British Women Hunt the Heartland

When we met in Dallas, Texas, I presented Victoria and Claire with Franchi Instinct SL Over/Under Shotguns to use for the hunt, the same shotgun I would be shooting. Since they needed to get a feel for their firearms, we met up with Judy Rhodes of DIVA Women Outdoors Worldwide (DIVA WOW). She took us to the Dallas Gun Club so the ladies could pattern their shotguns and powder some clays.

After spending a few days in Texas, the girls and I headed to Oakley, Kansas for The Ringneck Classic. Once again we had some time on task with the Franchi shotguns. This time, we were shooting 5-stand behind the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center where the evening events would take place.

Finally the hunt! Although Victoria and Claire have both hunted pheasant before, we do things a bit different in the U.S. First, you may notice the clothing. Yes, Claire assimilated to standard American hunting attire, while Victoria maintained her British flair. A beautiful silk scarf should always be worn under a white collared shirt when in the field.

Ah, the terrain. In the U.K., the ladies usually participate in driven game shooting. Beaters walk through the woods or fields, driving game towards a line of 10 to 13 people (called "Guns") standing at their respective shooting stations (called "Pegs"). For our Kansas hunt, we walked 5 miles, over hills, through Yucca plants and tall prairie grasses. Yep, our legs were a bit sore that evening.

We had some hard-working dogs on our hunt. One in particular, Remington, a 9-year-old Labrador retriever, holds many titles and has won numerous awards. The movement of the dogs as they travel through the fields looks almost like a dance: Searching through the grasses as they run from side to side, always checking back and making eye contact with their trainer. Then, once they hear the sound of gunfire, they head off to find the bird. You can almost see a smile on their faces as they return with the pheasant.

Yes, we had a successful hunt. It was a pleasant day, with beautiful skies and amazing scenery. Our group of seven hunters harvested 20 pheasants and created many new friendships and memories. Plus, my friends from across the pond had the chance to experience a pheasant hunt the American way.

If you’re interested in experiencing a fantastic pheasant hunt, with delicious food that raises money for some great organizations, be sure to check out The Kansas Governor’s Ringneck Classic. The Classic Board of Directors contributes annual awards of a $1,000 scholarship to a college student majoring in a related field and $1,000 Pheasant Forever lifetime memberships to four youth hunters. In 2016, the net proceeds went to the Northwest Kansas Conservation Foundation. See you there next year!