Balsham Shoot

The shoot lodge at Balsham is a unique and fully functioning yurt. This is where the guns will start and end the day, with the option to have lunch during the day or at the end. There is also an elevenses hut on the shoot, where we can provide a standing lunch if required - a popular option on the early season partridge days. With a wide variety of drinks and refreshments on offer as well as a delicious two course lunch, the atmosphere of the yurt will trump anything else you’ve seen on a shoot day! The guns will then take home a ‘party bag’ which contains the shoot card and some other goodies.

With fantastic topography that is aided by helpful positioning of beech belts, spinneys and game cover, guns will experience a range of different drives, all showing challenging birds in their own right.

Conservation is a very important part of how Balsham Shoot is run. The grass margins and wild bird strips that we have in abundance, provide a good habitat for ground nesting birds, such as the English and French partridge, but also to endangered hedgerow birds such as the yellowhammer and corn bunting. We have a feeding programme in place which lasts right through to Spring, which helps birds find food, where otherwise they might struggle. Predators are also controlled to protect ground nesting birds, which in turn helps the number of brown hares thrive.

After several years of working at prestigious game shoots around the UK, in 2018 Tom Vestey and his wife Emily took the opportunity to resurrect the shoot, which hadn't been shot for some ten years. Either Tom or Emily will host the day.