Wanted: Walked up grouse or similar

Richard doran

Well-Known Member
Hi, I am up in dalwhinnie between 22nd and 29th December for a Xmas break with the misses and out GSP bitch and was wondering if any if you guys up north in the highlands would be up for us trying out bitch on the heather. Thanks rich.
 
Just because their out of season doesn't mean you cant go out on the moor to try them out on grouse just means you cant shoot them
 
Thanks guys, I wouldn't be shooting anyway. Just wanted to know if there was anyone in the area I'm going so I could possibly go out for a couple hours. Woodcock, pheasant anything really just to get some work for the dog. Been beating a pheasant shoot in Wales but the cover is to thick for my bitch.
 
There is a couple off very good moors near to there, but i would doubt the keepers would really want anyone on the ground, i know 1 moor had quite a few days this year and shot well considering the poor spring/summer weather and they will be wanting some peace and quiet for the grouse to try and regain condition afore pairing up and breeding. Also not a lot of food up on the tops (and fairly steep exposed area so shortish heather) so will not want birds disturbed if poss to conserve their energy and let they stay in wot ever shelter they've found.
The estate also has a lowland shoot so the keepers will probaly either be looking forward to a few days off with feet up or more likely the grouse boys will have a few days purely on vermin when they dinae have to go beating elsewhere

I think wot enfield spares is meaning is generally after grouse have been driven, shot at the don't sit very tight at all and it can be a real struggle to either walk them up or for a dog to 'hold' on point and flush, they generally flush miles in front, even when driving they tend to 'pack up' into large packs of hundreds of birds (depending on grouse numbers/density). Come mid sept onward grouse are as fly as f**k and really are as wild as the hills and ken every trick possible to avoid flying throu butts or generally being shot at.

Sorry i cannae be more help and for being negative but i doubt any keeper would really want anyone on there ground needleessly disturbing birds and esp so upland bids as they have it hard enough on the hills
 
Some good points there countryboy, I'll stay we'll away from them. Just gave to try and get up there when the season starts up.
 
Some good points raised, grouse are pretty wild this time of year. There is still a fair bit of patchy snow on the hill just now, with probably more on the way. So grouse will be "packing".

Certainly, at the start of the week, there were quite big packs:)

So, unless you can find a nice wee bit of "brown " hill, its a bit of a non starter, this time of year.

I'm afraid , I've nothing snow free!!! well not untill May?

There are HPR trials at Drumochter every year, so it might be an idea to try and get along to one.

Have a good time, Dalwhinnie can be a bit "wild " in December! At least you have a distillery on site :)
 
If ur really keen check the GSP club website, i know the scoottish branch/region counted 1 big beat this summer, i dunno if this was a 1 off but it is a very 'dog' oriented estate so it would not surprise me if they do it annually plus the spring pair counts althou they might save that for grouse pointing tests. If ur into the tests/triallling they quite often they organise test's in scotland so there is 2 or 3 back to back on diferent estates semi locally so it's worth people travelling up from the south, can usually get a run no prob's too
That paticular estate runs numerous trials, i think for all types off dogs (ret, span and hpr) i was picking up 1 day on driven grouse this summer (most scenic place ever been lucky enough to work my dogs) and they had another 2 parties out shooting walked up and 1 shot over (pointers) on other parts off estate, a massive well run estate.
That estate also takes on 'bothy beaters' as do some others up there, if ur really keen, my advice would be to start fitness work as early as poss, both u and dog, seen many a beater or dog not last a day before, grouse beating and even picking up is hard and that is 1 off steepest moors i've been on

I think other branches off the GSP club (or other pointing breed clubs) might need dogs/handlers that are closer to u for counting, i think a few estates give clubs access as they get counting done for free and club gets the ground for dog work so win win really.

I dunno how good/experienced ur dog is but u could probably do its training more harm than good as birds would prob flush very early or run on and flush, throu no fault off the dog, but that could knock it's confidence or encourage it to drive on to try a 'hold' a point but the birds are unlikely to 'hold' nomatter wot.
 
Thanks bambislayer, be nice to have some snow for Xmas but hope we can still get about and see the area. Will look at hpr trials for next year.
 
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