What does a beater do ??????

[beaker]

Can someone tell me what is expected of a beater do you just turn up and do what is asked or do you have to be trained. I have seen a couple of posts for beaters and would like to look into it

[John_R]

Beaters help to control the birds and get them to fly in a suitable direction for the guns. It is great fun and very good excercise!

 

http://www.pubs--pickers-up-beaters-shoots.co.uk/index.html

[Tricky]

In short, you walk through stuff whilst holding a flag. If a bird flies up in your general direction, wave your flag to get it to fly a bit higher.

 

You will probably be walking through crops, which may be quite high and quite wet. Here, the key is that all the beaters should normally stay in a straight line, unless told otherwise by the beat captain. You walk in a line to prevent birds running back through big gaps in the line. You're trying to flush the birds out, and over the guns.

 

You might have to go through thicker stuff, for example, overgrown woodland. The idea of a line often goes out of the window, here. The main aim is to get birds up and over the guns. This may involve some crawling about, for the enthusiastic. Banging the trees with your flag will help, too.

 

For these efforts, you should get at least one of the following three:

 

A free lunch

Some shot birds to take home

Paid

 

Try it, you might like it!

[Peely]

The Beaters are the essential part of any drive shooting day. Without them the guns wouldn't get a great deal of shooting!! Under the control of the Gamekeeper/Beatkeeper, the beaters shepard the birds into the correct place ready to be flushed over the waiting guns. This usually involves walking all of the surrounding hegdes/pitholes etc into either a gamecover or wood near to where the guns are situated. At the gun end of this cover is a number of 'stops' who will stop the birds running out of the cover (by gently tapping or clapping). Beaters will then walk through the cover towards the stops and flush the birds in the direction of the guns. This can either be with dogs or just walking through. Other a combination. Once the birds are flying there is usually a beater with a flag who will wave it towards the birds to my them fly higher or to direct them as required. The rest is then up to the guns!!!

 

As far as training, I believe that it is best to watch a shoot in action to give you a feel for what really happens and then take it from there.

 

Hope this helps

 

Graham.

 

Try the NOBs website - www.nobs.org.uk for more advise

[rustybucket]

in my expeirence if new beaters are just expected to do as they're asked and not be afraid to ask any questions knowledge comes in time no keepers going to expect you to be perfect