Pheasant hunting in the UK
Among the admirers of hunting tourism, perhaps, there is no such fan of hunting by a feather who would not dream of visiting a driven hunt in Great Britain.And who, preparing for a hunt on the near pond, would not draw for himself delightful pictures of such hunts: light fog, you wear a hunting jacket, a cap on your head, which Sherlock Holmes wore, you put an elegant butt of high resolution in the shoulder, descent, two shots sound, and a couple of pheasants fall at your feet … Alas, but the harsh reality drives away dreams, as the wind disperses the fog: the wife tears off the sacrament – ammunition equipment – and once again strongly reminds of the need to replace th burnt out lamp.
Pheasant hunting in Wales
For Americans, a trip to such a hunt for Europe is fraught with two problems — an exceptionally high price and bureaucratic red tape. We were interested in hunting, which would not let the world with an outstretched hand. The second problem – bureaucratic red tape, inevitably accompanying trips abroad and related to the need to obtain permits for the export and import of weapons, licenses, insurance, we managed to cope very simply: the owner of the land, where he was to hunt, promised to provide the necessary weapons.
Owner Stuart Jarvis deserves special mention. He was the chief hunter in the lands of the Prince of Wales, taught the handling of weapons by the princes William and Harry. Six years ago, he decided to go into business and chose, of course, what he knew thoroughly – the organization of driven hunts. But at the same time I decided to make them as accessible as possible to hunters who do not have super-profits.
I will not bore you with the story of the transatlantic flight, but will immediately be transported to the small welsh village of Crickhowell, located 240 kilometers west of London, which was destined to become a central point on the map of our hunting adventures for the next week.
We settled in the hotel “Dragon”, built in the middle of the XVII century. Narrow corridors, steep stairs – everything, except for the equipment of rooms equipped with the latest technology and plumbing, breathed the atmosphere of the Middle Ages.
After we changed clothes into hunting clothes (even in the process of preparation, the organizer’s wish was communicated to us: the clothes should be comfortable and, for God’s sake, orange vests are not needed), taking into account the wishes of our kind owners and went downstairs, we were in for a surprise. Stewart kept his promise. In the hall, our group of eight hunters waited fifteen guns. And what guns!
From the mere opportunity to hold in the hands of a gun such eminent gunsmiths like Charles Hellis, Bownhill, Greener, Westley Richards, Horsley, Boswell, any connoisseur and connoisseur of weapons can go round, and here magnificent guns were given to us to choose from. I will say frankly: the selection process was not easy, because the hunters and weapons experts, wise by years and experience, behaved perfectly like children, picking up one gun, then another, throwing up and aiming. Finally, “playing enough” and choosing a gun for the soul, each of us took a bag of ammunition, and we went on the first duck hunt.
A classic duck hunt on flights is carried out in the morning or in the evening, when birds fly to day places or to feeding places. Driven hunting does not have anything in common with the classic duck hunting on flights, except, perhaps, the object of the hunt itself. Beaters from among local residents under the guidance of the huntsman raise a duck from the lining and catch it on the hunters. (By the way, in England, a gun hunter is called the word gun, and the word hunters refers exclusively to the guys in red jackets, with ecstasy galloping riding behind a pack of hounds chasing a fox.)
Surprisingly, the fact remains: a duck raised by beaters, flying over the arrows, stubbornly returned to the reservoir, from where it had just been raised, raised again, it flew over the line of shooters and returned to its pond. It is thanks to this cycle of ducks in nature that the shooters received an excellent opportunity to lead the soul. (In the UK, unlike in the United States, despite the fact that the duck is a migratory bird, the owners of hunting grounds can arrange additional feeding grounds in the waters to attract ducks.)
Pheasant hunting in Wales
After the end of the first enclosure, our group relocated to another pond. A group of local residents, specially hired to serve the hunters, began to collect our trophies. Labradors and spaniels of different breeds helped them in the search. I noticed that the British, unlike the Americans, do not use electronic collars when working with dogs. In the process of shooting our assistants were located behind the line of shooters.
It should tell how the arrangement of shooters by numbers before the beginning of the pen. Each draws a lot, which determines the number of his shooting place during the first paddock and the move during subsequent paddocks.
