16ga.com Forum Index
Author Message
<  16ga. General Discussion  ~  Driven Pheasant Hunt
Griffon
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 6:28 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine

Due to some poor weather as of late I landed on youtube and watched some videos of Driven Pheasant/Ducks/Chukar hunts in the UK. Fast high overhead shooting and nice dog work. Anyone ever have the good fortune to give this a try? If so give us the run down. Probably have to mortgage the farm and buy a necktie but sounds like a interesting hunt with a lot of history behind it.

_________________
If it weren't for women cats would be extinct.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Riflemeister
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:26 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 27 Jun 2012
Posts: 1111

Some of the preserves around here do what are called tower shoots, where pheasants are thrown from a tower obscured from the shooting stations by trees. The shooting stations are arrayed in a circular pattern around the tower and the shooters rotate through the stations to insure good shooting for all. Local dog handlers are paid to handle the retrieves, but I've not heard of loaders being used like overseas. Mostly these shoots are done by larger corporations as a benefit for their employees or a wintertime alternative to a golf outing for clients. My dog handling buddies say that hundreds of birds are shot at on some of these.

_________________
An elderly gentleman, his faithful dogs, and a 16 ga SXS. All is right with the world.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
WyoChukar
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:17 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

I served as a "beater" on a few impromptu driven hunts on my buddy's farm this past season. Yep that's right, true poor man's driven pheasant.

My friend's son and I got volunteered to help a few times when someone would show up and want to hunt birds. The field in question often contained 1000-1500 birds. For some reason every bird in the area wanted to be in that canola.

We always told the guy or guys to sneak down the west fence line and get hidden in the tumbleweeds, no bright clothing, and stay down. The ones that listened made a tremendous amount of noise, good noise, as we pushed the weed filled draw in the bottom. The ones who stood in plain sight or left their orange on (not required in ND) did a great impression of Moses parting the Red Sea. Truxton and I shot a few birds during our drive as well.

There you have it, a recipe for a driven hunt without necktie or second mortgage. Maybe someday I will get to be the shooter in the fence row.

_________________
Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
JNW
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:39 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 15 Jun 2010
Posts: 1358
Location: Twin Cities, MN

I've been on several tower shoots for pigeons and pheasants - the poor man's driven shoot. Lots of shooting and lots of fun, sometimes. I was raised to be safe and respectful of others when shooting, but those rules don't work at a tower shoot here. I brought my LC Smith Long Range which is an excellent pigeon gun. Many guys showed up with autoloaders and magazines that extended past the muzzle. On the first one I went on one of the guys to our left (a locally famous ahole) came over to inform us he was going to shoot all the birds that came our way. My friend Larry, who is an excellent long range shot, spent the entire time poaching this guys birds way out in front. So, I am less than enamored of these shoots. I did once make an 80-90 yard crossing shot an a pigeon going full bore. About 6 guys had already emptied out on him. When I shot he folded dead in the air. Everyone turned to look at me and asked what I was shooting. Turns out an 1 1/4 of nickel plated B&P 7s makes an excellent load for pigeons out of a tight choked Perazzi.
Id like to try driven shooting in the U.K. Sounds like they have better manners over there. My main concern would be fitting in with The Viscount of Smith-on-Clyde during afternoon tea.
Regards,
Jeff
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Carlos
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 12:23 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 21 May 2010
Posts: 602
Location: Victoria BC Canada

My son lives in England and gets invited to a few pheasant shoots, but mostly he culls deer on land leased by a group. Money is an issue with all bird shooting in the UK.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Griffon
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 1:17 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine

Maybe I could tell them that I was writing a special article for 16ga.com and could squeeze a free trip out of them. Wonder if I'd fit in with my red checkered wool coat. Move over Wyochukar think I'm destined to be a beater.

_________________
If it weren't for women cats would be extinct.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cheyenne08
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 1:41 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 09 Dec 2009
Posts: 1370
Location: Cheyenne, Wy

Why anyone would WANT to participate in this SPORT is beyond me.

Dale

_________________
One man with courage makes a majority.

...Andrew Jackson...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Griffon
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 2:50 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine

High Flyers from all angles vs ground swatting turkeys I'm in.

_________________
If it weren't for women cats would be extinct.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jschultz
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:15 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 1624
Location: northwewst Wyoming

Dale wrote, "Why anyone would WANT to participate in this SPORT is beyond me".

Let me see if I can help.
A few years ago a hunting buddy and I went to Scotland to participate in 3 different activities. In the Uk the birds belong to the land owner, not the hunter. The birds are market birds and sold not only in country but also out of country.

Our first shoot was a Wood pigeon hunt, done in one of the Queens's pea fields. It is very similar to duck hunting and we literally shot a pile of birds. Wood Pigeons are about 1/3 larger than our common pigeon, wary and prone to flare at any movement. I was told that the birds that we shot were going to Spain.

Our second hunt was a "Rough Hunt" and in our country we call it upland hunting. We had exceptional days behind Shorthair pointers and two amazing Cocker Spaniels.

The driven hunt (pheasant) were a challenge. You have to coordinate the handling of the guns with your loader and quickly shoot incoming and out going birds. It takes a little practice to become successful. There is a tradition on the "Glorious twelfth' in that the estates compete agains each other to get the first birds to the London market. The estates are handicapped based on their distance to the capitol and originally the birds were delivered via horseback.

While I enjoyed all three activities, my favorite was the rough shooting orly because I appreciate good dog work.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
WyoChukar
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:49 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

Leave Dale's chow hall wisdom be. Some folks just have a narrow view of how things should be done. Not going to change him.

_________________
Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
WyoChukar
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:50 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

Griffon wrote:
Maybe I could tell them that I was writing a special article for 16ga.com and could squeeze a free trip out of them. Wonder if I'd fit in with my red checkered wool coat. Move over Wyochukar think I'm destined to be a beater.


Maybe we should team up and get a pair of articles from the beater's perspective. You'll need a photographer anyway!

_________________
Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Griffon
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:55 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine

I'm in

_________________
If it weren't for women cats would be extinct.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cheyenne08
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 4:03 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 09 Dec 2009
Posts: 1370
Location: Cheyenne, Wy

Jschultz, thank you for your explanation. Contrary to WyoChukar's opinion, I am not a dolt.

I have no desire to stand in one position and shoot birds driven over my position, I am sure it might be tough shooting, but it is not for me.

When I was in Germany '62-'64, they were offering shoots, at the time it was around $300.00 for a few days. Hundreds of birds were taken by "sportsmen" shooting driven birds to them.

As you state, the birds belonged to the landowner, not the hunter, and the birds were to be sold by the landowner after the shoot.

I prefer my old "chowhall" approach, which is staggering through the rough and maybe getting a shot at a rooster, I may or may not be lucky, but it is my way.

To all that enjoy this "sport", more power to you, it is not my cup of tea, "Old Boy".

Dale

_________________
One man with courage makes a majority.

...Andrew Jackson...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
tramroad28
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 4:15 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were

I never shot driven pheasants in the UK and certainly never shot driven red grouse.
I did hunt red grouse behind pointers in Scotland and nearly...shot a black grouse, which would not have been a good thing.
I also did see the grouse butts snaking across the moor and would reckon that shooting driven grouse would be something special....more for the experience and atmosphere than anything else.

I would tho, on a very small knowledge base, have a bit of questioning of just how shooting driven pheasant in the UK compares to tossing pheasants out of a tower in the states....or flinging them off a high cliff, for that matter.
The american version would seem far different, to me, and rather distasteful.
Granted, a Preserve can offer a facsimile on very small acreage w/o the overhead of the real thing but...it would seem better to get one's kicks of flurries on clay targets.
Granted, people will pay for 'bout anything legal these days.
That dog work in picking up is part and parcel would be small taters, to me.

Be nice if legal and available followed taste and a bit of respect rather than providing opportunity, an itch scratched and a better bottom line for a Preserve.
Why do some do the tower deal?....because they can.
And too many feel that questioning a fellow hunter on any legal can-do...is a bad idea.
I do not.
Flurry Elsewhere here at home.....cut the rooster some respect.
You may feel better later at home.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
fn16ga
PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:17 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 09 Jan 2013
Posts: 2165
Location: Florida

tramroad28, how do feel about planted preserve hunting . Some people don't have the opportunities of others . Tower shoots and preserve bird hunting aren't much different in my eyes except , I do enjoy seeing the dogs work other wise the shooting part is fairly easy . IMO Tower shoots require more shooting skill , with the added bonus of see dogs work .

I much prefer hunting wild birds . I do one tower shoot a year , why ? because its a hell of alot of fun and I get to spend time with friends that usually only get see once a year .

To each his own.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
All times are GMT - 7 Hours

View next topic
View previous topic
Page 1 of 3
Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
16ga.com Forum Index  ~  16ga. General Discussion

Post new topic   Reply to topic


 
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum




Powered by phpBB and NoseBleed v1.09