Pheasants.

[Spaniel man]

Ah, see there it goes again
It's not the clothes, the accent, or the activity; it's the attitude, the posturing, the sheer *Loud*ness of it, and the appeasement of exploitation..

Different values on the individual and their relevant society I suppose.

Working for £10 a day, just to be able to walk/work on someone else's land, is serf wages, in anybody's money.
Apparantly the value one places on 'traditional' behaviour is a regional thing. One has to wonder just how far that goes

Sorry, slightly snarky, I'm choked with the cold and cough from hell. Different folks, different strokes.

Back to the OP.

Did we ever reach a definitive yes or no that Filterhoose can take the birds in his garden for his dinner. I'm pretty sure he'd be in bother if he tried to sell them on.

cheers,
M

So the attitude of the OP, thinking he can stone a couple of birds to death, just because he despises the people that have bought, feed, and protected those birds is okay?
And as for 'serfs wages', most of the beaters round here do it for social reasons, a few pints, and a bit of lunch. I think that label just feeds the 'land owning, tweed wearing, green wellie prats' nonsense. The beaters wouldn't do it if they thought they were looked upon as 'serfs'.
Back to the original (if a little rude and predjudiced) question......pheasants are OUT OF SEASON at the moment.

 

[Joonsy]

Back to the original question......pheasants are OUT OF SEASON at the moment.

season opens in five days time, pheasant shooting season is October 1st--February 1st http://www.basc.org.uk//en/departments/game-and-gamekeeping/game-shooting/shooting-seasons.cfm

 

[Sappy]

I've gone beating for the last 30 years and IMHO its not about the money( don't get any) its just a social gathering, get as many birds as you can carry really and some lovely beverages.

As britishred said its good for the woods.

In my opinion all the shoots I've been at there is a definite " class divide" between us riff raff beaters and the posh prats doing the shooting but who cares.

Half of these posh prats even use fake accents on the shoots lol.

I mind when I was wee my grandad who was a slaughterman hit a sheep on the road by accident, pretty quickly that animal was cleaned and in the boot on its way to the freezer.

 

[Filterhoose]

On my part please be assured it is not class hatred. It's based on my experience living in rural Scotland, where, there are well run shoots that do provide gainful employment for Gamekeepers and adhoc work for beaters. The scenario I describe at the top of the post is accurate.

I walked my (black labrador) dog down a single track road last year opposite my house. The great white hunters were lined up in the fields and woods adjoining the road. Then some of their chums in the aforementioned fancy dress careered through the woods. Up went the birds and I almost dropped to the deck as guns whirled round like demented daleks trying to shoot. The dog and I were showered by shredded leaves and spent shot.

Windy

 

[British Red]

If there is shot falling onto a public highway and causing you inconvenience, alarm and distress then an offense is being committed. I would have words, however you would be completely legitimate to immediately call the police. Falling shot is unsafe - which is why clay and practical shooters wear eye protection. Any shoot I know would turf shooters off for shooting beyond the line under those circumstances.

Your recourse is simple - the police - with or without a warning as you see fit.


Red

 

[Toddy]

As opposed to the subtle whispered understatement of tartan, bagpipes and the Highland games?

Nah we're no' tourists, we live here besides, I'm a Lowlander the Highlanders are braver than me; they defy the midgies

Tbh, in this day and age of litigation and best practice, etc., maybe there's a lot to be said for well managed shoots, with experienced beaters. I've heard about an awful lot of really poor shooting in the past few years; Windy's experience isn't a one off
Was there not a banker nearly had his face shot off recently ? only his glasses saving his eyesight ?

I know that I can't work for most organisations without £3million (minimum, it's not uncommon now to be expected to carry £5million) public liability insurance. I can't see the shooting being any different.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Retired Member southey]

Its not Mary and any shooter is often urged to join BASC or up there SASC which with the membership comes a liability cover, as well as shoots having to have the cover too, but as with driving having the cover doesn't mean the one responsible is really suitable,

 

[British Red]

All responsible users carry insurance - I have separate policies for game, target and practical shooting - and also public liability for bee keeping - that's dangerous too. There may well be poorly managed shoots - I'm lucky not to have met them but I come from the very safety conscious end of the sport. Falling bird shot is, to be honest, a minimal risk - the stuff is tiny and unless it got caught in an eye, is not problem. However, it indicates an unsafe trajectory and that, combined with a low shot, could cause a tragedy. A rollocking of the shoot captain is the minimum deserved - if he / she has anything about them, a fullsome apology - and a brace of birds - should result.

Red

 

[boatman]

When I did go beating we would beat through hanging woods with the guns lining the valley below. Regularly showered with leaves and shot. More recently in Wiltshire the local shoot near Marlborough would have the gun line nearer than the legal distance. Plus blocking the minor road with assorted Chelsea Tractors. Then there is the gamekeeper who appeared on the same minor road to harangue my wife with threats that he would shoot our dog if she trespassed in the woods which she never had done. I did regularly but he never had the guts to challenge me or was too stupid to find me.

"Class War", nonsense phrase especially it only seems go one way along with the pathetic " politics of envy" .

 

[Bushwhacker]

The first request has come in. Can I beat for a neighbouring shoot? Breakfast in the morning, £20 in the back pocket, pick of the birds as many as I want, drinks, evening meal and if I do 3 beats I get a free shoot. Round here people from one shoot beat for another shoot and vice versa. Where's the problem in that?

 

[Toddy]

Sounds good...........but it's not two birds and two pints for a days efforts, is it ? Which is what I have been roundly told here is the 'cultural norm' elsewhere in the country.

To quote a friend the other day, to whom I mentioned this thread........."Ah nice little earner "

M

 

[stuey]

20 quid, elevenses and a couple of brace where I beat. Oh and the beaters day shoot of course.
Its a day out and puts free food in the fridge.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

 

[Bushwhacker]

Sounds good...........but it's not two birds and two pints for a days efforts, is it ? Which is what I have been roundly told here is the 'cultural norm' elsewhere in the country.

To quote a friend the other day, to whom I mentioned this thread........."Ah nice little earner "

M

Mary, I'll be having a lot of birds that I can sell on to the daft London buggers who own all the eating establishments. They love all that twee bollox that HFW set up of buying game from a bloke in the pub with a Flat cap.

 

[British Red]

Interesting factoid. The cost of a pheasant shot in this country is about £30 (source BASC mag). Now you can buy one for a lot less - but someone is paying that much (the guns, the shoot owner, the game butcher etc. ). So Each bird puts £30 into the economy .....great isn't it. Plus people have fun beating, shooting and eating. There is a lot to commend it really!

 

[Toddy]

You're trying hard, but my economics lessons says that someone's being ..........I'm a lady, I shan't say.........

Up here, (and I suspect in many other airts) country folks need to earn a living. Breakfast, lunch and dinner they can manage for themselves, but good hard cash pays the bills.
Unless you're a premier division football player, 'sport' doesn't pay well.

atb,
M

 

[Bushwhacker]

Interesting factoid. The cost of a pheasant shot in this country is about £30 (source BASC mag). Now you can buy one for a lot less - but someone is paying that much (the guns, the shoot owner, the game butcher etc. ). So Each bird puts £30 into the economy .....great isn't it. Plus people have fun beating, shooting and eating. There is a lot to commend it really!

That's the spirit. I'm totally stealing that fact, if you don't mind?

 

[British Red]

Go for your life Bushwacker.

Mary - I don't get your animosity at all. You have seen beaters on this thread saying they get paid £20, meals and some birds (which is what I said originally most get). They have said they are happy to do it - its a fun day out.

Are you suggesting that they shouldn't be allowed to do it? Or that you understand what their time and enjoyment is worth more than they do?

Beaters don't get a lot of cash - thats a fact.
Many people enjoy doing it anyway - thats also a fact.

There is more to life than money - many people enjoy actively participating in traditional country sports. There are guys round here who enjoy ferreting - they ferret warrens for farmers for no pay - though they get to take the rabbits home. Others like pest control shooting - many are happy just to have a permission.

No-one "beats" for a livingin England (which is why I was stunned when you talked about the teams of roving beaters being paid a full wage to do it) - its a nice day out. Some like to watch football, or go for a walk, some like to beat on a shoot.

Who is anyone else to tell them they shouldn't do it? They know what it pays and like doing it for some beer money and a bit of fun. Wheres the harm in that? This isn't some great poplitical struggle - its a traditional part of country living thats been going on since the Norman invasion. Why not just let those who like doing it carry on doing it without trying to make out they are exploited in some way?

 

[Toddy]

I think the cultural divide is enormous on this one BR.

Maybe that says it all.

atb,
M

 

[Bushwhacker]

I get paid f all for ferreting but it does help out the local cricket team and they buy my ciders when I see them. I have a job anything else like that is easy meat.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Yay, nipped into the local butchers to ask if he new of a local game dealer, had a natter, came away with a free rabbit(A beast of a thing!) and a days beating on one of the local shoots, chuffed is not the word