In the morning we met up with Shoot Captain Charles Goucher and off we went to experience yet again the challenge of shooting high, very high, extremely high and unreachable pheasants and partridges. We were down on guns due to a number of late call offs and so shooting the signature Hobby Drive was unfortunately not feasible (go watch it on you tube), but London Lodge and Hobby Bank was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had set up my Browning with full and \u00be choke and had Black Diamond 34g 5 shot cartridges to give me a good chance of cleanly despatching high pheasants. As is always the case at Clovelly there was no shortage of birds and you could pick the ones you felt were right for you, but you\u2019re always drawn to the challenge of the higher birds while responsibly just leaving those that were too far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had two drives then stopped off at the new shooting lodge for elevenses and it was just marvellous, like something out of the Hobbiton set we visited in New Zealand a couple of years ago. We met up with the new chef who runs Frisky Pheasant, a rural food company, that now works with Charles to provide first class elevenses and what was probably the best shoot lunch that I have ever experienced with freshly barbecued venison, lamb and specially prepared pheasants and all the trimmings cooked on the open fire in the \u2018Hobbit House\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After elevenses we shot Hobby Bank and finished on London Lodge for a total of 178 pheasants and 16 partridges \u2013 on track for a 300 bird day had we had the full complement of 9 guns vs the 6 of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But aside from all of the above the experienced and dedicated gamekeeper, beaters, pickers up and their numerous dogs, the variety of drives (they are not all high), the tracks and access routes, the hotel, the environment and the sea make Clovelly special \u2013 look at it on \u2018you tube\u2019 and add it to your bucket list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.theclovellyshoot.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meager Read<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dec 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am a lucky guy. I get to shoot at the Clovelly Shoot in Devon and have done so (excepting last year due to covid rules) for the last 6\/7 years, including yesterday. It is not just about the shooting,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[102,98,99,97,100,53,101,44],"yoast_head":"\n