Getting Pheasants to Fly

[wannabe_keeper]

I hope those of you who have already started shooting are having a good season.

I have my first day on the little farm shoot on Saturday and getting nervous now. A few weeks ago it was nervous about there not being enough birds about and now i am confident that there is it has turned to being nervous about the birds not flying.

 

Has anyone got any tips or rules for helping the birds to fly forward at a good height?

Flag men or no flag men, sewellin?

 

The trouble is our pen wood is a drive and im fearful that birds will be reluctant to leave at any height and just curl back into the wood they call home!?

 

 

[hedd-wyn]

Hi bud

 

We have the same problem in one of our pens, but I put that down for them being so young and not being able to get to a decent hight to take a shot. We have three pens but one in particular the birds haven't matured enough and as you say they curl back round the wood home or just run. They are also a different breed to the rest.

 

However, we only teseted that drive on the first day and will leave it till later on. Personally I dont see any harm in moving the pheasant season forward a month for this reason, some of the bigger shoots in our area wont be starting till the first of November.

 

Anyway I hope your shoot is a success and wish you and the guns the best of luck.

 

ATB

 

Hedd

[rimfire4969]

Without seeing the land it is difficult, even if you have seen it you won't really know until you try to flush them. We use a sewellin on a couple of our drives mostly just to stop the birds running out but also as a flushing point. As the season goes on you will work out the best way and then the pheasants will do the opposite of what you expect them too!

 

Is it a new shoot?

[wannabe_keeper]

Yes first year of being a shoot so who knows where they will go. Birds often fly back to the pen when i am out feeding but always very low!

[pontbeck]

Driving a release pen is never a good idea but I appreciate not everyone has the advantage of thousands of acres of land.

I was in a shoot where we fed them out into a game crop , which was right next to the wood, we then pushed the pheasants up to the end of the crop where we had stops. The birds then lifted and curled back to the wood. Not sure of that would help but can't say anymore without seeing the land

[waterside]

I have a few release pen drives which I use later in the season what has worked for us is.

Very little if no noise from the beaters a nice steady line, if your running the line try to be in a position where you can see as much as possible.

If possible lift the wire on the pen or gate (oppersite end to direction of beaters) as you approach the pen hold the line and tap no shouting, this should encourage the birds to run forward through the pen and to the front/ flushing points, we then move a bit tap etc etc if you think enough birds have gone forward consider leaving the pen also. if you can spare a flag man or two either side of your wood this wood assist too. Like rimfire said its hard without seeing the land. Others may disagree but I'm not a fan of the beaters shouting especially early on can provoke panic and birds lifting to early and going every way but the right way. Think about where you place your stops and sewlling. Hope there is something in there that might help.

[r1steele]

One thing to remember is that you should try your best to keep sewllin and flags out of sight of the guns if at all possible. As has already been said, it's hard to give good advise without seeing you land etc. Sometimes driving your birds to a flushing point that is at the 'wrong' side with a couple of stops at the end can get the birds to lift and turn over the beaters which can get them to fly higher and faster. If your guns are standing to the right of the drive, rather than trying to flush them in the right hand corner, take them more to the left. Depending on the lay of the land this can be very good or can go wrong. Best trying this on a small day.

[scolopax]

It is first time through, they are still naive young birds and wondering what the heck is going on. First shoot should almost be regarded as a flying lesson. No need to panic yet. If they are still flying low after the third or fourth shoot then you have a problem, but not now.

[Kes]

It is first time through, they are still naive young birds and wondering what the heck is going on. First shoot should almost be regarded as a flying lesson. No need to panic yet. If they are still flying low after the third or fourth shoot then you have a problem, but not now.

All seems good advice to me but Scolopax view is the logical comment I would make. Pheasants do not fly normally, preferring to walk or run. Experience of flying makes them stronger so later in the season you should see a change. They say pheasants can only sustain full powered flight for 20 seconds and then they glide with an occasional flap. It takes a couple of hours to recover after flight so positioning the guns is a critical decision. Anyone else heard this?