A Trip Back Up North

[alimac 882]

With a friend moving over to Oman, a invite landed at my door for a trip back north to Aberdeenshire, for a mixed driven day. As I keepered up there for ni on 10 years & the gun had accumulated 2 years of dust, I was itching for the day to arrive.

The Friday came & I was met by all those familiar faces at the bothie, the craic was like I'd only been away for a day :-) , I gave the beaters my bottle for the day, a quick final piss take & they were off.

The first drive saw me on peg 8, shooting as a back gun, knowing the shoot, I knew I'd still be kept busy, sure enough they arrived as expected, first a woodcock, which gladly fell at the first, a brace and a half of cocks & partridge followed, once the drive finished i was happy when I looked at the spent shells on the floor, I didn't feel the need to hurriedly stuff them in my pockets before anyone could do the maths of cartridge to kill ratio :-)

The 2nd drive I was on peg 1, guns were lined down a gully with a pen in the wood at the bottom & big blocks of cover crop, infront & behind. As I got to my peg I soon had a brace of easy pheasants that tried to flit back as they blanked the wood out. Soon the crop was producing a stead flow of birds, coming out around no4 and swinging down the line toward me, I knew the lads on 2&3 so knew I'd still be left a few ;-) some great eye wipes followed, hearing the keeper saying. "Thank fu ck for number 1 as it crackled over a pickers up radio, made me a happy man, great sport, great company & could seam to go wrong with shooting :-) what more could you want.

The third drive I was out of it a bit, but couldn't complain, I watched the lads happily banging away.

The thought of & effects of lunch did me no favours on drives 4 & 5, as I went completely to pot, couldnt hit feck all, which as you can imagine brought some good banter my way, I'd given plenty out earlier so I gladly took the torrent of abuse that was hurled my way , hahaha

The final drive saw me back gun again, I had free rein of the track that ran parallel to the gun line, I took myself away down to follow the beaters as they brought the clear fell face across into a plantation, I dropped a lucky (or unlucky) doo at the start, then had a brace of pheasants interspersed with missing 7 or 8 , once the drive reached the plantation, I just couldnt for the life of me, put myself in the right spot, I went no 6, birds went no2, I went no2 they went no6, sure you've all been there?? either that or I'm just a wanker that can't keep still when given "a right to roam peg"

After the usual after shoot food etc I didn't get away till gone 9pm, landing home at 2am,

Alarm set for 5am, great!! But can't complain as it was for a day hunting,, but that's another story, well not really scent was crap, lol

[redcharge 378]

Good read

[Born Hunter 17,743]

Great little write up!

[the_stig 6,614]

site needs more of this type of thing

[bunny tickler 876]

it was the same when i beat & picked up on a couple of shoots in yorkshire ,the beaters day made the year for me great craic & great fun , it really made the long drives & early starts & late finishes well worthwhile ,plus i got to eat lunch with great company