KennyB Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 just like to ask hows your shoot going, the last couple of ours has produced low numbers compared to previous years,Last weeks was a 600 bird day with only 278 picked, this week was a 350 day with only 178, there there but just wont get up, with the mild weather theres still plenty of cover about,anyone else having this problem?? atb kenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Kenny, I take it you're talking about a driven pheasant shoot. The number of birds shot isn't the entire story, the other side of the coin is the shot count. Once you know this you can work out whether the guns you've got shooting are good, average or hopeless. I think most commercial shoots work on a shot ratio of about 4 or 5 to 1, so if the shot count is high enough you can reasonably say the guns have had the birds over them - they just can't shoot. It is very frustrating for the beaters to work hard and put the birds over the guns and then see them keep missing, been there and got the tee shirt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlagUp Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Our shoot is a walk one stand one affair and the bag is normally 80+ per day. This year it has been about half that. The birds have wandered off. Whether this is down to the mild weather and natural food supply or bad management I don't know. It's a diy shoot so only ourselves to blame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Most shoots i know of are finding things harder than normal and most have put it down to mild weather and birds being all over the place .I also no of a few smaaller shoots who are having a bumper year . I shot on 2 shoots last week the first was full driven plenty birds put down final bag was 197 but the other guns were very poor as i shot over 130 of the bag . The secound day was mainly wild and final bag was 28 where they normaly shot 80 plus . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harpoonlouis Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 as i shot over 130 of the bag . Won't be inviting you again soon... We had three record days in a row at the start of the season, poor day a fortnight ago and fine on this Saturday. Cold wind seems to have got the birds back in the woods a bit but little ice or frost to make them get back on the feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonwolf444 Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 we've had low numbers, suspecting a fox or poachers, its only a small shoot though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyB Posted December 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 (birds back in the woods a bit but little ice or frost to make them get back on the feeders) i hope so,We shoot everyweek and the first few were excellent 600 bags, but the last two have been very disappointing, My friend who is the keeper there has taken it to heart as a couple of guns are not happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millrace Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 well now,,,, we have small diy shoot and its been pretty **** birds just aint there this year could be the mild weather dont know,,also duck flight pond terrible,, last year counting in 50/100 per flight when feeding this year nowt few here and there and its december and we havnt shot a duck yet and its been fed cince august,,,,,,,,,,,,, repercussions of last years hard winter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20bjames Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 i shoot in 2 syndicates both local both are well down on last few years they both have put more birds down then ever but i think the weather is not helping and seems to be lots of foxes about still alot of fun tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 A small syndicate I shoot on(we only put down 350 birds)has had returns of 53,48 and 52,over the last three shoots,so we're quite happy.We don't grow any cover crops but rely solely on feeding woods,hedgerows and marshes. Our other(a fairly big shoot)consists of 4000 pheasant and duck.We have had returns of 385 for 1053 shots(first drive consisted of 80 birds for 303 shots!)410(don't know how many shots)and 298 for 1011 shots.This shoot consists of flight ponds,mixed woods and covercrops consisting of maize,fodder beet and spring barley. Everything is more or less normal at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Won't be inviting you again soon... We had three record days in a row at the start of the season, poor day a fortnight ago and fine on this Saturday. Cold wind seems to have got the birds back in the woods a bit but little ice or frost to make them get back on the feeders. Shooting there next friday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadge-it Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Its the same story on mine the last two shoots have been very poor but saterday gone the weather was alot colder so the bag was better,so we,ll see??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsowatts Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 We have set up a new walked up shoot, only putting down 250 birds for the 1st year, we have been really struggling with the birds seemingly wandering everywhere in particular on land we don't have permission on!!! If we keep on shooting the same size bag as we have done we will end up with about a 34% return - not sure to be disappointed or pleased with this. At least this year has given us clues on what we need to improve for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker3 Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 same here 3 of my mates are keepers one put down 15,000 head and they are all in the same boat mild weather birds wandering for miles. still making there bags but are all worried that come january there going to be short of birds . but in saying that spoke to two of the keepers to day they had shoots on today both 100 bird days and one shot 130 the other shot 112 and they said they havent seen as many birds in the drives for weeks and they think its down to the cold winds and snow this week has got the birds coming back in .some of the bird to day were full of beech nuts and berries and the nearest beech trees are two miles from his shoot :o :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highseas Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 same here 3 of my mates are keepers one put down 15,000 head and they are all in the same boat mild weather birds wandering for miles. still making there bags but are all worried that come january there going to be short of birds . but in saying that spoke to two of the keepers to day they had shoots on today both 100 bird days and one shot 130 the other shot 112 and they said they havent seen as many birds in the drives for weeks and they think its down to the cold winds and snow this week has got the birds coming back in .some of the bird to day were full of beech nuts and berries and the nearest beech trees are two miles from his shoot :o :o you have just about writen my reply weve just had 4 back to back days with 4 diffrent groups and over 1000 head for the four days, we have got over our bag on every shoot day with the best day being 1019 birds we shoot about 2, 300 bird days a week and maybe a walked up inbetween. i hope this snow gets them back thou, we have 5 fields of wheat and oats arout the boundry that wher not harvested and it pulled away at relise time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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