Shooting

[Johnny Thunder]

I like to shoot in the snow but snow usually means we can not get to our syndicate due to moor roads being closed.

[Emaresee]

Lets hope so!

[TonyN]

How many more days have you got left before the season ends
for our syndicate it's tomorrow then next Saturday then it's a let day on the 29 January on the woodcock and cocks only
before the big day beaters day sad to see it end but birds have to be reared pens fixed etc ,before the season starts again .

[Tomothebuilder]

Last day next Wednesday! Couple of drives under water last time so hopefully we'll have a good day to finish!

[Emaresee]

How many more days have you got left before the season ends
for our syndicate it's tomorrow then next Saturday then it's a let day on the 29 January on the woodcock and cocks only
before the big day beaters day sad to see it end but birds have to be reared pens fixed etc ,before the season starts again .

I have tomorrow... 30th, and then a tidy up day shooting cocks on 1/2. I reckon these days will be a mix of driven and walked up, although with the weather, the shoots could be cracking as the birds will be pushed back to the food and covers, so could be plenty about.

I have half a gun in two syndicates and both are out tomorrow - bad planning on my part!!!

Yup shame to see the season end, but I drove past a place on m40 today where a load of hens had already been gathered up in to pens ready to start the cycle again!

[Emaresee]

certainly been weather to test your boots recently hasnt it!!

[TonyN]

Yer tell me about it.

[TonyN]

True what your saying emaresee game season may end but starts again as soon as it's finished
catching up birds building and repairing pens etc.
On our syndicate some woodcock drives have to be thinned out just impossible trying to push through
5 steps forward and 5 steps back trying to find a way to get through keeper is getting a machine to make life easier for the beaters
and cut back brambles and thorns that seem to like entangling themselves to you.
Will try and get my son take a few snaps if I remember.

[Emaresee]

Those brush cutters are a thing to behold apparently! Churn through the nastiest brambles and blackthorn knots in no time!

[TonyN]

They certainly do they have to cut them back because not even the dogs can get in if they smell a birds in there
let alone beaters.

[Simon-JG-hr]

Walked over a maize cover from this season a couple of days ago - they've been out and cut everything and piled the shelters/feeders in a pile by the track. Felt like arriving at the buffet after closing time, haha!

Two more days for me this week and an invitation to Keeper's Day at one of the best estates I work with - a very welcome opportunity. Have stood on those drives loading and hosting several times this season and been very jealous of the guns, cracking place to shoot.

Planning for next season has been in full swing since before Christmas though. Already five dates set in stone for clients and finalising my roving syndicate days over the next week or so. Then it's onto organising our Glorious Twelfth party and 2017's big project once we're into February. I must be mad!

[TonyN]

our syndicate of 10 guns got invited to shoot in Cumbria last Saturday what a posh weekend it was too
what one of them was telling me today.
Stayed at a castle, full English breakfast was served by a couple of buttlers all silverware on this long table they sat on.
Then of they went on a very posh gun trailer that had a drinks cabinet in there with whiskey's brandy's port etc.
Talk about bloody high birds must of been 70 yards up and screamers coulden't load fast enough he said
first drive I shot 55 cartridges number 5s 30grm shot for 10 birds
total bag that day was 417 birds. Totaly different to what we are used to here.
Days like that will be cherished.

[Emaresee]

drive2.jpggandc.jpgquiet day on the shoot today. good day at the duck, partridge were scarce and we had some small amounts of really quality pheasant. the picture is of one of our better drives... the land folds away into a gulley where the pheasants like to hang out! they come out through the tree tops which shows to the guns high handsome and going some! i took a bunch of other pictures.. but somehow flipped my phone to super HD so they are all too big to upload!!

[TonyN]

I can just picture the scene now of them pheasants coming over them tree tops.

[PeeJay]

I can just picture the scene now of them pheasants coming over them tree tops.

With the Ride of the Valkyries playing and the smell of napalm in the air