Wrentham Shoot – 15th January 2011

I’ll tell you up front, the total bag for everyone was only 10, so this will not read as a sequence of successes, but again I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The early start and long drive was made worthwhile with a fine full english at the local Cafe, meeting up with some of the other guns.

As Terry predicted, our team shot first so for the first drive we began with the river to our backs.  I’d drawn peg 3.  Things didn’t start well as the only 2 shots fired were by Terry’s other stand in, Stuart, as a walking gun on the other team; alas without success. 

The next drive was the Pond.  Alan and I stood on pegs 6 and 7.  As they were short on guns today, on each drive 2 guns from the non shooting team made up pegs 6 and 7, so we all had extra shooting.  The down side was that, as they were short on beaters as well, the beating may not have gone as well as it could.  Clive was a walking gun, but had finished his bit and had moved on to beating, so he had to watch as a Pheasant flew close by to be shot by a peg gun. 

Then came a little wood.  Clive and I were in a field on our own, shooting over a road towards the wood.  A flush of 5 Partridge flew by me quite high (flying into the strong wind) and I got one with my second barrel (my first ever Partridge).  A better man than me could have had a left and a right for two birds.  Clive had a pop at the same flush from further away without success and then I watched a Pheasant fly past him about 4 feet off the ground.  He could have had a go as it was on his vacant side, but he was reloading. 

Next was a large wood where I was a walking gun.  A Woodcock flew just within range, but only at head height so I had to just watch it go by. 

Over the road and across a field to another wood (apparently a good Partridge drive).  Alan kicked shooting off early with an optimistic shot at a Pigeon and that was it; we didn’t see any of the Partridge that were on the other side of the wood.  The field was so muddy Alan got his feet well and truly stuck, fell backwards on his ****.  He was absolutely covered. 

Lunch at Red House

Clive and I had our backs to the anti shooting guy’s house for the next one.  Not much to speak of for us but a couple of speculative punts at Pigeons at the end of the drive. 

The wood at the top of the shallow hill put 3 birds past Alan (he got one), but nought for us.

Wood by the Church next.  Clive was a walking gun and had his best chances of the day; 2 woodcock missed and the dreaded ‘safety left on’ click as he lined up on a Partridge.  I suggested to Colin we beat it back through the other way and I missed an easy Pheasant that went from zero to 100 mph in the blink of a eye, right over me (wind behind him).  Jimmy tried to help me out after I’d let off both barrels, but it was way past him by then.  A bird I should have hit, but the speed from flush to past me really caught me by surprise. 

Thanks again Terry for your generosity; I had great fun.

Bag for the day

1 Partridge (French)