Very excited!

[WalkedUp]

It is the first shoot day of our season tomorrow, I am very excited to be heading out into the hills with my two eldest sons and company of friends. This is the culmination of a year’s work… building pens, tending to the birds, predator control etc. Two seasons ago on the first shoot day with just my eldest, then aged 7, in tow: a crisp autumnal morning and the first bird of the day flushed as the line pushed through the damp fodder beet. A lovely, strong cock as a high crosser at 45 yards. I killed it first barrel then sent my dog to retrieve it from the dingle. After the flurry of noise from the flush and shot it was momentarily silent as the dog worked. A tiny voice from two places down the line called out “Good shot Daddy” and my heart swelled with joy.

 

[Len the dog]

Just a couple of years before my father passed away he told me of the time that I shot my first pheasant, I would reckon that I would have been about 10.
My paternal grandmother was staying with us and as we pulled up in the driveway I leapt out clutching a pheasant with the biggest grin on my face, my mother and grandmother were watching out of the window and my grandmother, on seeing my excitement muttered, ‘it’s in his blood’.
I still feel a frisson of excitement for what we do nearly 50 years later.
Likewise when my son shot his first pheasant I was consumed with pride.

Love it.

 

[dillieboy]

Brilliant tales well told. Brightened my day.

 

[bumpy22]

Great memories. My boys will be joining me at the end of the month on mine.
Nothing better I can still remember when I was a kid ferreting foxing roughshooting.

Great times that NEED to be experienced by the next generation.

 

[Bramble]

Long may it continue.

 

[WalkedUp]

We had a lovely day, a small bag but lots of birds flushed. Just too much leaf and cover, with no game crops this year. My highlight was a new syndicate member taking his first ever pheasant, driven with an old side by side. My boys enjoyed the day but the venison and pheasant lunch cooked on an open casket was their (delicious) highlight. Port, sloe gin, game, cheese, fire and sunshine. Nothing was left over and the boys ate more than any man.

 

[stavross]

That’s exactly what the day should be, superb stuff

 

[WalkedUp]

We were lucky with the weather, I was stressed about numbers but everyone was happy. A couple of the guns shot more than half a dozen birds each. I didn’t get a proper chance which is weird as the dog was on point again and again, flushed maybe 40+ birds within a couple of yards of me, but being in the thick of it meant no opportunity to shoot. Not that I minded. Most guns shot a couple of birds, however the four guns who were working dogs all blanked.

 

[Len the dog]

Nice to see a Weimaraner being worked.

 

[Cranborne]

Those are the best days....and good to see the next generation enjoying themselves.