In July, as we go on our summer holidays with friends and family, game shooting and those frosty mornings out in the field couldn’t be further in the back of our minds. But as August draws to a close, the anticipation starts to build for the 1st of September and those mild partridge days to kick off the winter’s partridge shooting season. Small and built like little rockets, these incredible creatures are some of the most sporting game birds we can shoot, and it’s an enjoyable way to ease back into the game season ahead.
ENGLISH & FRENCH PARTRIDGE
Partridge shooting really started to take off during the mid-19th century. It was mostly English Partridge back then, when the wild birds were far more plentiful than they are now. Wild English Partridge can still be shot today in areas where they thrive and numbers of breeding pairs are high, but there are some guidelines in place to ensure their future is safe. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust says:
“Do not shoot wild grey partridges if you have fewer than 20 birds per 250 acres (100 hectares) in the autumn. Below this level the population has little ability to compensate for shooting losses.”
They also advise:
“Do not shoot at grey partridges that are in pairs.”
Back in the 19th Century they would shoot them walked up over pointing dogs so the wild birds could be flushed and the guns get some fantastic sport. We now rear and release French Partridge, also known as Red Legged Partridge, which are a slightly larger species of partridge. They suit our topography for shooting much better than English as they generally gain more height faster and will stay up, as opposed to English Partridge which will flush and hold tight to the ground to find more cover quickly.
Some of the land where partridge shoots really thrive is around East Anglia and Hampshire. The flat land where pheasants typically wouldn’t get to a sporting height with ease, is well suited to the smaller and more dynamic French partridge. They can get up quickly and gain good height at a very sporting speed when driven out of cover, providing some excellent sport for the guns. In Berkshire and other home counties, where the land contours a little more there are some excellent mixed pheasant and partridge shoots, where the partridge are shown to the guns as quite a high bird and of course a smaller target too. This is a great way to really challenge the guns with some hard targets.
I shot at Badnocks Farm Shoot in Southminster, Essex a few years ago where they had an excellent show of French and English Partridge being driven from mostly cover crops, hedgerows and woodland, with the odd pheasant coming out too making for a very varied day.
AN ALTERNATIVE TO GROUSE
Partridge shooting can also be a great alternative to grouse shooting, with some former grouse moors being converted to show partridge in the same manner as grouse would be driven over guns in butts. It is a great example of how in the case of bad grouse count years, we need to adapt with it or risk missing out on some great sport. Perhaps the best thing about partridge, especially when compared to grouse, is their reliability: book your day and short of a major avian flu outbreak, it will happen. By comparison, we never know if a grouse day is actually going to go ahead until the final counts in late July.
WHAT SHOOTING CLOTHING & KIT YOU’LL NEED
With the UK partridge shooting season commencing at the start of September, we can often be blessed with some warm and toasty days out in the field, where a slightly different wardrobe may be required to the usual tweeds worn during the autumnal and winter months. We have some excellent partridge shooting clothing choices for this purpose in tweed and lightweight cotton.
The Moorland Shooting Vest is a perfect garment for the occasion, coming in a lightweight breathable cotton along with 4 different tweed and loden options too. We do a wide range of breeks and field coats in the same selection of fabrics to get your perfect shooting suit.
For footwear, the early days will often be dry and the ground still hard, so a pair of boots like the Meindl Dovre’s are well suited to this and offer a slightly cooler option vs the warmer wellingtons. Come November however, when the wetter and colder weather arrives you may opt for a heavier boot such as the Meindl Dovre extreme or a wellington such as the Le Chameau Vierzonord or Chasseur.
Do make sure you wear a shooting shirt and tie, even if the weather is warm; you can always go shirt sleeve order if needed.
-
Schoffel Dark Olive Cambridge Cotton Check Shirt£47.99 Regular Price £79.99 -
Schoffel Raspberry Cambridge Cotton Check Shirt£47.99 Regular Price £79.99 -
Schoffel Ladies Blue/Pink Blakeney Cotton Shirt£47.99 Regular Price £79.99
