Blackpowder Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 I think I can claim to have been shooting since circa 1958 or 1959, and here I mean pheasant shooting mainly. First on my uncle's farm starting with a humble 9mm before buying a vintage Army and Navy hammer gun from a keeper friend. Eventually my shooting included Lindisfarne as one of the most least successful wildfowlers of all time. Eventually membership of a local shooting club and a home move brought me more shooting with the club, helpers days on a variety of Shoots. Also syndicate membership, sport which has continued to this day almost always a case of stand one drive beat the next as is the custom in DIY shoots. Some three years ago a friend having had a bit of financial good fortune, entertained seven of us to a driven day on a prestige shoot on the edge of the Lammermuir Hills on the northern rim of the old County of Berwick. This was an excellent experience , stand every drive and looking up from reloading your piece to see even more pheasants coming towards you, warm barrels and warmer feelings. This invite lead to others from another of the guests who was unable to get enough Guns from among his own friends. These invites have continued to the present season and last Saturday was a typical such day of Living the Dream. Living the Dream My friend picks me up in the local former county town at around 8 .30 am for the final 6 or 7 miles to the Shoot giving us an opportunity to exchange family, fishing and shooting news. We hang about the yard until our host and other guests arrive when we are ushered into the farmhouse for pre- shoot coffee. Shortly we are joined by the head keeper, numbers drawn safety talk and we are off to the first drive. I 've drawn 5 and when I see the peg it is apparent that the stands have been shifted left from last season and I really seem to be in pole position. Its the usual nerve tingling wait for the first birds to appear, but early on a single wily cock come sneaking down the fence line and decides to fly in time to give me a reasonable sporting shot where obligingly folds and drops to the first barrel. Its good to have early success a boost to confidence for the day. There is another wait for ten minutes before we hear the beaters tapping through the distant wood. Soon the first flushes appear and the next fifteen minutes are frantic, hit some miss some at least one right and left, with plenty really good pickers and dogs behind there is no need to mark birds down, and numbers get confused by the time the horn blows for the end of the drive. Forty five shells lie around me but there is a shell picker as well as a bird picker and I reckon I have 15 birds down for that. Drive 2 We number from the right and move up two so this makes me Gun 7 and back gun. The birds come in more of a trickle this time, where my two front guns seem to have the knack of dropping the bird I had selected dead at my feet. I mange 6 shots for a possible 4 a potential R and L at two cock birds saw them dropping rapidly into the wood behind hopefully to be picked by the two dog men behind. Two hens which my forward Guns miss are however dead in the air. Its now elevenses time, its hard work living the dream. Sloe gin- champagne are on offer but I opt for bullshot and a sizzling sausage or two. Drive 3 My favourite from my first visit here where I shot my first partridge for many years after seeing they were not in fact immature late hatchings from the wild. Its different this year, in a different field in fact. Ican see at peg 1 I shall either have a lot of shooting as the birds curve out over the road or none should they hold to the side of the wood. The latter is true. Peg two my hosts daughter does a spectacular eye wipe on number three some very high birds cross the centre of the line some pay the price and crumple to the shot. The pheasants on my side instead of flying out and over the stance carl back tight to the side of the wood. I have three rather ambitious shots at long crossers and fail to touch a feather. Now its lunch time, yep its a hard life. Back to the farmhouse where we can self serve about every spirit and wine you could imagine. I opt for tomato juice with a shot of Lee and Perrins to liven it up. Soon we are called to the dining room where a delicious chicken and leak pie with potatoes and veg is very satisfying(pastry on the top only) for those who are interested. Raspberry sponge follows then cheese and biscuits. Its a hard life. Drive 4 We are off uphill and down hill for the fourth and final drive where I am on peg three. Its one of those deceiving drives where the birds leave the wood at fence level and climb steadily over the guns standing in the valley. I have a feeling this will be a good stand and indeed it is. My host is next gun and knowing that the bag is well up I ask him if we should show restraint, if its decent shoot it is the reply. A trickle to start with then small flush after small flush. Again things become a blur, barrels become warm, there is a possible right and left again and two cracking hen birds stop dead in the air as if they had hit a brick wall. The horn blast marks the end of the day 23 shells that I can see and I think at least 14 birds down. Its back to the farm house again for tea ,cake and crumpets. We get our braces from the keeper, oven ready at that, and show our thanks for a fantastic day. That to me is indeed Living the Dream. The dream is all the more sweet as this is an Estate where I worked as an apprentice plumber in the mid - late 50s, befriended a beat keeper and bought a hammer gun from him. Thirty years later under a different regime I was for four or five years a regular beater and occasional loader. Now I have stood the other side and can only say it is a privilege which I enjoy to the highest degree. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 A fine and emotive post. Didn't you have mist last Saturday in the Lammermuirs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loriusgarrulus Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 Really good read. Thanks for writing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted December 6, 2014 Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 Cracking day out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted December 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2014 A fine and emotive post. Didn't you have mist last Saturday in the Lammermuirs? We had some Jdog but never enough to endanger anyone on the field or make the birds invisible in it. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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