Long day in the field

There are doubtless many people who think we are absolutely crazy - even more so to enjoy it (!!!) and probably millions of others who don't even know that we do it but would think we were barking mad if they did.

But those of us who are fortunate enough

to be able to turn up from late September to end January and 'bush beat' or 'pick-up' on Shoots are privy to one of the finest ways of enjoying the countryside. The fact that the activity takes place in the Autumn and Winter adds to, rather than detracts from, its attraction. Clad in wind, weather and waterproof gear we happily traipse over any terrain and through any obstacle to ensure that the 'Guns' enjoy their sport to the maximum.

Of course, we are all just a little bit crazy so there's no shortage of humour to ease the slightly less exhilarating moments - like waiting seeming hours for the Guns to get to their pegs (or being severely and blasphemously berated by The Keeper for being in the wrong place at the wrong time doing absolutely the most wrong thing) -and since we are accompanied by some of the finest and keenest canine comrades there is much for even the most jaded soul to wonder at.

Now, it may just be me and The Dog who feel this way, but the evidence suggests otherwise!

So it was yesterday: the third of the Season so far and a 'Let' day - i.e. Visitors who have bought a day's shooting. The weather was about perfect - dry, slight wind, cool and mostly cloudy. The Dog and I turned up at our usual time and found the rest of the gang loaded and ready to go - another few minutes and we'd have missed them........ Two things about let days: Keeper wants them to enjoy themselves and get their money's worth and, secondly, it's their day so they do it their way. And yesterday that was "Slowly". The most heard phrase of the day was - "Haven't those guns got to their pegs yet" (or less polite variations of the same sentiment). Which meant we spent quite a bit of time hanging around waiting...

The Dog is most patient and really, really good at sitting still for a long time - so I couldn't really blame him for cheekily having a bit of his own sport with a suddenly upspringing hare when we finally got going...... but I did (one of my beater colleages later remarked that he'd never seen me "have words" with my dog before) because today's cheek could so easily turn into tomorrow's misbehaviour .... With all animals, but probably dogs more than most, consistency is everything..... 'wrong' is therefore always 'wrong'... and he was the epitome of best behaved dog for the remainder of the day.......

And a jolly long day it was - especially at lunch time: so someone said "

Who's for a game?" and off a load of them went to fling coins at a target and in the air and yell "heads" and "tails" and there were serious faces -the ones that weren't winning - and smiley faces - those that were......(there were some rules I believe!). And before we knew it nearly two hours had passed and the guns were ready to go again!

And we had our work cut out for the next two hours or more to help them make up for lost time....... One of Gunner's strengths (aside from retrieving) is finding and flushing birds from the heaviest cover - which at this stage of the season is Kale - and there was plenty of that during the afternoon.

So The Bestest Gundog in the World and I arrived home later, tireder and achier than expected ---- and in no time at all he was curled up on the sofa fast asleep and I was curled up next to him with a glass of very quaffable wine..... What more could one ask after a hard day's fun??