Will game shooting go ahead this autumn?

I will never understand folk paying big money to shoot pheasant. If I had a slot on a nice little shoot I would turn up on the odd day to shoot the estate's pigeons off the rape or their crows around the piggery etc. This high profile Range Rover style of sport does nothing for me. Shoot a game birds for the pot all season and just enjoy the craic.
 

Dr. Alkathene

Member
Livestock Farmer
Thought I had replied to this thread yesterday :scratchhead: It’s a long time between now and the end of the shooting season. We are putting less birds down and feeding less, being a walked up shoot it’s never been a big bag / numbers game.

The bigger problem is the lack of simulated days between now and the start of the season, having refunded all deposits for bookings between April and July :nailbiting: Oh and cancelled order for more traps:(
 
I know someone keepering on a large estate, where all the days are let and all the hatching & rearing (pheasants) is done in house.

The keepers are employed with houses and all the days for the coming season were sold out 3 months ago.

They are working as normal, with the keepers following strict hygiene procedures and the social distancing guidelines.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Sorry, there’s absolutely no way that farmed pheasant is as high welfare as most lamb and beef reared in this country!
The keepers prophylactically administer antibiotics to game birds as standard. This does not happen in beef and lamb.
I’m afraid you are showing your total lack of knowledge of the livestock sector there!
Over the past 6 months, my children have received more antibiotics than my cattle and sheep put together!
But don’t worry, I had the same discussion with a very good mate of mine before Christmas after he told me that he was reducing his meat consumption after watching game changers (basically a movie with no connection to uk ag) but was justifying carrying on shooting as pheasants were basically free range! He had no idea either!

it’s not lack of knowlage, I grew up on a livestock farm ( beef and dairy)

The alternative poultry products (chicken) is farmed very Intensively and often very dependant on prophylactic drugs, a lot of beef is farmed indoors so not the lovely grass fed free range image we love to pretend in many cases, unless organic sheep are usually wormed prophylacticly etc and antibiotics used where required on all livestock. nothing wrong with any of that but I think it’s fair to say there is nothing more free range than a pheasant ! 50% or more of them don’t even get shot so I fancy their odds better than a farmed chicken, lamb or bull !
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Some on here seem to be struggling with the concept of " lockdown ".

in what respect ? Unless you work in high street retail or tourism people can still go to work as long as they are able to maintain social distance

A keeper is just as able to maintain distance as any farm worker ? Maybe more so as they usually work alone and in very remote locations
 
I will never understand folk paying big money to shoot pheasant. If I had a slot on a nice little shoot I would turn up on the odd day to shoot the estate's pigeons off the rape or their crows around the piggery etc. This high profile Range Rover style of sport does nothing for me. Shoot a game birds for the pot all season and just enjoy the craic.
Our shoot is just a few neighbouring farmers and take turn having a walk round each other’s land and diner at each other’s houses not a lot gets shot :ROFLMAO:
 

TomD

Member
Location
Devon
We put 500 down here on small friendly syndicate of 12 paid guns and 2 free guns for landowners, feed for wild duck flights and good show of snipe/woodcock usually.
Had call from our poult supplier today saying orders need to be placed by next Friday with 50% deposit this year as such uncertain times. Everyone keen but at £300 each for 10 days with a 45/50 mixed bag what’s not to like.
You must have some big shoot near you to be getting such a big bag for so little out lay...
 

thesilentone

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cumbria
Our shoot has cancelled the season, it appears sourcing eggs for the rearer's is also a problem.

We have continually fed, so the resident bird population is quite good, so maybe get a couple of days later on.
 

n.w

Member
Location
western isles
To me its not if, but when shooting is banned in the UK, avery packam etc will be all over the alleged link between meat/game/wild animals and viruses. the British public will fund it........... best grow vegetables and deliver vegan meals that taste of something..

Its being so cheerful that keeps me going.. :rolleyes:
 

7610 super q

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
So, what if they hatch birds THEN we get put into lockdown? On welfare grounds, I can't see the government ordering the starvation of millions of game bird poults. Quite a conundrum.
I hadn't considered the food angle TBH. I've been accustomed to seeing piles of birds dumped on verges. If there's a shortage of poultry maybe shoots have some merit. Not sure about city folks travelling to the countryside to mingle with locals though.........
 

Old Spot

Member
Location
Glos
We have had the discussion and decided to carry on, the shooting here is a syndicate of locals.
on our family farm it’s part of my income, feeding, wheat, cover crops, hosting and picking up.
i also enjoy it! Meeting neighbours, having a yarn, few drinks and trading livestock.
father loves it, (does a fair bit of the feeding) he will be 90 in December and has it all planned.
this does not mean that we are very concerned about the situation, costs start very soon.
we have the guns commitment but may have to get deposits earlier depending on the supply chain.
couple of butchers, their in, couple of builders hopefully in, few farmers who knows.
if we can get to the season then with many shoots being cancelled we are sure we could sell odd spaces if regulars pull out.
we may have to resort to walking everywhere and social distancing and maybe no shoot meal
forever the optimist!
 

Hampton

Member
BASIS
Location
Shropshire
it’s not lack of knowlage, I grew up on a livestock farm ( beef and dairy)

The alternative poultry products (chicken) is farmed very Intensively and often very dependant on prophylactic drugs, a lot of beef is farmed indoors so not the lovely grass fed free range image we love to pretend in many cases, unless organic sheep are usually wormed prophylacticly etc and antibiotics used where required on all livestock. nothing wrong with any of that but I think it’s fair to say there is nothing more free range than a pheasant ! 50% or more of them don’t even get shot so I fancy their odds better than a farmed chicken, lamb or bull !
Oh please!
Just because cattle and sheep are going to die, doesn’t mean their welfare is lower than a pheasants.
anyone who has been near a game farm knows that they can’t touch a well run beef or sheep farm in terms of medication used.
It’s true that many sheep and cattle are wormed, but fec tests has reduced this dramatically. Vaccines are used, but antibiotics are now much more rare. I would estimate less than 1% of my spring lambs will require antibiotics or wormers.

with regards to not high percentages of pheasants getting shot, this is true, but at the end of the season on big shoots, the keeper will go around shooting the cock birds with rifles (This is very common, mainly whilst roosting) and the hen birds are largely rounded up and used as layers.
Again, your knowledge of game farming and livestock farming has many holes in.
Your argument on welfare standards of pheasants appears to be based on them being free range. It tends to ignore that they are chased by dogs, shot at repeatedly over 3-4 months, herded around to the drives, then at the end of the season when the sport finishes, males are rifled and hens are caught, oh and the feeding stops for those left out.
Doesn’t seem quite so rose tinted now does it?
 
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Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Oh please!
Just because cattle and sheep are going to die, doesn’t mean their welfare is lower than a pheasants.
anyone who has been near a game farm knows that they can’t touch a well run beef or sheep farm in terms of medication used.
It’s true that many sheep and cattle are wormed, but fec tests has reduced this dramatically. Vaccines are used, but antibiotics are now much more rare. I would estimate less than 1% of my spring lambs will require antibiotics or wormers.

with regards to not high percentages of pheasants getting shot, this is true, but at the end of the season on big shoots, the keeper will go around shooting the cock birds with rifles (This is very common, mainly whilst roosting) and the hen birds are largely rounded up and used as layers.
Again, your knowledge of game farming and livestock farming has many holes in.

oh please equally ! - Lets not pretend all farmed livestock is free range or outdoor, the VAST majority is not, I have no issue with that at all Btw but I think a little more honesty from us all as farmers would go a long way with our consumers if you want their respect and trust

Few holes in my knowlage, I’ve been both a livestock farmer and had a game shoot. Although I find myself less interested these days I’ve done a LOT of shooting in the past, clay and game on shoots big and small all over the UK

Lets be honest, a lot of people don’t like game shooting in the same way they dislike hunting, they see it as elitist......... that’s not a good reason to dislike anything imo

Trust me if game shootIng ever got banned then fishing would be next followed by any intensive livestock farming ........... slowly but surely the rural economy and environment as we know it would implode ..............be careful what you wish for imo
 

Hampton

Member
BASIS
Location
Shropshire
oh please equally ! - Lets not pretend all farmed livestock is free range or outdoor, the VAST majority is not, I have no issue with that at all Btw but I think a little more honesty from us all as farmers would go a long way with our consumers if you want their respect and trust


Lets be honest, a lot of people don’t like game shooting in the same way they dislike hunting, they see it as elitist

Trust me if game shootIng ever got banned then fishing would be next followed by any intensive livestock farming ........... slowly but surely the rural economy and environment as we know it would implode ..............be careful what you wish for imo
I love shooting game, it’s my passion, but you are looking at it through rose tinted specs.
I edited my last post with regards to a pheasants life and think it is apt in this point.
I’m fully aware that not all farms are perfect, but I also know how gamekeepers work. I can tell you that the best game rearers in this area tend to be diversified farmers as they understand livestock.
It’s also common knowledge that stressed livestock don’t fatten in the same way stressed crops don’t yield which is why all farmers should aim for the highest welfare they can.
Again, I reiterate, your arguments on pheasants being high welfare appears to be totally related to the fact they are “free”. This is despite that fact that thousands are reared together before being moved to release pens. They are then repeatedly chased by dogs and shot at. At the end of the season, if they are still alive, the males are rifled from their roosts and the hens are rounded up for laying. Sounds like a fantastic life!
 

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