Many here go on driven shoots?????

Rossenarra

Off to Scotland on Thursday for driven pheasant shoot on Friday….can’t wait. Had to buy the tweeds this year as looked a bit out of place last year…I reckon a lot of people would think this is nonsense maybe it is but I think is good to keep up the tradition…Lads on the shoot are all regular farmers…all very nice down to earth (not a snob in sight)

So, just wondering are there many people here that go on driven days here in Ireland or abroad….and if so…what’s the day like, whats the people like and do they wear the all the gear etc

Cheers

Ross

whitser

i've done a couple of days over the years. did walk up and driven on coolatin in wicklow. i've also done some beating in coolatin and beating/loading on a driven day in dromoland. its good craic. not something i'd be into all the time but it was enjoyable. tbh i prefer beating on a shoot then actually shooting. any days i shot all the lads were normal joes farmers etc... but the day in dromoland i did the beating and loading they were all rich business types. i was actually loading for one of the smithwicks heirs a real old gentry type but he tipped me well.
you'll have a ball.

Da Frog

I usually go a few times a year in France. Driven shoot for grey partridge. Best experience ever. it all depends on the group really. there are 2 lines of people. One straight line and a second line the shape of a U that walks toward the first line. You always shoot behind you partridges that are flying full speed.

I also go for Roe deer, red deer and boar. Security needs to be top notch as everybody is playing with 270 minimum ( goes from 270 WM to 9.3x74 calibers ). So there are 2 lines of people staying at different beat posts and coordinated by captains. the whole hunt is directed by a general manager who is in charge of the beaters. everybody has a horn to communicate. When you see animals you have to announce with your horn : 1 bip is fox, 2 bips is boar, 3 is roe, 4 is doe, 5 calf and 6 for the mighty Deer. when you shoot dead you blow a succession of little bips after announcing the animal. It is important for the boss to know what's omn the ground because of the cull plan that has to be respected.

So as it is a group shoot, it is great to gather and have a fierce meal after the guns are locked for good. It is then time to talk about your misses and success in front of a good wine

Rossenarra

Da Frog wrote: »

I usually go a few times a year in France. Driven shoot for grey partridge. Best experience ever. it all depends on the group really. there are 2 lines of people. One straight line and a second line the shape of a U that walks toward the first line. You always shoot behind you partridges that are flying full speed.

I also go for Roe deer, red deer and boar. Security needs to be top notch as everybody is playing with 270 minimum ( goes from 270 WM to 9.3x74 calibers ). So there are 2 lines of people staying at different beat posts and coordinated by captains. the whole hunt is directed by a general manager who is in charge of the beaters. everybody has a horn to communicate. When you see animals you have to announce with your horn : 1 bip is fox, 2 bips is boar, 3 is roe, 4 is doe, 5 calf and 6 for the mighty Deer. when you shoot dead you blow a succession of little bips after announcing the animal. It is important for the boss to know what's omn the ground because of the cull plan that has to be respected.

So as it is a group shoot, it is great to gather and have a fierce meal after the guns are locked for good. It is then time to talk about your misses and success in front of a good wine

Sounds briliant...would be a bit stressed out about the whole bip and getting it right and shooting it....

Da Frog

You get the announcement quiet quickly. The hardest is that you are at static post in the forest and you have a 5 metres window to shoot before the animal jumps the ditch and enter another woodpatch. So you have to identify very quickly the animal and take the decision to shoot. In addition in France you can be given instructions such as : no female boar over 50 kg. So you need to identify the gender and then estimate the weight in seconds . The hardest for me is when you are told you can shoot a calf but no doe .... in December it is becoming very tough to distinguish when they are flying trough your shoot window. I have to say that i did restrain myself from shooting more than once. when this happens you need then to stop the dogs that are on the trail as the animals have left the beat zone. Can be a hard job sometimes with these stubborn little chaps :rolleyes:

Auldloon

Had a few days at dromoland years ago but more like rough days. Each drive we alternated walking guns and standing guns. The standing guns got driven style birds. Have had a few similar days here in Scotland, got a few lined up for the end of this month:).
My only problem is my shooting goes really crap on those days, really annoying as im normally ok. Must be a confidence thing
Did a bit of beating here when i first moved over to see could i make shooting contacts but where i was beating the guns were serious toffee nosed twats:)
I quickly learnt not to bother saying hello as i was invariably ignored:rolleyes:
I became quiet friendly with the head keeper and seeing the business from his point of view only served to turn me off the whole driven shooting thing. He was basically a bird farmer with a quota of dead birds to achieve on the day. Sometimes not so easy when the line couldnt shoot:)
Cant beat hunting a bit of cover with a mate and yer own dogs where a bird or two in the bag is a great day. IMO

Jonty

Chuileog wrote: »

Sometimes not so easy when the line couldnt shoot:)

A lot of places have a poor fella counting the shots to prevent an argument. Must be a boring job

alan123

I do a bit. Its great. Wear all the gear and dont forget the ettiquette... no ground shots, select the highest birds to shoot at (quality rather than quantity), dont shoot any low/unsporting shots, if you dont know the guy on the peg next to you dont (blatently) poach his birds. A big thing is safety and sportsmanship. If you fire a low/dangerous shot you will be asked to leave and if you shoot low birds you will be pulled aside fairly lively by the shoot captain!!
Enjoy it, its a great day out. The other guns will probably be very good shots and will be friendly. There is a bit of snobbery but its only the odd wally. If you shoot well they will come over and point it out to you! The guys that shoot driven do a lot of shooting and usually do a lot of driven shooting which isnt easy so they will be handy shots!
Shoot at the farthest bird in range and try take him down. Dont be surprised to see guys folding fast moving birds at 60 yards up!!

Ive been a couple of times this year and went to Spain for partridge. Its (arguably) the best shooting going.

alan123

Sorry Ross, just reading your post again... you arent new to driven shooting... its very good in Ireland depending where you go. Its impossible to get a slot on some of the best shoots. Its steep too but no more than Scotland, a good alternative is to beat or pick up for a season and you will get a day at the end of the season. The guns here are good and usually include guys from the UK. On a good day they will shoot a 2.5:1 ratio at seriously high birds. Where did you get the tweed? What did you get? And most importantly... how much??!

alan123

Da Frog wrote: »

I usually go a few times a year in France. Driven shoot for grey partridge. Best experience ever. it all depends on the group really. there are 2 lines of people. One straight line and a second line the shape of a U that walks toward the first line. You always shoot behind you partridges that are flying full speed.

I also go for Roe deer, red deer and boar. Security needs to be top notch as everybody is playing with 270 minimum ( goes from 270 WM to 9.3x74 calibers ). So there are 2 lines of people staying at different beat posts and coordinated by captains. the whole hunt is directed by a general manager who is in charge of the beaters. everybody has a horn to communicate. When you see animals you have to announce with your horn : 1 bip is fox, 2 bips is boar, 3 is roe, 4 is doe, 5 calf and 6 for the mighty Deer. when you shoot dead you blow a succession of little bips after announcing the animal. It is important for the boss to know what's omn the ground because of the cull plan that has to be respected.

So as it is a group shoot, it is great to gather and have a fierce meal after the guns are locked for good. It is then time to talk about your misses and success in front of a good wine

How much does the package cost about? How many partiridge did ye shoot??

Rossenarra

alan123 wrote: »

Sorry Ross, just reading your post again... you arent new to driven shooting... its very good in Ireland depending where you go. Its impossible to get a slot on some of the best shoots. Its steep too but no more than Scotland, a good alternative is to beat or pick up for a season and you will get a day at the end of the season. The guns here are good and usually include guys from the UK. On a good day they will shoot a 2.5:1 ratio at seriously high birds. Where did you get the tweed? What did you get? And most importantly... how much??!

Got them for a fraction of the price up in Newry inTannyoky guns went mad up there bought S&B 8x56 30mm scope as well....sound lads up there very good value to be had and was the best stocked shop I was ever in....anyone neat to the border I would highly advice yee to visit

http://www.tannyokyguns.com/

Da Frog

alan123 wrote: »

How much does the package cost about? How many partiridge did ye shoot??

it is a private shoot so i was invited every time by some good friends. around 10 people for a 100 birds. Count around 3-4 shells for a bird;) these are tough shots.

Same for the big game, i am always invited by friends so i don't know the price. they pay between 1000-1500 euros per year for their share

Cost me the shooting licence around 150 euros with boar stamp.

I have never been to commercial shoots to be honnest.

jwshooter

Da Frog wrote: »

it is a private shoot so i was invited every time by some good friends. around 10 people for a 100 birds. Count around 3-4 shells for a bird;) these are tough shots.

Same for the big game, i am always invited by friends so i don't know the price. they pay between 1000-1500 euros per year for their share

Cost me the shooting licence around 150 euros with boar stamp.

I have never been to commercial shoots to be honnest.

iv shot some driven days in wicklow its good shooting enough only if you pick the high birds ,other than that its slaughter. the biggest shoot in wicklow is now 75 bucks a bird

alan123

jwshooter wrote: »

iv shot some driven days in wicklow its good shooting enough only if you pick the high birds ,other than that its slaughter. the biggest shoot in wicklow is now 75 bucks a bird

€75 x 500 bird day = €37,500 for 10 guns = €3,750 a gun.

Makes the ol 200 bird day of pigeons at €75 for 100 cartridges seem much more tempting in this time of reccession!!!!!