Maddaftspaniel Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 A great report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Why is it seen as great sport to shoot at pheasants that are almost impossible to hit or kill ( as the shot count confirms ) yet high shooting on a marsh considered very bad and unsporting behaviour Not a dig at you maddaftspaniel but just shows how the two sports differ . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshAndy Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Totally agree with you fenboy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossEM Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Insert "...I take it you were using non toxic on those ducks..." comment here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Insert "...I take it you were using non toxic on those ducks..." comment here Over my head that one , unless you refer to him shooting ducks with lead , which he can do in Scotland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoot and be safe Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 A great report.+1 Yes, a high ratio, but there is only 1 George Digweed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddaftspaniel Posted November 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Insert "...I take it you were using non toxic on those ducks..." comment here We were shooting driven duck over grassland and heather..........................lead is permitted Why is it seen as great sport to shoot at pheasants that are almost impossible to hit or kill ( as the shot count confirms ) yet high shooting on a marsh considered very bad and unsporting behaviour Not a dig at you maddaftspaniel but just shows how the two sports differ . The pheasants on the Crags were killable.........................................just not by me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alastair0903 Posted November 27, 2014 Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 Great day had there , I would love to have had a go at them . Don't listen to the haters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddaftspaniel Posted November 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 My view on the first drive Views of the terrain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul taylor Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 Sounds and looks great! Glad you had a good day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neillfrbs Posted November 28, 2014 Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 rather be in a queue fighting for a knocked down tv. lol looks and sounds a great day ,something i want to experience one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RossEM Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 We were shooting driven duck over grassland and heather..........................lead is permitted The pheasants on the Crags were killable.........................................just not by me! Yeah, I know. Was a long day yesterday. Apologies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorianbuilders Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 I've been beating at Whitehouse and Borland about 4 times and Steve Andrews the Head Keeper there really knows his stuff and is a really good bloke. The way he hand feeds birds to create the drives you shot is fantastic, they used to have a drive there known as everest which was renowned but unfortunately they lost it when the lease was renewed from my memory. I've been lucky enough to have a walk around day there on my own as a favour which was very kind, and been able to watch the shooting there from behind with the picker ups and they really are high birds! Does he have an underkeeper now, last time he was on his own? Was Steve Makin still there helping him out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddaftspaniel Posted November 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 I've been beating at Whitehouse and Borland about 4 times and Steve Andrews the Head Keeper there really knows his stuff and is a really good bloke. The way he hand feeds birds to create the drives you shot is fantastic, they used to have a drive there known as everest which was renowned but unfortunately they lost it when the lease was renewed from my memory. I've been lucky enough to have a walk around day there on my own as a favour which was very kind, and been able to watch the shooting there from behind with the picker ups and they really are high birds! Does he have an underkeeper now, last time he was on his own? Was Steve Makin still there helping him out? 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcmt Posted December 7, 2014 Report Share Posted December 7, 2014 Great report! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moor man Posted December 7, 2014 Report Share Posted December 7, 2014 Great write up, sounds like an epic day to remember. I shot my highest bird to date this past weekend and its very satisfying. Only the gun on the peg can decide what is fair game. I was lucky to be asked to swap from beating to shooting for the last two drives of our day. After a blank on the first drive I found myself miles down a valley amongst trees and out of sight and sound of everyone...... missed a woodcock cleanly with both barrels then shortly after, the same on a cockbird. After what seemed an age a hen bird came rocketing down the valley to my left, instinctively swinging the gun, letting my subconscious brain do the calc and hey presto! a clean kill on the ground and a big smile on my face. Ignore the haters and keep on shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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