Yesterday I decided to take a break from a big design project I was working on and go out to the garden to pull some weeds.  No better place to start on weeding than anywhere I stand in the yard. (I am so behind!) I literally bent down to pull a dandelion family apart when a pheasant comes popping out from between the lupins!! WHAT?? Now, I have always wanted a pheasant, what with their cute little behinds, pretty feathers and all. But he wouldn’t let me even hug him! Why?? Silly guy. Won’t you let a bird lover hug you? And pet you? and love you forever? hahah!

I have honestly never seen a wild pheasant loose around here like that.  Last year I did have an emu loose in the yard though, almost the same thing, but way bigger!  ha! That was pretty weird!

Earlier in the day, I was sitting at my desk and I kept hearing this ‘tooting’ whistle noise, like a train.  First I heard it in the kitchen (I thought it was a draft from the range hood).  Then I heard it by the front stairs, (I figured the batteries were dying in one of the kids creepy toys), by the third and fourth time, I was pretty darn sure this old house had a ghost and decided to just let it be.

Now I know that it’s the sound of a wild pheasant. I heard it again in the garden under my bedroom window at 6:00am this morning. Maybe I will get to love and pet him yet?

As tempting as it is to throw him in the with the chickens, it is not an advisable thing to do.

Yes, This is him running away from me! Can you believe it?

He’s wild and will always be wild, not to mention any diseases he might be carrying.

Maybe if I just leave some feed out for him he can be my secret love. Now I’m all smiles!

Do you have wild pheasants in your yard? Do they love you back?

airborne

Our little terrier comes with us most places and shooting is no exception. He stays on a peg with shivering anticipation and definitely watches mine or JC’s that have been shot.  He won’t retrieve but he will find them even if they have trotted off somewhere and wo betide any other dog that tries to get ‘his’ bird.

We’ve pretty much given up on him being a dog that picks up, this season didn’t herald any great changes there; Terriers don’t really have the mouth for it but we had always hoped.

We do, however, still harbour some hope that he will become a half decent beating dog.

whasat?

It hadn’t occurred to us until reading and article in the shooting times about terriers like Ian Botham’s that retrieves from his lake or other articles in the field and shooting gazette where terriers are used for retrieving and beating, that he may be useful for beating at shoots. Just to reinforce the thought, we recently met a lad with a terrier on a shoot who has lots of success with his little dog even if he is sometimes a bit too enthusiastic.

Whenever we walk on the farm, our terrier manages to flush out birds that are laid low or hiding in the crops etc.  I’ve seen him pursue one that was trying to get away and he gets them flying every time.

He could be a handy beating dog as long as he doesn’t get too far ahead and turn the birds back, of course.  Something to work at I think.

I know there's something in there

as for rabbiting, well…..

uh?

there’s a certain element of caution attached to the entrances into the warren………

the end of our line of guns

The shooting season has now drawn to a close and we have enjoyed our last pheasant shoot. As a result, we have also enjoyed our last fresh pheasant dish until later in the year.

Our last shoot was great fun.  All friends and family and a hearty meal together afterwards.

ready and waiting

It was an interesting day with a young working dog still being put through his paces but who did incredibly well, a few foxes that will not doubt hear the sound of the hunting horn and the screech of an eagle soon. We saw lots of hares and my sister’s terrier at regular intervals (he had a fabulous day but also kept appearing exactly where he shouldn’t have been)!

a young spaniel being put through his paces (with help!!)

The young spaniel who was enjoying a bit of a training day out was a bit hesitant but enthusiastic and I’m sure his confidence in his master’s instructions will eventually come. His kennel buddy is another spaniel but a very timid bitch who doesn’t work but insists on ‘helping out’. I’m sure she was as pleased with herself as he was!

a big dog fox breaks cover and then panics when he sees the guns

There were a number of foxes that were driven out of the cover by our motley crew of beaters who were made up of friends, neighbours and teenagers.  They lost concentration at times while chatting, leaving gaps in the line that you could drive a train through but these final family shoot days on the farm are not about numbers or ratios, they are about fun, fun, fun and with those rules in place and kept up by the farmer himself (who was also beating), everyone had a great day.

what do you call a gathering of beaters?

Even though it is a fun day, the guns still hand over their beater’s tips and the kids all go home with quite a bit of spending cash.

The weather was a bit damp and overcast with a chill that most of our winter has so far been without but it wasn’t as wet and sticky underfoot as it has been known to be. The marked lack of rain this year ensured dry fenland silt and although we were grateful not to get wet, it was a real shame that we didn’t actually get the sun for our last day.

a bit of crack between drives

There weren’t a lot of birds about and I think the final numbers were similar to the previous shoot when the family and friends got together.  None of the guns is really interested in numbers (probably just as well!!) and some drives saw no lead leaving the barrels of the guns but that is the joy of a wild pheasant shoot on the fens; nothing is guaranteed.

We always take our terrier with us as he loves it. He doesn’t have the soft mouth of the breeds used as gun dogs but he has a good nose. He will find a bird in cover and he will get it up in the air for you. He will find a pricked bird but you need to get there quickly on his heels to make sure it is despatched without his help. He watches our shot birds so he knows where they land and will go off to retrieve them but only picks them up and gives them a bruising squeeze before leaving us to pick up our dead birds.

max waiting on his peg

We’d like to take him beating but I think we’d need to do some work first!

Fried Pheasant Salad
A Great Light Dish
Ingredients:
-1 pheasant breast sliced into strips.
Batter:
-1 cup dry cooking sherry
-1 cup flour
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. pepper
-pinch of paprika
Salad:
-1 bag of spring mix (example – organic gourmet baby greens)
-Caramelized sugared walnuts
In a hot pan, put in one cup of whole walnuts (no oil). Let walnuts get hot to the touch then add 1/4 cup of sugar and heat up until sugar starts to melt. Sugar will get a bit stringy. Then put walnuts on a plate.
-Currants – Add just a little sugar to them
-Red onions
-Cherry tomatoes
-Salt and pepper to taste
Vinaigrette – Equal parts of white balsamic and light olive oil.
Instructions:
Combine the batter ingredients. Dip the pheasant strips into flour first then the batter and fry until golden. (355 degrees to fry). Toss the salad ingredients together. Top with pheasant strips and serve.
I hope you enjoy for other great recipies check out daves site http://www.highprairielodgeandoutfitters.com/recipes.html!!