1st NOVEMBER - how did the day go for you?

J.R.

I left the house @ 6.50 am to collect my shooting friend. We arriving at our chosen spot at 7.30 am. It was bright very early this morning and a thick heavy fog covered the land. We waited until the fog lifted and it was safe to go - it was @ 8.15 am that we set off and began to hunt.

We only had my cocker so we were limited to where we could hunt. Thick, heavy cover and heavy wood were out of the question as she finds the going tough. Within a few minutes we met three cocks, one after another. I got one with the second shot. My friend missed with two shots and the third was too far.

We met birds throughout the day and about 11 o clock the fog came back down heavier than ever. We stopped shooting & headed back to the car as it was too dangerous. I had three birds at this stage and was delighted. I had decided that that was my limit and I'd shoot no more.

We had some lunch and waited for it to clear. It didnt so we drove to the next spot about 40 minutes away and waited. The fog finally lifted and it was then a glorious sunny day. We met three cocks here - no success.

We finished about 1.30 as the dog is nearly 13 years old and was slowing down. She suffers from arthritis and if we went much further she would be limping and seized up for the week.

Both of us took tomorrow off work so will head out again about 9 in the morning after work traffic dies down. Dog should be able for another day before getting a long rest to next weekend.

Weatherwise, it was one of the nicest and mildest days I remember for a long time.

Straffan1979

Great day- the bit of ground I shoot has no released birds so overall I thought the numbers of wild birds was well back a bit like last year- a very late and cold spring/early summer perhaps?.. Still put up 4 cocks a few hens(and 2 woodcock)for the morning.I dont bother with the woodcock but 2 cocks were very shootable.Alas another shocking display by me with the 20 bore and returned home with f**k all- things can only improve!

dodderangler

Straffan1979 wrote: »

Great day- the bit of ground I shoot has no released birds so overall I thought the numbers of wild birds was well back a bit like last year- a very late and cold spring/early summer perhaps?.. Still put up 4 cocks a few hens(and 2 woodcock)for the morning.I dont bother with the woodcock but 2 cocks were very shootable.Alas another shocking display by me with the 20 bore and returned home with f**k all- things can only improve!

Only first day of the season lad. Near 90 days left. You'll bag plenty

deeksofdoom

I got 3, whoop, whoop! all wild birds.

BOSCO27

Started early looking for doe to start the day all i found were pheasants typical, got 2 cocks this morning, took out the young spaniel in the afternoon and he put up a cock and a hen, unfortunately shooting partner missed by a mile but its a long season hopefully the spaniel will have one by xmas !!

BrownTrout

Shot my first pheasant. Missed another and a snipe. Not a bad day for me

cookimonster

Went out for the start of the Sika Hind season. The early morning was fog bound with the road vis down to 20 yards or so. We were making our way out to Wicklow, first cups of tea and breakfast bars in hand as I drove the twisting roads. While on a narrow stretch of road my mate spotted a heap on the road. Emergency stop and hazards on we leapt out to discover a dead hind stretched out on the tarmac.
No words were exchanged, a quick prod and whiff of the carcuss confirmed what we where both thinking and as quick as my hazards were blinking she was in the game tray.
Up on the permission she was grollocked and hung up for later inspection. After a fruitless mornings stalk and many a hushed speculation on the condition of the carcass we headed back for the autopsy. She was quickly skinned and we discover a broken right hand ribcage and a severely cracked skull.
The end results were two hind legs, two shoulders and perfect back straps, not a bad bounty with no shots fired...

fabwing

We were running two young GSP HPR first season, put up six cocks missed two shot two and let one go as it was to small, they bumped one, great day, very impressed with the dogs, its all about getting out and running the dogs and it is a bonus if you get one.

Tommyaya4

Great day 2 guns 5 dogs and 8 hours of walking got 6 cocks and a wood cock dogs are all worn out beautiful day to start the season

daleshooter

my son my shooting mate and i set out at 7.45 his red and white setter and my setter by pointer cross great day by all two of us got 3 each my son got 2 seen over 20 cocks but had enough shot great to see the dogs working well.my mate won heavest with 3lb11ozs bird i shot cock 41 and a half inches but was piped by bird 42 inches.lots of birds shot by members released french ring necked this year have to say they are a great bird

grassroot1

cookimonster wrote: »

Went out for the start of the Sika Hind season. The early morning was fog bound with the road vis down to 20 yards or so. We were making our way out to Wicklow, first cups of tea and breakfast bars in hand as I drove the twisting roads. While on a narrow stretch of road my mate spotted a heap on the road. Emergency stop and hazards on we leapt out to discover a dead hind stretched out on the tarmac.
No words were exchanged, a quick prod and whiff of the carcuss confirmed what we where both thinking and as quick as my hazards were blinking she was in the game tray.
Up on the permission she was grollocked and hung up for later inspection. After a fruitless mornings stalk and many a hushed speculation on the condition of the carcass we headed back for the autopsy. She was quickly skinned and we discover a broken right hand ribcage and a severely cracked skull.
The end results were two hind legs, two shoulders and perfect back straps, not a bad bounty with no shots fired...

There was a story in the shooting times a few years ago about a stag that was taken home as roadkill and fed to dogs. t it turned out the stag had been put down by a vet with a certain drug which killed the dogs(no humans thankfully) when they ate it.:eek:
Just be careful is all I am saying

cookimonster

grassroot1 'Just be careful is all I am saying'

We would have been more suspicious of the cause of death if we had not found the blunt trauma wounds of the carcass, in fact we were half expecting to find a bullet hole in her as the location is a well known late night poaching area.

deni20000

You're shooting with a 13 year old dog - that must be almost a record. My springer is 4 and he was almost banjaxed by 11.30 but worked really hard until then. The other dog, a springer also, didn't hunt at all - just went for a walk.

dodderangler

Without a dog I figured I go up anyway for a well known area that holds snipe so went up on Monday morning. Got t permission and fog was ridiculous but as I was deciding whether to bother or not I heard two cocks fairly close by cackling at each other so I headed towards them hoping I'd flush one. As I got closer to the ditch they stopped cackling and I looked around but figured they were too far in the gorse so I was turned t walk back only to have one flush up about 30 yards away so I dropped him and then his mate got up but was way too far.
Good size bird and an old lad at that. Missing half his beak and a toe aswell and not as dark as normal but good long tail on him. Still need a dog. Wasn't as enjoyable

Thomas Drennan

It's nice to hear their is still some wild stock in places I mad a big mistake many years ago and started releasing , their gust impossible to hold I tried everything game crop feeders everywhere the oil for the feed made no difference they can travel 3 and 4 miles from where you release them that's if they survive the fox and the buzzard so stick to the wild bird sow a few crops to support them and keep vermin Dow

Thomas Drennan

Stick to your wild stock and don't introduce any reared birds their a disaster you won't hold them they will travel miles from where you release them no gamecrop feeders with oil on the feed will keep them and vermin will mop them gust sow some crop to support the wild stock you have and keep vermin down

Kevhog1988

walked a bit of land i bought behind the home house last week on saturday. Rose two hens and a cock. The cock is missing now. Id say one of the neighbours had him. Right big fellow that ive noticed knocking around with 2 summers

J.R.

deni20000 wrote: »

You're shooting with a 13 year old dog - that must be almost a record. My springer is 4 and he was almost banjaxed by 11.30 but worked really hard until then. The other dog, a springer also, didn't hunt at all - just went for a walk.

Yes - she's that old and I fear it may be her last hunting season.

She is on medication to lubricate & loosen joints - as she suffers from arthritis in hind legs. She loves the hunt and hunts non-stop when out. She will last about three hours on tillage ground that is not too hard going. After that she slows rapidly and starts to fall behind. It's then time to head back to the car.

The problem is the following days. She will seize up and legs stiff and finds it hard to walk. Hopefully she will have fully loosened out by time weekend comes.

She has been a great dog and a mighty hunter - brilliant nose - I will continue to bring her out as long as she enjoys it & is able. It will be a sad day when she retires and spends her time lying by the fireside.

Kevhog1988

J.R. wrote: »

Yes - she's that old and I fear it may be her last hunting season.

She is on medication to lubricate & loosen joints - as she suffers from arthritis in hind legs. She loves the hunt and hunts non-stop when out. She will last about three hours on tillage ground that is not too hard going. After that she slows rapidly and starts to fall behind. It's then time to head back to the car.

The problem is the following days. She will seize up and legs stiff and finds it hard to walk. Hopefully she will have fully loosened out by time weekend comes.

She has been a great dog and a mighty hunter - brilliant nose - I will continue to bring her out as long as she enjoys it & is able. It will be a sad day when she retires and spends her time lying by the fireside.

give her olive oil with her food. I did it with a terrier at home. Will you get a pup off her??.

J.R.

theemigrant wrote: »

give her olive oil with her food. I did it with a terrier at home. Will you get a pup off her??.

I'll try the olive oil in her food.

I had tried castor oil in her food but she farted like mad after it and she's also a household pet!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't get a pup from her - had her neutered when I got her long ago - made sense at the time - but now it would be nice to have a pup from her before she retires.

daleshooter

We released french common ring necked this year have to say they held very well .We just put out plenty of hoppers and fed in pens as well and shot over 60 foxes

daithi55

we had a great first day... the best we ever had on the opening and the weather was lovely

Birdnuts

daithi55 wrote: »

we had a great first day... the best we ever had on the opening and the weather was lovely

RU in south Tipp by any chance??;) Seriously though it just goes to show how pheasant numbers can often vary widly from area to area even within a county with no real pattern from year to year.

PS: Spoke to some lads in Blessington GC earlier today and the Reeves types seem to returning well again this year based on the first week returns

daithi55

Birdnuts wrote: »

RU in south Tipp by any chance??;) Seriously though it just goes to show how pheasant numbers can often vary widly from area to area even within a county with no real pattern from year to year.

PS: Spoke to some lads in Blessington GC earlier today and the Reeves types seem to returning well again this year based on the first week returns

no we are in north tipp... all wild birds in our area the club dont release any,, well not in twenty years anyway lol ... unless non club members let any off.. but not that we no off..

deni20000

daithi55 wrote: »

we had a great first day... the best we ever had on the opening and the weather was lovely

What are the dogs - look like English Setter markings but it's hard to tell?

daithi55

deni20000 wrote: »

What are the dogs - look like English Setter markings but it's hard to tell?

friends english pointers