Quarrybrae syndicate shoot

[Nmb]

Hello everyone!

Long time since i posted on here bit with the new season just ahead i will try and keep up with shoot day write ups this season!

Our first day is on the 9th of October so will be nice to get the Tweeds out again!

Im out feeding tomorrow will try and take some photos.

 

 

[bigroomboy]

Really looking forward to them again. What was the summary of the last season following the last update?

[Nmb]

1 hour ago, bigroomboy said:

Really looking forward to them again. What was the summary of the last season following the last update?

Thanks for the reply!

It was a tough season with drives that have been steady performers for years not holding birds and also tge ones present flying differently to the norm.

We were also the only shoot going ahead last season in the area so there wasnt the usual giving and taking of birds when wandering.

This year we have a slightly smaller membership and less birds but have upped the amount of gamecrop so it will be interesting to see how it works out.

It was hugely stressful organising the days last year with the two teams meeting seperately, peg numbers drawn online the night before, covid forms to sign and also having lunch apart so hopefully we can be back to something nearer the norm this season.

[Nmb]

Hello everyone!

We had our first shoot of the season on Saturday and despite things not going to plan everyone had an enjoyable day.

The day started warm and dry and as i checked the drives at first light things were looking good with the birds being in the right places and plenty of them!

Everyone starts to arrive from 8am onwards so after a chat, bacon roll and a coffee it was time to do the safety brief and draw the pegs.

The first drive of the season would be the Roughground for the A team so i would be beating for a start.

This is the best drive on the shoot and early indications were promising with plenty birds being seen in the first part of the drive. However as we got further through the drive without the usual barrage of fire it started to be concerning!

There were plenty birds but they all just lifted and went straight back over the beaters heads resulting in a dissapointing start to the season!

The next planned drive was the Blackout however sadly the farmer on this part of the shoot had passed away earlier in the morning so out of respect we decided to avoid the area and the 4 drives within it.

We decided to do Drumshalloch but it was a bit of a dissapointment with many of the birds avoiding the guns yet again with only a single pheasant shot along with a pigeon which fell to my gun. In hindsight we should have done kilduthie or the Willows but live and learn! 

Baldarroch continued the theme of birds not playing the game this time they skimmed over the guns low with only a few providing shooting.

After some sausage rolls and port it was time to do the new gamecrop drive near the Ruinwood and i had high hopes for this one as many birds had been seen during the week. It didnt dissapoint with plenty of birds testing the guns and giving a great taste of what is to come during the season!

Finally the game cart was filling and we hoped it would continue at containerwood.

I was in the middle of the line but yet again the birds didnt want to fly possibly not helped by the rain which had started during the previous drive and many passed at head height. This continued during the last drive Matt Steels but atleast we are seeing birds!

After a count of the bag and a coffee it was time to head home and reflect on a difficult day. Hopefully by the next shoot the birds will be stronger as this was certainly a problem.

Total bag

32 Pheasants

2 Pigeons

1 Jay

116 shots

[Mr grumpy]

Thanks for the review.almost felt like i was there!

[Nmb]

Our next shoot is this Saturday so hoping it runs more smoothly than the last one!

Drives were pegged yesterday and plenty birds seen so looking good!

[Nmb]

Hello everyone.

We had our second shoot of the season on Saturday and after a difficult first outing we hoped for a better day this time.

Upon arrival at about 07:00 it seemed like the weather would be good and dry with a decent breeze hopefully helping the birds 

After checking the drives and dogging in it was time for a bacon roll and coffee before the safety brief and peg draw.

I would be peg 6 for the Roughground and after such a poor drive here last time we were hoping it would be back to normal today and it didnt dissapoint. 

After a pheasant was shot early on by Mark on my right i managed to get the first pigeon of the day and the £18 that comes with it! After this a steady flow of birds were presented to all of the guns and despite them again trying to fly back over the beaters towards their pen we managed to add 21 Pheasants to the bag and 3 pigeons so a great start! I was shooting well and managed to bag 5 Pheasants and 2 Pigeons so my account was opened for the season!

Next up was the Ruinwood which has been looking busy when out feeding since the last shoot. The guns had barely loaded their guns before the action started and a fairly constant stream of birds flying strongly down hill over the guns resulted in the whole line having plenty of oppurtunities to add to the cart with some shooting better than others! 

With 46 head in the bag there were plenty of smiles during elevenses and after the lovely homemade pies supplied by Chris and a glass of port spirits were high!

The next couple of drives, Kilduthie and the Blackout were not quite as good as the previous two due to the birds not quite going the way we would have liked but this was no bad thing given its early season and we have another seven days to shoot.

The Ruinwood gamecrop was the star drive last shoot but they seemed pretty skittish with large amounts of birds flying out the side and to safety before we had even reached the gamecrop. Although it was hardly ideal there was enough birds left to give some good shooting although a moving of the pegs for next time might be needed to get the most from it! 

Last drive of the day was the Containerwood and as is usually the case a good show of birds were flushed and although the wind pushed many of them back there was still plenty to shoot at and a strong finish to to the day was ensured!

It had been a great day and despite some of the drives not quite going perfectly there was a really strong amount of birds in all the drives and they are starting to get some strength and height which is a great sign for the future!  Also having rested some good drives, Baldaroch, Bohill farm, Beeches, Clearfell, willows and Matt steels we have plenty of options to mix it up next time!

After a count of the bag and a coffee another day was done.

Total bag

75 Pheasants

3 Pigeons

248 Shots

 

[JDog]

Thanks for posting.

[Centrepin]

Good write up

[bigroomboy]

Great day!

[Nmb]

Wow it has been a long time since I updated this!

Having a 2 year old son is partly to blame and also the fact that last year's order of poults got cancelled meaning we only had 300 ducks to look after!

Luckily the estate our grounds on had managed to source birds and managed to come to an arrangement to give us our normal 9 days shooting on their area!

Happily we received 2000 pheasants and 400 ducks in early July and are eagerly anticipating our first shoot which is this Saturday (7th).

With the rising costs of pretty much everything its been tough balancing the books while still providing a good shoot for all involved.

Things are looking good for Saturday, the birds are well feathered and strong albeit being more adventurous than we would like!

I will put up a post on Sunday describing the day along with some photos.

Cheers

Nick 

[Nmb]

Hello everyone!

Our first shoot took place on Saturday and despite it raining non stop a good day was had by all.

i arrived at the shoot at 7:45 to help setup breakfast then i headed off armed with a couple bags of wheat, a flag and most importantly my dog! I like to spread some wheat on the straw rides we have and also dog in any early morning travellers!

The rain was forecast to be on all day which was far from ideal for birds being flushed for the first time. Everyone met up at the cabin and after a bite to eat, coffee and the safety brief it was time for the first drive of the season!

My team would be beating the Whitehouse drive first. This is basically a small strip of grass and broom mixed in with the odd tree that is situated within a couple of hundred yards from one of our signature drives The Roughground. We quietly got into position and began the drive. Unfortunately roughly 30-40 pheasants flew over our heads but despite this many more flew over the guns on their way back towards the Rough ground pen flying surprisingly well given the weather. With 20 Pheasants in the cart and my dad delighted to have shot the first bird of the season it was off to the next drive The Blackout.

This drive is a long thin strip of trees that runs down a fairly decent hill to a burn which is flanked by broom. the burn leads to another drive The Implements which our release pen is situated in. With this in mind we line the guns in front of the pen. I was peg 2 which is usually a pretty quiet one but today it was brilliant and after missing an early jay i managed to bag 5 pheasants on the trot to open up my account for the season! the birds were good here but with another shoot or two they could be a real challenge to take down!

The next drive Bohill was a disappointment with many of the pheasants flying over the beaters heads and the majority of the ducks which were meant to be the stars of the drive refusing to fly! Although it didnt go to plan its only the first day and im sure it will get better here!

Matt Steels followed and as always it was a steady bag filler and some frantic shooting was enjoyed as mini flushes burst from the trees and rough cover which the birds seemed to be sheltering in.

The Ruinwood can provide some great birds and today was no different with us pushing them up hill making them turn and head back down to their release pen. Numbers were low which we believe may have been caused by a large amount of birds being in the freshly lifted potato fields above the drive where they seem to be picking at the left over tatties!

Last drive of the day was The Containerwood and like Bohill earlier our ducks decided against flying but unlike Bohill this drive is full of Pheasants and a decent show of birds were to follow and the rain even halted... briefly. Much of the line is pegged along a line of hard woods and as they are still clinging to their leaves it made the shooting difficult but this wont last for much longer and this could be an amazing drive when the ducks start to make an impression!

With the horn sounded for the last time it was time to get the bag counted and retreat to the warmth of the bothy for a coffee and a chance to dry out! 

At this stage of the season its all about seeing potential and despite the Ruinwood and Bohill being poor there is enough to suggest it could be a good year. The rain didn't help either but many of the guns commented that the birds flew well. Oh and i won the sweep!

Total bag

59 Pheasants

3 Mallard

2 Pigeons

211 Shots

https://ibb.co/H7tnqVk

Edited October 9, 2023 by Nmb

[marsh man]

Brilliant account of your first days shoot , we have to take the weather as it come but rain all day is not the best weather you could had started with , the only good thing about rain this time of the year, if there is a good thing is it isn't normally cold , later on with darker days and the wind blowing from a cold direction then heavy rain can put a damper ( excuse the pun ) on the days sport.

Our first shoot is Nov 4th as we no longer have the early Partridge shooting and that is just a warm up day with a wild duck drive , a couple of Pheasant drives and a walk up on one or two Beet fields while it is still there , then two weeks later on the 18th we make a start on the full days .

Nice to know your dad is shooting and well done on winning the sweep 

[Nmb]

On 10/10/2023 at 09:20, marsh man said:

Brilliant account of your first days shoot , we have to take the weather as it come but rain all day is not the best weather you could had started with , the only good thing about rain this time of the year, if there is a good thing is it isn't normally cold , later on with darker days and the wind blowing from a cold direction then heavy rain can put a damper ( excuse the pun ) on the days sport.

Our first shoot is Nov 4th as we no longer have the early Partridge shooting and that is just a warm up day with a wild duck drive , a couple of Pheasant drives and a walk up on one or two Beet fields while it is still there , then two weeks later on the 18th we make a start on the full days .

Nice to know your dad is shooting and well done on winning the sweep 

Thanks for the reply!

Yeah thank goodness it was mild and the birds had got up to roost when it was dry the previous night!

I hope you have a great season when it comes around! I miss not having partridges on our shoot but given their cost we had to stop releasing them a couple years ago although my dad says he flushed one a few weeks ago so maybe a few still kicking about!

I'm hoping with the way things are shaping up we may get our first 100+ day this season but we shall have to wait until at least next week to find out! 

[Nmb]

Good evening everyone!

We had our second shoot of the season on Saturday. The weather was pretty dire but due to a lack of spare dates we decided to go ahead with a four drive day rather than the usual six and make sure we had our waterproofs on!

Driving about in the morning as usual i was pleased to see the pheasant's had not been blown away in previous couple of days storms! After this it was time for a chat with the rest of the squad and a bacon roll before the usual safety brief and peg draw.

My team would be shooting the Roughground first and i was peg number 1. It was a good drive and the birds flew well despite the wet conditions with the wind giving them a fair bit of speed! I was shooting terribly and missed 1 pigeon and 5 Pheasants before finally killing a nice cock bird! i was not alone and its fair to say our team should have had much more than 14 Pheasants in the game cart!

Next up was the Implements drive. This wouldn't be a first pick normally however due to the Blackout being flooded and the field we stand in for the Bohill  farm drive having cows in it we had little other options in the area! the wood was pretty flooded also which made it hard to beat and sadly only a single pigeon was shot. in hindsight we should have done Matt steels however we live and learn!

Next up was the ducks from the pond on  Bohill  which is behind the Bohill farm drive. a few pheasants were flushed which was a bonus, just as well as the ducks took off low and simply flew over the guns down the hill and into the huge splash which had formed after the storm! i did have a nice snap shot at a pigeon which made me feel better about my poor form on the day! With the persistent rain and birds that weren't reading the script we were all dreaming of a warm bowl of soup and a hot drink in the bothy!

Before this we were hoping to give the A team some shooting and the Containerwood usually performs well so hope was not lost. As we started to push the drive through it was clear there were plenty birds present and it wasn't long before a steady flow of shots rang out. This drive is really holding birds well this season and despite the ducks not quite working as we would have hoped it was still a great way to end the day.

After picking all the shot game it was a quick march back to the bothy which sits at the side of the drive for our soup and a coffee. It was not a day that will remain in the memory long in terms of shooting but it shows despite the poor weather we can still have an enjoyable day.

Total bag

29 Pheasants

7 Ducks

2 Pigeon

141 Shots

 

[Nmb]

Hello everyone! 

A bit late with the shoot update but here we go!

We had our third shoot on the 4th of October and finally we had a dry day! 

It's been a tough start due to all the storms and wet weather but things looked to be shaping up well with a decent amount of birds in the drives on the morning of the shoot.

Everyone seemed to be smiling as they enjoyed a roll and coffee and the p**s taking seemed to have increased a bit with the dry weather which is part of what makes the shoot so much fun!

As per normal the Roughground would kick off proceedings with the A team shooting. It never disappoints and a steady flow of birds throughout the drive meant 17 pheasants in the bag and a pigeon. It was noted at this drive and the day as a whole that the birds were flying well!

Next up was Drumshalloch for my team and due to the way the middle of the line sits in a dip in front of the wood and broom the birds tend to fly well. This was the case today with the first few beating the line before they got their act together and started to fill the cart! I only had a single shot which resulted in a retrieve for the dog so a good start! 

Elevenses followed with some nice cooked meat and cheese plus some sweeter treats providing an energy boost alongside some sloe gin and in my case a nice cigar!

Next up was the Blackout drive and bohill ducks combined. There wasn't as many pheasants in the Blackout as normal but what we did flush provided some good testing birds and a warm up for the ducks. For this the guns were positioned at the bottom of the hill in front of the bohill wood and out of sight of the duck pond. The ducks lifted well and by the time they reached the bottom of the hill over the trees were very high! Despite the height many great shots were taken and many stories were told about birds taken afterwards! 

After such a high the next two drives were disappointing the willows had a fox run through and at Matt Steels most of the birds were in the moss behind the guns which was a shame. 

Last drive was the Containerwood for my team and as always it was a cracker. The birds flew well and although many were shot alot more should have been added to the cart! It was a good end to the day however the ducks refused to fly which has been an issue all season here!

With the horn sounded for the final time it was time for a coffee and some soup!

At this point of the season you can start to see where the shoots at. The big drives are as good if not better than normal however we seem to be relying on them quite heavily as the lesser drives don't seem to have as much pheasants as normal. The ducks have been an issue as I mentioned but I think we may have managed to almost get them going so hopefully they can give us a good show next time!

Total bag

45 Pheasants

22 Ducks

1 Pigeon

278 shots 

Ps next shoot is this Saturday so hoping to get my team of cameras set up so I can video some of the action for here!

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Nmb

[Nmb]

Sorry for the lack of updates!

We have a shoot on Saturday so will do a little shoot report and try and get some photos.

We had a huge dump of snow on Sunday and it's been added to every day since so the birds are back into the drives again!

Only issue is the road to our bothy is pretty tough to get along!

[Nmb]

Hello everyone!

Just an update about our season. Last few days were a struggle and despite being great in terms of banter and fun we were really lacking in bird numbers!

The pheasants were pretty poor overall with some banker drives failing to deliver all season which then pressured the others that did have some game!

The ducks in one pond did brilliantly all season and provided shooting right upto the seasons end whilst the other ponds birds would not fly at all! 

We have agreed a new 3 year lease and have had our agm with nobody dropping out which is a great boost and shows that big bags aren't everything! 

This season we will be releasing 2300 pheasant poults plus 500 day olds we will rear ourselves. 

We will also have 500 ducks and a few of us are going to hatch some red legs as a bonus probably somewhere between 200-400.

We have secured several areas of game crops which we didn't have last year so I'm hopeful with some good old graft during the spring and summer it could be a good season.