2nd Beaters day of the season

[Sprinter]

Here we go for the 2nd beaters day of the season report.

 

Arrived and split into two teams by the keeper and pegs drawn within the teams. Our team captain won the toss and elected to stand first.

 

We lined out along a fir plantation and did a few dry mounts in anticipation of the fast and furious action (hopefully) to follow. After a while a shout of "back BAACCKKK" was heard and a shot. Some time later the whistle went. I saw something about 300 yards away about the size of a starling with a long tail. A quiet start to ease us into the day gently.

Beating the second drive, there were probably enough of us to hold hands and skip through the cover. We pushed a few birds out but in the main they were reluctant to gain any height and mostly sailed through the line unsaluted.

Third drive and our turn to stand again, had a good peg in the left middle of the line. After a while birds came over and i had some shooting, unfortunately my H hold and V hold were a little out of kilter and despite 8 shots i was birdless and gutted. One cows back side for sale stuck up an entry, little use mint condition.....(any offers).

Fourth drive, our turn to beat. Guns had a lot of shooting all out of sight of us over a stand of trees into a valley.

5th Drive, i was out in the boondocks up the side of the drive tight up the edge of the wood on a little thin ride. Snapshots were the order for this drive. It was fantastic! myself and the next door gun had a steady stream of testing birds both through and over the wood coming at us from two directions. I had 10 shots and accounted for 4 birds and one very hard hit (twice) runner that was picked in the next drive. Next door had 5, so from the boondocks we emerged grinning with 10 between us. It was at this point the keeper informed us we'd been standing in the wrong place had we? oh well never mind we enjoyed ourselves

6th drive and we beat, the guns on the outside right having a field day with some very very nice high rocketships going over them. It was lunch now.

 

After lunch was our last stand and i found myself right in the hot-seat, i didn't expect that being peg 12! First off as i had a little free reign to move up the side of the wood i walked back towards the beaters in a effort to cut off any partridge that tried to sneak out the side. They did, i shot, they carried on sneaking Back on my peg a woodcock or two almost managed to fly out over me but just managed to turn away as the gun was being mounted. First half of the drive complete i wandered forward with the brief to stop anything going back. And boy oh boy they were determined to go back!!!! Unfortunately I was having another spate of the "bang bang sod its" at this point and it was a few shots before i connected with a hen that i almost caught as it fell. Another over my left shoulder fell to my second barrel and as i ejected the carts i saw another cock coming straight at me. Fumbled my cartridges, one right way up the other wrong way round, dropped one on the floor, then had to think which barrel to put the one remaining cart in snapped the gun shut and absolutely clobbered it behind (very happy ) there followed another "bang band sod it" moment before I dropped another cock.

Last drive of the day we beat and there were a lot of birds swinging over me heading to the right hand side back gun who had a proper field day and dropped some really great birds.

Overall some 130 birds, my total 9 birds for 34 shots - must try harder! relax swing through, stop swinging it around like a girl with an umbrella

 

A further topic will start Wednesday night with an equally unimaginative title of 3rd beaters day of the season.

[mattyb]

Good read sprinter, sounds very much like my day last thursday as long as you had good time all that matter!!