k9h
Well-Known Member
Was suppose to be hunting today but cancelled again due to wet just before 8am. My local shoot was on so managed to get there for the first day this season.
Sadly re-organizing myself from hunting to shooting made me late.
so I missed the first drive.
Found them just as they were starting the 2nd drive.
Walked down to the field & snook in a stood with one of the pickers up. Waited for the drive to end before finding Keeper.
When I did (they were getting ready to move onto next drive (4 before lunch & one after. Was a 300 bird day). Keeper asked if I would help pick up as they were short. Only 3 of them 2 with 2 dogs & J with his one. So I obviously said 'yes'!
Then really paniced as I have only ever beated! So don't 100% on the picking up.
Poor Quail is shattered. She has not moved since coming home & eating her super!
So we go back to the house to unload the 2nd drive birds. Then I hitch a lift with C & his 2 dogs to the next drive Pasture house. I told C he would have to keep me straight or at least not to bent!
So he plonks me out in the middle of a seeded field right behind the guns.
Poor Quail was beside herself with excitment. What with it being her first day of the season & now right in with the guns! Usually she has been on the lead all day whilst I beat.
I kept her on the lead for the whole drive as I know she is not 100% steady. Sadly she can be a squeaker.
Which kind of got worse & better as the drives went on!
First bird of the season
So first drive she had 7 birds to pick up. Then as walking down towards track & guns. One of the guns pointed out a runner to me (which I had already spotted). I didn't send Q as we were on other side of barbed fence & I had my hands full with 7 birds! I did see the shoot owners son near them, who picks up with his dog so let him send his dog for it. (Clever dog did a 2 bird retrieve later in the day!) 37 birds for that drive.
So C & I took these birds back to house then onto next drive.
Q & I got put into this small little copice (barely an acre) which has been turned into a bird pen since last year so nice high wire fence that she could not get out of! We had alot of birds land in with us but most & just swered into there! There was one runner & 2 down. She retrived them brillantly & luckily the runer was sat tight when she found him & brought him back for me to knock.
As I walked through I let her hunt away incase there was any I had missed falling.
Other picker up was impressed with how quick we swept it, said it usually takes them ages but then usually no-one stood in there from the start. Um think they were penning me in!!
In our little coppice
So now back for lunch & unloading. 43 birds for that drive so lunch time was 200 birds 1 being a Woodcock.
Was a long lunch of an hour & a half.
Finally onto last drive of the day & I really like this drive plus the guns do well on it.
Guns are on the other side of the fence & track under the wood.
We covered this field behind them & I had 2 other picker-ups to my left in a field a piece.
Was quite a while before any birds came our way & then plenty that had elouded the guns! Quail was most keen! Then the was a runner 200-300 yards away. She had seen it land & run. In the vid the bird was 5 meters in from the trees behind from where she runs up from. She ran out straight as a dye, then slighty wavered to the right to the rushes then swung back to the left & picked up a cock bird that had landed in front of the runner which had clamped down!
Didn't send her again & let the picker up in the next field send his dog for it. Popped her back on the lead till drive over.
Then walked down & swept the ditch up to the rushes where we got 15 birds out of.
Then over into the marshy bit to sweep but there was about 4 others in there so we came out & went into the wood to sweep infront of the guns & she found a hen bird.
Back to the marsh bit after they had all gone & then there was another hen bird found.
Bag at end of day was 368 birds including the woodcock. All will be made into food!
So really pleased with her first ever day picking up & realise I know not a lot! My eyes hurt from darting all over watching birds & seeing if they were safe or winged or dead.
Will be back next Sat if hunting cancelled again.
Is it wrong of me to wish it to rain!!?
Cookies & a cold one if you have got this far!
Sadly re-organizing myself from hunting to shooting made me late.
Found them just as they were starting the 2nd drive.
Walked down to the field & snook in a stood with one of the pickers up. Waited for the drive to end before finding Keeper.
When I did (they were getting ready to move onto next drive (4 before lunch & one after. Was a 300 bird day). Keeper asked if I would help pick up as they were short. Only 3 of them 2 with 2 dogs & J with his one. So I obviously said 'yes'!
Then really paniced as I have only ever beated! So don't 100% on the picking up.
Poor Quail is shattered. She has not moved since coming home & eating her super!
So we go back to the house to unload the 2nd drive birds. Then I hitch a lift with C & his 2 dogs to the next drive Pasture house. I told C he would have to keep me straight or at least not to bent!
So he plonks me out in the middle of a seeded field right behind the guns.
Poor Quail was beside herself with excitment. What with it being her first day of the season & now right in with the guns! Usually she has been on the lead all day whilst I beat.
I kept her on the lead for the whole drive as I know she is not 100% steady. Sadly she can be a squeaker.
First bird of the season
So first drive she had 7 birds to pick up. Then as walking down towards track & guns. One of the guns pointed out a runner to me (which I had already spotted). I didn't send Q as we were on other side of barbed fence & I had my hands full with 7 birds! I did see the shoot owners son near them, who picks up with his dog so let him send his dog for it. (Clever dog did a 2 bird retrieve later in the day!) 37 birds for that drive.
So C & I took these birds back to house then onto next drive.
Q & I got put into this small little copice (barely an acre) which has been turned into a bird pen since last year so nice high wire fence that she could not get out of! We had alot of birds land in with us but most & just swered into there! There was one runner & 2 down. She retrived them brillantly & luckily the runer was sat tight when she found him & brought him back for me to knock.
As I walked through I let her hunt away incase there was any I had missed falling.
Other picker up was impressed with how quick we swept it, said it usually takes them ages but then usually no-one stood in there from the start. Um think they were penning me in!!
In our little coppice
So now back for lunch & unloading. 43 birds for that drive so lunch time was 200 birds 1 being a Woodcock.
Was a long lunch of an hour & a half.
Finally onto last drive of the day & I really like this drive plus the guns do well on it.
Guns are on the other side of the fence & track under the wood.
We covered this field behind them & I had 2 other picker-ups to my left in a field a piece.
Was quite a while before any birds came our way & then plenty that had elouded the guns! Quail was most keen! Then the was a runner 200-300 yards away. She had seen it land & run. In the vid the bird was 5 meters in from the trees behind from where she runs up from. She ran out straight as a dye, then slighty wavered to the right to the rushes then swung back to the left & picked up a cock bird that had landed in front of the runner which had clamped down!
Didn't send her again & let the picker up in the next field send his dog for it. Popped her back on the lead till drive over.
Then walked down & swept the ditch up to the rushes where we got 15 birds out of.
Then over into the marshy bit to sweep but there was about 4 others in there so we came out & went into the wood to sweep infront of the guns & she found a hen bird.
Back to the marsh bit after they had all gone & then there was another hen bird found.
Bag at end of day was 368 birds including the woodcock. All will be made into food!
So really pleased with her first ever day picking up & realise I know not a lot! My eyes hurt from darting all over watching birds & seeing if they were safe or winged or dead.
Will be back next Sat if hunting cancelled again.
Is it wrong of me to wish it to rain!!?
Cookies & a cold one if you have got this far!
