CLASSIC DRIVEN PHEASANT
© Michael Roberts of
Countrysports Shooting and Stalking Agency & Outfitter Service
Scotland is a great place for driven bird shooting - we have the terrain which lends itself to providing really testing birds. It's not just high birds which offer great sport - the varied terrain usually means that some pegs offer the more difficult curling birds or where snap shots offer the only opportunities. Another great bonus is that you may have chances at other species during the day. Woodcock are always a great bonus and I have seen some of the best shots at woodpigeon on our more informal driven pheasant days.
The format for the day on most estates is usually fairly standard. Guns meet at around 9.15am on the estate and you have 15 minutes to meet the head keeper, listen to your safety talk, draw pegs, get your boots on and cartridge bag filled. There are usually three or possibly four drives in the morning and a break for lunch for around an hour. In the afternoon , two or three drives take place and shooting always stops at least an hour before sunset so that the area is left quiet for the birds to go to roost in safety.
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Driven shooting can be combined with an evening duck flight which can add to the variety and can be a great way to round off a day.
As a general guide, most driven pheasant shoots are set up for teams of 8 guns, but groups of 6 to 10 guns can be accommodated. Days of 150 to 200 birds will provide plenty of shooting for most folk but of course, if there are more than 8 people in the lines, then the potential bag can be increased in proportion. Some groups look for 400 or 500 bird days and this can take more forward planning and organization but can be catered for with sufficient notice.
Most people who are coming from such a distance to Scotland want to make their trip of 5 or 6 days and I always suggest the first day is an easy one, with a rest to get over the jet lag and either a couple of hours clay shooting or sightseeing. Three or four days can be a mixture of driven days and walked up mixed shooting for pheasant, partridge, duck and other species with a non shooting sightseeing day in the middle.
You don't need to be confined to driven pheasant of course. Depending on the month, driven partridge and driven duck are usually available and even driven mountain hare can be arranged.
Seasons:
Driven pheasant : November to end of JanuaryDriven partridge: September to mid December
Driven Duck: September to end of January
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Shooting and Stalking Agency & Outfitter Service
Michael Roberts is the owner of Scotland's longest established private agency organizing shooting and stalking exclusively . The agency offers sport covering well over two million acres of ground in Scotland & England
Michael has been running his agency since 1984 and has been shooting, stalking and fishing all his life. Michael trained in Scotland as a zoologist and spent some years as a secondary school teacher.
Please visit the Countrysports Website to learn more
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