I took the spaniel for a mooch with the gun this morning. On walking into the wood, I met up with the farm manager. We chatted about drilling, combining, pigeons, ploughing and all things country.......... and the bluebells throughout the wood. After 20 minutes or so, with the spaniel boiling over, I said I'd better go before he explodes Walking through the woods with a mixture of wild garlic and the bluebells was an amazing sight. The colours of the new leaves on the trees combined with the scent of the bluebells drifting through the woods always makes me appreciate what we have in our sport.
Over the couple of hours wandering round the fields and checking on the spring rape, there was an oasis of wildlife out in the sunshine. This farm has been rabbit less for some years and yet today there were two areas where they were hopping about. A sign of good things to come. The spaniel didn't notice them, nose to the ground getting high on the abundance of scent in the damp grass.
I was really quite pleased that nothing flew past as it reminded me there is more to shooting than pulling the trigger