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Calling "Forward!" when birds are flushed


Jim Neal
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Had a bit of a strange matter crop up at our AGM a few weeks ago. Chatting about it with another member yesterday reminded me to put a post on here about it.

 

Someone raised an objection to the beaters calling "Forward!" when birds are flushed. Their reason was it should be left to the guns to realise if a bird is flushed in their direction. He says he has never been on a shoot where the flush is called... I've personally never been on a shoot where it isn't!

 

We are a 20-gun DIY syndicate.

 

Other people's thoughts and opinions?

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Its ok if the bird is coming forward. I have heard forward -right- left- back for the same bird at our club shoot, depending upon which way the caller was facing at the time. As an aged keeper told me years ago when I was calling FORWARD, "son" he said, " if they cant see a pheasant coming towards them they should not be standing there." Quietness is best.

 

Blackpowder

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It gets used a lot on walk and stands, as does 'back' for obvious reasons.

 

Being a beater and working hard to get birds over guns when they are day dreaming or looking at their shoes, they need more than shouting at at times!

On our beaters days as none of us are mega experienced and to be honest a lot are pretty old, we quite often point at a gun who may not have seen a bird heading their way, that can work just as well.

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Depends on the shoot. On a 100 plus driven day I feel it is unnecessary and inappropriate. However on smaller days, where the you may only kill half a dozen birds out of a drive I feel it is useful and helps to wake up a few of the daydreams. Nothing is more annoying then shouting OVER OVER to your neighbour who has his gun broken, is daydreaming and by time a shot is fired the bird is 50 yards behind.

Edited by zipdog
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I dislike it on those shoots I hear it as I'd rather just be alert. Save for our annual woodcock trip where I think it is important to add to the pressure on my fellow guns by bellowing "woodcock" at the slightest sign of one, and sometimes even when there isn't one too just to keep them on their toes.

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It gets used a lot on walk and stands, as does 'back' for obvious reasons.

 

Being a beater and working hard to get birds over guns when they are day dreaming or looking at their shoes, they need more than shouting at at times!

On our beaters days as none of us are mega experienced and to be honest a lot are pretty old, we quite often point at a gun who may not have seen a bird heading their way, that can work just as well.

 

 

 

just what i was going to say.........................on full driven days (posh ones) the guns dont want to hear anything or even see the beaters....beaters are only allowed to tap their sticks.........i dont like that sort of thing....but i also dont like shouting and whistling on a driven shoot......and i like mixing and having a larf with the beaters and dog boys..

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I always got told to call them out especally for back guns ! but this was on a smaller shoot.

 

However on the shoot I beat for now its no noise just flagging, but is frustraighting working hard to get the birds over well, only to see loads sail over because the guns arent paying attention.

 

ATB

 

Matt

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I always got told to call them out especally for back guns ! but this was on a smaller shoot.

 

However on the shoot I beat for now its no noise just flagging, but is frustraighting working hard to get the birds over well, only to see loads sail over because the guns arent paying attention.

 

ATB

 

Matt

more for beaters day.

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I always got told to call them out especally for back guns ! but this was on a smaller shoot.

 

However on the shoot I beat for now its no noise just flagging, but is frustraighting working hard to get the birds over well, only to see loads sail over because the guns arent paying attention.

 

ATB

 

Matt

 

 

 

more for beaters day.

 

 

Sure is :good:

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There are fors and againsts but In some shoots where there can be hundreds of birds near the flushing line it can can cause a mass flush which is very wasteful of the potential. Anyway there are so many birds on the flush that there is no need to call out because the pegs are there watching their front and if they are on their mobile then the call must be more important to them so they wont shoot anyway. I can see it as a bit of desperation on a small shoot where every bird counts and there may be only a handful of birds per drive.

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"........on their mobile?".

Yes. several times I've seen a gun walk off his peg and spend the whole drive on the phone mooching about randomly behind the line with a mobile glued to his ear. I suppose it all depends on what sort of deal is being done or what problem is being sorted out. it's all reflective of how much money these people are on. The shooting is just an incidental social activity. One of the son in laws who is a very good shot was on a corporate day this last season and half of the line hardly knew which was the pointy end. on one drive he felt that he had, had enough good birds and drew the next gun onto his peg which was a better peg and spent that drive and a bit of the next one showing the gun which birds to take and how to take them. it was a win win situation. The gun was made up with his day and SIL felt a lot of satisfaction from helping the man out and to enjoy the day. friendships were made and cards exchanged.

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