WWW.SHOOTINGGAZETTE.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2019 45
Perdix praise
I like to feel I’ve been out in the
country not merely stood in a fi eld
to shoot at targets.
Partridges also spread more
evenly over the Guns, which is
always a worry with pheasants. It
must be a relief to the host not to
have to worry quite so hard about
whether each member of a team
of Guns is getting an equal share of
the shooting.
Another advantage is simply that
partridges suit some sorts of country
better than pheasants. Ground
that would produce a rather poor
pheasant drive may be perfect for
driven partridges.
being smaller, though game dealers
do like them because it extends
their season.
With the right contacts selling
the partridge is not a problem but
you won’t get rich on the proceeds.
I think most of us in the shooting
world have a soft spot for the
redleg partridge.
The high sliding pheasant may
still hold top spot on the “diffi culty
of shot” league and the late season
grouse may be second, but the
redleg with its striking plumage,
endearing character and ability to
surprise is, for me, top of the league
for sheer enjoyment.It’s not all a bed of roses, there
are cons that go with the pros. For
a start they are more expensive to
buy either as day-olds or poults,
and more expensive to feed, with
many shoots electing to use pellets
throughout the year – though as
someone told me, “If the extra cost
of food is a problem perhaps you
need to look at your business plan”.
To set against this, returns
should be signifi cantly higher with
partridge compared with pheasants,
perhaps as much as 17%.
Then, too, a dead pheasant may
not be worth much but a partridge
is worth even less, just a case ofHowever they are
presented, partridges
will present Guns with a
number of challenges.
ALAMY CHRIS WARREN