OK so Mr CS and I run a 400 acre small shoot and so today he had a day off and as I run the beating team, we had a beaters day that consisted of me and Dobbie - and blizzards!!
Lots of birds up but most I couldnt see for the snow blowing straight into my face or the fact that my trigger finger had frozen up.
Dobbie had a great day, have a little pic I will put up later.
Season over but thats the hard work for next year just starting

Bet it was fun though, even in the snow!

Helen

yikes beating in the snow... bet that was interesting!!

its my beaters day tomorrow, gonna have another go at shooting, with gamekeeper standing with me talk about pressure!!

We had our beaters day today, torrential rain for the first drive then a lovely cold day although the mud was a touch slithery!!!!

Mugi had a ball doing some really good hunting, he tried to pick his first pricked duck but it got away after he had tried for well over a minute , he was on the other side of dense bramble cover so there was no way I could help him and when I was thinking on it later I realised the poor lad had a partial dental clearance soon after I got him so he probs doesn't have enough nashers to hold a mallard drake!!!

The final drive of the day saw him get the chance to do his first ground clearance, we only found one cock bird but he was very clear he knew where the corpse was so I have something to work on once his season is finished (we are out again tomorrow) as at the moment he is more interested in hunting out the live birds than the downed ones.

The bag today was 350 birds exactly, duck, goose, pheasant and partridge so all the guys who shot are feeling great .

Concentrating before the 4th drive


Surveying the view at the end of the 4th drive


Mugi being social


I am so proud of my old lad and I do hope this won't turn out to be his first and only season!!!!

thats one hell of a shoot Sue, we can only afford to put down 300 birds
us today, the snow had melted a bit, at one point it was about 3 inches

oooooo Freya, you got realtree gloves, are they really snug, Rob treated me to a realtree coat or a laer Chrissy pressie and it is the bees knees for warmth and it means I can play hide n seek with Rufus really well

sounds like you had a great day

I am soooooo lucky Freya, this shoot normally bags 150 - 200 birds per day and starts at the beginning of the season right through. Up to the end of Dec there is usually two days shooting per week then it starts to up and by this last fortnight they are shooting 6 days out of 7.

For me the ideal fact is that although they don't pay us beaters we are well fed, well watered and there is a lot of lenience as many people are training up young dogs. I have not been bellowed at once even when Mugi sent a covey of about 50 birds the wrong way. We have a very social day out and a lot of giggles.

Best part though is that I have made a good few friends and as the shoot is extremely local we are planning to train together too.

We are forecast snow tomorrow perhaps .

Ooooh Freya that place looks cold brrr. Tis no wonder your trigger finger froze

Looks like a great timewas had by you too Sue. It makes a good read catching up on your working stories and the pictures too .

Just a little question for you.......Last weekend we were out in a forest (mostly coniferous plantation) and there were a incredible number of phessies around and this is near the end of the season too, but what intrigued me was that most of the phessies seemed to be up in the trees.......there were a handful here and there on the ground (which our three flushed diligently) is it normal for phessies to be up in the trees?

Steve

Looking scary there Boss


Sue I bet you is so proud of Mugi and I bet he had a ball


Very jealous of you all

It certainly looks cold Freya!

Sounds like a good day Sue. Well done Mugi! Did you shoot?

Sarah, hope it goes well today. I'm sure you will be fine!

Steve, maybe they had already been disturbed by something. We saw a lot up trees last Saturday and I think they just know what's going on by the end of the season.

Helen

No Helen, a have shot assault rifles and pistols but have not fired off a shotgun. A few years ago I was involved in a car crash that has left me with nerve damage down the right side of my neck, right shoulder and arm so I doubt I could actually manage to fire one.

I love working the dog and so beating is definitely where I prefer to be. We had 17 guns yesterday and in reality all were men, the girls got a goody hamper at chistmas and we are having an event (not sure what we are doing) at the end of feb so although none of the girls shoot we cetainly get our thank you from the shoot.

Getting ready to go out for my final day now so better sign off!!!!

I've actually preferred to work the dogs this year than shooting. I just haven't been that bothered, even though last year, I was keen to get every chance I could.

Good luck for today! Hope the weather isn't too awful!

Helen

yesterday was the first time I have lifted my gun all year, I prefer to work the dogs too

Well the weather was fabulous and we managed 6 drives with plenty of shooting for the family who own the shooting estate.

To cap a lovely day out a few of us will be training on the estate and have the key to the gate .