Slow Food Cornwall Gallery 2

The Somerset Shoot Words - by Ian Pratt, Slow Food Somerset

Saturday 10th January arrived with a sharp frost coating everything. We were eagerly expecting the arrival of 'Kill it, cook it, eat it' stars Katy Davidson and Mark Darcy for a day’s driven pheasant shooting on our small working syndicate in Somerset.

Mark had previously made his first kill but Katy was still in virgin territory and very eager to remedy this. After an introduction to the members, beaters and pickers up and plenty of friendly ribbing about being a 'Slow person' we set off for the first drive. Once there I ran through the safety drill and we were ready to go. Katy and Mark agreed to take shots in turn on each drive, with birds at this time of year being a little short in places, but the first drive proved unproductive for peg 4 (us). On to the next and 'up three' we were standing peg 7 in a great spot.

Sure enough this drive gave both the opportunity to fire at three birds each and Mark downed a good hen bird but Katy was still without luck. There were further chances on the third but these were testing, curling shots and escaped unscathed.

So back to the barn for a lunch of pheasant and lentil soup, homemade pork pie and Christmas cake, prepared by Suzanne Wynn, after which all were ready for the field again.

Drive four was again empty for us and drive five produced several birds over an adjacent gun where yours truly managed an 'eye wipe' on a fellow member which is always most pleasing. Katy was getting desperate by now as we moved on to the last drive, where we were to be 'walking gun', hoping for some wily pheasants trying to escape out the side of the double hedged gully. We also made a discovery that Katy has a dominant left eye, and when shooting right handed this can cause problems. Katy remedied this by cocking her head over the barrel to use her left eye for sighting.

The birds here are always tough, coming from nowhere and curling and climbing, regularly wrong footing the hapless guns. I managed to bag a long crosser and just as it looked as if Katy was going to have to wait for another day a cock pheasant exploded forth from some thick cover and climbed quickly towards us. As I watched the bird thinking I'd have to shoot it because it was pretty testing, I glanced to my right to check Katy wasn't taken unawares only to see the 12 bore, over and under, Winchester come in to her shoulder and swing through the bird in a fluid single movement and in that instant pulling the trigger. Looking back to the bird I saw it crumple in mid-flight, head snapping back and absolutely
stone dead. The perfect shot.

What followed was a bit of a blur but soon everyone on the shoot and possibly the next county knew something momentous had happened. Like an excited youngster on Christmas morning Katy whooped and squealed with a mixture of excitement and delight whilst remembering to keep the gun pointing skywards. Having broken the gun my springer spaniel Willow was dispatched for the retrieve and was soon running back in whilst Katy said 'bring it to mummy' and having taken the bird was soon proudly holding it aloft for all to see.

It is moments like this that bring it back for all guns. That intense feeling of your first bird, borne not out of pleasure in the killing but a more primeval reaction to having hunted and provided food. I felt privileged to be a part of this, to share in the emotion and remember that first time again, fleetingly.Trying to get the bird from Katy for the rail was impossible. This bird was going to be the tastiest and Katy was not letting it out of her grip.

Well done Katy and thank you for allowing me to share in your delight. (More pictures below left)

SFC Visits SF Somerset for a Pheasant Shoot	Gallery Page 3
	The Somerset Shoot Words - by Ian Pratt, Slow Food Somerset Saturday 10th January arrived with a sharp frost coating everything. We were eagerly expecting the arrival of 'Kill it, cook it, eat it' stars Katy Davidson and Mark Darcy for a day’s driven pheasant shooting on our small working syndicate in Somerset. Mark had previously made his first kill but Katy was still in virgin territory and very eager to remedy this. After an introduction to the members, beaters and pickers up and plenty of friendly ribbing about being a 'Slow person' we set off for the first drive. Once there I ran through the safety drill and we were ready to go. Katy and Mark agreed to take shots in turn on each drive, with birds at this time of year being a little short in places, but the first drive proved unproductive for peg 4 (us). On to the next and 'up three' we were standing peg 7 in a great spot. Sure enough this drive gave both the opportunity to fire at three birds each and Mark downed a good hen bird but Katy was still without luck. There were further chances on the third but these were testing, curling shots and escaped unscathed. So back to the barn for a lunch of pheasant and lentil soup, homemade pork pie and Christmas cake, prepared by Suzanne Wynn, after which all were ready for the field again. Drive four was again empty for us and drive five produced several birds over an adjacent gun where yours truly managed an 'eye wipe' on a fellow member which is always most pleasing. Katy was getting desperate by now as we moved on to the last drive, where we were to be 'walking gun', hoping for some wily pheasants trying to escape out the side of the double hedged gully. We also made a discovery that Katy has a dominant left eye, and when shooting right handed this can cause problems. Katy remedied this by cocking her head over the barrel to use her left eye for sighting. The birds here are always tough, coming from nowhere and curling and climbing, regularly wrong footing the hapless guns. I managed to bag a long crosser and just as it looked as if Katy was going to have to wait for another day a cock pheasant exploded forth from some thick cover and climbed quickly towards us. As I watched the bird thinking I'd have to shoot it because it was pretty testing, I glanced to my right to check Katy wasn't taken unawares only to see the 12 bore, over and under, Winchester come in to her shoulder and swing through the bird in a fluid single movement and in that instant pulling the trigger. Looking back to the bird I saw it crumple in mid-flight, head snapping back and absolutely stone dead. The perfect shot. What followed was a bit of a blur but soon everyone on the shoot and possibly the next county knew something momentous had happened. Like an excited youngster on Christmas morning Katy whooped and squealed with a mixture of excitement and delight whilst remembering to keep the gun pointing skywards. Having broken the gun my springer spaniel Willow was dispatched for the retrieve and was soon running back in whilst Katy said 'bring it to mummy' and having taken the bird was soon proudly holding it aloft for all to see. It is moments like this that bring it back for all guns. That intense feeling of your first bird, borne not out of pleasure in the killing but a more primeval reaction to having hunted and provided food. I felt privileged to be a part of this, to share in the emotion and remember that first time again, fleetingly.Trying to get the bird from Katy for the rail was impossible. This bird was going to be the tastiest and Katy was not letting it out of her grip. Well done Katy and thank you for allowing me to share in your delight. (More pictures below left)










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