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Got on very well today with new gun, 22 from 25 on DTL, 20 from 25 on Sporting, 24 from 30 on Double rise and an awesome 22 from 25 on Ball Trap.  More bedding in sessions needed before we are fully settled with each other.

Sporting shoot this Wednesday evening then that'll be it till end of August as we're due to be afloat

Griff

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Norton Priory game shoot yesterday just north of Donny.  Me n Purdey invited along for a day spent picking up, observing & training.

Another good day out in the field.  Purdey continues apace and is doing very well, not the finished article yet though.  She charged off at lighting speed yesterday after the drive had finished after a hare that presented itsen to her at close quarters.  I could have stopped her with a whistle / voice command instantly but let her go to burn some energy off.  First time anything has outrun her.  Came back dragging her tongue, that'll teach her at least she knows now it is pointless chasing hares

Griff

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Today me and Purdey are game shooting at my mates farm.  It's the only one at his place this year.  It used to be an seasonal annual event for our group pre covid and pre 'Peel' rearranging the land around the airport.

We go for a silver service breakfast at the Mount Pleasant Hotel for around 0830 then off to the farm for the day.  This will be the first time Purdey will have been on a game shoot beside my side whilst I am actually shooting, (I'll use that term loosely) up to now she has been training with me not shooting.  It'll be interesting to see how she gets on, and me for that matter.  It will also be the first time I have used my new gun on a game shoot too

Griff

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9 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Today me and Purdey are game shooting at my mates farm.  It's the only one at his place this year.  It used to be an seasonal annual event for our group pre covid and pre 'Peel' rearranging the land around the airport.

We go for a silver service breakfast at the Mount Pleasant Hotel for around 0830 then off to the farm for the day.  This will be the first time Purdey will have been on a game shoot beside my side whilst I am actually shooting, (I'll use that term loosely) up to now she has been training with me not shooting.  It'll be interesting to see how she gets on, and me for that matter.  It will also be the first time I have used my new gun on a game shoot too

Griff

Hope you have more luck than you have had with your recent experiences with BA, Griff!! :default_biggrin: Don't know what the expression is for a good shoot but in fishing its "Tight Lines" :default_laugh:

Chris

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Monday Game Shoot.

We had our traditional Breakfast at the Mount Pleasant Hotel, it was the first time in ages we had been here for this, it used to be a regular thing every second Saturday throughout the season from October to end of January.  It was like we had never been away - Strange

At the farmyard the regular faces from years past of our beating team were ready for the off along with the group of dogs, some new to it.  Group photo taken (I've not received it yet) 

This was not really a 'Bagging Up' kind of shoot day, more of a stroll around the old haunts / drives, many of which are now no longer in existence.  The bag for the day totalled twenty tops, that between eight guns, it used to get up to the hundred mark in years past.

How did me and Purdey do? Well I expanded just ten cartridges - 30:5g No6 fibre wads.  I brought down two pheasants and one partridge.  Purdey? was rubbish at retrieving / picking up, she just showed so little interest.  She did go after a 'Runner' sorted it out as was padding her way back to me, I was delighted until she dropped it about 50yds out before returning to my side and sitting down.  She is excellent at watching, behaving hersen, does not 'Run in' stays close to my side (Obviously without the use of a lead) but as of yet has no eagerness about her where searching / retrieving is concerned.  We need to persevere with this, it will come and will 'Click' one of these days.  I am mindful this her first season and she is only 16 months old.  She would have performed better if I had not been gun carrying mysen and could have concentrated on her but first time for everything.

I'm due on another driven Game shoot tomorrow, this one is a 'Paid Day' the only one booked in for me this season, due to no other reason that the cost of these days out, it's a cheap un at about £800:00 each.  There are to be eight guns, the bag is expected to be between 150 - 200 head.  This will be a much busier day for me and Purdey, however again I can't really train her properly as I will be carrying my Browning, but it will be a learning curve for her experiencing the day and being amongst the other dogs which is always a bonus as gundogs do learn from each other

New Years Eve -  I should have been on an annual clay shoot but got word it has been cancelled, one of my farmer mates was due to be on the same shoot so he has organised & invited me to his own Game Shoot.  This will be a 'Freebie' apart from the normal beaters fee, a fifty bird day so that is a huge bonus for Me & Purdey dog.

Three game shoots in one week? probably a record for me, then I'm due to be Clay shooting on Sunday 02nd at our normal fortnightly venue

I've not as of yet received the photo's from our photographer for Monday so only have a few I took mysen.  You should notice Purdey has no collar on.  This is normal for working dogs when out in the field

Griff

 

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Maybe she hasn’t got her ‘eye in’ yet to mark them well so therefore showing less interest in retrieving. Finlay Springer is an excellent retriever on cold game but on his first shoot just wouldn’t pick up, until I put a bird down for him and set him up properly like when training and then no problems, as if he needed permission! By the third shoot, he was staying much closer when beating and is now the dog used to retrieve when a bird falls the other side of dyke, so most chuffed with him. He loves water which is handy when I have to wash him off when getting back to boat after a walk. 
Funnily enough, a few of the other spaniels will show where a bird is, but not pick up.
I think continuing with regular dummy training and on cold game will sort Purdey out. She sounds a cracking dog. Enjoy the rest of the season. 

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So the Game day out at Cliffe, (Nr Howden) Thursday 30th 

The bag was 132.  between eight guns.  Not the best day I have had made even worse by paying for it albeit it was considered a bargain.  The birds were tired, slow and low, worst combination possible, consequently I only shot ten.  Out of the six drives I had two with nothing over me and another one with only 1 x slow low partridge so out of the six drives we did, three for me were an observation exercise

Both me and My lad were on the day, Purdey spent the day with Dale when the drives were in action

Purdey improved, she seems fine with picking & retrieving Partridge but as of yet shows no interest in Pheasants.

I'm second from left with my lad Dale to the left of me with Purdey in t foreground

Griff

 

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Friday 31st Dec

Another farming mates Game day on his farm.  A far better day.  Birds high and fast.

This time my Lad Dale was not shooting (I was) so he could concentrate on Purdey.  We improved again.  She is fine with searching & retrieving partridge.  Where pheasant are concerned she will search and show but not collect and retrieve - Yet.  Again I have to be mindful she is only 16 months old and this is her first season and must not compare her with our late Macie Dog

In the crew trailer on the way back to the yard she was so tired she jumped up onto the furniture (Straw bales) which is a no-no at home, promptly put her chin on the nearest knee (Not mine) and shut her lookouts!

It was a great day out I shot a particular high cock bird which I was well chuffed with.  We were instructed not to shoot any hen birds unless exceptional and no English partridge but the frenchies were fair 'Game'   :default_laugh:

A mate of ours that works a pair of seasoned Golden Retrievers treated us to a retrieving demonstration.  It was a pure joy to witness how his dog responded to the whistle and hand signals, Jealous? - Me? Oh yes and then some

The really good news is that the 'Dogman' is a member of a working dogs training club.  This particular club is not open to the public, one has to be 'Invited' so it is a closed shop affair.  They begin training from February through to September on a yearly basis every second Saturday.  Purdey has duly been invited along with me and/or Dale from next month - Gettin   :default_beerchug:  This should improve her and our skills no end. well chuffed

Purdey is on the far right with Dale in the group photo

Griff

 

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And just so you know that any Game shot on the day does not go to waste, that would be criminal.

Over the three days we brought home four pheasants, 2 x cock birds and 2 x hen birds and four partridge.

As we speak I have 2 x partridge and 2 x Pheasants in our oven which will go round with us to Bro's in an hour or so - Family New years day gathering at his place - all of us doing a Lateral flow beforehand.

The other four are now in t freezer for another day.  I get them oven ready mysen of course, MrsG will have nothing to do with the preparation, no surprise there then

Griff

 

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How long do you hang them before skinning them Griff? I'm never sure, so err on one day, but probably not really enough.

At the shoot I beat and pick up for we can spend ages looking for fallen birds after a drive (it's very wooded), we just won't leave birds. I like the respect shown to them. 

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Every shoot I go on, great effort is made to retrieve all downed birds, even if that means missing out on the final drive. The dogs absolutely love working the fields / headlands & woods and are so keen to please

As for 'Hanging' - that is down to personal choice, there is also a huge variable as to how warm / cold the area is where the birds are hung.  The longer they are hung, the stronger the taste / flavour.  Personally I go for two days on average, sometimes three but rarely more.  The cooked fare I took round last night had two days hanging, quite a few folk tried it and enjoyed it too.  I have before now took game birds still in feather on a Lads week for my evening as duty chef.  That raises eyebrows or used to but all onboard enjoyed it

One of the other duty chefs prior to the start of a Lads Week told his crew they were having casseroled rabbit, one of the crew members informed him - no way was he eating 'Bugs Bunny' so he changed the menu to a normal curry.  Only he used the same prepared rabbit in the curry without telling them.  All enjoyed it including the crew member that stated he was not eating Bugs Bunny.  He was most put out afterwards on learning the truth but grudgingly admitted he had enjoyed his dinner! :default_laugh:

Griff

 

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The photo below is a photo taken of me earlier this evening.

The first Wednesday of every month we have a clay shoot at a Farm just outside of Bawtry.  We start trigger pulling at around 1800.  In the summer its daylight shooting, this time of year its under LED floodlights, the clays are fluorescent orange painted

This particular discipline was 'Down the Line' we each have two clays from five stands.  This was stand five.  I hit both of my targets from this stand

What is so unusual about this photo is that the clay can be seen in flight fully in tact and also the lead shot followed by the combustion flame from the gunpowder at the end of the bottom barrel is also visible.  A split second later there would have been no flame discharge on view or clay target either.

An impressive photo for those that know

Griff

 

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There's been some reorganisation at work which I won't bore you with but resulted a kick off meeting between the two marine departments on Tuesday.

All done by 2pm so we headed off to my boss's house / country pile with about 7 acres.  He has a couple of shotguns and his own clay machine so we had a couple of hours blasting away.  I've not really shot for 25 years and then it was more pistol and air rifle but I managed to impress myself!

I've a few life changes on the horizon which may result in a bit more shooting time, something to look forward to.

 

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Looks like Packham and his crowd are in for yet another defeat.  The sooner they realise to leave alone what they both do not understand or know about the better

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In a move that has been supported by BASC, Defra has confirmed that it will contest Wild Justice’s latest legal challenge relating to the general licence for the prevention of serious damage (GL42).

In a comment provided to the Guardian, Defra said:

“We confirmed to Wild Justice that we would contest their proposed claim in full. There has been absolutely no change in our position on gamebirds in relation to GL42. To imply otherwise, or that we conceded that the statutory definition was extended, is incorrect. We did not extend, nor have we changed, the definition.”

The clear messaging from Defra is confirmation of its commitment to fight Wild Justice in the courts on their latest minor legal issue.

BASC, the Countryside Alliance and the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation will register as interested parties for this legal challenge if it happens. 

Defra has already recognised the shooting organisations interested parties’ status and therefore we were copied into their response to Wild Justice. Having seen the full response, we are looking forward to its full publication by Wild Justice.

To avoid any further misunderstanding by Wild Justice, the licence that allows users to control certain species of wild birds to prevent serious damage has been updated around when gamebirds are defined as livestock for the purpose of using this licence.

Previously, the footnote stated:
‘Livestock’ is as defined in section 27(1) of the 1981 Act. For the purpose of this licence, this expression also includes gamebirds kept in an enclosure or which are free roaming but remain significantly dependent on the provision of food, water or shelter by a keeper for their survival. This does not include supplementary feeding.

The new version states:
‘Livestock’ is as defined in section 27(1) of the 1981 Act. This expression includes gamebirds kept in an enclosure or which are free roaming but remain significantly dependent on the provision of food, water, or shelter (by and within the release pen) by a keeper for their survival. The placement of supplementary food out into the environment for wild gamebirds does not mean those wild gamebirds are ‘kept’ and it does not therefore make them ‘livestock’.

In response to the change Glynn Evans, BASC head of game and gundogs, said: “GL42 is an essential management tool for farmers, gamekeepers and many others in preventing serious damage. For those who rely on the use of GL42, this update changes nothing. The law relating to the issuing of general licences is clear and has not changed. We will support Defra in their defence against Wild Justice.”

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Griff

 

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