A cheap shot

After facing controversy, Nick Ridley considers what is an ‘unsporting’ bird

- Nick Ridley

It is ironic that on the day I decided to sit down and write this article the UK shooting organisations announced a ‘voluntary’ ban on lead shot. This will have a profound effect on how we shoot live quarry in the future.

So, please let me tell you why I decided to write this article. At the end of the season I filmed two beaters’ days and put them on my YouTube channel. On both of the days I opted (and had been asked) to be a walking Gun, to try to shoot the pheasants that had learned, over the course of the season, to fly back over the beaters’ line. We have all seen it and there is no doubt in my mind that certain birds learn that this is the best way to survive.

On one particular drive, there is a white cock bird and on each and every shoot day he would skulk around the laurels, wait until the last minute before he would take to the wing and fly back over the beaters’ heads. I was at the shoot last week and he was strutting around the gamekeeper’s garden as bold as brass. A born survivor.

Mistake

My mistake with the videos I uploaded was that I put the titles as Driven Game Shooting – Beaters’ Day. I did explain in the description and in my narration that I was a walking Gun. I had a number of driven game shooters who were new to the channel and they weren’t backward in coming forward.

During the two beaters’ days filmed I shot at birds that were breaking back. When I did this I tended to hold back a bit and picked my shots. I knew at all times where my fellow beaters were and only took a shot when and where I knew it was safe to do so. However, I had numerous comments about how unsporting the shots and birds were.