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kiwi · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 10:24 am Post subject: english shoot in nz...

the birds are ready to be driven at helen's and my training area so as it's a new concept in the area we live, and not very common in this country we had a pratice drive today so the game keeper and owner could plan the kids day next weekend, was a fun day allround with plenty of good company and dogs everywhere Very Happy

i left my own at home, as i don't think they would learn much but plan on taking then next week for a bit of picking up, helen's liesel was flying the gwp flag high though today.
at one stage we had a flurry at the end of a kale crop and there was chaos with flags, dogs and birds all over the place lieasl proved her steadyness training was not wasted by pretending to be springer bouncing all over the place and vanishing in the kale only to reappear twenty meters away and bouncing 4 feet in the air soaking wet and having the time of her life.....if only i had a video camera Laughing

just a few pic's, it might be common for you guys in the uk to see this sort of thing but it's pretty new to us kiwi's and it's a pretty cool day out, apart from the fog early on it turned out a fine day.....will add some pic's next weekend of the dogs picking up for the shooters.

windem bang · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 11:18 am Post subject:

It looks great but when are you going to import the English weather to go with it ? Pheasant drives in shirt sleeves just isn't the done thing you know !

Jealous as hell !

Bill T.

josie · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 12:16 pm Post subject:

Yes, you all should be wearing full-on weather gear and arrange for some rain and wind if you want the true English experience!
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sako75 · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject:

Great photos Kiwi , looks like a great shoot. I have to agree with the others in that it looks a bit weird beating / shooting in T-shirts , I am used to looking like Scott of the Antartic when I am out on a shootday here in Scotland....................

Look forward to next weeks pictures !!

Barry. Very Happy

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Greyghost · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:

Well I am or was a fair weather golfer in my youth. This kind of shooting looks right up my street.... Very Happy

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DesO'Neile · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 8:15 am Post subject:

Nice rolling countryside which should lend itself to driving. What sort of height are you getting over the guns? The only keeper I know of that's in NZ was previously at Kinveachy Lodge in Perthshire. Your keeper isn't him by any chance?

Helen S · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 11:34 pm Post subject:

Des, Saturday was a test day to see whether the birds would fly where they wanted them to go. Unfortunately we had a drought this summer, the cover crops failed and have only just grown back, so the birds are not really used to spending much time there. On Saturday we had to drive them into the cover crops in order to push them back out again. Some went where intended but it wasn't entirely satisfactory. The Keeper is a young chap called Will (wont' give his full name), I know he has spent time working in Scotland.

Liesel was understandably quite excitable on Saturday and spent a lot of time on the lead. I shouldn't have let her go in the kale it served no purpose apart from giving Kiwi a good chuckle! However I don't think it did much harm. She stayed under control when we worked a hedgeline afterward and worked very hard beating through thick brash at the next drive pointing birds which were sitting tight there.

My high point of the day came as we all walked back to base after the drive in kale where Kiwi took the pics. I let Liesel off and sent her to check out a small boggy gulley leading up the hill. She went on point about 70 metres from me and was staunch for me to reach her. She roded in under control but nothing got up, I called her forward but she doubled back and went on point again. This time as I reached her a hen pheasant got up and I got Liesel to sit. I looked up to the path but everyone had moved on at that point - typical! I went to pick Liesel up but she was hunting again, she pointed another hen phessie and was steady as it flushed.

This morning our local feral pigeon obliged and gave us a workout on the farm. I let Liesel stand on point for a good five minutes (it was a seen point) and eventually roded her in and flushed the bird. I was pleased with this steadiness and cooperation and I think, if anything, Saturday taught her that birds are just not catchable. We are going next Saturday to the first shoot day. I am planning some picking up but we will have to earn our keep by doing some beating. I will keep her on the lead I promise!

Helen S

Helen · Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject:

Could be here, but as Bill says, the weather lol! The only time I wear shirt sleeves for beating is on the grouse. Come the pheasants, it's usually too cold and wet!

Good luck for your next shoot day - let us know how you get on!

Helen

kiwi · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 9:16 am Post subject:

awesome day today kids,dogs,adults and birds everywhere.
pity the weather was crap again, but in keeping with the english tradition i pretended it was snowing and blowing a gale Rolling Eyes

well it is mid winter here Rolling Eyes

well at least the beer was cold Cool

the beating team

the guns

birds over the guns

picking up.....

in between drives scruff giving a demo to the labs how to point a hen that had snuck along the fence

Helen S · Posted: Sat May 24, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject:

And there were four GWPs out too!

Unfortunately there was v. little picking up to do so the "tough dogs" had to put up with beating on the lead. After the last drive several of us went to investigate a pen where we thought there may be a pricked bird. Liesel produced three hen phessies, one after the other, from a bramble filled ditch and sat to whistle.

Altogether a fun day, great to see the youngsters having their first chance at driven birds especially the young chap (I would guess 10) who had never been pheasant shooting before and shot his 3. He had a grin from ear to ear!

Oh.... and the weather was awful!!!

Helen S