The shooting field can be a dangerous place for working dogs, says David Tomlinson, with vehicles the biggest threat to their safety.
IT’S EASY TO forget that the most dangerous thing you can do with a gundog is to take it shooting. On three occasions I’ve had to rush a dog of mine straight to a vet. Each time was because of an unavoidable accident in the shooting field. On two occasions fallen branches were the cause of the injury, and there is nothing you can do either to anticipate or avoid such incidents.
The worst accident was when a sharp stick impaled itself in my springer’s chest, penetrating some 6in between the skin and the rib cage. Mobile phones were then in their infancy, but fortunately a fellow beater had one so we were able to call the vet to give advance warning that we were coming. The spaniel was on the operating table within 25 minutes. She came home the next day, heavily stitched but otherwise in remarkably good shape, and was working again three weeks later.
Of course, the biggest threat to working dogs on shoot days comes from vehicles. Working a dog close to roads is always a worry, especially if you aren’t confident that your stop whistle will really halt your dog. I have been on a number of shoots where drives have been perilously close to roads, making picking-up impossibly dangerous. I recall one drive where the shot birds were actually falling on the road, creating a serious hazard for passing vehicles.
Denne historien er fra December 6,2017-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra December 6,2017-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside