Dueling with gents

We held one driven day at Flea Barn in early December. Despite unfavourable weather conditions the birds flew well and a bag of 55 was enjoyed by the team of eight Guns. The second, and final, day was scheduled for 2 January — but the latest lockdown put paid to that. As a result our numbers of both cocks and hens on the 290 hectares are higher than we would have expected them to be at this point in the season.

It would be simplistic to believe that more birds on the ground going into the spring equates to a bumper bag next season. The reality is markedly different. A cock pheasant is both a potentate and a polygamist, with the most successful males commandeering a territory of anything up to a hectare. The precise size of this