Perfect partridge

Your pre-season practice may have been limited, but that doesn’t mean your first shoot day needs to be too. Follow Simon O Leary’s advice to make the most of your September sessions

- SIMON O'LEARY

For those that were not fortunate enough to have entertained the Glorious Twelfth, September sparks the start of the game season for the masses, with those excitable, erratic little numbers, namely partridge. It is with much excitement, the allure of days in the field has finally come to fruition again. For me, September also signifies that I am yet another year older, a mixed sensation ensues, and I swear the walks to peg get longer by the year!

By now, the nights come sooner, the temperatures drop and the landscape sheds its lush greens. All is wilting and morphing into golden brown hues, preparing for the long sleep through winter. But alongside this transition into hibernation, an alternative energy is building momentum, thriving off the decaying countryside.

Dogs that work are about to prove their worth, with owners keen to continue their exercise, nervously monitoring performance. They’ll put into practice all the past months of training and conditioning, wanting to see the fruits of their labours shine brightly. Shooters will have shot clays and invested in lessons, with some having let rip at a simulated day or two. Guns are serviced, leather luggage treated and new purchases made, replacing worn out garments and adding to the general ensemble. In short, the shooting fraternity is champing at the bit to get out, and indeed, to get on!