Beaters Days

[AustinW]

It’s that time of year and a busy week for me. I only go beating these days but do look forward to the end of season. This week we have our last full day Tuesday so I’m beating, then it’s the keepers “rough shoot day” with about 8-10 of his regulars - walk/stand on some of the hidden corners and woods on the estate that never otherwise get shot (bag 80-100), then beating again on Thursday for boundary/small drive day one of the pickers-up has bought (150ish). Friday is the estates huge walked up day sweeping in all the rough land with about 30+ farmers, helpers, lorry drivers, beaters and god knows who. It’s chaos keeping that many safe and in-line, it takes all day and is knackering. Saturday is beaters day proper where we have the chance to shoot all the big high drives we’ve beat for guns all year. It’s mega. Followed by a boozy dinner and boogie afterwards.

Pics…. One of the partridge drives off the top of the fells with guns lined out down the valley.

One of the keepers and dogs on his 6x6 moorland monster bike.

Pheasants over

I’m in the mix here

 

[jasp]

Personally never found the justification for it, beautiful landscape though.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Our last beating day is Friday

 

[ChasMill]

Wonderful stuff. Love shooting and all of the accompanying stuff.

 

[vRSG60]

A mate of mine does beating at the same location if it's near Cow Ark.

 

[SteveT]

Envious doesn't really cover how I feel, having had the privilidge and pleasure of walking (wheezing) over some of the ground shown in those pictures Austin
Enjoy the "rough shoot" day - they are the bestest.

Having seen how high most of those birds fly off of those hills, my respect to those that manage to bring them to hand
Keepers shoot on Friday and our small syndicates last walk about on the 1st. Dogs will go crazy on the 1st Saturday that we don't go out, but they both need to chill and bulk up a bit after another good season - small bags but loads of great memories and a fair bit of excercise

Glad to see else where that your orf wandering on two wheels

SteveT

 

[Flintlock]

Don't partake myself, but enjoy watching the return from the shoot


Good for the local economy & the birds have had a far better life than a battery hen.

 

[FatAl]

Bowland fells I presume. Looks good.

 

[brut33]

Looks like the area you took us to last summer on the ride out from Dent.
Enjoy your week.

 

[AustinW]

A mate of mine does beating at the same location if it's near Cow Ark.

Close. I sometimes also go to a place right up the valley at Dunsop Bridge. The rough pastures, moorland fringe woods and the moorland itself makes for fantastic game bird habitat, then the terrain makes for some fantastic shooting with very high birds easy enough to present.

Bowland fells I presume. Looks good.

Looks like the area you took us to last summer on the ride out from Dent.
Enjoy your week.

It’s an estate on the very western fringe of Bowland. You can see it from the M6.

Pic over towards Morecambe from about where that team photo was taken….

 

[AustinW]

Envious doesn't really cover how I feel, having had the privilidge and pleasure of walking (wheezing) over some of the ground shown in those pictures Austin
Enjoy the "rough shoot" day - they are the bestest.

Having seen how high most of those birds fly off of those hills, my respect to those that manage to bring them to hand
Keepers shoot on Friday and our small syndicates last walk about on the 1st. Dogs will go crazy on the 1st Saturday that we don't go out, but they both need to chill and bulk up a bit after another good season - small bags but loads of great memories and a fair bit of excercise

Glad to see else where that your orf wandering on two wheels

SteveT

Have a great last couple of days Steve. You are welcome back for a couple of days next season if you fancy it.

 

[gerarddwatts]

Don't bother taking a gun at all nowadays but always pleased to help out...looked after one of the keepers boys on last Thurs....boss insisted on beaters shoot before his own last day so there was still some game! Decent!
So his day tomorrow, then a beaters day on another estate on Weds, and finally a smaller day on the same estate on Saturday....not forgetting that ducks and woodcock are no longer in season on the 1st!
Can't get about so easily but both places I go I can drive a buggy about collecting the game and helping out.

 

[gerarddwatts]

So 2 beaters/keepers days in....blessed with a lovely day on Tuesday in a beautiful part of the world...







Finished off with a burger and chips(!)....genny and airfryer!....118 head.

And then Weds, different estate, different buggy,



and my charge for the day, a fragrant 17 year old with a 28 bore, never shot before, but managed to get her onto a pheasant, lot of keepers shooting..



Buggy was full after 2 drives so a trip to the larder at half time....177 head after 2 drives, 3 more drives, so I'm guessing at over 300 for the day....back today on a freezer filling mission.
What a contrast between this season and last....got soaked through to the labels often last year, only had oilskins on once this year.
Small family day on Sat and that's it for another year..

Back home to the fire!




Edit...bag for the day ...420! Not bad for a beaters day!

 

[gerarddwatts]

Before and after on some of the results...





Not forgetting the all important pin feathers..



Personally quite happy to see them fly by on a shoot day, but they were in the bag...

We always insist that they are not shot before the beginning of December; that's when the migrants arrive from Eastern Europe, and you can be more certain that's it's less likely to be the resident population, which is thought to be at some risk. Usually in the briefing the guns are told to leave them, unless you want to rake them home and eat them...they are regarded as a delicacy....I'll let you know!
The traditional way of cooking them is to leave them whole, and poke the beak up it's bottom, but that's probably a step too far, so I have plucked and drawn them.
Traditionally the pin feathers were sought after to use as fine paintbrushes....continental shooters also pinned them in their hats.
They jink about in flight which makes them difficult to shoot and they also fly low through the wood, so could be dangerous for other guns beaters etc.
Actually seen a lot this season, and loads last season.
They move west in cold weather as they probe in soft ground for grub...not so easy if the ground is frozen.

 

[grantmac]

the first photo in your post is absolutely stunning Gerry. Where exactly was it taken?

 

[wassy]

We only do Grouse. Our drives are typically from two miles out over rough ground whatever the weather three before lunch two or three after. The dogs probably cover forty miles a day I think we did around forty days last season.
You can just see my next man on the horizon in the first picture.

 

[Decompressing]

So 2 beaters/keepers days in....blessed with a lovely day on Tuesday in a beautiful part of the world...



View attachment 381169

View attachment 381170

Finished off with a burger and chips(!)....genny and airfryer!....118 head.

And then Weds, different estate, different buggy,

View attachment 381172

and my charge for the day, a fragrant 17 year old with a 28 bore, never shot before, but managed to get her onto a pheasant, lot of keepers shooting..

View attachment 381173

Buggy was full after 2 drives so a trip to the larder at half time....177 head after 2 drives, 3 more drives, so I'm guessing at over 300 for the day....back today on a freezer filling mission.
What a contrast between this season and last....got soaked through to the labels often last year, only had oilskins on once this year.
Small family day on Sat and that's it for another year..

Back home to the fire!

View attachment 381174


Edit...bag for the day ...420! Not bad for a beaters day!

420?! Somebodies going to be doing a hell of a lot of plucking.

 

[EPG_19]

has anyone seen speckled Jim.

 

[gerarddwatts]

the first photo in your post is absolutely stunning Gerry. Where exactly was it taken?

Drumtennant, looking south over the Sislaws towards the Lomond hills in Fife.

 

[gerarddwatts]

420?! Somebodies going to be doing a hell of a lot of plucking.

Collected a load today....I'll breast them out for the freezer.