Mary's Blog

I had one of those Maalox Moments the other day, while out walking with friends. It was a bright sunny afternoon as we rambled through the picturesque Wolds near Drewton Manor, South Cave. Suddenly, we were confronted by several men wielding guns. We all froze, not quite sure what to think or do. We quickly realised they were out on a shoot, possibly from Drewton Manor itself.

Pheasant shoots: great social events combined with wildlife carnage

Pheasants were falling from the sky like rag dolls. The juxtaposition of my horror against their joy was a lesson in human behaviour. I instinctively screamed  “don’t frighten that bird into the wake of gun fire!”, which caused them to stop in their tracks and appear to listen. I thought to myself, that showed them and was momentarily pleased with myself. My self-satisfaction was short-lived, “we need more beaters, want to help?”. We politely declined the invitation and tip-toed past. We were quite taken aback and glad to get back to our cars.

I am told that shoots are a great ‘social event’. It is interesting how humans calibrate the value of life around such ‘social events’. I will never understand the fascination of blood sports.