Shooting / Beating Wanted around Nottingham

[evolution380]

Open to any oppurtunities to get my foot in the door along with my cousin. Both new to shooting however would like any opportunities for vermin control or even beating to get to know people.

 

Both very respectable and in our late 20's willing and eager, not just to shoot but to learn the craft and help land owners with pest issues.

 

We have both had a fair few shotgun lessons and my cousin has been a member at rifle clubs for a few years now so gun etiquette and responsibility on land is of no issue.

 

I myself am in the Architecture profession whilst my cousin is ex military now Telecommunications Engineer. Both willing to help in our specified professions where we can and even get our hands mucky if we can help around the land in appreciation for any opportunities. I'll personally get the landowner and their partner a favourite tipple for each at Christmas and a lions share of any bags should they wish.

 

We have Air Rifles at the moment but both due for our shotgun licenses within the coming weeks.

 

I often hear somebody shooting shotguns most mornings from 7am weekdays and weekends, so must be a land owner around the hucknall / linby area happy to give permissions to suitable candidates or maybe even with a pest problem he's trying to control himself.

 

Neither of us are selfish, we appreciate any help and pride ourselves on having a good character and building relationships with land owners and fellow guns.

 

A

Edited July 13, 2017 by evolution380

[evolution380]

Just to add..

 

We are both fully insured members of BASC and members of both a Local Shotgun Club and Rifle Range.

[marsh man]

If I was you I would put the feelers out to the head keepers or shoot captains on any local estates near you offering your services for the coming season to do regular beating , if you can make it during the weekdays then you have a slight advantage as most people can make it on a Saturday.

 

When I say regular I don't mean the odd day when you feel like it , by being relied on you need to turn up on all there dates or as many as you can make it , even if it means putting in for a days holiday on a shoot day .

 

You will then be talking to like minded people and doors will begin to open with the odd cock day , roost shooting and possibly a bit of decoying . Good luck and start looking now as the Partridge season is only two months away .

[ips]

As above. Its the only way in.

[ips]

Have you found anything??

[evolution380]

Have you found anything??

 

 

 

I've got my name down to do a couple of beats later in the year, pending a call from the organisers etc. but nothing set in stone until I get the call so fingers crossed.

 

Spoke to a few local land owners (farmers equestrians etc. with not much luck as people already have perms on their land or there dis-interested). I'm also being as honest as possible as it's only right and I imagine someone who is only 28 with no previous shooting experience aside from clays is probably too high risk in their mind. Although one of the first things I heavily read up was how to decoy etc. safely. Just going to stick at it and hopefully something will come of it, would be nice to get something with somebody experienced and learn the craft. I'm not the type who just wants to go and shoot, I enjoy the reconnaissance aspect of it, setting up the decoy patterns and building an effective hide.

 

I drive past fields all the time to and from work staring at pests destroy crops (quickly avoid an oncoming car) before picking up flight lines and working out where i'd build a hide knowing i've already been declined by that land owner.

 

I even contacted John at NPPC as they hold numerous permissions which they offer out to their members. I explained my position and noticed they had a training course, I was advised as I'm a complete novice I can't be accepted to the course and there are no permissions anywhere near me anyway. So I thought best to avoid that pursuit.

 

It is frustrating as we all have to start somewhere although I understand the hesitation of letting a youngish lad roam about your land with a shotgun but I'm constantly researching to develop my understanding before I hit the field, I'll always listen to advice to and appreciate any mentoring available.

 

I'm trying numerous things to get my foot in the door to no avail at the moment:

 

- I dress smart when meeting face to face and i'm not overbearing

- I research the land through OS Surveys and then when face to face i'll even mention where i've seen a lot of crows etc.

- I bought an air rifle even though it's not something i enjoy as much as the shotgun to start smaller and help around barns etc.

- I meet them in my land rover defender and tell them i'm always happy to help with my hands and vehicle on their land

- I tell them my job and offer my professional services (architecture) happy to give free advice and drawings etc.

- I'm thoughtful and declare I wouldn't damage boundaries, litter etc. and could be there eyes and ears.

- My lady is a horticulturist to so i've had her show me how to lay hedges so I can help secure boundaries with landowners

consent. Only use fibre wad etc. and pick up all spent cartridge cases.

- Fully paid member of BASC

 

 

Going to do a bit of local community work help laying hedges, planting and mproving the local woodland.. hopefully i'll bump into some like minded folk. If not the karma may be my only hope

 

My father in law has a lot of farmer/landowner friends so he's going to dust off his shotguns and tap them up and try help get a foot in the door. Unfortunately he's rather busy at the moment so I don't like to bother him about it so that will probably more next year when that door opens.

 

Bloody hell what an essay, in answer to your question No not yet but potentially in the future

 

Sorry about that!

[ips]

Well I think you would be an assett to any shoot. You have done your homework, you have been totally honest, you are obviously a very nice chap so you deserve to find something. I am a relative newbie to game myself having moved over from a thirty plus year clay campaign so I know how frustrating it can be. Believe me the best possibly your only way in is to get on a shoot as a beater doors via networking will then open. I don't like to sound negative but I think unless you know a land owner personally you have very little chance of getting anything.

I wish you luck in your endeavour.

 

Come on PW folk somebody must be able to help with beating 👍

Edited August 14, 2017 by ips

[evolution380]

Well I think you would be an assett to any shoot. You have done your homework, you have been totally honest, you are obviously a very nice chap so you deserve to find something. I am a relative newbie to game myself having moved over from a thirty plus year clay campaign so I know how frustrating it can be. Believe me the best possibly your only way in is to get on a shoot as a beater doors via networking will then open. I don't like to sound negative but I think unless you know a land owner personally you have very little chance of getting anything.

I wish you luck in your endeavour.

 

Come on PW folk somebody must be able to help with beating

 

 

Thanks IPS

 

Very much appreciated, hopefully the father in law will help on that endeavour and introduce me to a few farmers.

 

Always happy to beat and get to know new folk and have a good day out regardless of if it leads to anything, would be nice if it did mind.

[kyska]

 

 

Thanks IPS

 

Very much appreciated, hopefully the father in law will help on that endeavour and introduce me to a few farmers.

 

Always happy to beat and get to know new folk and have a good day out regardless of if it leads to anything, would be nice if it did mind.

Where in Notts are you? I've got two shoots near me that will always take beaters, and they run on alternate weekends.

[ips]

Where in Notts are you? I've got two shoots near me that will always take beaters, and they run on alternate weekends.

There you go 👍

 

Nice one kyska 👍

[evolution380]

Where in Notts are you? I've got two shoots near me that will always take beaters, and they run on alternate weekends.

Thanks for heads up Kyska,

 

I'm in Linby just off junction 27 of the M1 but travelling isn't a worry as I'm driving 2 hours to do another beat

 

Feel free to PM me any info!

 

Appreciated.

 

There you go

 

Nice one kyska

 

 

Cheers Ips, the bump was very useful

[ips]

👍

[ips]

Has this two hour drive one only just come up then ??

[evolution380]

Has this two hour drive one only just come up then ??

 

 

No nothing confirmed it's one of the beats I have my name down to do but I may or may not get asked to go or even contacted, but based on the little info I have available to me the county it's located in will take me circa 2 hours to drive to, maybe longer dependent on exact location.

 

I should have said 'I may be driving 2 hours to another beat, if i get contacted'.

Edited August 14, 2017 by evolution380

[ips]

I see, I thought you had suddenly got inundated 😁

Keep it as local as you can but accept anything doo able.👍

 

What you need is a dog 😉 when you find a local ish shoot offer to help the keeper dogging in, you will definitely be a popular chap then 😁

[evolution380]

I see, I thought you had suddenly got inundated

Keep it as local as you can but accept anything doo able.

 

What you need is a dog when you find a local ish shoot offer to help the keeper dogging in, you will definitely be a popular chap then

 

Unfortunately I have a dog, a lakeland terrier so no gun dog

 

Even the local farmers cat sits on our lane and doesn't move as my dog sniffs at it, before getting annoyed and engaging ninja cat mode to which my dog then wonders off.

 

Probably be ok at ratting but if he got hold of any game etc. you wouldn't get it back in one piece.

 

He hates birds and charges at them in the hedges etc. so may be ok for rough shooting on my own or with someone with a very good sense of humour but he would be very unruly on a beat and wouldn't be appreciated by a gamekeeper.

 

He was raised as a pet by the girlfriend before we got together so it is what it is. Next dog definitely a gun dog though! Although I do love the lakeland for his character!

 

upload image sites

Edited August 14, 2017 by evolution380

[ips]

Ha, 👍

Tell the Mrs you absolutely have to have a spaniel and that's that 😁

 

I told my Mrs only the other day "I absolutely have to have another cocker" ... I hope you have more success than I 😉

[evolution380]

Ha,

Tell the Mrs you absolutely have to have a spaniel and that's that

 

I told my Mrs only the other day "I absolutely have to have another cocker" ... I hope you have more success than I

 

 

I do love the cockers, my neighbour who lives down the road has a cocker and it's a cracking dog, can't separate our dogs when they meet as they go mad running around after each other!

 

I'll have to try and use that as an excuse

[ElvisThePelvis]

Why not approach local shoots and offer to do some ratting?

[evolution380]

Why not approach local shoots and offer to do some ratting?

 

 

Any good resource to find any local shoots? Not come across any so far, but may not be looking in the right place.

[ips]

Its difficult as most are not publicised or indeed visible. Ask local rfd. Have you looked on facebook there is a group called "jobs for beaters" or something. Quite active apparently

[evolution380]

Its difficult as most are not publicised or indeed visible. Ask local rfd. Have you looked on facebook there is a group called "jobs for beaters" or something. Quite active apparently

 

 

believe it or not i requested to join that group last night, just pending approval

 

Drove to see my grandad last night and remembered there is a lot of farmland around there, I'm going to pop over this evening and ask if I can be of any assistance as they haven't harvested any of the fields around there and the weather looks nice again! One can hope.

[labstaff]

Try looking on spiders appeal. It lists all the shoots he's been on. There's no contact details for the shoots but at least you know what's about.

[evolution380]

Try looking on spiders appeal. It lists all the shoots he's been on. There's no contact details for the shoots but at least you know what's about.

 

 

Cheers Mate found a few farm names which I'll ring around.

 

Even delved into trying to tap up Gamekeepers to see if I can assist in anyway, literally happy to do anything from getting my hands dirty to doing a run in the defender to pick up stuff, i'm not shy to a bit of work and it could be a good way to build trust and rapport. My missus works evenings a lot to so I'd be happy to get home from work chuck on the some appropriate attire and go and help do anything I could just to get my name out there.

 

Feels like an uphill battle at the moment, think I need to leave some Facebook groups as my news feed is full of peoples bags for the day etc. and it's rather disheartening.

 

Tried tapping up local shooting clubs which are unfortunately full and disinterested.

 

From joining a few groups I've heard good things of Toby at Warwickshire pigeon shooting so I've messaged him to book a day to just get out the house with the gun and unfortunately he's a bit chocker at the moment so have to see if anything transpires.

[ips]

I feel your pain mate....

I can only reiterate what's been said your only way in imho is via beating and or befriending a keeper. You would of course have a much better chance with either if you had a working dog. From my limited experience the whole scene is very much about networking but once your in doors open rapidly, sometimes doors to things you never even thought or hoped to be doing.

 

I sincerely hope you get an offer / opening from somewhere as having only got involved with the game later in life (50 to be precise) and time now ticking I so wish I was your age when I started and not an old duffer. I often wonder if people shoot clays because they can't see them selves being able to get "an in" to game and or rough shooting a sort of something rather than nothing. One thing is for sure as far as I am concerned as nice as the clay scene is it ain't a patch on "the real thing"

 

You will get there eventually, I m sure of it 👍