Not a walk in the park

Whether you’re a young Shot or much older, for safety’s sake, strict etiquette must be adhered to when walking-up partridge, says Petrel

- Petrel

The first of September, much more eagerly awaited by most of us as marking the opening of the rough shooter’s game season than the Twelfth, has come and gone, and for the majority it has been the ‘first’ in name only. The new season fell on a Monday this year and even the young Shot home for the holidays has had to wait impatiently until today to join his elders in their opening day at partridges.

My game book reminds me that over the past two seasons we did not shoot at a partridge until well into September, due to the number of ‘cheepers’ — young birds that were not forward enough to offer sporting shooting. The disadvantage, of course, is that the longer the birds are left, the wilder they become, and walking-up, which is essentially early-season tactics, becomes correspondingly less effective.

Walking-up provides the young Shot with an excellent introduction to the game, for you will have more time to concentrate and thoroughly to learn the elementary lessons before you have to face the more hectic flurry of driven birds. The shooting, too, is easier. It will be a long time before you get over that ‘keyed-up’ feeling as you walk, never knowing when a covey will suddenly flush, and can calmly take a right-and-left at birds that explode from under your feet. The ability to keep calm at such a time is the secret of success. You must know instinctively what you are going to do.