It’s that time of year again

[Stavross 13,720]

Another trip up to the shoot for a bit more hand feeding before we shoot on Saturday, the birds were well tucked up in the cover, it was a proper winters day, everything white and crisp, the cock birds are looking in fantastic condition and if we have weather on Saturday like today we could be in for a cracker

[Stavross 13,720]

4th day and 4th drive, fingers crossed for a good show, not ideal weather it’s a bit warm so the birds have headed out into the fields instead of staying in the cover, we are forecast rain this afternoon, it seems to have been unbelievably wet this season 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

3 hours ago, Stavross said:

4th day and 4th drive, fingers crossed for a good show, not ideal weather it’s a bit warm so the birds have headed out into the fields instead of staying in the cover, we are forecast rain this afternoon, it seems to have been unbelievably wet this season 

Hair cut or brylcreem Stav?

It was nice here this morning but it's cooled down and threatening rain now.

Have you had a good day mate?

[Stavross 13,720]

1 hour ago, Sausagedog said:

Hair cut or brylcreem Stav?

It was nice here this morning but it's cooled down and threatening rain now.

Have you had a good day mate?

I’m holding out for my Christmas haircut 

once I get sorted I’m going to do a little write up, what a day

[Stavross 13,720]

Well I don’t really know where to start with today on the shoot, what I do know is I’ll remember this day for a very long time, as I mentioned before my long time shooting buddy was having his first day out with me since he had his heart attack, now I paid for half a gun for him and gave him mine so he could shoot all day, when we arrived Hugo’s dad told me that he had paid for me to stand on team one with my mate because he thought I’d like to shoot with him ( a very thoughtful thing to do ), so one of the pictures is of my 2 favourite people, my shooting buddy and little Hugo, the first drive and I was at the bottom of the drive with my mate at the top, he was in all the action as I waited my turn, my time came when a bird came down the line 4 guns all taking a shot at it, all missed then it was my turn one shot and down it came, the shouts of good shot put a smile on my face, as you can see in the picture it’s a hen that was starting to change to cock bird plumage, I’ve only seen this a couple of times before, asking my mate how he got on, his face said it all, 10 shots one bird , it turned out he was just warming up, the next drive he hit everything that came into sight, also taking his first ever woodcock, stopping for mid morning refreshments we are taking turns now  providing nibbles, every time we go it’s become a competition to out do each other, today was home made sausage rolls, home made spring rolls with chilli dip and chocolate brownies ( it’s getting a bit out of hand, but very nice), moving on I got to shoot next to my little mate who I take out rabbiting, ( he still keeps asking me about foxing, I’ll have to sort this for him ) now this lad pulled it out the bag, he said to me that he had only hit one, the drive started and we were stud at the bottom of the valley drive, the first bird I missed, the second I dropped at his feet, then they made there way over him and he took 6 in a row, he could of done with a loader, the smile on his face was quality, everyone had some fantastic shooting today with some fantastic people, the rain held off until we finished, the bag was 45 pheasants, 4 woodcock and a squizzer, my shooting buddy had himself 11 pheasants and 3 woodcock, when we got back to the yard he told me he was nervous about coming today but loved it and will be coming again and he’d like to start coming out on the night for a bit with me again, this put a little lump in my throat but I didn’t show it been a big hard northerner

Edited December 8, 2019 by Stavross

[Stavross 13,720]

Few more 

Edited December 7, 2019 by Stavross

[Gooner 143]

Nice write up and a great day well worth all the hard work and effort that goes into producing sport like that

[si brown 8,486]

a great day stav..and the weather held out for you too

little Hugo is like your shoot mascot..youll have to get a photo of him when he see's the super fly welly's, he'll be buzzing!

keep the stepford wives at war regarding nibbles your shoot will have a Michelin star before you know it

[Sausagedog 7,381]

Grand stuff .

I took a hen in cock phase once, dam thing needed boiling for four hours before cooking! Would of made a good sole for one of me boots!!

[BenBhoy 4,706]

3 hours ago, Stavross said:

Well I don’t really know where to start with today on the shoot, what I do know is I’ll remember this day for a very long time, as I mentioned before my long time shooting buddy was having his first day out with me since he had his heart attack, now I paid for half a gun for him and gave him mine so he could shoot all day, when we arrived Hugo’s day told me that he had paid for me to stand on team one with my mate because he thought I’d like to shoot with him ( a very thoughtful thing to do ), so one of the pictures is of my 2 favourite people, my shooting buddy and little Hugo, the first drive and I was at the bottom of the drive with my mate at the top, he was in all the action as I waited my turn, my time came when a bird came down the line 4 guns all taking a shot at it, all missed then it was my turn one shot and down it came, the shouts of good shot put a smile on my face, as you can see in the picture it’s a hen that was starting to change to cock bird plumage, I’ve only seen this a couple of times before, asking my mate how he got on, his face said it all, 10 shots one bird , it turned out he was just warming up, the next drive he hit everything that came into sight, also taking his first ever woodcock, stopping for mid morning refreshments we are taking turns now  providing nibbles, every time we go it’s become a competition to out do each other, today was home made sausage rolls, home made spring rolls with chilli dip and chocolate brownies ( it’s getting a bit out of hand, but very nice), moving on I got to shoot next to my little mate who I take out rabbiting, ( he still keeps asking me about foxing, I’ll have to sort this for him ) now this lad pulled it out the bag, he said to me that he had only hit one, the drive started and we were stud at the bottom of the valley drive, the first bird I missed, the second I dropped at his feet, then they made there way over him and he took 6 in a row, he could of done with a loader, the smile on his face was quality, everyone had some fantastic shooting today with some fantastic people, the rain held off until we finished, the bag was 45 pheasants, 4 woodcock and a squizzer, my shooting buddy had himself 11 pheasants and 3 woodcock, when we got back to the yard he told me he was nervous about coming today but loved it and will be coming again and he’d like to start coming out on the night for a bit with me again, this put a little lump in my throat but I didn’t show it been a big hard northerner

Absolute class mate. You're very lucky to be part of such a good group of people there.

[Stavross 13,720]

12 hours ago, Gooner said:

Nice write up and a great day well worth all the hard work and effort that goes into producing sport like that

It make it all worth while when you get a day like that, I’ll be back up hand feeding probably Wednesday, we have reached the time in the season where we know where we want the birds to be so it’s just a matter of getting them into the drives 

[Sausagedog 7,381]

They'll get a bit smarter now too but fly better for it

[Stavross 13,720]

2 hours ago, Sausagedog said:

They'll get a bit smarter now too but fly better for it

They certainly got up yesterday and they have  definitely learned how to use the wind, looking at the weather it’s saying very cold on a night and snow on the high ground by the end of the week, just what they need to keep them hungry and harden them off, it also helps that the cold keeps them in the cover so they don’t tend to wander as far

Edited December 8, 2019 by Stavross

[Longshanx 833]

On 07/12/2019 at 20:20, Stavross said:

Well I don’t really know where to start with today on the shoot, what I do know is I’ll remember this day for a very long time, as I mentioned before my long time shooting buddy was having his first day out with me since he had his heart attack, now I paid for half a gun for him and gave him mine so he could shoot all day, when we arrived Hugo’s dad told me that he had paid for me to stand on team one with my mate because he thought I’d like to shoot with him ( a very thoughtful thing to do ), so one of the pictures is of my 2 favourite people, my shooting buddy and little Hugo, the first drive and I was at the bottom of the drive with my mate at the top, he was in all the action as I waited my turn, my time came when a bird came down the line 4 guns all taking a shot at it, all missed then it was my turn one shot and down it came, the shouts of good shot put a smile on my face, as you can see in the picture it’s a hen that was starting to change to cock bird plumage, I’ve only seen this a couple of times before, asking my mate how he got on, his face said it all, 10 shots one bird , it turned out he was just warming up, the next drive he hit everything that came into sight, also taking his first ever woodcock, stopping for mid morning refreshments we are taking turns now  providing nibbles, every time we go it’s become a competition to out do each other, today was home made sausage rolls, home made spring rolls with chilli dip and chocolate brownies ( it’s getting a bit out of hand, but very nice), moving on I got to shoot next to my little mate who I take out rabbiting, ( he still keeps asking me about foxing, I’ll have to sort this for him ) now this lad pulled it out the bag, he said to me that he had only hit one, the drive started and we were stud at the bottom of the valley drive, the first bird I missed, the second I dropped at his feet, then they made there way over him and he took 6 in a row, he could of done with a loader, the smile on his face was quality, everyone had some fantastic shooting today with some fantastic people, the rain held off until we finished, the bag was 45 pheasants, 4 woodcock and a squizzer, my shooting buddy had himself 11 pheasants and 3 woodcock, when we got back to the yard he told me he was nervous about coming today but loved it and will be coming again and he’d like to start coming out on the night for a bit with me again, this put a little lump in my throat but I didn’t show it been a big hard northerner

Glad mosh had a cracking day mate, sounds like it was another belter of a day.

 

[Stavross 13,720]

1 hour ago, Longshanx said:

Glad mosh had a cracking day mate, sounds like it was another belter of a day.

 

Another belter mate, you are with us on the 21st for the Christmas shoot, should be some good nibbles and a little Christmas cheer