, the vast majority in Feb/Mar on winter rape. It's the one thing that stops me from expanding my land, I have 50+ rape fields local to me, enough for the shooting clients I book for.

 

You get to know the farmers who are serious and the ones who phone you once they see a handful of birds. Either way, you can always move to another area, but on winter Rape the weather is the biggest factor on your success.

 

Mark.

Edited May 8, 2011 by M ROBSON

[docholiday]

Respectfully, I'd like to reply to that.

 

Recently we have had several farmers contacting us in preference to their usual "hobby shooters" as we can be there the next day guaranteed, make a concerted and strategic ALL DAY effort to kill as many birds as is possible, and clean up every last cartridge, sandwhich wrappers etc at the end of the day. Their stance on the matter ( and it seems a pretty uniform theme judging by the opening conversation ) is that they had "a few old boys" who they'd phone when the pigeons were battering the poo out of the rape. These guys would rock up randomly 2-5 days after the phone call from the farmer, set up in the easiest position possible on the field which didnt mean a long walk, park a hoofing great 4x4 25 feet away from their hide, stay there for an hour and a half shoot 5 cartridges for a couple of pigeons and then pack it all up again after a short while and go home. Then come the summer time they'd be banging on the door nigh on hammering it down to shoot the pigeons on the rape stubbles which they put SO much effort into protecting for the farmer during the winter. Is it any wonder the farmer prefers a guide to Bill and Ted who rock up whenever they please, put in little effort, chop whacking great big holes in hedges and pi$$ off the gamekeeper.

 

Dont take this personally as I quoted your post scolopax but as a guide I know we have several thousand pounds invested in Land Rovers modified with mud terrain tyres, wheel spacers that fit the tramlines so they dont make a mess, 2 quad bikes and trailers, chairs, hide poles, nets, deeks, magnets, shell decoys lofters..... the list is ENDLESS. not to mention the phone calls made to and from clients on the day and before their booking, land rents, insurances, the dreaded FUEL ( I average 120 miles a DAY, running round looking after clients, moving birds, changing the odd hide etc .....every single day ), depreciation of equipment, replacement of equipment (often broken by clients are hide poles stamped to death into the ground and bent and snapped, cammo nets cut with knives to form peep holes so they can see out of them, busted seats where they've flopped down so hard in them they've broken, Pigeon magnets left to fall over and catch fire. How much more do you want? Still think I'd make Dragons Den? I can hear it now... Peter Jones a telecoms magnate worth 200 million...... Theo Pathitis a retail magnate who owns La Senza and Rymans the stationers... Will Beasley... Pigeon Shooter.

 

Its all time effort and money invested, and speaking as a guide what we charge is certainly NOT 100% profit.

 

This is I am afraid the most patronising load of poo I have read in a long time, and if I might add I had a very poor experience under your outfit where my money was taken, I was dumped in a corner of a field whilst some French clients of yours were very well looked after, I would say one of the most unprofessional days I have ever had pigeon shooting, so before coming down with such derogatory statements about "Amateur" pigeon shooters be careful about how you say things, these things have a away of coming back to bight you in the bum.,, though there is I am sure good amateur and good professional guiding to be found

doc

[Elby]

I do a bit of guiding.

It's not my main income by a long way (I'd be skint if it was)

I only take people when I think there is something to go at although as we all know professional or otherwise pigeons are never guarenteed.

What I don't do is poach land off of other shooters, if I knock at a farmers door and they already have someone shooting their land I don't offer them money to try and nick it off the guys that are shooting it.

I also charge very little I think, normally around £60, the last 3 guys I've took out have needed moving and I have done £30 in diesel.

So a whole day out spent with them for £30.

For 30 years I have given my shooting away to friends ect only to find you don't get a lot back and it ends up costing me money.

I keep hearing stories of guys being dumped in a field and left there all day, people being clicked and charged per shot.

At the end of the day you vote with your feet, if you feel the guide hasn't looked after you then you won't use them again.

Surely any guide would want repeat business.

The biggest complaint I hear from farmers is not about seasonal shooters so much as weekend shooters, if they have a problem they want it sorted asap.

What i will say to the guys that have no land to shoot is don't be afraid to knock doors, if you see pigeons on a field or scarers out go speak to the farmer, he can only say yes or no, and once you have one farm you'll find more will come along if you do a good job.