End of season thoughts .

[Garwood]

Well now that it`s all over for a few months ,how did everyones game shooting go ?

I had a few days out and they were all good,birds were plentiful and healthy ,bags were easily achieved .

Partridge seemed to benefit from the kind autumn and provided sport throughout.

Saw a lot of woodcock in January too,which were good to watch !!!

 

[westley]

Simply,    another one they can NOT take off us  !

 

[ChrisPackham]

Interesting year for me, disappointing Grouse season and I lost way too many days... Replacing them with early Partridge wasn’t the answer, fish and barrel spring to mind.  A few less bigger bag days for me but those that were booked days were high bird days in Wales and West Country and I got to meet some seriously accomplished sh*ts and didn’t disgrace myself.

High light of year has to be the first season on our own ground, the sheer effort, determination, commitment and bloody mindedness to make a go of this is amazing together with working full time in the city resulted in more 80 hour + weeks than I can count and genuinely literally blood sweat and tears. Not to mention our GOP issue and several run ins with antis...

Trying to figure it all out with a PT keeper has been emotional and the cost has been quite amazing, BUT so rewarding I can’t begin to explain. 

Two stand out days... Boxing Day walked up with three generations out together and Beaters day when it all came together (somehow).

One day off and the works starts now for next year, we are spinning two drives back to front requiring serious woodland management, we are building one new one and extending another to get density down, all the machinery is in dire need of TLC and we desperately need to get on top of the Vermin.

I had no idea how much time and money this would chew up, but I’d do it again in a heart beat! (Good job really, 4 years to go)

 

[ips]

Been a weird one. Syndicate has been sh*te... Long story. Had a couple of good early partridge days . Done a lot of loading / minding  been beating on various new shoots some been good one been sh*te.... Missed all the fun on last week due to flu

 

[Garwood]

Been a weird one. Syndicate has been sh*te... Long story. Had a couple of good early partridge days . Done a lot of loading / minding  been beating on various new shoots some been good one been sh*te.... Missed all the fun on last week due to flu

Ah yes THAT flu !!! Had 3 weeks of that too, something I`d rather forget .....

 

[squimp]

Generally a good season for me. I’ve shot some smallish mixed days and a few bigger pheasant days.

Only  got really wet once which is unusual for Wales ! I was given a new coat for Christmas and I didn’t wear it until Jan 30th.

One day was ruined by fog and we shot in the snow last week which was great.

My shooting went downhill after Xmas so a couple of remedial lessons may be on the cards. A trip to see Ed Lyons again might also help my vision.

Highlight has been my other half finding somewhere to work our vizsla(s) after losing access to her regular shoot a couple of years ago.

 

[Martinj]

Mostly beating for me, all good fun and very sociable.

Beater's day - I shot my share but missed a few that I shouldn't have, I shoot clays, game just isn't the same. We shot through with dinner afterwards, a jolly occasion in great company.

Keeper's day - more relaxed, not expecting much, redeemed myself and had an enjoyable day. Dinner in the pub :sungum:  dry January - ugh!  a good time had by all. Quite a few pigeons showing on the oilseed rape, looking forward to making their acquaintance.

Nice to see plenty of Woodcock in January, they were off the menu.

 

[Garwood]

Generally a good season for me. I’ve shot some smallish mixed days and a few bigger pheasant days.

Only  got really wet once which is unusual for Wales ! I was given a new coat for Christmas and I didn’t wear it until Jan 30th.

One day was ruined by fog and we shot in the snow last week which was great.

My shooting went downhill after Xmas so a couple of remedial lessons may be on the cards. A trip to see Ed Lyons again might also help my vision.

Highlight has been my other half finding somewhere to work our vizsla(s) after losing access to her regular shoot a couple of years ago.

I shot inexplicably poorly on my last day,pretty sure I was lifting my head in hindsight,but didn`t have enough opportunities to figure it out on the day....

 

[FlyingTrotter]

It was an enjoyable season - I have dropped the GOP days and all my days were with teams I know well save for one on which I knew some of the guns and two when I knew most of them - all safe guns - no pure grouse days but got a mixed day with some grouse at a new to me shoot - just two very big bag days this season and next season will probably not have any over 300 - my dog was with me on the peg for most of the days which was brilliant and really adds to the enjoyment of the day - high points probably my dog retrieving runners and the gun on the next peg coming over after shooting Paradise at Warter and saying nice things about one crosser I had shot 

 

[Garwood]

It is best shooting with people you know ! Least enjoyable day for me was with a half unknown team....came away feeling that I had paid for them to shoot very poor birds ,which was annoying as the estate had a plentiful supply available !!

 

[ips]

These days i wait for invites from friends or keepers.

 

[MartynB]

It is best shooting with people you know ! Least enjoyable day for me was with a half unknown team....came away feeling that I had paid for them to shoot very poor birds ,which was annoying as the estate had a plentiful supply available !!

Snap . As a now retired returnee to game , I bought somec days this  year as a way of trying driven game .  Generally I had a good time , but soon realised that individual people don’t hold back like a team or syndicate would. 

I had the “ pleasure “ of watching an individual shoot around 30 birds , 25 % of the agreed 120 total on mixed Pheasant and Partridge  . I wouldn’t have minded if they were all soaring . He was apparently a regular , and “ good customer “ . The other 8 guns were a little more discerning  and I met a really nice fellow , and that lead to introduction to some more possibilities.  To keep me on the straight and narrow I’d taken a friend and ex work colleague who has stuffed guns for the the  very rich and famous on some of the most prestigious  shoots . 

Of the gun , “plastering things  “ I wouldn’t raise a barrel to , my little bit of novice pleasure, came as 3 times in a row he gave a fast partridge  both barrels to no effect .

 With the encouragement of my mate’s “ go on “ ,  32” of 15 thou Teagued Miroku , delivered the good news  3 times with a single shot   ,  accomplished shots or fluked , I didn’t give a monkey’s ...  

 

[Garwood]

Its always the greedy ones who spoil it !

I`ve watched a chap who is a regular at one shoot I visit and I  reckon he always shoots 50% more than he should.He can 

shoot good stuff too but has to shoot at low stuff.....

 

[squimp]

Couldn't agree more about the need to 'pick' your birds. It seems pointless to go to a shoot that can show decent birds and then select the low ones.....but I know people that do it all the time.

 

[Jonny English]

Bit of a poor season for me. Changed gun in June, just got adapted to the clays but shot my game really badly. Biggest concern performance wise was crossing birds that were my bread and butter I just can't find. New gun shoots very flat indeed, so suspect I may be underneath them on line.

Biggest disappointment is the couple of news stories breaking of dumping pheasant carcasses. I think this is just the start of the inevitable assault on game shooting. These people aren't going to go away and i can only see this attention getting worse if were're not careful. At somepoint the more commercial game shooting industry needs to look at what is needed to protect itself.

 

[bisondan]

I had a very enjoyable season, my first proper game shooting season having done a couple of days over the previous couple of years.

Ended up on a local syndicate where we shoot 10 x 150 bird days, the shooting has been very good and the team of guns made me feel most welcome.

Managed to pick up a few other days here and there including a good mixed shoot in Wales with some decent birds and a really good duck shoot in Somerset, starting to get a feel of the sort of days I want now.

 

[ips]

I had a very enjoyable season, my first proper game shooting season having done a couple of days over the previous couple of years.

Ended up on a local syndicate where we shoot 10 x 150 bird days, the shooting has been very good and the team of guns made me feel most welcome.

Managed to pick up a few other days here and there including a good mixed shoot in Wales with some decent birds and a really good duck shoot in Somerset, starting to get a feel of the sort of days I want now.

Was it you that had the introduction to game by mr westley or am i thinking of someone else ?

 

[bisondan]

Was it you that had the introduction to game by mr westley or am i thinking of someone else ?

That would have been somebody else, Mr Solomons was responsible for me

 

[salop sniper]

Good season on the whole for me.

DIY syndicate did well despite members not helping with feeding like they should have. We started the season with 140 birds approx (illness and being short changed) and shot 108 pheasant, 35 duck, 3 woodcock and various others.

Loading, , My first year loading after doing my course. 15 days of loading over 3 shoots. Really looking forward to doing more in the next season. I had the privilege of meeting two very good shots and one guy simply outstanding who hands down was the best game shot iv`e ever witnessed and this was on tall Welsh birds that am sure most simply wouldn't have a clue on where to start with shooting them.

Beating - 27 days done over 3 shoots, one of which was for the first time and I will do a few more days there next season fingers crossed.

Beaters days - These were mixed, I had two of the best shots iv`e ever had on game on the second day, first a high pheasant that two guns had had both barrels at and I bought down first barrel stone dead and then a cracking partridge crossing again first barrel stone dead . First day I was pegged next to someone who wasn't very concerned over who`s birds he shot and shot one of mine over me as I pulled the trigger for my first shot, I bit my lip but I let the keeper know my thoughts on this as the guy was out of order and was a guest too, had I of had it second barrel it would have been my best shot on game. Great shot by him but one that he simply shouldn't have taken.