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Would You Say Anything ? If So What ? .


marsh man
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19 minutes ago, Scully said:

This is the main reason I stopped beating at a local shoot. Beaters day was one of no guns returning the favour, which meant the beaters had to stand one beat one, which nobody minded as it was still an opportunity to shoot, but one year the guns turned up but instead of beating, stood behind all those beaters young and old and shot the birds they missed. Not only was it humiliating for those beaters who weren't particularly good shots, but it also meant some of them were actually beating yet again for the guns, on keepers day, none of whom took a turn to beat! I was fuming. Have never been back. 

Nobody expects any guns to turn up on the present shoot I beat, on keepers day as the shooting days are bought on a commercial basis. We will beat one stand one which none of us mind, then back to the pub to get fed and make a mess of ourselves. 🍺🍺🍺🍺

I wouldn't have liked that situation neither Scully and knowing some of our beaters neither would they .

I can only comment on the two shoots I go on , the one concerning the above thread I have been going on there for just over 50 years with only a three year break while serving in the R N , the other one where I am Saturday I have been going for around 30 years and the only days I miss is if the other shoot dates clash and then I give the top one priority due to my free hand at pigeon shooting and being employed for nearly 30yrs until retirement .

Both shoots are excellent on beaters ( day's ) as we often have two on each , on the big one , it is two teams walk and stand with eight drives ( cocks only , duck and a limited number of Woodcock ) and a 100+ bag expected.

The smaller shoot is stand all day while the guns do the beating , both cocks and hens are included as they start afresh each year , we often have two days because not everyone can make it on the first day , last year the bags were close on 80 both days.

Overall we don't hear many beaters knocking other shoots on there beaters day , maybe there are a lot of shoots in the area and ( good ) beaters are well sort after , I know one commercial shoot  where a 300 bird day on beaters day is often talked about and there are no shortage of commercial shoots .

 

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I judge a real gentleman  by the size of the tip. on a free day, £50 for the keeper and £10-20 per beater is the absolute minimum. And they have still had a ridiculously cheap day.

Tips are a massively good investment in the shooting world ,  they buy status and recognition. next year you get invited back, the keeper loves you, the beaters love you and for what? Peanuts really.

Its an old fashioned view but its a disappearing world

Edited by Vince Green
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We get two beaters at least days on the estate i beat on and shoot on

Normally split into two teams  walk one shoot one 

But last season there was a great turn out where some beaters will not or can not shoot and prefer to beat .So all us guns were standing most of the time

So we have three pots in the beaters cabin

one for the most shots fired  highest wins

One for the most birds shot nearest to total wins

And one where all shooters puts £10 to pay the beaters that do not shoot

It works well and we have great days with the banter flowing most bring food and drink

Two seasons back we had three days lined up But a team of shooters decided to take an extra day  so we beat all day for them and they managed  an 80 bird day

We went out next day on beaters day and shot 100 birds

The next day we shot 250 birds  Not bad for an end of season shoot  Walking one shooting one

Plus the estate owner joins in the beating team also brought a bottle of port but had to go home for another

Great bunch of blokes

Some of us are invited to the owners family day where i work the dogs but can shoot too. Beaters get paid but us with guns do it foc as we normally shoot more than the family

Happy days enjoyed by all and that is what it is all about

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11 hours ago, Vince Green said:

I judge a real gentleman  by the size of the tip. on a free day, £50 for the keeper and £10-20 per beater is the absolute minimum. And they have still had a ridiculously cheap day.

Tips are a massively good investment in the shooting world ,  they buy status and recognition. next year you get invited back, the keeper loves you, the beaters love you and for what? Peanuts really.

Its an old fashioned view but its a disappearing world

If u take that at face value he could be a **** all day but as long as has a thick wallet its all ok??

In all my years of shhooting/keepering never heard of beater being tipped by a gun before.

On 1 shoot a picker uper was tipped this year, which i've never heard of before either and caused a bit of friction (the worst of it is his dogs are terrible, he hangs about at guns feet all day and his dogs run wild aroud the guns al drive and a very noisey handler too)

 

MM Must admit in this incidence it just sounds like been a long day for the guns and mibee in a hurry to get to there meal.

Esp if he shoots there relatively often and knows many of ur names.

1 of the shoots i go to strugles to do 4-5 drives most days even earlier in season by time they have 11's etc and all faffing about

 

While i agree manners/politiness/smile costs nothing u see it all the time in everyday life, so it really doesnae bother me if i see it on a shoot day, i have a good craic with the pickers/beaters anyway..

Generally when i pick up i always volanteer to be the furthest dogs away and prefer to get those few runners way back than sweep up dead birds that aren't going to move.

Quite happy to sweep when i have got all the long birds but not very often guns are anywhere near when i get there. But usually a picker closer to the guns for those birds

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Scotslad .... As for tipping the beaters , this is new to me and something I have never come across , yes we have had the odd bottle of drink or a tin of chocolates on the pre Christmas shoot from one of the regular guns or the owner .

Some years the keeper pays for the end of season meal , or if there are a lot who turn up he pay for a round of drinks , he then thank everyone for there help throughout the year and hope we will all be able to do it all over again next year , a nice way to shut the curtains on another season 

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Must admit i've almost stopped going to beaters days a bit now esp on 1 estate, tend to think it can bring out the worst in folk and decent folk u've beat with all season suddenly become greedy killers and in some cases unsafe. Or possibly that shoot just has a load of desperado's in the beating line, as i do go to some other keepers days

Most of the more dodgy shots i ave seen or on a beaters day and usually fired by guns who are experienced enough to know better.

 

The old keeper on that shoot used to put a great keepers day  pub meal with drinks after tthe fri then a big bbq on the sat, all paid for by him as a thank u and or a few years there the shoot would invite everyone to the hotle guns where staying at for a buffet and free drinks all night too.

Laterly i would just go along to the meals

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