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Another from the archives.


Scully
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Isolation being what it is means I’ve got more spare time than usual, so thought some may enjoy another little read from our rough shoot. 
This one is from the 16th Jan 2016, about two weeks after Storm Desmond swept through. 
The guns brought were a Mossberg pump, a Beretta SP V, a Browning Maxus, two Winchester 101,s, a Beretta A301 and a 16 bore E. Ketner live pigeon gun. 
One of the guns there hadn’t brought  his gun as it had proven prone to double discharging on a previous outing, and as he was unfamiliar with a self loader, he was loaned the landowners 101 Field ( which I had sold him and regretted each time I saw it ! ) and as the landowner was itching to get his hands on my Grand European, I loaned that to him in exchange for his Beretta A301! I know, confusing! There are two J’s also, just to add to that confusion! 
It was quite mild and fortunately dry when we met up at the farm, and understandably most of the pre shoot talk consisted of our personal experiences of the storm. 
Anyhow, we eventually agreed on tactics and set off through a long narrow wood. At about 200 yds long and fifty wide, it is the farm rookery at one end, mostly consisting of tall pines with a smattering of mature oaks down one side. There was three of us inside the wood, the others flanking each side. It proved devoid of pheasants but plenty of clattering pigeons, several shot at by the flankers but none brought down. A solitary Roe Doe had us looking for cover behind trees as it made a break through the line. 
We do a lot of ferreting in and around this wood, so it wasn’t surprising to bolt a few, one of which ran out of the wood through the fence and simply rolled over! My Border picked it and it was still alive when she brought it to me! Never seen anything like it! 
Leaving the wood at the boundary we walked in a line bordering each side of the abandoned railway and headed for a small viaduct.
The railway banking is fabulous habitat and home to various flora and fauna. Badgers dig holes in the cinder for bees nests, and rabbits are hunted by mustelids, foxes as well as badgers. Roe use it as a through road on their way to wherever, and as a place to snooze, and the tallest Ayrons Rod I have ever seen once grew between the concrete sleepers. In summer it is overgrown to the extent it’s unwalkable. 
A brace of hens erupted from one side but too far ahead so were left, so we pushed our way through the Broom and Gorse until we got to the viaduct.

A hen was missed by J1 and I shot a few feathers from a cock before it was simultaneously shot by C and M, both claiming it as theirs. 🙂

C’s Springer put up a cock from the Alders which was missed with both barrels by J1, who was beginning to set a trend! 
We left the raised track to drop down to the marsh where it was apparent by a thick debris strewn tideline, the extent to which this water meadow had been flooded. The line of debris was at least 200 yds from the river at this point, and those fences still erect were cluttered with everything which had washed down and been caught like seaweed strewn nets as the waters subsided. The amount of plastic was astonishing! 
C shot one of several Snipe which spiralled from the reeds, which his dog found but wouldn’t pick. 
After a quick brew back in the yard, we drove up to the other farm and walked as quietly as possible down our boundary to a small triangular coppice where my dog flushed a hen but no one was ready! She always looks so disappointed when a bird doesn’t come down! 
We walked the boundary where I shot a hen and J1 missed ( again! ) another cock! We could hear him swearing from the other side of the hedge, which we found hilarious!
We headed towards the small Ghyll, two low hens leaving it as we did, which were left. They headed in the right direction however, so maybe we’d meet up later. We put the dogs in the bottom of the Ghyll and walked both sides uphill. A hen was shot by J2 and another by M, but other opportunities missed, including a hen by me. 
We headed back to the yard for lunch, but only sarnies unfortunately as the butchers from which we usually had a hot lunch, wasn’t back to normal following the floods. 
We tongue in cheek (ily) checked the cartridges of J1, asking if he’d bought them from the RSPB! 🙂

There was a very strong Westerly blowing now, so hoping for improved shooting, most surrounded a small square wood while my dog and I beat it. It held more birds than we expected, and M killed a cock, J2 a hen and the remainder missed, one inevitably by J1! 
The banking was horrendous work; it always is. It is steep, covered in tall dead yellow grass, brambles, gorse and hawthorn, with a simply impenetrable raspberry (?) growth in one part at the bottom, again covered and littered with flood debris. We beat it horizontally as it isn’t very wide, but at least 400 yds long, so well worth the effort. 
We had sent J2 and K to the far end to act as as stops as well as standing guns, as at that end is the river, which follows the bend where our main wood starts up to the main line viaduct. The rest of us beat the banking, with one in the field at the bottom and another in the field at the top. It is a proper drive viewed from the bottom field, and offers great shooting to whoever is there, and as we all felt sorry for J1 we placed him there, reassuring him  that there was no pressure as no one was watching! 
A cock got up early, a cracking bird which presented him with a perfect driven shot……and nothing happened! It was over and past him heading across the river before he offered it a parting shot, which missed! We stood and watched him perform a little tantrummed dance as he swore and cursed at himself and the borrowed gun! He’d left the safety on! 😂

On we went, C and M killing birds as did J2 and K as they sought the safety of the wood. C killed another bird from a good distance as it clattered into the air from behind us, and I killed a nice cock as we ended the drive. 
The river at normal levels, which it was  again now, is about four feet below the banking of the field at this point, but there was debris in the tall willows on the rivers edge, which was at least a yard above our heads, which as quite scary thinking of the actual depth that water must have been over what was normally a field. 
A hen and a cock were killed by K as they broke from the wood as he walked the upper edge, and C shot a bird which turned into a runner and was picked by his dog as we passed under the viaduct. 
We were carrying out a big circuitous route and were now heading back to the farm, walking each side of the line as we did.
The others surrounded a little wood of mature oaks while J2, my dog and me beat it, and suddenly there were birds all over the place! We all missed and we all hit, even J1, and it seemed quite a while before the little flurry with lots of shooting and shouting came to an end! 
Two of the guns had to leave at this point, for work, so the remainder picked up and swapped stories of what had just happened!

At this point we only had one section left to cover, so traipsed off to the top of another small Ghyll which we surrounded before sending in the dogs. Two cocks took off and veered towards me, and although I was aware of shots they continued to do so, and I was very pleased to claim them as a left and right. During this, J1 ( now on a roll! ) had killed a hen and J2 a cock, and M and K killed a bird each. 
We gathered up and had the craic, agreeing it had been a cracking little day as we headed back to the yard where we had a brew before sharing the bag and heading home. 
Total for the day was 11 cocks, 12 hens, 1 Snipe, 1 rabbit and 4 lost over the boundary. 
Edited to add: The Winchester 101 Field I regretted selling, was bought back by me when I found the owner the Grand European he wanted! 🙂

 

Edited by Scully
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16 minutes ago, Clodhopper said:

Thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed reading that. It brings back fond memories of walking up game on some small farms not far from you when I was at the local Agricultural college.

Thankyou. Pleased you enjoyed it. Newton Rigg? 

3 minutes ago, 7daysinaweek said:

A superb read Scully, most enjoyable.

Thankyou very much. 🙂👍

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Just now, Scully said:

Thankyou. Pleased you enjoyed it. Newton Rigg?

Yes, I understand it has now closed which is  a shame. The countryside in that area is beautiful and reading your stories I can just picture the terrain and the birds peeling out of the steep gorse banks. Please keep them coming.

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Just now, Clodhopper said:

Yes, I understand it has now closed which is  a shame. The countryside in that area is beautiful and reading your stories I can just picture the terrain and the birds peeling out of the steep gorse banks. Please keep them coming.

Yes. It’s a crying shame. It is rumoured there may be plans afoot to reopen it, but they may just be that, rumours. 

Thankyou. 👍

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Scully ... That is some extract from a diary , more like a chapter in a book :lol:, do every time you shoot , brushing or attend the shoot get the same treatment  ? , checking every member guns make and putting it in a diary is something I have never come across before and I would imagine that could be a hobby in it's own right , What in your opinion was the best gun you have seen turn up a days shooting ? , and have any member used a three shot auto ?

Brilliant detailed post Scully :good:

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Thanks MM, really pleased you enjoyed it. 
I think the fact I’m so familiar with the land helps, and that familiarity gives me the ability to elaborate the detail without exaggerating or simply making it up.
What I used to do when back home, was sit down and slowly go through the entire day again in my head while it’s still vivid, and it just seems easy to recall it. 
As for the guns, I have a passion for them, and am constantly taking notice of who has what, and at clay shoots ( and have done on a driven )  I often embarrass mates by asking total strangers if I can have a look at their guns. 
I think the nicest gun a mate brought to our rough shoot was his Beretta SO10, believe it or not, much nicer than most I’ve seen on a driven day! 
The nicest I’ve seen in a driven day was a Belgian handmade Browning ( if I can find the pics I’ll put them up ) owned by a really nice man who allowed this scruffy beater he’d never met to take pictures! 🙂 The gun was engraved with ducks, in colour, and he had a cowgirl slip for it! The rib was coming away, and on this day he had it taped down with insulation tape until the season ended when he could have it repaired! 
There is many a time a self loader is brought to the rough shoot, and pumps too, but we have an unwritten rule that no one loads more than two. As far as I’m aware no one has ever loaded more. 
Thanks again. 👍

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37 minutes ago, Scully said:

Thanks MM, really pleased you enjoyed it. 
I think the fact I’m so familiar with the land helps, and that familiarity gives me the ability to elaborate the detail without exaggerating or simply making it up.
What I used to do when back home, was sit down and slowly go through the entire day again in my head while it’s still vivid, and it just seems easy to recall it. 
As for the guns, I have a passion for them, and am constantly taking notice of who has what, and at clay shoots ( and have done on a driven )  I often embarrass mates by asking total strangers if I can have a look at their guns. 
I think the nicest gun a mate brought to our rough shoot was his Beretta SO10, believe it or not, much nicer than most I’ve seen on a driven day! 
The nicest I’ve seen in a driven day was a Belgian handmade Browning ( if I can find the pics I’ll put them up ) owned by a really nice man who allowed this scruffy beater he’d never met to take pictures! 🙂 The gun was engraved with ducks, in colour, and he had a cowgirl slip for it! The rib was coming away, and on this day he had it taped down with insulation tape until the season ended when he could have it repaired! 
There is many a time a self loader is brought to the rough shoot, and pumps too, but we have an unwritten rule that no one loads more than two. As far as I’m aware no one has ever loaded more. 
Thanks again. 👍

Very interesting , as we always say , there is a lot more to a days shooting than just pulling the trigger .

We had a full days game shooting today and there were times throughout the day I would have happily swapped places with you ( minus the pain you might still be in ) when it poured of rain for most of the day with a very cold wind , one of the few times I managed to stay all day , my daughter bought me a quality wax cap for Christmas and I christened it today , then I had my Barbour Northumberland wax coat on with a pair of Le Chameau treggings over my trousers , managed to keep try all day and it was still raining when we finished a little after 4pm.

It was third time lucky for the team of guns today because last year the first date was cancelled due to the virus and it was rearranged during the Christmas holidays and then as we all know that was also cancelled , As for guns , we had some decent side by sides today that were mainly handed down by the family , as for the others , haven't a clue as they were put in the slips when the whistle went to signal the drive was over , four more days and a beaters day and it is all over without one cancellation , fingers crossed it stay like that  , 

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6 minutes ago, marsh man said:

Very interesting , as we always say , there is a lot more to a days shooting than just pulling the trigger .

We had a full days game shooting today and there were times throughout the day I would have happily swapped places with you ( minus the pain you might still be in ) when it poured of rain for most of the day with a very cold wind , one of the few times I managed to stay all day , my daughter bought me a quality wax cap for Christmas and I christened it today , then I had my Barbour Northumberland wax coat on with a pair of Le Chameau treggings over my trousers , managed to keep try all day and it was still raining when we finished a little after 4pm.

It was third time lucky for the team of guns today because last year the first date was cancelled due to the virus and it was rearranged during the Christmas holidays and then as we all know that was also cancelled , As for guns , we had some decent side by sides today that were mainly handed down by the family , as for the others , haven't a clue as they were put in the slips when the whistle went to signal the drive was over , four more days and a beaters day and it is all over without one cancellation , fingers crossed it stay like that  , 

Sounds like a good day despite the rain. 🙂
I was meant to be on a syndicate day today too, but what with ribs and covid, I’ve missed out on all so far this season bar one in November. We have two days remaining.

A mate rang this afternoon to see how I was, and told me they shot nine. Few dogs and hardly any beaters, and two guns down all due to covid. 
Hopefully I’ll get in the two remaining days plus the BIG shoot beaters day, which didn’t happen last season obviously. 
Enjoy the rest of your season. 👍

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