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Grouse moor


gdunc
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Had Polly my springer out on the grouse moor for the first time yesterday. Was beating but she got a few birds to pick up when requested by the guns - she ended up with 5 grouse and a hare.

 

Considering that i've done nothing with her in the past month or two, other than a couple of dummy retrieves, I was really happy with her - particularly as grouse was a new scent for her to hunt for. She was steady to flush all day - even when faced with running hares everywhere but she did peg a hare which was sitting tight, naughty little beggar!

 

Took a few pics on my phone (mostly when waiting for the drives to start)

 

16082008081.jpg

16082008087.jpg

16082008082.jpg

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It was the moor nr Stirling, Ian is a friend - well done detective Dustyfox!

 

Spaniel - our Polly is six and is pretty experienced with a bit of trialling. This was her first time on grouse and she needed to be shown the scent initially, after that she was spot on. I've a young cocker who would've been daft on the moor with all the bolting hares! I'm sure that at 2.5 your dog will do well for you - they calm a little at that age and so long as you keep an eye on her she'll be fine :good:

 

Auto - it's a Barbour tweed 'Berwick' I think.

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It was the moor nr Stirling, Ian is a friend - well done detective Dustyfox!

 

Spaniel - our Polly is six and is pretty experienced with a bit of trialling. This was her first time on grouse and she needed to be shown the scent initially, after that she was spot on. I've a young cocker who would've been daft on the moor with all the bolting hares! I'm sure that at 2.5 your dog will do well for you - they calm a little at that age and so long as you keep an eye on her she'll be fine :good:

 

Auto - it's a Barbour tweed 'Berwick' I think.

 

You didnt see me there???

 

I was the one with the crazy hair and the mad black lab.

 

It was my dogs first time on the moor and he was useless until the last two drives on Saturday where he started to get what he was supposed to do, he flushed out a covey of grouse and found the last pricked bird of the day. Its a pity I forgot my whistle on the Saturday as he listens to that more than my voice.

 

I will be going with Scott again this weekend you will see us in the green escort van.

 

Recognise this?

 

SP_A0103.jpg

 

Df

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  • 2 months later...
You didnt see me there???

 

I was the one with the crazy hair and the mad black lab.

 

It was my dogs first time on the moor and he was useless until the last two drives on Saturday where he started to get what he was supposed to do, he flushed out a covey of grouse and found the last pricked bird of the day. Its a pity I forgot my whistle on the Saturday as he listens to that more than my voice.

 

I will be going with Scott again this weekend you will see us in the green escort van.

 

Recognise this?

 

SP_A0103.jpg

 

Df

 

 

Yourself and gdunc were up at Burnfoot at the opening of the season DF?

 

I was there for the first two days shooting, I was the younger of the two fella's running round with the camera equipment in the green Landcruiser. Next time I will introduce myself to you both.

 

As an aside Burnfoot is where I started beating 16 years ago at the age of 14! I still think it is one of the most beautiful moors in Britain.

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Good pics Dunc, was the 2nd one looking across Earlsburn from the Hart Hill :blink:

Hi Tam,

 

You've got me on the place names but just off that pic to the right you could see out to the Forth bridges - surprising given the moor is past Stirling.

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Windmills to your right :good: :good:

 

Tam mate you are at the other end of the hills.

 

The picture is taken just short of the march with Touch estate looking out to Stirling castle and Dumyat and the Ochils behind, this end of the moor starts behind Hillhead farm at Gargunnock and runs near enough to Stirling. Just over the brow of the hill to teh right of the picture is old Shielbrae.

 

The Earlsburn Wind Farm is up at the other end, Ballochleam up behind Kippen.

 

Jonno.

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Spaniel - our Polly is six and is pretty experienced with a bit of trialling. This was her first time on grouse and she needed to be shown the scent initially, after that she was spot on. I've a young cocker who would've been daft on the moor with all the bolting hares! I'm sure that at 2.5 your dog will do well for you - they calm a little at that age and so long as you keep an eye on her she'll be fine :good:

 

Looks like she really done well, it does look a lovely place up there, got to admit mine done well the other week out pigeon shooting and done well yesterday hunting around the pond, but there was not a pheasie around, last week there were quite a few, but she did still do well and listened to my commands.

 

Going to have to get up to Scotland for a holiday i think next year with the family and the dogs..

 

Cheers

Ian

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Yep, know where you are now - someone mentioned Burnfoot which is behind the windfarm! The lochs must be North Third & Coulter then :good:

 

Not sure of the two in front :good:

 

North Third reservoir is approx due south of where the picture was taken as best I can make out, that would be way off the right hand side of the photo.

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The waters are of the estate. Just remembered that the third picture is looking down the Forth to the bridges - you can almost make out the rail bridge. I've lost my bearings as to where the wind farms are on the estate but I remember there being two lots.

 

Jonno - you seem to know where I was!

 

The grouse finished a few weeks back and there is no pheasant shooting on the estate. Back to looking after the birds for next season!

 

I'll try and get back up next year but i'll hopefully be trailling my cocker which may be more of a demand on my time. Great to see the grouse though - they're a very impressive bird in flight :good:

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The waters are of the estate. Just remembered that the third picture is looking down the Forth to the bridges - you can almost make out the rail bridge. I've lost my bearings as to where the wind farms are on the estate but I remember there being two lots.

 

Jonno - you seem to know where I was!

 

The grouse finished a few weeks back and there is no pheasant shooting on the estate. Back to looking after the birds for next season!

 

I'll try and get back up next year but i'll hopefully be trailling my cocker which may be more of a demand on my time. Great to see the grouse though - they're a very impressive bird in flight :good:

 

 

Born and bred in the area Dunc (Cambusbarron and Kippen), and spent many happy seasons beating the moors as a youngster. I was also up there on the opening two days of the season taking photographs of the guns in action and the wildlife, nice to see the moor showing a lot of birds again.

 

When not working at my real job I help out a friend that runs the corporate entertainment site just down the hill at the back of Touch, our quad bike treks run almost to the moor boundary so I see that view quite often! :good:

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Hi Jonno

 

I remember seeing cameras etc. being lugged about so I will have seen you, will say hello if I see you there again :yes:

 

Are your photos viewable anywhere out of interest?

 

The moor certainly seemed to have good numbers of birds with some very large coveys moving around. Nice to have somewhere as beauiful so close to home :good:

 

Cheers

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Are your photos viewable anywhere out of interest?

 

I used to post a bit on Flickr, but not for a long time mate. I still have some of the shots on my laptop, but I am back at work now and will not be home until the start of December. I will look them out when I get home and see if any are worth posting on here! :drinks:

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