First Shoot Day For Islay

I was able to go on my first shoot day of the season last week. Although I am often invited on shoots by clients and friends, because of work commitments, I can’t always take advantage of these opportunities. I very much enjoy these days and this year, I’m trying to spend more time in the field. A client and friend invited me to the Wryesdale Park Shoot near Scorton, which was extremely well run and managed.

I was interested to see that once again, there were many people shooting without dogs. This is an increasing trend but for myself and many others, the dogs are an integral part of the whole experience. I took Fern, Nell and Islay. At almost two years old, this was the first shoot day for Islay.

Nell is an experienced seven year old Springer and as I would expect, she was steady on peg. There were pickers on the shoot but on a couple of the drives, Nell had the opportunity to retrieve some birds and deliver to hand. Fern, my Fox Red Labrador, was steady on the peg; she didn’t have the opportunity to pick up but thoroughly enjoyed the day.

I worked Islay on the fifth and final drive. She had been in the vehicle all day so was used to the sound of the shoot. She sat well on the peg and marked the birds as they fell. When I sent her out to pick up her first bird, another dog ran in. My dogs are trained to hold back in these situations and she looked at me for direction. I called her back and sent her out after another bird; in total she picked, retrieved and delivered 11 birds to hand. One drive was perfect for Islay. It was an opportunity for her to enjoy the experience without rushing her.

I’m looking forward to attending more shoots and working my dogs this season. It’s great to see them in this environment, where they are a credit to me.

Posted: November 18, 2019