Ponsonby Farms: a day beating for wild grey partridge

The shout went down the line just as a covey of wild greys lifted and swung left, away from the guns. A light breeze was blowing from left to right and for a moment it looked as though they’d slip out the side. Then the covey banked hard, like a formation of fighter jets, and ran the full length of the beating line while every one of us waved our flags to push them forward.

That drive will stay with me for a long time. Being at Ponsonby for a day’s beating, the first thing that struck me was the number of people. More than 80 of us took part, over 65 of us as beaters. It was amazing to see so many people come together, as a community, for a shoot built around a thriving wild population.

Our earlier Four Seasons campaign case study set out the habitat, insect-friendly farming and seasonal predator control behind Ponsonby’s grey partridge recovery, along with the pair counts to prove it. In the field, I got to see that proof in the air. Ponsonby is a great example of what can happen when shooting, farming and conservation pull in the same direction.

You could tell the guns knew they were watching something special, and the mood all day reflected it. I struggle to put into words what it’s like to see a covey of wild greys burst over a hedge towards the line.

I may never be in a position to shoot driven wild grey partridge myself, but that really doesn’t matter. For me, it’s about being part of a day like this and knowing how many years of hard work have gone into making it possible. Watching those wild birds go over from the beating line was a privilege.