grouse

[ips]

Question.

On drive through moors in Teesdale I noted a huge number of white grit markers and wondered how often they needed to be replenished as it looks an arduous task given the number.

 

I don't know much about grouse shooting so interested also in how a typical driven day pans out from a beaters point of view, is it with or without beating dogs, what distances are covered per drive that sort of thing ?

[Westley]

Question.

On drive through moors in Teesdale I noted a huge number of white grit markers and wondered how often they needed to be replenished as it looks an arduous task given the number.

 

I don't know much about grouse shooting so interested also in how a typical driven day pans out from a beaters point of view, is it with or without beating dogs, what distances are covered per drive that sort of thing ?

Never seen the 'white grit markers' on any Grouse moors that I have shot on. As regards dogs, yes, dogs are used, but like any shoot, well trained dogs get invited to go again ! On most Moors the drives can be VERY long, and walking on a moor is NEVER easy. The drainage channels are always a step and a half apart, so it is 1 step, a half step and a jump which tends to be very tiring. Once, in Scotland, walking up Blackgame (NO not Crows) whilst sat having lunch, the Keeper was pointing out some distant 'hill' and announced that we would be walking that after lunch. We all laughed at his sense of humour, as it appeared to be in the next County we thought he was joking..............he wasn't ! I have stood in a Grouse butt for over 3/4 hour before seeing the first signs of birds. We once 'lost' 2 Beaters when the fog folded in. The shoot was stopped, that was around 11.00am. The Beaters turned up after 6.00pm in a village on the opposite side of the hill. Walked up Grouse can make you thankful you chose to take the 6lbs 2ozs. side by side !

I shot on the moor that appeared in 'Jack's Game' for several years.

Edited August 12, 2017 by Westley

[PERCE]

They're spring loaded / flexible at the the bottom as they wouldn't last 5 minutes if they were rigid. I'd have thought most keepers will have their grit box & trap locations gps'd as well.

[scotslad]

Never seen the 'white grit markers' on any Grouse moors that I have shot on. As regards dogs, yes, dogs are used, but like any shoot, well trained dogs get invited to go again ! On most Moors the drives can be VERY long, and walking on a moor is NEVER easy. The drainage channels are always a step and a half apart, so it is 1 step, a half step and a jump which tends to be very tiring. Once, in Scotland, walking up Blackgame (NO not Crows) whilst sat having lunch, the Keeper was pointing out some distant 'hill' and announced that we would be walking that after lunch. We all laughed at his sense of humour, as it appeared to be in the next County we thought he was joking..............he wasn't ! I have stood in a Grouse butt for over 3/4 hour before seeing the first signs of birds. We once 'lost' 2 Beaters when the fog folded in. The shoot was stopped, that was around 11.00am. The Beaters turned up after 6.00pm in a village on the opposite side of the hill. Walked up Grouse can make you thankful you chose to take the 6lbs 2ozs. side by side !

I shot on the moor that appeared in 'Jack's Game' for several years.

 

Must admit I don't think I've been on a moor with a proper gritting network tat hasn't used white markers, seen a few early attempts which were just pipe ducting but as perce say they just snap now usuaully and a piece of flexi ducting inserted to give it some play.

Been a an odd moor that till doesn' put a lot of grit out

I'm sure some may be gps'd but I'd imagine it wil be a pita looking at the gps handset while driving quad/6x6/argo over ruff ground.

 

as for usage It will depend on the ground and how much stone/flint is naturally available to the birds the big job last month wpuld be going round them all to shut of the medicated

 

 

I can count the number off decent well trained grouse keepers dogs I've seen on 1 hand, most are running amok 100's of m' away, but on a moor it doesn't do a lot of harm really

Seen a lot of truly shocking dogs on grouse moors, not unusal for some keepers not to see there dog all day and it just jumps in which ever atv is nearest and follows the crowd

 

The size of drives will vary massively moor to moor depending on the amount of birds, generally even on good Scottish estates drives will be far longer than on English moors.

Some Scottish drives could take in a complete small English moors on 1 drive,

Just a massive difference between the Scottish and English moors mostly down to climate nowadays as many moors have now heavily invested in keepers

I think the longest single drive I've done was 3.2 miles long (so the beat keeper told me) althou another moor I go to on it's last day try's to cram 2 days shooting into 1 and pushes 3 drives into 1 which is murder across steep faces and in/out ravines dunno how far but bloody torture

[PERCE]

I've been out 5 days since the 12th, 1st day on the flank & 4 days picking up. According to my phone I've done 91500 steps, it would be interesting to know how far the dogs have gone.

[tomaddy525]

I beat 3/4 days a week in teesdale - every single moor I have ever been on has white grit pegs. I tend to average 12 miles a day but today was 16.3 so can be big days, and I'll bet my hound does well over triple what I do

[ips]

Wow, and double wow