ips does beating season three

[ips]

SEASON 3 SHOOT 6 SYNDICATE

1st drive
Was shooting on this on next peg to Paul120 who was my guest and I was very much hoping that he got some shooting as the birds have been scarse lately. I had one bird over but missed both barrels. Paul had a very nice shot with his ancient but very nice SxS, the bird fell in a wooded ravine behind us. Eze took an executive decision to go and get it for him so she broke rank and did so. A very nice retrieve as it happens, navigated a way through the fence then down a steep bank, over the stream and up the bank were she happened upon said bird. Picked it and retraced her steps were she eventually gave it to Mrs ips as I was busy looking for birds to shoot at however no more came over but at least Paul had a successful shot.

2nd drive
Beating this one and Eze worked very well indeed. Shoot captain and I hunted the crop first which produced three birds one of which a very nice positive flush from Eze. Then into the wood which has a stream through it and some quite heavy bramble in places. Eze found no more birds on her beat but she did hunt close and was compliant to command. I was very pleased with her.

3rd drive
Although it was very nice of her to get pauls bird on first drive I decided to pop her lead on. I had one bird which was a very testing bird presented as a fourty yard right left quartering driven. One shot was enough but just to make sure I emptied the top barrel. After the drive I sent her for the seventy yard marked. She ran straight to it, picked and delivered to hand. A nice job I thought.

4th drive
Beating, couple of nice flushes out of long grass and again she was very good in my eyes anyway. In fact I would go as far to say she was probably as good today than she has ever been and seems generally more business like and focused. At the end of drive we were told a strong runner was in a wood. Two dogs already in there looking, I popped us both over the fence at the other end and sent her out to hunt. Within one minute she appeared out of the fairly dense cover with an undead hen in her mouth. An excellent find and I do believe that's a double eye wipe

5th drive
Stood in deep mud in a paddock one bird over me very similar to the first shot, down it came. Mrs ips handled Eze onto the bird having chucked her over a low bit of dry stone wall. Eze found it in some reads after a minute of hunting as this was a true blind, she passed it to Mrs ips over the wall .

Bag for day 12 pheasant 1 woodcock

Bag for me 2 for 6

A very enjoyable day with good shooting from Paul and I, good dog work from Eze and good handling and beating from Lynn

 

[ips]

SEASON 3 ESTATE

Loading various days so no dog work to report on estate for last month or so.

SEASON 3 KEEPERS DAY ESTATE
Shot three drives reasonably well with my sidelock SxS. Had some good shots on one drive and received a compliment from a keeper friend of my keeper from Bonnie Scottish land which was nice of him, also had some pretty poor misses of easy birds. Why are easy birds sometimes the hardest ☹

Anyway the dogwork...

I took a bold decision to have her off lead throughout the day in order to test myself and her, after all it was keepers day and if bad things happened i would probably be forgiven  one would hope

1st DRIVE
Off lead at relatively close heel through cover crop (maize) its fare to say that there are not the same volume of birds (obviously) and the crop is not as dense now but even so was pleased with her. Then we get over a fence and hunt a wood. I kept her hunting as close as I could and she complied with this. So far so good. We are then out of the wood and into thick bramble an stuff leading to the flush point. Again I kept her close and she worked well putting some birds up out of sight of me but returned for further instruction. The whole drive went very well apart from at one point she got excited by some birds that were in the pen, trying to get to them through the mesh. No amount of leave that got through to her so I had to go to her and eventually convinced her that we had work to do. A beater with a good spaniel witnessed this and advised me to "give her a good shake" I ignored it and carried on with my ongoing attempt to politely convince her to leave that
She had a couple of retrieves after the drive which I now know is probably not a good idea for beating dog but I am now happy to accept that I have effectively trained a "jack of all trades master of none dog".

2nd DRIVE
More cover crop again very compliant at loose heel didn't run in at the flush point then on command of keeper she hunted the last few birds out. Interestingly half way through this drive someone's dog ran through the wood at side of the crop and a rather large flush of birds ensure....oops.....but it wasn't mine....phew

3rd DRIVE
I was a stop at side of a wood then entered at a specific point and another beater and I tapped the birds to the flush point, Eze was mooching about just in front which is exactly what I wanted. We then got to a pen with a lot of birds bunches up. Keeper is orchestrating al three beating lines in such a way as to avoid a big flush, Eze got a bit inquisitive at this point and keeper got a little concerned and asked me to get her back to heel and stand off them as the birds were now aware of us and getting a bit twitchy...heart in mouth I recalled her, she did not comply but stood staring at the birds that were now a matter of a few yards in front, I quietly walked to her so as not to cause a flush and verbally convinced her to retreat. Phew, disaster avoided. I then bottled it and popped a lead on as I sensed she was about to go all birdy on me.

So quite a good day and she proved that as long as I remain vigilant she is better off lead in these scenarios than I give her credit for although I accept there are not the same volume of birds about now.

 

[ips]

SEASON 3 SHOOT 7 SYNDICATE
Windy, wet and very muddy but an enjoyable day as ever. Eze worked well apart from running in from peg to retrieve a cracking bird. A very very fast cock pheasant with the wind up it's backside, presented as a quartering left to right. Hit with both barrells of my SxS, bloke two pegs up said from were he was standing the bird was shifting and complimented my shot. Eze had to go under a fence over a stream under another fence and retrieve from long grass. She retrieved to hand very nicely. I am not concerned about the couple of run ins this season as it was more important to me to get her to enjoy being on a peg. Next few months I will steady her at peg again using the launcher.

She handled very well hunting the last drive but was hard work early on, she seemed hotter than usual in fact she was quite vocal before we started the first drive which is not like her so no idea what that was about.

Beaters day no2 on estate Monday and a walked up on syndicate Thursday then were all done for season 3

 

[ips]

SEASON 3 BEATERS DAY NO2 ESTATE

shot four drives and enjoyed it but was out of it all day. Peg numbers were drawn so what can you do.

Took a bold decision, no lead no matter what.
I cant say it was easy or particularly relaxing but nothing bad happened on the four drives we were beating. Had her at heal which took some doing as we still have plenty birds about , we had to have words a few times, many growls and expletives. After these "words" she was very good I even had to courage to send her into cover during the drive quite a few times to get some birds out and she recalled or came back on her own...phew. I even had her still off lead at the flush points with dozens of birds three yards off her nose.
My conclusion is that she is better more reliable than I gave her credit for BUT if she is to be of any use on the big shoot i have to keep on top of the situation and she has to know that I mean every command and I will not accept none compliance. A couple of good retrieves but one occasion when she would not release a partridge and it was a devil of a job getting it from her now vice like grip, very unlike her. Oh and she pegged a bird in a wood out of sight of me but experienced beater with very good dog said it was a runner so she did good.
All in all a very good day and one that I have learned from, in fact I have learned a lot this season about what I need from her and how to get it so I am confident that after six months or so polishing a few things we will be better next season, or should I say "I will be better" ? 

Last day of the season, walked up on my syndicate shoot with guest shooters Steve and Karl. Karl got an early shot in, pheasant flushed out of long grass (by Eze) whilst blanking in. Birds were nowhere to be seen in few woods but Steve had a cracking high bird (again flushed by Eze) from fourth wood, last wood syndicate member Dave got a rabbit. Not as many birds as we hoped for or expected but an enjoyable day in beautiful surroundings and in good company, oh and the dog worked well.
What's not to like.

 

[westley]

SEASON 3 BEATERS DAY NO2 ESTATE

shot four drives and enjoyed it but was out of it all day. Peg numbers were drawn so what can you do.

Took a bold decision, no lead no matter what.

What's not to like.

Hey,.................I've had some of those cartridges too  !

 

[ips]

yep they were the 28g ones you gave me ?