Hard days' flight
Sporting Gun|April 2020
Gamekeeper Adam Cope treated his helpers to a day on the peg for all their hard work over the year. Richard Faulks was there to watch proceedings
Hard days' flight

Why have a beaters’ day? It’s a time-honoured tradition to say thank you to all the people who make a shoot day possible.

Guns often overlook just how much work and organisation goes into putting on a successful day. Just release the birds, feed them occasionally and walk through a cover crop to fly them over the line. How hard can it be?

Anybody who knows a gamekeeper or has helped around a shoot will know it’s a year round, full-time job, and it is more than one person can manage on their own on a shoot of any size. Having a knowledgeable, committed and reliable team of helpers is essential, and the majority of the work they do is done for the love of the sport.

A few perks can help greatly when it comes to keeping your helpers happy. Perhaps access to pigeon shooting, ferreting, and foxing will keep them keen, and some are happy to get the opportunity to work their dogs, but everybody seems to look forward to beaters’ day the most.

As seasons go, this season has been particularly successful on Taylor’s Farm, despite the miserable weather. Adam Cope (the gamekeeper) has managed to smash the shoot record, and pretty much every day they’ve shot has produced a better than average bag. The syndicate was happy and there were plenty of birds left after the penultimate day of the syndicate’s season.

Adam is always keen to put on a good show for the beaters on their day, so it was decided to move it forward to the middle of January before the syndicate’s final day and a small let day at end of the month.

This would ensure a good show of birds for the beaters, and as shoot captain David Firth said: “If we turn up on the final syndicate day and only shoot 100, so be it; we’ve had some very, very good days this season.”

この蚘事は Sporting Gun の April 2020 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は Sporting Gun の April 2020 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

SPORTING GUNのその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
Thermal spectrum
Sporting Gun

Thermal spectrum

Paul Austin explores both ends of the thermal market with latest high-end release from Zeiss alongside a surprising entry-level offering from Xinfrared

time-read
6 分  |
August 2023
Roe, rucks and new ground
Sporting Gun

Roe, rucks and new ground

Jon Snowdon and his team have much to keep them busy and a new tool to help them

time-read
4 分  |
August 2023
Tales from a lifetime of foxing
Sporting Gun

Tales from a lifetime of foxing

Join Mike Powell as he explores the evolving world of fox shooting, drawing from a career that spans seven decades

time-read
3 分  |
August 2023
Fox rot about Charlie
Sporting Gun

Fox rot about Charlie

Patrick Hook responds to claims that fox numbers are dangerously on the wane

time-read
3 分  |
August 2023
The sniff of success
Sporting Gun

The sniff of success

Join Ryan Kay as he navigates the fascinating dynamic between a handler and their canine companion

time-read
3 分  |
August 2023
Adventures of Nick & Ted
Sporting Gun

Adventures of Nick & Ted

A new chapter in the histories of Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter has Nick Ridley reflecting on the dogs he has trained over the years he has been associated with the magazines

time-read
3 分  |
August 2023
The problem: Inflammation in the nervous system
Sporting Gun

The problem: Inflammation in the nervous system

Vet's advice

time-read
3 分  |
August 2023
Gundogs Q&A
Sporting Gun

Gundogs Q&A

No problem goes unsolved as Sporting Gun puts your questions to the gundog experts

time-read
4 分  |
August 2023
Stop-start!
Sporting Gun

Stop-start!

Fran Ardley continues her training tips on disciplining your dog to the stop whistle and the exercises you need to do

time-read
3 分  |
August 2023
Gundogs at the Game Fair
Sporting Gun

Gundogs at the Game Fair

Organising the Game Fair's prestigious gundog competitions: behind-the-scenes with Francesca Prentice

time-read
2 分  |
August 2023