2nd Beaters day of the Season

[Sprinter]

Just back from my second day. Thought i'd scribe this quickly while it is still fresh in my mind!

 

1st Drive walking, woods drive as are all today mainly thick ground cover. I'm second gun in from the right. About half way through the drive a hen breaks right, i'm under a hawthorn bush trying got get out of it. The gun to my right salutes it twice, I close my gun as i emerge from the hawthorn and just manage a rushed shot. Stone me it only drops like a brick about 45 yards away! 1 for 1, thought about drawing stumps as it's not going to get a lot better!

Our first stand and we are looking directly into the bright winter sunshine squinting and flinching every time a blackbird moves in the wood. Real on edge. A partridge blasts out of the wood and is on me before i see it, twisting round i get a shot off behind me to no avail. Another one tries the same thing but i'm wise to it now and fold it neatly in front in a puff of feathers. A hen bird appears over the wood between myself and the next peg and we both shoot in the same split second and it comes tumbling out of the sky.

We then perform a nice steady beat, lots of things moving about but nothing back over me.

Second stand I'm on the end of the line again looking straight into the sun. I get a bit of respite by aligning myself into the shadow of a large oak. A couple of birds break across the line but nothing near me. Then a partridge tries to make good it's escape by flying almost the entire gun line, no way will it get to me. Well by the time it reaches me there has already been 7 shots at it, sod me it i don't miss it with my first shot then regain my composure and fell it with my second. It must've had its tin armour on that one and had a can of red bull for breakfast!!

The next beat was quiet and i found myself out in the boondocks on our last stand of the morning so finished the morning with 2 partridge and 2 pheasant for 6 pokes.

 

After lunch it's our walk first and we are again through the thick stuff, You know the just over knee height bramble and dog roses. Halfway through next gun to me springs a hen at his feet and it goes back rising quickly. He has two pokes at it and i swing onto it fully 45 yards away and hitting treetop height stone me it folds up as if it's been hit with a tennis racquet!! Lovely start to the afternoon.

First stand of the afternoon I find myself in the absolute pole position, peg 6, right on a little outcrop/corner of wood. It's a long drive and it's a while before stuff starts to move. I'm awoken from my post lunch slumber with shouts of "Woodcock" to see one bearing down on me as a perfect driven bird, neatly dropped with one shot. Right now i'm sort of in a dream thinking hellfire this is a good day. Then all hell breaks loose with pheasant going everywhere. I have a couple of simple driven birds, then mess up the right of a left and right, then mess up the left of a left and right. Then clean miss the easiest bird of the day then eye-wipe next door behind with the second shot. Taking stock after the whistle i've had 9 shots and killed 6, sadly we only manage to pick 5 of them before we have to move on.

A long beat for us next proves fruitless for the beating line but there are a few shots for the standers. Our last stand and i'm on the end of the line with a little room to roam. First bird suprises me as i'm stalking a jay and looking the wrong way as it flushes miles in front of the line. Manage a hurried poke at it but miss completely. As the line passes me a cock bird rises and heads back towards me. I realise that it's going wide of me so quickly make about 15-20 yards to my right stop swing and shoot, a good distance out it folds up and drops dead. What a way to finish the day!

Total bag 74 with my contribution an immense 11. I shot like god himself!

[Bad Monkey]

Sounds like a good day, and a nice write up

 

Got my first beaters day of the season tomorrow, hoping it's a good one!