In the beating line....

[Born Hunter 17,783]

Do you want a bit of noise? Or do you prefer absolute silence with just the sound of sticks tapping and spaniels working the cover?

 

I've heard opinions differ quite passionately. Some keepers feeling it warrants an ounce of 6! lol.

 

Also do you call birds for the guns? I think on smaller shoots where theres not such a constant stream over the guns it helps, especially for back guns.

 

Questions apply to keepers and beaters alike...

 

[danw 1,748]

silence except for a bit of tapping and me shouting abuse at errant beaters LOL :laugh:

[Ideation 8,216]

^{I'd say it depends on the situation. Mad screaming isn't going to help anything, however the odd bit of noise to turn back birds trying to get through the beating line or to try and flag them up can help.}

 

^{As for calling birds, i think that it again depends on the situation, like you said, with less birds and thick tree lines, the call of 'over' or a peg number can be helpful.}

[Lab 10,979]

Quiets best i think.............work the dogs, maybe a couple of flags cracking away. I remember my Grandad would go nuts if he heard folk shouting coming threw.

If its mainly a pheasant drive and the odd partridge or woodcock/snipe pops up then shout for that... theres some guns out there that just seem oblivious to whats going on...

And worst of all when a big flush starts and you get some over excited beater starts jumping about and flagging away and the drive empties you just feel like telling them too go home....

[Born Hunter 17,783]

That tends to be the way we do things ideation. A bit of noise generally, not too much, and if the guns would benefit a call of 'forward', 'over', 'partridge' or 'woodcock' and a name if possible.

 

On a much bigger shoot I don't think either are neccessary?

[Tug 168]

Some drives call for different tactics. Some of our drives are useless if not done quietly, others take a bit of noise to move the birds on to the flushing point.

[gerfalcon 13]

Tapping of sticks and the crack of a flankers flag is all that's needed. Absolutely hate hearing beaters shouting. They get told if they do it more than a couple of times. Me or one of the other keepers will warn a back gun if there's a bird on its way if we think its warranted. No need for anyone else to chirp up. With 2way radios now being so cheap there's no need to shout instructions across the line either. Just a squeeze of the button and you can communicate with your team without making a row. Keepers and stops/flankers on one channel and pickers up and game cart on another.

[WILF 47,344]

Tapping of sticks and the crack of a flankers flag is all that's needed. Absolutely hate hearing beaters shouting. They get told if they do it more than a couple of times. Me or one of the other keepers will warn a back gun if there's a bird on its way if we think its warranted. No need for anyone else to chirp up. With 2way radios now being so cheap there's no need to shout instructions across the line either. Just a squeeze of the button and you can communicate with your team without making a row. Keepers and stops/flankers on one channel and pickers up and game cart on another.

 

Spot on.......goodness me, I feel light headed!

[Born Hunter 17,783]

Thanks for your input people.

[Lab 10,979]

I like the Keeper, head beaters and Pickers up all to have radio contact. Sometimes the beating line can see pricked birds that fall further behind the pickers up. Especially if there is a wood directly behind and you loose sight of any pricked birds.....

[8shot 192]

.. its hard .... ur told to flag then dont flag .. tap dont tap .. . walk dont walk .... hold the bloody line .. of course i do it all right everytime. with no bollocking

[Lab 10,979]

.. its hard .... ur told to flag then dont flag .. tap dont tap .. . walk dont walk .... hold the bloody line .. of course i do it all right everytime. with no bollocking

Its not hard..... Flag when a bird gets up and looks like its heading away from the guns, dont flag like a mad man non stop.......stop tapping if theres a flush......and stop walking when everybody else does..... Simples...

[hily 379]

our little shoot;s first season some years ago we have two teams on waik and stand one lot beating others shooting so each team captain had a radio.then on the next shoot day did'nt some of the syndicate bring there own radios so we now had ten guns with six radios between us thats six lots of advice and input we cold'nt cope with had to nip this in the bud so we did.nt let on witch channel we used as for noise some lads just get on with beating and some are very vocal no matter how many times you try to get them to shush up they can't help themselfs but as said before we aint a big shoot ,and the guns are reminded that they can only shoot the birds that are put over them by each others team if it goes wrong then only got themselfs to blame (good way to put the blame of a poor drive on the others ) just to add that when i beat i try to listen to what keeper wants but if you are a new boy then it can be hard to understand some terms that are used.like want you as a stop or only blanking this wood in or push the righthand forward stop short of the seweling etc all this and then to have to know that one wood is say charlys and this drive is sheepfolds etc. so it might be good idea to have these terms translated into english for the new beaters

[Born Hunter 17,783]

.. its hard .... ur told to flag then dont flag .. tap dont tap .. . walk dont walk .... hold the bloody line .. of course i do it all right everytime. with no bollocking

Its not hard..... Flag when a bird gets up and looks like its heading away from the guns, dont flag like a mad man non stop.......stop tapping if theres a flush......and stop walking when everybody else does..... Simples...

 

It really is that simple! That said we've had some right f**k ups this year and every one of them can be put down to people not listening and as a result the plan for that drive going out of the window. One thing that genuinely pisses me off is people not being able to take being told what their specific job is or to keep the line etc etc no matter how nicely it's worded. A simple "John, slow down a bit, you're getting out of line" is all to often met with a scornfull look. Also people not keeping an eye on their 'perfect dog' between drives because they are too busy nattering and having to be told to watch the f*****g thing. Put it on a f*****g lead if it strays abit, theres no shame in using one when needed.

[8shot 192]

.. its hard .... ur told to flag then dont flag .. tap dont tap .. . walk dont walk .... hold the bloody line .. of course i do it all right everytime. with no bollocking

Its not hard..... Flag when a bird gets up and looks like its heading away from the guns, dont flag like a mad man non stop.......stop tapping if theres a flush......and stop walking when everybody else does..... Simples...

 

It really is that simple! That said we've had some right f**k ups this year and every one of them can be put down to people not listening and as a result the plan for that drive going out of the window. One thing that genuinely pisses me off is people not being able to take being told what their specific job is or to keep the line etc etc no matter how nicely it's worded. A simple "John, slow down a bit, you're getting out of line" is all to often met with a scornfull look. Also people not keeping an eye on their 'perfect dog' between drives because they are too busy nattering and having to be told to watch the f*****g thing. Put it on a f*****g lead if it strays abit, theres no shame in using one when needed.

 

 

ive3 underkeepered a couple of shoots. and its me normally shouting what i wrote . , like someone said when it all goes wrong it was me for the bollocking.

so yes it is really stessful at times... but i wouldnt miss it for the world

plus i only do it for the the stodge they serve after