BEATING DOGS ARE the unsung heroes of the shooting field. On many shoots, they are far more useful than their human handlers, able to use their size and agility to get to places no two-legged beater can reach, and their noses to find game that would otherwise never be flushed. Yet, while you will find numerous books on how to train your puppy to become a shooting dog, beating dogs hardly warrant a mention.
The requirements of a good beating dog are simple. Most important is the ability to work closely with their handler, never venturing more than 30 yards away. Prompt recall is essential, as is walking happily to heel, or at least within a few feet, when required to do so. An enthusiasm for hunting is essential, together with a determination to go through or undercover rather than around it. On a typical shooting day you don’t really need the cover-ripping speed of a trialling spaniel, nor the latter’s ability to hunt a windscreen wiper pattern.
Denne historien er fra March 11, 2020-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.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 11, 2020-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.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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