My first beat

[Doc Holliday]

I've posted it here as I think it is more general shooting than anything else but move if you need to.

 

 

So, my first time beating. Like any good shoot, it was a bit of a mixed bag. Although I kind of knew the outline of what was required I didn’t really know the whole picture. I arrived about 10 minutes early, stopping by a bakers on my way in to get a shed load of doughnuts, being the new boy and all that, but unsure of the actual quantity. Seeing as the game keeper had already told me they found it hard to get beaters, I decided that 30 ought to be a good number. As it happens, the bakers was rammed with people waiting to be served so decided that being on time was more important than going loaded to the gunwales with treats that perhaps not everyone would relish.

I packed a pair of muck boot wellies and a pair of lined Craghopper trousers, just in case the jeans and old walking boots weren’t acceptable. Seeing that there were already a good number of vehicles in the vicinity of the gamekeeper’s cottage I knew my decision not to wait at the bakers was the right one. The gamekeeper’s wife pointed me in the direction of the other beaters and the tea/coffee. It was a large wooden structure, a cross between a lodge and a large shed. On entering, the gamekeeper met and greeted me, telling me to help myself to tea or coffee. He also told me they were running a tote and if I wanted to pay £1 could enter a number next to my name. I asked what the quality of the shooting was likely to be, to which he told me there were some bad guns on site today and wouldn’t be a great bag. I went over and seeing that the guesses already written down were high 300’s and low 400’s, opted for 392.

I tried ingraciating myself to one of two cliques but after being met with little more than grunts or one word sentences, decided to stand back and people watch for a bit. As it turns out, I wasn’t the only newbie there. Four others were also in the same boat but they were known to each other and the fellow beaters. Shortly before setting off the gamekeeper stood up and got everyone’s attention, telling them that there were a few new faces joining them today and that everyone should make us all feel welcomed. This was followed by a bit of an uncomfortable silence, or so it seemed. I counted the heads to see if my guestimate for doughnuts would have been right. 40 heads, including myself. Again, it was probably a blessing the bakers were so busy, plus I doubted they would have had that many doughnuts in stock.

I’d decided to change in to the Graghoppers and wellies, seeing as everyone one else was in over trousers and old boots, etc., and thought it would be prudent to take stock of this. We set off for the first drive, with everyone piling in to the back of the tractor drawn trailer. One of the senior hands, possibly the underkeeper or assistant underkeeper, said to someone that he couldn’t remember the last time he saw the trailer so full of beaters. The gamekeeper’s son introduced himself to me and I returned the cordiality.

We pulled up and were told to follow the underkeeper. They set us up and instruction given was to walk the woods quietly. It turns out that this was like a corralling exercise, to drive the pheasants to one end in readiness to flush them out when we came back from another angle/direction. Those that have been beating will probably be familiar with this. Other than walking your line and keeping in line with those to the left and right and listening to the instructions, it was pretty straightforward.

The first two drives were pretty standard, from what I can gather. The number of birds flushed wasn’t great, but wasn’t too shabby either. The third drive had me struggling to keep up with the line as the brambles really were the thickest, densest, snaggiest load of undergrowth I’ve ever had the misfortune to push through. Even beating them ferociously with my stick did little to cut a swathe through them and had me wishing I hadn’t left my machete in the van. The third drive was a little different. Again we were corralling the birds, but the line had to be offset, with the left being ahead. The gamekeeper asked me before setting off if anyone had told me what the plan was. As it happens, the gent to my right, one of the old hands, had taken the trouble to introduce himself and tell me what was going to happen. The woods gave way to a crop field of sweetcorn. This was interesting as it was probably 7ft high on average. If it were not for walking in a line then it would be very easy to get disorientated in there. At the halfway point the call went out to stand still. We continued on this, with the left swinging round at the end until we were all out. It was a lovely thing to see the birds taking off in flushes. A small rabbit, looking terrified, managed to dodge a swipe of the keeper’s stick as it bolted, looking for cover, which it found a little way down the line. Had the gamekeeper struck it then it would have knocked it in my direction and I was ready to grab it and dispatch it. Not that I was looking for any acceptance, but I feel that this probably would have shown that I wasn’t some Townie who had a passing interest in such matters, having dispatched rabbits before.

On the trailer to the fourth drive, an old boy was talking to one of his little group about us newbies and that we’d be walking like Douglas Bader. I found myself wondering if he actually knew what the real Douglas Bader was like. I was fortunate enough to know an old boy who had spent time in Colditz Castle and had the unfortunate task of carrying him from the shower block to the dorms. Let’s just say that he didn’t hold him in the same regard as many do.

This was the last drive before lunch and was for duck and pheasant. The duck drive only produced 4 for the bag. It seems the ducks were pretty smart as they were all on the field as we left. During the pheasant drive, I ended up behind a couple of the guns. A pricked bird landed about 12ft in front of me, close to a large Ash or Oak tree. I was mindful that the picker-ups would probably be on it eventually but the fact it wasn’t a clean kill and still moving had me thinking I ought to do the decent thing and dispatch it. I waited for the horn to sound the end of the drive/shoot and went out to do the deed. The underkeeper/assistant underkeeper called to me to walk straight out the way we had come. Feeling I had probably not done the right thing or followed protocol, I explained to him about the pricked bird. As it happens, it had gone to ground under a pile of logs and so I doubted the picker-ups would have got it. However, he thanked me for drawing it to his attention.

We stopped for lunch back at the beaters hut, which turned out to be a bit of a solitary affair again. After an hour I was getting a little restless so decided to stretch my legs. An old boy and his grandson were by the pickup used to bring the birds back and so asked them if they knew the tally of the mornings drives. It turns out it wasn’t even 200.

We eventually got moving again and had one last drive for the afternoon. This was the big one, apparently. The trailer pulled up and we disembarked. The old boy talking about Douglas Bader was sadly proved right. Several hours of lifting legs high and swinging them outward had overloaded my hip flexors and they were starting to cramp. If anyone has a remedy for this then I’d be glad to hear it.

The final drive of the day and again we were corralling the birds in to the woods. “Walk it quietly!” came the order. At the far end we were loaded in to the trailer and taken round to the far side of the woods. We walked it, driving the birds down to the far end. I have to confess that never have I seen so many birds in one spot. Some even didn’t break cover until you were either right on top of them or already past them which, when you think we were probably 10 – 15 feet apart on average, is quite something. I can’t help thinking that these were probably the smarter birds, along with those that chose to fly back over the line of beaters. Again, the order to stand still and walk it in came intermittently until we had flushed all the birds clear.

We were thanked for our efforts and made our way back to the keeper’s cottage. Again, I probably broke protocol for the second time that day, but I asked the underkeeper/assistant underkeeper if they wanted any help in picking up. He was polite enough but I just had the feeling that it wasn’t the done thing. As we got back to our vehicles, I hung around for a few minutes but everyone left pretty much straight away. Maybe I was expecting a little get together in the beaters hut and discussing how it went, or if only to find out what the final bag was.

Although I enjoyed the experience, it just bolstered what I already knew in that it is pretty much a tight knit group with most people not really opening to you until you have proved yourself in some way, hence the rabbit dodging the keeper’s stick. I’ve been asked to do another beat, this Friday as it happens and so long as work doesn’t take precedence, then I will probably go.

 

[JDog]

Doc, you did well and your report was an interesting read. Don't worry about the curmudgeons. Their loss.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Doc, you did well and your report was an interesting read. Don't worry about the curmudgeons. Their loss.

plus 1 and just enjoy the day and being out in the countryside, hope you get the chance of a beaters day to.

[Glenlivet]

Nice report.

 

'Nowt as queer as folk'!!!

[shoot and be safe]

I enjoyed reading about your experience, it is a shame that the other beaters didn't want to interact with you but at least it hasn't put you off going back again. It would be interesting to see how many of the other newbies go back and if the old school interact next time.

 

I'm dot defending their bad hospitality towards you in anyway, but they could have seen many new faces on the beaters wagon and don't feel the need to interact until their second maybe third outing. If that's the case, it is bad form in my opinion.

 

Anyway well done again on your day and thanks for taking the time to share with us.

[ph5172]

I enjoyed reading that write up.

 

Were you provided with Lunch and a Brace afterwards?

[Konnie]

good report,.

[kennett]

Although the keeper/s seemed blunt at the end of the day, they proabaly still a lot of work left to do, like feed round before it got dark.

Even on my little shoot, by the time I've hung it all up, counted it and told the boss, picked 8 good brace out for the guns, emptied the guns and beaters trailer, sorted the dogs and everything else most beaters have come and said a quick goodbye and left, to do their own dogs etc. As for asking about the picking up, don't be 2 offended, they will have a team of pickers up working all day so that will have all been taken care of.

[Cambsman]

Great read. However made me feel grateful for the little diy syndicate that I am a member of. There is no way a new member of the beating team would ever feel uncomfortable or left out of the fun. I much prefer the laid back attitude on smaller shoots. Hope it all goes well for the rest of your season.

[keg]

Great read. However made me feel grateful for the little diy syndicate that I am a member of. There is no way a new member of the beating team would ever feel uncomfortable or left out of the fun. I much prefer the laid back attitude on smaller shoots. Hope it all goes well for the rest of your season.

+1 I also get asked to shoot sometimes if someone drops out. It's a private syndicate and the camaraderie with both guns and other beaters is brilliant!

[Wilts#Dave]

Doesn't sound like a particularly enjoyable day to me, I take my hat off to you for wanting to go back for more!

Everywhere will have its little cliques to be fair and any situation where you arrive for the first time is often a little awkward, which is a shame as it can put you off....how did you come to go there beating for the first time, not knowing anyone?

I think the decision to not bring doughnuts was the right one too!

[activeviii]

As long as you have enjoyed you day then that's all that really matters. The gamekeeper will have the guns to deal with and the under keeper will have the feed rounds to do and getting the birds in the hi

 

We. Carts cleaned. Maybe dogin in to get the birds back to the pens. Normally its a couple hours left to do after the beaters have gone. I'm normally the last off the shoot by about 2 hours. Long days, so don't worry to much on the grumpy ones, we all get like it when the shoot captain gives it out.

[motty]

What was the deal with the rabbit? Why was anyone trying to hit it with sticks?

[silver pigeon69]

Sounds like you didn't have that much fun, which is a shame. i would find a much smaller, syndicate type shoot, who respect and appreciate their beaters. Not a large commercial one, where some of the beaters are as clicky as some of the guns. IMO the larger the comercial shoot, the worse you are treated by the guns and the staff/regulars and the less friendly they are. IMO it is unacceptble that you were not welcomed more by the other beaters and the Gamekeeper, who would not have a job without you and the beaters.

If they are shooting 200+ birds, they are charging £7000+ for the day. They should be paying you £20+(more if you bring a dog), providing lunch, giving you a brace of birds and (no matter how busy the gamekeeper is) taking a minute to ask if you enjoyed the day and to thank you for practically working for free!

[Doc Holliday]

Thank you guys. It's always good to get feedback. Even more so when it's positive.

 

I wasn't overly put out by the lack of interaction, probably just a tad surprised that no-one asked where my interest in it came from or even if I shoot. Still, as Shoot to be Safe said, it may take a few appearances before the cordiality flows.

 

No lunch provided. Had to bring our own. No brace at the end either. It was probably the hardest £30 I've earned in a long while.

 

I got the opportunity as I saw the keeper on his rounds last year and asked him about coming beating. They only had 2 shoots left on weekdays and work was pretty full on so couldn't make it.

 

As for the rabbit, it was just the gamekeeper that took a swipe at it as it pretty much ran right past him. I imagine he saw it as fair game, so to speak.

 

I'm sure that the syndicate shoots are a lot friendlier and possibly less formal, and possibly more fun to be involved with as a consequence, but this is an invitation only shoot so I imagine the shoot captain wants things done a certain way.

 

Anyway, thank you all for taking the time to read my field report and commenting.

Edited November 6, 2016 by Doc Holliday