Suffolk shooter Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Right, after helping out Ferretboy111 on his shoot beating today, I have to say my admiration and praise goes to anybody involved in beating and especially those who do it day in, day out in the season. Had my first experience of walking through a large field of Sugarbeet, and all I can say is oh my god. I know it was wet and this made it even harder than normal (So I am reliably told), but what a nightmare it is to step over it, round it, through it. Some of the "dense" (Alex, you really need to come on our shoot to see dense) hedgrows, woods, spinneys i have no problem with, been doing that sort of thing ever since i moved up here 20 years ago. (Walking not beating). The maize today albeit thick and oh so very wet and boggy, enjoyable (Sad aren't I). But that beet did me in, going slightly uphill at the start just made it worse. I mentioned to Martin Cavie about how tough I found it, (I smoke, so my own fault really) But even he admitted he had found it hard going, and he doesn't. Smoke that is. We got to talking and I said that if this was bad, how bad must it be for those guys who beat on grouse moors, trying to walk through all that heather, uphill and downhill !!!!!! So all in all, those of you who beat, my admiration goes out to you, because with out you us rich (Martin's words not mine) guns wouldn't have anything to shoot at or anybody to moan at when we miss or the drive goes wrong Question for you though, in you the beaters opinion, what would you say was the toughest cover you have to contend with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Brambles in a plantation of spruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 The toughest cover for me was in a wet wood where you could sink any minute as it was marshy, but i feel the toughest thing for me is to know how im tackling the drives and where to put people, but once thats sorted as you saw today things go swimmingly. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poacher Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 thick brambles on an incline uphill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 It's ok when you develop the beaters walk SS. It's so pronounced you can spot them walking down the high street especially the lads that beat the moors! LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 I'm so unfit anything bothers me. 1:1000 gradient, slightly long grass, anything approaching moist on the mud front Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poacher Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Forgot to add heavy mud that sticks like the proverbial to a blanket, doesn't help either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead-Eyed Duck Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Unsung heroes we are Can't beat (pun!) climbing uphill on gooey, clay soil in lashing rain with the keeper hollerin "Keep the bloody line straight!" Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancs Lad Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 going through rhodeys...........with boggy woodland....and brambles......... sometimes wish I was a springer............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 The toughest beat I have done is on your shoot. The thing that made it easier was the fact that I shot a woodcock whilst trying to get through it. I think walking through a brick wall would be easier. Mind you I do agree with you about the sugar beet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatingisbest Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 one of toughest drives i have done is a bramble infested christmas tree plantation it was so dense that you had to lie down and pull yourself along the ground and also a day when it was tipping it down all day. Oh and i used to do all that for no money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millomite Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 The bracken on this fell side in winter when there is no grip, its soaking, its blowing a gale and is knee deep in bog in some places Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fulltimeshooter Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Bramble, nettle and mud up to your shins and on steep inclines might I add is one of the hardest ones on my shoot and it takes hours to blank it all in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkey Posted November 26, 2006 Report Share Posted November 26, 2006 Our toughest drives are through forrestry commision land/wood the worse one is up hill. the term wood is used losely as they thinned it out a week oor so before major gales. the trees then felled themselves like dominoes. the trees were only cleared out if any good. Now we are left with a drive uphill that has trees laying across it covered in bramles the worse thing is the holes where the trees have been up rooted and brambles have grown over the top so when ya go to step over the brambles you end up with the usual holler from the line of (hold the line man down) oh well all good fun what else could i do every other sat for 4 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.