Near Misses In The Field

[marsh man]

Near misses can happen at any time in your lifetime , it can be at home , driving or even out enjoying yourself , luckily you get away with most but sadly some are in the wrong place at the wrong time, in our sport we have no doubt seen near misses load of times , like pieces of clay pigeons just missing you and a strange one was when Red Deer ran through a wood and missed one of our elderly beaters by inches .

Yesterday we had a small day in terrible weather , the two wild duck drives went well with 40 odd picked up at the end of two very wet drives , by now the rain was easing but the wind was picking up to a very strong wind blowing from the South , this is an ideal wind for our next drive with the Pheasants getting up from some game cover near the middle of the field and them climbing to clear some mature Popular trees.

I was standing well back to pick up between the three high number guns and as it is still early in the season the guns who were all friends and invites were asked to just take the good ones and leave the lower ones for another day .

It started well and these guns could shoot , I watched a cock bird get up that started to climb and was heading our way , the gun in front of me took it early when it was 35+ yards up , I saw it's wing go and it was out of control when it was coming straight towards me at a 45 degree angle , it was one of those situations where whatever side I moved to it was still likely to hit me , my eyes were glued to it from the time it was hit and all I could do was wait and see , luck was certainly on my side as it hit the ground on my left hand side about 18 inches away , if it had been on my right it would have ,or could have done a bit of damage to my dog Bobbie who was sitting there without a care in the world , as it turned out it was a easy retrieve and the near miss was soon forgot about .

I can well imagine YOU have got several similar tales to tell , so please get tapping away .          All the best     MM

[old'un]

been hit a few times when pigeon shooting from the hide, always seems to-be the high oncoming birds that find the bullseye.

[Ultrastu]

I once shot an incoming pigeon while in my hide   it decided it wanted to land in the tree above me ,so as I shot it pulled upwards I hit it in the back end very close .

Basically I cut its back end off and it crashed into my hide hitting me squre in the chest and covering me in blood .everything including the dog was red .

So .not a near miss but a direct hit.

Not nice  

[Bobba]

12 minutes ago, old'un said:

been hit a few times when pigeon shooting from the hide, always seems to-be the high oncoming birds that find the bullseye.

Ditto. And with two in the hide there’s little room for manoeuvre.

[Walker570]

Had a few over the years and admit where due to my inexperience but one I remember to this day and can still see it in my mind. I was in the centre of the beating line bring some heavy cover through when a fallow doe jumped up about 5yrds infront of me as a dog had come in behind her. It all went into slow motion and I did not have time to evade or duck and I am just a tad over 6ft.  This doe cleared me by a whisker an amzing feat almost from a standing start.  The lass beating alongside was stunned into silence at the time but spent the rest of the day relating the story to everyone. 

I only once walked of the shooting field when I was picking up on a posh shoot and was asked to stand and pick up behind a local farmer who had just be promoted to the Lords. After being peppered four times as he swung around and blatted at birds no higher than 10ft above the stubble, I told the Keeper he was one picker up short I was going home.  Fortunately for me I had on a thick winter coat and saw it coming and turned my back.  My dog again was fortunate as it we where  in a shallow ditch.

I could go on for sure but those two are imprinted on my brain forever.

[Fellside]

On a lovely pheasant drive once - with birds climbing high over tall pines. They were quartering over the guns. I looked down to reload and just as I closed the gun, a dead hen bird landed square on the top rib of my Browning. Guts, blood and feathers everywhere. Another 18 inches further and it would have been in my face. Now I like the taste of pheasant, but not raw. The neighbouring gun who shot the bird couldn’t apologise enough, but as I said at the time - not his fault. All he did was shoot a bird then look for the next. Hell of a dent in the top rib, but glad it wasn’t me with a big dent….?!

[WalkedUp]

Picking up after the drive I saw a gun on the grouse Moor with smashed glasses a few cuts, swollen face and a bleeding nose. He was shocked but very happy, having shot 6 brace of grouse on that drive. The last one was very much an incomer. 

Three weeks ago on our walked up shoot I was working through a dense bankside of gorse, birch and briar when I heard crashing ahead. My initial  reaction was a pheasant breaking cover and so I instinctively lifted my gun towards my shoulder. A huge Sika stag burst through straight at me, antlers covered in brambles and very wild. I thought it about to get sticky so mounted up, he rushed past my side between me and the next gun. Very very exciting and the stag definitely made the correct decision as whilst we can take deer, even in self defence I’m not sure the 28g of 6s would have have been either legal or humane! 

[London Best]

Long ago a friend had 5 Canada’s incoming. He intended to blat the lot with his trusty Breda 5 shot. Killed one, killed the second. Just as he was about to take the third the first one knocked him off his feet.

I knew someone else shot a Canada which hit his face and broke his glasses.

Another friend had a hen pheasant break him three ribs.

Whilst loading one day for a famous model/film star, I noticed the next gun had killed a high hen pheasant which was heading straight for her. At the last moment I managed to push her out of the way with my left hand ( number two gun was in my other hand). The bird hit my left forearm very fast and the arm was black from wrist to elbow.

Waiting for a troublesome fox one evening on the left side of a clump of Rhododendrons. My pal was waiting on the right hand side. When I shot the fox my mate started screaming and yelling. I knew I could not have shot him. When we met up, he told how my shot had startled a badger which bolted down the narrow path on which he was sitting and ran full tilt into him in the half light.

[wymberley]

I don't think it's the same thing as when I used to read it - perhaps now part of a bigger publication - but we have someone who might just know - but I have a feeling of the '"I Learned About Flying From That" articles in 'Air Clues' coming on. Actually, not a bad idea except renamed "I Learned About Shooting From That"

I know this doesn't make sense, but my wrists are killing me and I'm sure that TC will be along shortly to explain.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

54 minutes ago, wymberley said:

I don't think it's the same thing as when I used to read it - perhaps now part of a bigger publication - but we have someone who might just know - but I have a feeling of the '"I Learned About Flying From That" articles in 'Air Clues' coming on. Actually, not a bad idea except renamed "I Learned About Shooting From That"

I know this doesn't make sense, but my wrists are killing me and I'm sure that TC will be along shortly to explain.

Good afternoon, I think what Wymberley is referring to was the Military Flying Periodical called "Air Clues."

It contained a monthly feature called "I Learned About Flying From That" and would take the form of a story told in order to impart good advice from an old experienced Pilot to the newer chaps.

So as a logical follow on, perhaps it would be fitting to have a thread in the General Shooting Matters section called I Learned About Shooting From That.

It could include much of what has been posted in this thread.

[Spr1985]

My first recollection is from my first ever time beating. On the first drive after 11’s a couple of roe doe broke out of a cover crop after being startled by the dogs, they proceeded to bolt across the field using the beaters as a slalom course missing two or three beaters by inches and disappearing into the adjacent woodland and out of site. Amazing to watch happen but could have ended very differently. 
 

The second was my first time on a flight pond, when unbeknown to me my guides dog had snook round the back of us both and perched down a foot or so in front of me. The first I knew of it was when I mounted into a pack of teal and fired. The dog moved and I instantly realised I’d mounted swung and fired a matter of inches above the dogs head 🤦‍♂️. Thankfully no harm was done but the guilt took a good while to subside knowing things could have been very different had those teal been slightly lower. Lesson learnt! I now always make myself aware of where the dogs are at all times. 

[wymberley]

6 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Good afternoon, I think what Wymberley is referring to was the Military Flying Periodical called "Air Clues."

It contained a monthly feature called "I Learned About Flying From That" and would take the form of a story told in order to impart good advice from an old experienced Pilot to the newer chaps.

So as a logical follow on, perhaps it would be fitting to have a thread in the General Shooting Matters section called I Learned About Shooting From That.

It could include much of what has been posted in this thread.

[marsh man]

5 hours ago, Fellside said:

On a lovely pheasant drive once - with birds climbing high over tall pines. They were quartering over the guns. I looked down to reload and just as I closed the gun, a dead hen bird landed square on the top rib of my Browning. Guts, blood and feathers everywhere. Another 18 inches further and it would have been in my face. Now I like the taste of pheasant, but not raw. The neighbouring gun who shot the bird couldn’t apologise enough, but as I said at the time - not his fault. All he did was shoot a bird then look for the next. Hell of a dent in the top rib, but glad it wasn’t me with a big dent….?!

This one ended with just a bit more than a dent .

We had a beaters day several years ago , as it was the last day of the season our boss came out after dinner to thanks the beaters and helpers and to act as a back gun on the afternoon drives , all went well and as the whistle went off at the end of the final drive he called us all together to take a photo , the only one missing was one of the picker ups who went to look for a runner , in the meantime we all got into some sort of group with the taller one's at the back and shorter ones and the lads at the front , I believe one photo was already taken when at long last the picker up came back in his 4 x 4 holding this cock bird out of the window , he had no more to do than drive right up to the boss to show him he had just retrieved the last Pheasant of the season , what he didn't know was the boss had put his gun on the grass so he could take a photo and the poor picker up had ran over it twice , when my boss picked it up , or picked the pieces up the barrels were shaped like a banana , the gun itself was a 16 bore Woodward side x side ejector made by one of the best gunmakers in the U K , this was left to him by his grand mother , he took it all in good heart and when we went for the beaters meal that night we had a printed photo of the group who attended and beside of it was a photo of the broken gun .

P S    When the dust had settled he had the gun totally rebuilt and continued using it on Partridge days .

[Fellside]

Cringe worthy….!
There’s a good lesson in that tale - gun left on ground etc…

 

[adzyvilla]

Bit of a different one here.

I was beating on a large shoot about 10 years ago, acting as stop at the corner of a wood. There was another beater about 50 yards further down the way, and another at the far corner. It was blowing an absolute howler tha day, and I was glad to be partially out of the worst of it while the main bulk of the beaters were bringing the cover down either side in the full force of the gale. Idly looking about, i noticed the next stop along from me kept waving at me and pointing, so at first I just waved back, but his gesticulating got more and more exaggerated and I thought I heard him shouting something but I couldn't make it out.

Next thing I know, I was knocked flat by a large branch falling and whacking me a glancing blow on my head and back. Picking myself up, I did a quick check and amazingly felt fine, if a little shaken. Matey came running up to me asking if I was OK and how he had tried to warn me and why did I ignore him. He could see this branch getting pummelled and must have had some premonition it was going to hit me. Funny thing is that it didn't make a sound as it broke off, so I had no idea what the guy was trying to tell me.

[WalkedUp]

Interesting tales, glad everyone is alive and well. That poor Woodward 🤣

[marsh man]

52 minutes ago, adzyvilla said:

Bit of a different one here.

I was beating on a large shoot about 10 years ago, acting as stop at the corner of a wood. There was another beater about 50 yards further down the way, and another at the far corner. It was blowing an absolute howler tha day, and I was glad to be partially out of the worst of it while the main bulk of the beaters were bringing the cover down either side in the full force of the gale. Idly looking about, i noticed the next stop along from me kept waving at me and pointing, so at first I just waved back, but his gesticulating got more and more exaggerated and I thought I heard him shouting something but I couldn't make it out.

Next thing I know, I was knocked flat by a large branch falling and whacking me a glancing blow on my head and back. Picking myself up, I did a quick check and amazingly felt fine, if a little shaken. Matey came running up to me asking if I was OK and how he had tried to warn me and why did I ignore him. He could see this branch getting pummelled and must have had some premonition it was going to hit me. Funny thing is that it didn't make a sound as it broke off, so I had no idea what the guy was trying to tell me.

A large percentage of the replies above are associated with game shoots , when you think how many shoots are going on at any one time the near misses and not so near must run into the hundreds each season , the more I think about the ones I have been on over the years the more that keep cropping up , when you think a large cock Pheasant shot at the end of the season in gale force winds at a fair old height can do some serious damage when it hit something before it hit the deck .

I wouldn't be surprised if somebody haven't been seriously injured , or even killed that we haven't heard about.

[Lsto]

When I first started shooting I was given a battered old sabatti 12g U/O that had had a hard life. I was practicing on the clays and the stand I was on had one clay going over my head away and the other coming straight over the top towards me. 

Anyway the first clay fires away over my head, I mount the gun and take it out, the second clay is coming towards me, I take aim, pull the trigger, and click, nothing happens... Confused I look at the gun, just as the clay hits me square in the chest and knocks the wind out of me. I turn round and about ten people are absolutely wetting themselves laughing at me. I made the gun safe and shuffled off to catch my breath. Only my pride was hurt. Turned out a firing pin had failed and after a visit to leech and son, once he finished taking the mick out of my cheap and nasty gun the gunsmith kindly fixed it free of charge.

 

Another time I was shooting ferals with an air rifle in a large workshop. The area I was shooting in was clear as everyone was working up the other end. I shot a pigeon and it went on a kamikaze flight through the roof of the workshop, right down the other end where it hit a rafter and dropped down dead right on top of a member of staff, some poor sod who was a devout vegetarian of all things. After a lot of apologising, luckily the staff member saw the funny side of it and no harm was done. I learned then you can never be too careful, no matter how well you plan a shot you can't predict what might happen...

[Fellside]

38 minutes ago, marsh man said:

A large percentage of the replies above are associated with game shoots , when you think how many shoots are going on at any one time the near misses and not so near must run into the hundreds each season , the more I think about the ones I have been on over the years the more that keep cropping up , when you think a large cock Pheasant shot at the end of the season in gale force winds at a fair old height can do some serious damage when it hit something before it hit the deck .

I wouldn't be surprised if somebody haven't been seriously injured , or even killed that we haven't heard about.

This is very true. I have heard of one or two incidents of people being clobbered by a falling pheasant - and being hurt. I think panicking deer in a beating line are far more dangerous however. 

[marsh man]

3 minutes ago, Fellside said:

This is very true. I have heard of one or two incidents of people being clobbered by a falling pheasant - and being hurt. I think panicking deer in a beating line are far more dangerous however. 

Yes , I have to agree when it comes to Deer , we have got several Red Deer and when startled by gunfire or spooked for other reasons can a dangerous animal running full pelt through a wood .

Even a smaller one like a Muntjac can inflict some serious harm , we had a beaters dog ( Jack Russel ) came into contact with one and the deer won hands down , it ripped it's belly and was taken to the vets straight away with part of its innings hanging out , they managed to save it with a cost of over £300 and two weeks later it was back in the beating line as if nothing had ever happened . 

[London Best]

5 minutes ago, marsh man said:

( Jack Russel )two weeks later it was back in the beating line as if nothing had ever happened . 

Yeah!

It would be looking for that ruddy Muntjac!

[mossy835]

we were out pigeon shooting years ago. and i shot a pigeon it came down on my mates head,he came up and though i thew it at him,things happen.

[marsh man]

8 minutes ago, London Best said:

Yeah!

It would be looking for that ruddy Muntjac!

I bet you are dead right L B  , it wasn't known as fearless Jack for nothing.

[arjimlad]

I joined a small walk & stand syndicate east of Swindon about 21 years ago, one of the Guns was in his 80s but still spry, and quite a character. 

I was told that a year or so earlier, he'd been standing in line when a roe bounded out of the willow coppicing and knocked him over. The impact pushed his hip implant further into the bone than it was meant to go, and he'd had to be taken to hospital by helicopter to have it all put right again. Sounded excruciating. 

It pays to keep close attention to the woods even early on in a drive !

 

[Blackpowder]

Our Asoc Shoot featured tunnels through rhodys, how sharp a roe buck antlers look when you meet one in the confined space.    Seen a lot of near misses with double guns on pheasant shoots when it 's  raining down dead birds.

 

Blackpowder