A lot has happened over the last couple of months: a number of significant (to me at least!) milestones have been passed. Not least of these is that Gunner officially retired from his job as a Beating Dog. Following my last blog in December, the Bestestgundog continued to do his utmost to please me with the quantity of game he could bring to hand. Comments like:
 |
| Held under restraint, Gunner watches his fellow beaters |
"Gunner's out with the Guns" or "Whistle him Sylvia, he's bringing you a bird" and even "You'll never go hungry with that dog around" became commonplace. It was not long before I was working for him as gamecarrier! He really enjoyed that!
 |
| Gunner returning with a cock pheasant |
 |
| ..And here's the hen bird to go with it! |
Although there are occasions when an over-eager retriever is a useful addition to the beating line, not all gamekeepers and guns appreciate such extra curricula activities. There were times when he had to be held to heel or, shame of shames, kept on his lead to stop him running-in (the term given to dogs who rush out of either the beating or the shooting line to fetch a shot bird).
He wasn't to know. I'd been ignorant enough in previous seasons to take him out to work as a Picking Up dog. He well knew the connection between 'Bang', 'Drop' and 'Retrieve' but until then had been happy to wait until after he'd finished beating. When picking up though it is often necessary to send the dog as soon as the bird is shot if it looks like a 'runner' (a bird which is pricked rather than shot dead; such birds can 'run' to cover and suffer a lingering death, hence need to be retrieved as fast as possible.) The retrieve, therefore, immediately follows the shot and a sharp dog soon learns the importance of marking and proceeding speedily to the 'fall'. It is very rare to alternate successfully between both disciplines. Expecting Gunner to ignore shot birds whilst he was beating was unfair; telling him off for doing so would have been gross.
 |
| 21-1-15 The sun sets on Gunner's career as a Beating Dog |
Working with the dog became less of a pleasure and more of an exercise in damage limitation which is not a happy way to carry on. It wasn't that he was not doing a good job - he was simply doing the
wrong job!
His son, Bugle,r has proved to be an excellent beating companion; eager, stylish, obedient and tireless! After his successful initiation to the field I found an increasing number of occasions when he was better suited to certain of the 7 or 8 shoots we worked on. Gunner was reserved for the larger shoots where proximity to, or sight of, the guns was minimal. He had enough days out but they were necessarily selective.
As he returned, under the watchful eye of the gamekeeper, with yet another keenly retrieved cock pheasant at the end of the last drive on 21 January I decided - "Enough is enough" and, after 7 seasons, the BestestGundog's career as a beating dog officially ended. Turning to that keeper I said:-
"You have just witnessed Gunner's last ever retrieve as a beating dog"! He smiled - understanding fully that it was not an easy decision to make.
"As one door closes......" & "Every cloud has a silver lining..." We rapidly moved forwards to achieving the next milestone.
 |
| 27-1-15 Gunner's first day as my Peg Dog |
During a session with Rory-the-Trainer early on in my partnership with the dog I expressed the ambition one day to be able to shoot over him. Two or three years ago I acquired my shotgun licence and last year, being a novice, was accompanied on beater's day (the end of the season when roles are reversed and beaters are rewarded by being invited to shoot). However, this season I had the courage to go without an escort - apart from the Dog that is. So it was, therefore, that we had two wonderful days together. The first, on January 27th, was gloriously sunny and Gunner was able to fulfil all three gundog roles - beating, retrieving and being a 'peg-dog' (the dog that sits patiently by the peg while his 'master' shoots, then - when the drive is over - finds and collects up all the shot birds) since we 'guns' were organised into two teams to alternately stand/shoot and walk/beat.
 |
| 31-1-15 With the hen pheasant I shot in the midst of a blizzard |
I only managed to shoot a pheasant and a partridge but Gunner thoroughly enjoyed his multi-tasking. I kept him 'pegged' down to the ground whilst I was shooting and after straining fiercely at the lead through the first few flushes, he settled and waited patiently till the end of the drive! We had a superb day made all the sweeter for fulfilling that long-held ambition. Our second day out together was the last of the season; just 4 days later but the weather could not have been more different. As we made our way to the first drive the snow blizzarded down. During the walk to the pegs we were transformed into snowmen. The dog sat obediently shivering in the freezing conditions. We waited what seemed ages for the beaters to drive the birds in our direction. The dog made no sound. After Tuesday, he knew the rules. He shivered uncontrollably but didn't move from his spot. My hands and face froze; my mind wandered to the thought that I must be crazy.There was just him and me, in a blizzard too thick to see anyone or anything else. The two of us alone in a silent, frozen world.
Suddenly birds appeared above us. Snow made focus difficult; I missed the first two; then could barely reload with my frozen fingers but - joy of joys- when the next bird flew overhead I took aim and followed through with both barrels. The sight of it dropping to earth just to my left sent me into an ecstatic spin and Gunner's immediate retrieve gave him almost as much pleasure. He knew for the first time that
I had shot a bird. There was no other gun in sight. On Tuesday he had been focussed on the others, not me, so had no reason to believe I had connected with anything..... The fact that the penny had dropped and he now knew he was
my peg dog made it the real 'fulfilment of the ambition'.
 |
| 24-12-14 Gunner & Jaunty keeping their eyes on the guns |
 |
| 24-1-15 Picking up together at Benniworth |
No less enjoyable were my outings with my
two picking up dogs. Jaunty has such an exuberant attitude to
everything. His horizons are far wider than is desirable for a beating dog! Early on in his training it became clear that if he could be focused he could be an excellent picking up dog. I hadn't dared hope that would happen this season. He accompanied Gunner as an 'observer' only at Christmas. I wanted to check that he had no fear of gunshot (he hadn't) and would not become 'vocal' with all the excitement (he didn't). When I let him off the lead halfway through the morning he did almost-briefly disappear in excitement and pursuit of a 'flying' pheasant. I made a note
not to let him off again without the visible presence of a dead bird for him to focus on! It didn't happen that day! A month later, however, his presence was requested since he and Gunner were to be the only picking up dogs on that day. I hardly slept the night before. I needn't have worried. Enough birds were shot during the day to give Jaunty plenty to focus on - not least two which fell in the middle of a large lake which he retrieved with more speed and relish than Gunner (who is not particularly keen on water) ever would have. By the end of the day, apart from being contentedly exhausted, he had acquired one or two admirers of his own, had done nothing to disgrace #TeamGunner and had not even taken advantage of a huge acreage of Elephant Grass to go AWOL. I couldn't have been more delighted with him.
 |
| 19-1-15 The youngest member of #TeamGunner |
The final milestone was achieved at Rory-the-Trainer's shoot on 19th January. He was hosting a day for HPR(hunt/point/retrieve) handlers to work their dogs and invited me to take all three spaniels. It was a thrilling culmination to all our months of training; throughout the day all three were employed at different times in various roles which enabled them to work to their strengths. I was totally over the moon; being able to select which dog was best fitted to the particular job in hand was a rare luxury and being able to do it in the presence of The Trainer was a real honour.
Without doubt, this was the most varied, challenging and stimulating shooting season we have experienced.
The 8 months till the next one will be spent honing the dogs' individual and combined skills and when it commences #TeamGunner will be able to field two first class picking up dogs and one steady beating dog.
The intervening months will fly by!!!
