Early season shoot days

While early-season shoot days are a privilege to attend, they require a different approach to those later in the year. But when it comes to the sport, don’t get complacent: early doesn’t necessarily mean easy writes Jonathan Irby.

My enjoyment of early-season shoot days remains as strong as ever. But there is more to this appreciation of an August day on a moor, a September day in fields of stubble and an October day among leaf-clad trees than just nostalgia.

Don’t get me wrong, I recognise and love the thrill and skill required of late-season birds. My daydream and, I suspect, that of any shooting man or woman consists of standing on their peg, a frost on the ground, a perfect wind, birds coming by in a steady flow and, between drives, some warm soup taken around a vehicle. However, the reality (certainly over the past few seasons) has been rain, the wrong wind and a shivering muster in the leeward side of the vehicles while the soup chilled rapidly. Contrast this against the calm warmth of a September day when time is on the gamekeeper’s side and the drive home is enjoyed in daylight. To be clear, the love of early days is based on more than comfort. For me, they impart the same buzz as finding a freshly groomed piste that nobody has skied down. You know that others will follow but, for now, you are first and this is a rare privilege.

Consider the sense of anticipation you feel when standing in a line of butts with their breathtaking views across the purple patchwork quilt of heather. Seeing that line of people fan out across the fell and then march towards you, flags cracking, is a real honour. For you are among the lucky few to witness the outcome of all the hard work of the men and women who form the team and community of a grouse moor. Everybody is excited to be there: energetic, optimistic and happy.

Adam Calvert, who travels the length, breadth and width of the country with his clients, says: “Every shoot day is a celebration of the camaraderie of the shooting community but this is especially true on the early shoot days of the season, when everything from new breeks to new dogs can be shared and enjoyed.”

Coming away from the ‘high ground’, you will experience the same sense of nervous excitement everywhere. A shoot is like a Formula One team. Every year there are changes that influence how the team, and ultimately the car, performs. Either way, you can’t realistically expect to turn up, start the car and set lap records. Everything needs warming up. Everything needs adjusting. New regulations affect the design and performance of the car. In the same way, for a shoot every year brings change. Gamekeepers and owners alike will be wondering how the growth of a hedgerow, the felling of some woodland, the choice of arable crops or the location of a new pen might impact how a drive can perform. However, it is only when the ‘car’ is out on the track that you really find out the truth.

For a keeper just a few of the unanswered questions include: will the change in cover crop have been the right choice? Has the late harvest had any bearing? Are the flushing points in the right place? How well will the birds fly?

For the guns, being part of those days is a thrill. You are lucky enough to be shooting when a great many others will have to wait quite some time before they enjoy the sense of anticipation that floods over you when pulling up to a shoot lodge for the first time in the season. But early-season shoot days (across all species) do require a different approach to those later on in the year. First of all, be respectful. Don’t turn up and list the drives you hope you will shoot. Refrain from raising your eyebrows when you hear the words ‘this is a new drive that we are trying’. Instead, be curious. Be excited. If you think about it, somebody had to be the first person to see Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire. Somebody was there for the maiden performance of Thunderstruck by AC/DC. Likewise there was a soul brave enough to try Heston Blumenthal’s bacon and egg ice cream.

We can all think of and name drives that we love, know and hope to shoot when visiting an estate. But the reality is they don’t appear overnight. They evolve from an idea that takes courage and investment, not to mention a certain amount of experimentation. On our small family shoot on Anglesey the sense of jeopardy we felt when trying Kitchen Garden Down for the first time was almost agony. However, it was very quickly replaced with a sense of elation when we saw the first flush break from the newly planted maize.

So if trying a new drive, just think how nice it will be in years to come to turn to a friend and say “I was there the first time they shot Gorse Bank.” But then, you may be in a line of familiar guns, on a familiar peg at a familiar shoot. Again, lucky you. Just remember to adjust a few settings before you begin the day. For a start, be sure you have packed the right ‘kit’. Sunglasses, for instance.

Kit and clothing

One of the great joys of shooting in late summer or early autumn is feeling the warmth of the sun on your face. Of course, nobody really wants to be facing into the sun when shooting, and this will always be avoided when possible. But equally, no bird flies well when pushed towards the gaseous orb. So don’t be that person shouting around asking if anybody has a spare pair of sunglasses – when shooting grouse you must always have your own.

Equally, there is something almost rebellious about wearing something other than a pair of Le Chameaus or Deditos (other brands are available) when shooting. While hosting early-season partridge days, I would find myself giving a gentle nod of sartorial appreciation to the guests who chose to wear some stylish and elegantly robust leather brogues. Embrace the comfort.

More on clothing

On the topic of clothing, another joy of shooting early days is the fact you can do so in shirt sleeves. It is cooler, lighter and, with just a waistcoat over the top, you will be set for the day. That being said, if shooting grouse please ensure your shirt is of the correct colour: do not wear your latest Jermyn Street creation cut of sky-blue poplin. Instead go for green or similar natural colours. Of course, I will advocate that you should at least start the day wearing a tie (if applicable), while some modern-day heretics will have you believe this is not necessary – I demur. When the pheasant season starts in October it is perhaps wise to be prepared for a greater variety of meteorology. But again, embrace the chance to walk to your peg and shoot without layers of fleece, wool, Gore-Tex or tweed (delete as necessary). (Read more on what to wear shooting.)

However, I diverge from my main point of how I enjoy and value early-season shoot days. Pleasingly, I am not alone. “Early-season partridge shooting truly is champagne sport – plentiful coveys of birds curling on a gentle breeze over the golden stubbles with a warm, autumnal sun on your back,” says Matt Smith, who runs the Purdey Sporting Agency. “The shooting is exciting and fun but perhaps not as challenging as later on. Guns often underestimate how rusty they will be from last season and so a gentle start is welcomed.”

Respect and preparation

This brings me neatly to a very genuine plea. Early birds are not necessarily easy birds. They require and demand the same respect and effort as any gamebird shot at any time of the season. So, I implore all guns to arrive on a shoot day having prepared with a few clays or perhaps spent some time in a hide over some pigeon. At this stage in the season you will inevitably have to make a few adjustments. To begin with, be selective and avoid the temptation of ‘browning the covey’. Pick your birds and pace yourself. If you are a guest of somebody, there is nothing worse than obliging them to sate (or, worse still, pay for) your greed.

Ammunition

Smith makes a valid point regarding ammunition: “The usual Exmoor heavy artillery isn’t required: an ounce of 6s suffice plenty. Maybe give the 28-bore an outing?” How right he is. One of my favourite, ‘please can I do it again’ days was two seasons ago when I shared a peg with my eldest son. We both shot with 28-bores. Using the same 16g cartridges but different guns, as he was then much shorter than me, we had the most perfect day: a balmy Saturday in October, exciting partridges and great friends. Another treat was that we enjoyed lunch outdoors. Driving home towards the not-yet-setting sun, we agreed that we had just had one of the best days ever.

So, if this season you are lucky enough to be called upon for August grouse, September partridge or October pheasant reflect upon how fortunate you are. After all, as the ECB has recently shown, Test cricket does not have to be played in August. So too the best shooting days do not only happen in late season. Instead, ready yourself for warm, sunny days, eating in the open air, at leisurely pace, shooting new drives, seeing things done differently, arriving home in daylight and, perhaps most excitingly, being the first person to drive this year’s race car.