Woodcock shooting in Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Pheasant and partridge good flat land birds. The best strain of pheasant have been chosen for the land. Wooden and cover crops dotted about the estate with easy access roads to pegs. Very well prices for good quality of pheasant and partridge we have to offer.

Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Budby Shoot  The shoot is set in the heart of Sherwood Forest on part of a large private estate. The soil is a free draining sand land meaning that boots rarely get clogged and heavy with soil. The topography is of gently rolling hills covered with large amounts of woodland interspersed with arable fields. We shoot over an area of 3-4000 acres. We have the river Meden flowing through the middle of the shoot; along its path are several ponds, flooded areas and a 40 acre lake that attracts a lot of wild duck and geese, we also release a few duck onto the ponds. With the ponds being surrounded by woodland it allows us to have mixed duck and pheasant drives with the duck providing some good sport. There are approximately 30 different options for drives, mainly from woodland but also from game/cover crops, we also shoot over some of the arable crops such as sugar beet, usually this is early in the season whilst it remains un-harvested. For example from the sugar beet we would hope to shoot pheasants and French partridge driving them back to the woods. The normal order of the day is to meet at 8.45-9.00am so that guns have the opportunity to grab a coffee or tea. Pegs are drawn followed by a safety briefing prior to loading onto the gun bus with the aim of being on the pegs for the first drive at around 9.30am. Normally we would expect to shoot 2 drives then stop for a quick drink and some warm sausage rolls before proceeding to shoot a further 2 drives. Then it’s back for a two course home cooked lunch in either the new shoot room cooked for us by a chef from a local pub. The food is always excellent and plentiful! Once all are suitably weighed down with lunch and a few drinks we try our hardest to prise you from your chairs to the final drive of the day before we all retire back to the shoot room for a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake. Shoot cards are filled in and the winner of the lunchtime sweepstake is announced to great fanfare prior to departure. The day is run by Andrew Naish who will greet guests on arrival and will be your host for the day. He normally drives the guns around in the shoot trailer and places them on their respective pegs, he can usually be found waving a flag but always in site of the action and always in constant radio contact with the keeper. It is our intention that everyone gets some shooting on every drive, we try to share the shooting out as much as possible by manipulating where and how we drive the birds, whilst we aren't always successful its not from want of trying. There would be no shooting at all without a very loyal and willing bunch of beaters that come and enjoy the day whatever the weather, working their dogs to provide the guns with as much sport as possible. We shoot 18 days (normally 9 guns) and our landlord has 2-3 days for his guests. There is a rough termed syndicate that takes about half of the days and the other half are let as days to full teams. There is no membership of the syndicate it is just a bunch of about 20 individuals that book days with us some have shot together for years and others come and go, we always welcome new faces. A full time game keeper is employed; he has been with the shoot from its outset, some 40 years ago. If guns wish to bring dogs then we welcome this but we do have a team of very respectful pickers up to stay behind and find the ones that we don’t always have time to look for. We aim for a mixed bag of duck, pheasant and partridge with the intention of getting between 200-250 per day from day 1 to day 18. Whilst we can’t offer the highest flying birds we can offer some very good sport, in a lovely location, with a great friendly atmosphere. We try hard to shoot as many on the last day of the season as the first in order that we all have good sport even for those that book days in January. As mentioned above we have several let days, either corporate customers or roving syndicates; these can be tailored to specific requirements but likely to be in the order of 200-250 bird days. We have the Thoresby Hall hotel about a mile away that can accommodate parties should they wish to stay locally. From London to Newark by train is only 1hr 20mins, we are a further 20 minutes in the car/taxi North of Newark. Being in the centre of the country we are blessed with an excellent road network being only 7 miles from the A1 and about 10 miles from the M1. I am afraid we can't offer for cancellation due to bad weather; guns are expected to take out insurance to cover this unlikely event, we have only cancelled one day in all the years of operating the shoot and that was due to 19" of snow, plus Covid ended our season early. Our policy would be to try and accommodate a cancelled day later in the season so that nobody loses out. It is our intention that everyone goes away having had a most enjoyable days sport in the fresh air of Sherwood Forest, wanting to return again next year! Some of the drives. Paintball game crop Guns are lined out in an L shape half way between Little Oaks wood (the pheasants home) and the Paintball game crop. Birds are driven from the game crop with the wind in their tails back towards home. Don't miss because evryone can see how each other is performing on this drive. Grove This drive is one of the oldest drives on the shoot and as the drive has been done so many times the beaters and keeper have gained a huge amount of experience on how and where they fly. The guns stand in a clearing between two woods and are in a small valley which means the birds are always that bit more challenging being that little bit higher. The wood itself which the guns face has Thoresby lake on one side which could always provide the odd duck or even some geese and arable fields on the other which means the birds are likely too fly straight over the guns to get to the next piece of cover. The guns on this drive line up to form an L shape with some guns with there backs to the lake, every gun is guaranteed some shooting on this drive! Top Carrs This drive is where most of the reared duck are released and whether it is done early in the morning or last thing at night this drive always produces some reared duck but also a few wild ones too, with the guns pretty much standing in a straight line with four guns on the flood plain down by the river where the duck tend to fly, three guns are then stood in the trees and these guns may not see as many duck but will get there fair share of shooting as pheasants are also plentiful. The last two guns then go and back gun (stand with the beaters) these guns are often bombarded with high amounts of duck flying back over them after hearing the forward gun line shooting. The 2 back guns are the ones that often get the majority of the shooting due to the duck knowing that is there best way out. Reservoir Game crop This drive can be one of the best on the shoot if the weather conditions are good, this drive would usually be done in the morning. Similar to "Grove" the guns stand in an "L" shaped line, half out in front of the game crop in the arable field and other half behind one of the farms reservoir banks. As the birds fly out of the game crop they tend to curl to follow the hedge line passing in front of the half of the guns standing in the arable field before passing over the guns behind the reservoir bank. This provides good high crossing birds for all of the guns in the field, the guns down behind the reservoir bank however get the most challenging birds as they whip across the reservoir giving you a split second to shoot before they disappear into the trees behind There is also the chance of duck catching the guns by surprise from behind as the river and ponds are only metres away.

Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Kneesall Shoot is a well established shoot which has been taken over this season by Mr Brian Wilkinson and his family who are very experienced in running driven and walked up shooting. The shoot itself is near Newark with easy access from the A1 and from all over the country as it is central. The shoot is over over 3500 acres covering 500 acres of  mature woodland together with rolling acres of arable land and cover crops. Days of walked up and mini-drives with your own dogs,  together with fully driven days ranging from 150 to 225 head days can be arranged as all dates are flexible. Light refreshments can be served on the day and evening meals are also on offer subject to individual requirements. A driven  shooting day would start with a meeting of the guns at 9.15am for a coffee and drawing of peg numbers.We would move to the stands about 9.30am and after a couple or three drives with very good partridges and pheasants and a chance of shooting English partridges as they are in covies on the estate. We would stop for light refreshments .i.e. soup and porkpie and if very chilly a swig of sloe gin! We then shoot right through to the end of the day typically another three drives and go the local hostelry where a delicious steak and ale pie is served for dinner. Other days at Kneesall are a little more relaxed with walked up and mini drives with woodcock and the chance of a duck drive at the end of the day. Refreshments can be provided at the request of the shooters or they can just call in for a pint to finish off the day. All dates are flexible and arrangements can be made for a days pigeoning and chance to show and work dogs. The new tenant of this shoot has now been there a year and has made significant changes and inprovements and is really excited about this coming season (2014/2015). Plent of birds have been released, vermin control has been very good and some serious reviews of drives has taken place. All in all great days to come, both walked up and driven.

Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

**Potter Hill is a small friendly family run farm shoot set in approx 800 acres of beautiful countryside located on the Notts / Lincs border, situated between Lincoln and Newark .** **Having numerous woods, cover crops and flight ponds we have to offer a limited number of 40 - 50 bird driven days for teams of 8 - 10 guns comprising of pheasant, partridge,duck and woodcock for the 2014 / 2015 season. We have a number of excellent cover crops consisting of maize and various wild flower mixes situated in excellent positions, near wood sides, orchards etc, providing lovely cover for our pheasant and partridge and having flight ponds in woods for high duck.** **A driven day comprises 2 drives then a break for complimentary refreshments, eg: sausage rolls, scotch eggs , porkpie ( all homemade of course !) with a nice warmer of sloe gin or port , 2 more drives then a break for lunch (not supplied ) then finishing off with 2- 3 drives in the afternoon.** **For those not wanting to travel home afterwards or want to come the night before excellent local pubs and guesthouses provide lovely comfortable accomodation serving excellent food can be arranged on request.** **Anyone wishing to view the shoot please to not hestiate to contact me . Price on application . **

Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

**Wheatley Farm Shoot** The shoot is a small farm shoot with a very friendly atmosphere with good relationship between guns, pickers up and beaters, all out for a relaxing and enjoyable day. Numbers of birds shot are not the driving force, an enjoyable relaxing day is. The shoot was established twelve years ago consequently the infrastructure is now well established therefore the costs, in the main, are focused on land rent, released birds and feed. Shooting is over approximately 4500 acres including woodland, cover crops and areas of mixed agricultural land around the Collingham area near Newark, Notts. There are 10 areas of woodland with 8 release pens and in the order of 20 acres of cover crops varying from maize/millet/sun flower/kale to perennials crops providing nesting areas for game and cover throughout the year. The shoot has a good stock of Grey Partridge, with the perennial crops helping to support their increase. There are 8 duck ponds 2 of which are large gravel workings one of which can provide a drive on a days shooting. Shooting is driven, including pheasant, partridge and duck. Drives are from cover crops, woodland and over ponds. Pheasants, partridge and ducks are released each year. The numbers released each year are to meet and expectation of around 70 birds on a days shooting, last season the average daily bag was in excess of 80. We have a significant stock of wild birds, and of cause residual numbers from previous years supplementing the released birds. The shoot comprises ten blocks of woodland, eight ponds and several cover crops of maze, millet and sunflower. Although the topography is fairly flat testing pheasant are presented on many of the drives.