Grouse

[oxfordfowler]

Hi - I have been offered (accepted) a day's walked up Grouse shooting in North Wales. Would be very interested to hear from anyone out there that has experienced this type of shooting. This will be a complete first for me, right out of my normal shooting activity and comfort zone, not sure what to expect - clothing - cartridges ect.

 

Right press the "post" button and see what you good people have to say

[butchdickason]

I have had a couple of walked up Grouse days in Wales, I hope you are fit as the walking can be hard going, I suggest you wear lightweight waterproof clothing and take insect repellant.

The bag we had each time was less than 10, 14 guns each time.

 

Enjoy

 

Butch

[welshwarrior]

Not shot but helped beat it's great do it, you will get a sweat on wear comfy boots.

[Bluestem]

Glad to see grouse hunting is the same the world over. Would hate to think someone is getting an easy go at it.

 

Good boots are a necessity. As for guns/loads, I shoot an ounce of #6's in either a 20 or 12 gauge.

 

Good luck!

Edited August 15, 2011 by Bluestem

[CBL]

First off, great news on the invite and you have a splendid day to look forward to. In terms of tips -

 

(i) A stout pair of good, worn-in, waterproof boots are a must. They need to support your ankle well as you will be on uneven terrain on a moor and likely to get wet feet if they are not good quality/well waterproofed.

 

(ii) Secondly, a pair of gaiters is in my view a must. You can wear breeks/+2's, but without gaiters, your boots could get filled with heather/water and spoil your walking. Available and affordable - a top notch pair from Le Cham is £40 but they will last for years (mine have).

 

(iii) Re clothing, prepare for a number of eventualities. If you are going to be walking heights, you likely need to have a lightweight outer waterproof breathable jacket as walking heather is generally tough going if you are going miles. Other than that, tweed proves its worth time and time again. I have worn moleskin breeks and got them wet through which was v unpleasant - my tweed when wet however was still perfectly fine and not unpleasant at all.

 

(iv) Gun - don't overgun; there is no need for large shot (i.e. 5's) or large loads - a quality game load of 1oz of 6's will do very well as grouse don't tend to carry shot well. However, don't forget you are shooting walked up and with grouse exploding from heather and going off fast, you do need to be accurate. So practice some going away curling clays if you can or walk some hedgerows for exploding pigeon.

 

(v) Don't be focused on just the shooting; enjoy the scenery, enjoy seeing the grouse and take time to look down to see the heather, the grouse droppings, grit etc to learn more about their habitat.

 

(vi) Make sure you get aware about the safety side of things; grouse can be unpredictable and with any wind, can easily jump up in a covey, explode in all directions with some going back and to the sides. In a line, this can be interesting, so be aware of your surrounds.

 

(vii) Grouse is superb to eat so take your brace willingly. Very easy to pluck and prepare (no need to hang) and delicious.

 

Enjoy your occasion and post up some pics soon!

[henry d]

As above but particularly................

 

(vii) Grouse is superb to eat so take your brace willingly. Very easy to pluck and prepare (no need to hang{but I would, for a day or 3}) and delicious.