We all know that the ring-necked pheasant is by far the most popular game bird for shooting in the UK. As people who take part in field sports, most of us love to participate in driven or walked-up pheasant shooting that ends in a feeling of pride in what we have achieved, contentment and ultimately a delicious meal that we have earned. 

Also, many shooters probably know that most pheasants that live on our estates, if not all, were reared on a farm and then released in order for us to shoot them. This is nothing new, as we have been rearing pheasants most likely since they were introduced to Europe by the Normans or Romans, centuries ago.

However, is the hand-rearing and releasing of our beloved bird such a good idea? Are there negative effects that we don’t know about or are just choosing to ignore?

Some practical advice for shoots and estates that are suffering due to the current lockdown.

A short introduction and explanation of Green Capital and importantly, how it will impact you.

Guest Post written by: Ian Thomas, Chartered Forester and Chartered Environmentalist.

The future of wildlife is at stake.

Until we start harvesting game populations responsibly, we will never be able to manage wildlife in a sustainable manner.

This article takes an indepth look at the effects of over and under shooting game populations.

And, most importantly, what we should be doing instead.

As the brains, looks and charm behind the popular Instagram page @hamsofficial (we’re literally none of those things) we often get asked about our thoughts on how to run a successful hunting and shooting focused account without attracting unduly unpleasant attention and representing our way of life in a good light.

So here I’ve made a list of suggestions to help get your page off to a good start.

A look at how the British shooting and hunting community has reacted to the recent licensing issues.