Monday, 15 August 2011

The life of a Pheasant................................................ "in his own words"

Hi... my name is Target.
 I was born in the beautiful Cheshire countryside.
I spent my youth in a pen to protect me and my friends from predators like the nasty foxes.
We were always well fed to make us big and strong.
"taken when I was a youngster"
 One day we were let out into the countryside to fend for ourselves.
 We have lovely fields and woods to roam around and enjoy.
The lanes are usually quiet but can get quite busy when people travel to and from work. I have lost a lot of my friends to traffic accidents... hit and runs... nobody stops.

The lovely man from "Rambles with a Camera" followed me with his camcorder the other day.
Andrew made this little video clip to show me and my home.
A stunt at the end... done to show you how many of my friends are lost... "honest".



 I have heard a whisper that the 1st of October will be a wonderful day with fireworks!!
I love living in this wonderful countryside it's beautiful.



We shoot over 10 million (estimated) Pheasants every year in the UK.
I am so sorry.... Target.
at

33 comments:

  1. TexWisGirl15 August 2011 at 19:39

    oh dear! you had me laughing from the "hi...my name is target" opener... poor boy!

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  2. eileeninmd15 August 2011 at 19:42

    Great video, I hope Target survives both the roads and the hunters. The name Traget doesn't seem right though maybe it should be changed. Great post and photos, Andrew.

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  3. Bob Bushell15 August 2011 at 20:34

    It's terrible, in fact, nothing is worth killing!!

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  4. Pantherka15 August 2011 at 20:38

    Beautiful video ... the road was lucky it went well ...

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  5. grammie g15 August 2011 at 20:39

    Hi Andrew...They used to raise wild pheasant in Maine and release then for hunting, but it is no longer done!!
    A cruel end for these helpless beautiful birds!
    Your story of Target is cute and also very true!
    Is this inteaded to be a little sarcastic I hope ??? : }}

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  6. theconstantwalker15 August 2011 at 21:01

    Oh yes Grace...plenty of irony intended..

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  7. John @ Beans and I on the Loose15 August 2011 at 22:25

    Ten million? Wow! Here in the upper central valley of California this "sport" is a favorite pastime also. I have no idea of the numbers involved and don't really want to know. I enjoy your videos and they inspire me to continue on in my unending quest to master this media form. I'm making progress. Great post.

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  8. Adam Tilt15 August 2011 at 23:48

    Sad but true Andrew. It really is time that we stopped barbaric sports such as this, whatever their tradition.

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  9. Tammy16 August 2011 at 00:25

    :0

    I hope Target doesn't live up to his name.

    But, we all have to eat I guess.

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  10. Reena16 August 2011 at 02:14

    Andrew, what a beautiful video and awareness of the misfortune of these beautiful birds!

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  11. Anonymous16 August 2011 at 02:23

    como podemos pasar el tiempo matando, no habra para esas personas nada mejor.
    hasta que el circulo de compasión no abarque a todos los eres vivos el hombre no hallara la paz por si mismo.(a)
    matan , luego corremos porque están en vías de extinción.lamentable hecho .. abrazos,

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  12. Malgorzata Ingstad16 August 2011 at 08:15

    I do not like this shuting for pleasure. I am happy you don't like it, too, Andrew. And this is about the bulls in Spain, and many other cruel acts against the animals. Lovely that you are bringing this them for everybody reading your blog.

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  13. ADRIAN16 August 2011 at 10:23

    It is a sad end............They are not the brightest birds but they are beautiful. Bar the one that destroyed £200 worth of wing mirror.

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  14. AFTERMATH16 August 2011 at 19:22

    Poor Target. Loved the vintage hunting pics, though I'm opposed to hunting, too.

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  15. Unknown16 August 2011 at 19:23

    Great post, Andrew. Boom & I are opposed to any hunting. Here they bait bears, while the hunter waits in the tree stand. What a cowardly thing to do. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  16. Unknown16 August 2011 at 19:33

    Mixed feelings about this post. The first part is fantastic and funny too but, as I was reading the story, I was thinking at the same time how it would end and... bingo! It's a shame! This is a great post, cleverly done.

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  17. joo16 August 2011 at 20:17

    Wonderful post Andrew! I'm definitely against hunting, but love these old photos (hoping that they were hopeless hunters, of course!)

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  18. mick16 August 2011 at 20:57

    Great video. I had no idea birds were bred in captivity then released for sport shooting! Not much hope for the birds is there!!

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  19. Kathie Brown16 August 2011 at 21:03

    Well, you certainly have a sense of humor!

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  20. Dimple16 August 2011 at 21:26

    Hi Andrew, I enjoyed your post. I am not against hunting, however. My father was a hunter, and I did like to eat what he brought home...

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  21. Esther Garvi16 August 2011 at 23:04

    Lol! Now no one will forget you, Target!

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  22. holdingmoments16 August 2011 at 23:45

    Great post Andrew, and I love the video.
    Pheasants are my favourite bird.

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  23. Stewart M17 August 2011 at 10:01

    Hi there - poor old bird.

    I dont really agree with the killing of these birds just for sport - cant take a moral high ground position as I eat meat - but I do have to wonder what many areas of the UK would look like if people did not want to have places to shot "targets". I reckon there would be even fewer small woodlands and rough corners than there are now. Well maybe.

    Cheers Stewart M

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  24. Arija17 August 2011 at 12:40

    Pheasants are such goodlooking birds with not that much to eat on them. I don't really like indiscriminate hunting of wild birds.

    great video Andrew, thanks for going to the troublw of making it.

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  25. Springman17 August 2011 at 19:12

    You sure know how to get your point across Andrew. Of course your video skills are top notch and always enjoyable but knowing what's in store for Mr. Target come October gives the whole exercise a bit of melancholy, as you rightly intended. There is a three stooges air to your hunters, kind of pathetic in their natty outfits. Awesome post!

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  26. cieldequimper17 August 2011 at 20:09

    Well... I'm not opposed to hunting and I love to eat pheasant so...

    Thank you very much for your comment re. mussles. You reminded me of how I should have spelled it in the first place, as taught in England... I have since changed it from the American mussels to the English of my childhood in London... :-)

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  27. Anonymous17 August 2011 at 20:30

    hopefully, it's not just luck that Target uses to cross that road but a bit of knowledge he's picked up along the way! thanks for the video...such a pretty bird! dang hunters.

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  28. DeniseinVA17 August 2011 at 21:26

    A wonderful study of this beautiful bird Andrew, let's hope he lives a long happy life and stays away from the hunters and the roads.

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  29. jeanlivingsimple17 August 2011 at 21:27

    Good post with a great point, Andrew.
    I'm not against hunting but this bird is way to handsome to kill.

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  30. Anonymous17 August 2011 at 21:42

    I hope Target escapes the dangers of the road and the field!

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  31. NatureFootstep17 August 2011 at 23:30

    nice story. :) But, to shot them for sport is not good.

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  32. Hilke Breder18 August 2011 at 13:23

    Great video and very much to the point of raising game birds for the hunt. With all those animal lovers in GB I am surprised it's still allowed. But given the sad lives of cage-raised chicken these pheasants have it good!

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  33. John Going Gently18 August 2011 at 14:57

    although I am a country liver now.. I still cannot get excited over blasting a small bird out of the sky with a shot gun!

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