Maddaftspaniel

I have a littverle BSA bolt action .410 which was my first gun. Unfortunately many years ago I broke the stock hitting a fox over the head. I glued it back together but I never fired it again. I would like to fire it again but do not know where I can get a stock from or get one made. Suggestions welcome.

nice pics

On the third drive the birds had their wings set and were dive bombing down the hill. I find these birds very difficult to shoot too. I usually shoot above them which I think is where he was going wrong

Great Sport!

There are loads of good shoots in Yorkshire that produce birds that you Norfolk Yokels couldn't hit anyway!

A member of our syndicate is a notoriously greedy shot and will always claim to have shot more than anyone else on a day. He is always sending the pickers up on wild goose chases to find birds that he hit hard but they flew on when he has actually missed them cleanly. About 10 years ago I was pegged next to him on a driven day when a high cock came over between us and I nailed it with my first shot . he fired a millisecond later but I knew I had killed it . It dropped through the windscreen of a pickerups L200 and I did not hesitate in confirming that he had shot it by congratulating him! The pickerup was a lady of dubious character whose knickname was "the Rottweiler" and she had an excess of £150 on her insurance which she insisted he stump up! I never said a word! We were back there at the cock day last season. It was a miserable cold day and the cocks were few and far between. I had hardly fired a shot all day and was standing in a blizzard on the last drive wishing I was in the bothy by the fire when I heard a cock getting up and saw its shape approaching through the snow.. I released my safety catch and was just about to lift the gun when a shot rang out and the bird landed at my feet. It was Mr Greedy who was pegged a good 40 yards to my right so it was a good shot because he had hit it well out in front. I went over to him when the drive ended and congratulated him on his shooting and then I couldn't resist I said "You remember that day you dropped a bird through the Rottweilers windscreen"? "Too right it cost me £150" he replied "Well it was me that shot it" I said I won't print his reply but he sees the funny side now

Thanks guys it is nice to know that someone is reading my ramblings!

Your garden looks a bit boggy!

Good report. I know that part of the world too. I used to work for Grampian Country Food Group in Aberdeenshire

The next two drives were the two middle woods which produced some sporting targets but not the volume of birds that they should have. I suspect they would have been better had we had stops in place whilst we were shooting the other drives but our limited manpower does not always allow this luxury and they are not usually necessary this early in the season. On the first middle wood I wounded a moderate cock with both barrels and Billys bitch Sally ran after it and caught it as it legged it up the grass field behind and much to my dismay I cleanly missed the most challenging but perfectly shootable bird that had come my way all day. The fines pot was added to when Kieran shot two white pheasants one an absolute corker and Normans first season cocker "Alfie" pegged his third white pheasant of the season. I missed out on beating the second last drive because it was too long a walk and doesn't require many beaters and fired two shots on the last drive at a very high hen pheasant without doing any damage to it. The last drive "Roadside" has been spoiled by our neighbour growing a large field of kale on our boundary. I think we will have to leave this drive until the absolute last minute when the pheasants are coming out of the kale into the wood to roost. View on the last drive All in all it was a good day. I had only contributed 3 birds to the bag but I have had my share of the pound seats so far this season and as usual my shooting has got worse as the birds have got stronger! Bag 72 pheasants 9 Red Legs 2 Woodcock For 354 shots

Then it was our turn to shoot the high pen. The first time for my team this season. My peg was 2 half way up the track. The beaters push this drive up the hill away from the guns until they reach the edge of the escarpment where they wait until they meet the other team bringing in the pen and the surrounding game crop. If there is a wind this peg produces good sport but as there was none I had to watch as bird after bird swung round and dropped back into the wood in front of me. The upside of this is that I had a good view of the line to my left as more birds soared over the guns standing in the valley below. From the top of the hill the birds stood on their tails and rose until many of them were out of shot very few being accounted for. We will have to adjust the pegs further up the hill if we are to make a bag on this drive later in the season as the birds are already very strong fliers. The two Stewarts on my left had several shots at high birds over them but missed although Billy further up the hill on my right accounted for a couple with his 28 bore. I had one moderately high angled cock going from right to left over my head which I clipped with my first shot and folded with my second. After a brief halt for elevenses during which we admired Young Hee Haws new gun we set off to do the top game plot. Duncan Hee Haw with Young Hee Haws new gun. Young Hee Haw Stop for elevenses This drive consists of a game crop of about 3 acres on a hill above the main road below which is a small wood. The idea is to drive the birds from the game crop into the wood and then from the wood over the guns in the valley below. The last time we did this it produced nothing because I think we were too noisy on approach and the birds ran out the back of the drive. The plan this time was to swiftly and quietly drive a truck load of beaters up to the back of the game crop leaving the rest at the far end of the wood until the game crop had been driven. Meantime the guns would have got quietly into place. All went swimmingly. As we climbed up the hill birds were running in front of us getting up from the brow of the hill and then for some strange reason swinging away out to the right and missing the wood altogether. When we reached the brow of the hill the reason became obvious the rest of the beaters were standing waiting at the wrong end of the wood causing the birds to flush at the top and swing out the side. After a great deal of loud fffing and blinding they ducked down behind the wall and the remaining birds including a covey of redlegs flushed in the correct direction. The latter birds that had flushed correctly had dropped into the wood as planned and gave the line some good sport but the drive had been spoiled. I thought I had given clear intructions "Send reinforcements" but the message that had got through was "Send three and fourpence"!

Next it was the Low Pen drive. I set off along the main road and down the back track to act as a stop at the far end of the wood to prevent birds sneaking out the back over our boundary. I thought I would be early enough but as I drove down the track I was frustrated to see about 20 birds hop over the boundary dyke and leg it across the neighbouring pasture to freedom. As I parked my truck I was able to prevent more birds joining the escapees by working Tessa along the dyke and scaring about a dozen back into the wood. As the rest of the beaters joined me we agreed that we would have to start putting stops in place at the beginning of the day. First we blanked in the plantation and the game crop above the pen wood putting a few birds forward including some partridges. They produced a few shots but the pheasants flew into the pen wood and landed there. The pen wood is a mixture of tall conifers and deciduous mature trees and although it is at the lowest point of the shoot it produces good birds because they have to fly up and through the canopy to get out. It is a tangle of fallen trees and I kept my dogs on the lead as we worked our way slowly through the wood as the birds were sitting tight . We took about 20 minutes to finish the drive and there was a steady stream of birds over the guns with constant shooting

Last Saturday we were at Glentarkie for the third time. I had been up twice during the week handfeeding the main drives to try and encourage the birds to stay in the woods because the weather has continued to be very mild and the birds had been well spread out across all the pastures. I had got a surprise when I was checking the feeder in the top game crop...............there was a Gloucester Old Spot boar at the feeder! It had escaped from the animal sanctuary down the road. I went down and saw the owner and asked her if she had lost anything. She said that she hadn't so I replied that was good because I was going to put it in my freezer if she didn't come and get it! She duly obliged. We arrived at 8.30 and over bacon rolls and coffee we decided that as it was pretty misty we would just do the 8 main drives. The Jungle and the Glen Cottage were shrouded in mist so they could be left for another day. As usual we started with the Car Park. It was my teams turn to shoot and I had drawn peg 1 on the downhill track with housed to my left. This is a difficult peg to shoot safely as some birds tend to sneak out at the top corner and fly over the houses. MY view from Peg 1 As I stood surveying the scene a call from the gun on my left alerted me to an early partridge on the wing. I swung up and through and missed with my first barrel before folding it with my second. It fell over the hedge behind me.It was the first partridge I had shot all season I just haven't been able to hit them. Birds began to trickle out of the drive in dribs and drabs over the middle of the line presenting challenging targets. Tam Brodie shot particularly well with 4 for 6 shots and so did our guest for the day also called Tom. The drive went really well with many more birds in this drive than usual but as expected about a dozen birds sneaked out the top corner between me and the houses. I shot at one which was safe but without real conviction I missed it. This photo shows the Top Pen Drive up on the right with the guns standing down in the valley at the bottom of the track.

Great part of the world!

beautiful

I have shot Everest in the past. It was outstanding. The shoot used to be a lot bigger but in 2008 they gave up a large part of the ground and cutback from 70 days to around 25. He hasn't got an underkeeper but his son "Ginge" was helping him out on the day there. I don't think Steve Makin goes there much now but I did bump into him picking up at Lednathie last Wednesday

Next was the pen drive and it was our turn to beat. As I walked up the hill again I passed Peter who was shooting this drive and jokingly said "There is a white pheasant in this drive with your name on it"! He replied " I hope there is something with my name on it. I have only fired one shot all day" We took the drive through slowly as the birds were sitting tight,. They got up in ones and twos giving the guns at the side some testing snap shooting. As predicted a white one got up and flew right over Peter. He missed it with both barrels but never mind that was a fine in the bag! The last drive was the other end of the big wood and my peg was at the top of the hill where birds had a tendency to slip out. I set off early for the long walk and arrived in time to get my breath back before the beaters started. I missed an early hen crosser with both barrels and Davie missed it too. Then a few birds got up but were too low for me to shoot at although Davie down the hill to my left got chances at them. Then as the beaters approached there was a shout of "Woodcock" and one shot out of the wood to my right. I turned and shooting instinctively folded it with my first barrel . I sent Tessa for it and she brought it to hand, her first woodcock a perfect end to a good day. 24 pheasants 6 partridges 1 woodcock for 134 shots

Next it was our turn to shoot the middle partridge drive. I was peg 7 out in the field to the left of the pen. As soon as got to my peg the beaters disturbed a couple of pheasants on their walk out. One a hen flew over me and I dropped it with a single shot and Tessa ran in to retrieve it. The cock was missed by the gun two to my right. Tessa and the hen pheasant View from my peg As we waited a good trickle of partridges flew through the line but did not result in any shooting as they followed the contours of the land and just skimmed the rushes..............oh for a bit of wind! Then a cock got up. I saw it coming from a long way off but waited until it was almost overhead before raising the gun and squeezing the trigger. The bird appeared to flinch but a hurried second shot made no impression and it glided down into the rushes about 200 yds behind the line. I emptied my gun and went to look for it expecting it to be a runner but Kenny was already there and his Labrador had found it stone dead. I was glad that it was accounted for but it is never as satisfying as folding a bird in the air.

Next it was up the hill again to do the near end of the big wood. I took the end of the line so that I would be in a position to pick the birds that I had dropped on the last drive. It is a thick conifer wood and is difficult to get the birds out of but as we worked our way down the hill I was encouraged to hear a good deal of shooting although my view was obscured by the conifers. As we approached the end of the drive I was on the lookout for my two cocks. Tessa was on to the runner and chased it through the thick undergrowth away from me towards the rabbit fence. One of the other beaters shouted that she was down at the fence with a pheasant but when I whistled her back she didn't have it...................she must have let it go. We hunted about and just as I was about to give up Bill with his pair of yellow Labradors shouted that he had both cocks one which had been dead and one a runner.............panic over! Up the hill to beat the wood

The next stage was for those that felt fit enough to walk right out to the end of Harperlees reservoir in search of snipe. The old and decrepit would (me included) walk back to the farm blanking in the fringes of the loch on the way and wait in the bothy for the others to come back before driving the loch side. After a pleasant interlude by the stove in the bothy it was our turn to shoot the lochside. I was on peg 5 where I had been the last time we did this drive. Old Davie was next to me on peg 6 which was usually the hot spot. Old Davie on peg 6 with the beech tree behind him The first birds got up well back but instead of heading for the wood at our backs flew along the lochside giving the guns on pegs 1 and 2 some spectacular shooting resulting in a few more in the bag. As the beaters approached a single cock bird rose and flew over Old Davie. He missed it and I shot it behind him and it fell dead in the wood. I then missed an easy hen directly overhead and accounted for a second cock behind Davie which was a runner. Davie then nailed a high cock which fell at his feet. Despite missing the easy hen I was pleased with my shooting because the two cocks I had shot behind the line were effectively crossers my least favourite shot. I left the birds to pick later because we were about to beat the wood they had fallen into The view from my peg Pickers up

Last Saturday we were at Ballo for the third time this season. It was mild and misty on the hill with very little wind. As usual we planned to do the Castle partridge drive first but we decided to place the guns differently putting 4 of them out the other side in a little glen over which the rascals had escaped untouched the last twice through I led the beaters out in a long encircling movement right around the back of the hill until I was in a position to act as a flanker as I walked parallel to the glen where the guns were standing much further down the hill. Once I was in position I sent word along the line for the beaters on the left to start and bring the moor in. As the line swung round a small covey got up and flew forward right over the guns resulting in a flurry of shooting but I could only see one bird down. Then a covey of about 20 got up and flew over the end of the line escaping unscathed. Once at the top of the hill we waited until the guns had moved position and then took in the shelter belts at the side of the road and the cover crop. I lifted Tessa over the fence and before I could join her she flushed a white pheasant which our guest accounted for followed by another 2 hens and 2 cocks one of which flew back up the hill. As we gathered after the drive I was pleased to learn that in fact 6 partridges had been shot! The view (or lack of it) before the first drive

My view on the first drive Views of the terrain

We were shooting driven duck over grassland and heather..........................lead is permitted The pheasants on the Crags were killable.........................................just not by me!

Last Friday a team from our syndicate to a day at Whitehouse and Borland Estate north of Bridge of Cally on the Glenshee road. This is real high bird shoot with the birds being launched from the top of heather clad hills where the keeper feeds them resulting in extremely testing shooting. The first drive was mainly pheasants and having drawn peg 1 I was out of the pheasant shooting but I had my own private battue at some ducks that flew high off a pond at the top of the hill resulting in 4 high mallard for about 20 shots. The next drive was a duck drive off of another hill pond. The ducks just kept coming and provided very sporting targets. The whole line got some shooting and I ended up with 5 mallard for about another 20 shots.e Drive 3 was again a duck drive the ducks being fed up to the top of a hill and then driven over a conifer wood with the guns standing in a deep valley down below. The birds were exceptional. I shot the highest duck I have ever shot, one of a pair that came over early. I was so thrilled at having hit it I didn't get off the second barrel off at the other one. The gun next to me said he was astonished and had wondered why I was lifting the gun to a bird he thought was unshootable. I ended with 6 ducks for 24 shots. I was shooting with Gamebore Black Gold 30g through my Berreta Ultra Light 12B> After a good lunch it was off to a pheasant drive called the Coldrach where the keepers feed the birds up to the top of a heather clad hill and then fly them off back to the pen behind the guns below. The birds get up and soar and then set their wings and glide down the hill like German Stukas. They glide slide and side slip in the wind their wings making a whistling noise as they speed past. There was some exceptional shooting all along the line with myself accounting for 3 birds for approx. 25 shots. There was a delay before the last drive which was the Crags. The keeper revealed that this had been due to a goshawk appearing and scaring the birds off the hill so that he had to start again and whistle them up. The Crags is the highest drive on the estate, The birds are launched from the top of a crag over narrow valley below. Unlike the previous drive the birds do not glide but soar upwards from the top making many of them out of range. The birds came in wave after wave and I never touched a feather of one! I fired about 20 shots and could have fired more but they were too difficult! I stood back and watched as the whole line saluted the passing birds with very few succumbing to the barrage. We had a great day, the shooting was incredibly testing the hospitality was good and the company excellent. The bag of 130 head for 950 shots reflected the high quality of the birds rather than poor shooting!

So I'm not the only one to see the likeness to Mary Doll!