Shooting Times & Country Magazine
CRAZY WORLD OF HEALTH AND SAFETY
A tale of sunblock, whistles, torches... and turtle doves
Though this column is titled David’s Viewpoint, it’s usually about dogs. This week, it has nothing to do with dogs, but it’s a subject that I feel compelled to write about.
I’ve signed up to take part in the National Turtle Dove Survey, which is being organised by the RSPB. The rapid decline of the turtle dove in the UK is a subject of real concern. The population has declined by 95% in the past 25 years. I’m keen to do my bit, while it’s hardly the most onerous of tasks, requiring a couple of visits to my allotted square — one in May, one in July.
The handlers were divided into three groups, each allotted their own ground. Individual dogs were given five-minute runs, the strict timing ensuring that each dog had several hunting opportunities. It wasn’t a test day, as the dogs weren’t being judged, nor were there any trainers, but there was plenty of advice available.
Technically, it was a poor scenting day, as is usually the case when the ground is bone-dry, the sun bright and the wind chilly. Points were few, though I was amused to see a vizsla point a muntjac — not something that could happen in Hungary. Everyone wanted their dogs to encounter a hare, an ambition several realised.
As a veteran of many similar surveys, I have plenty of experience, so don’t really need to be reminded that I will need binoculars, but I did take the time to read through the official instructions to see what equipment is recommended.
“Wear strong shoes or boots, take a hat and wear sunblock in the sun and carry waterproofs. You are recommended to carry a torch, whistle and first aid kit. If you are unfamiliar with the area, you are strongly advised to carry the relevant 1:50000 (or 1:25000) OS map. If possible, take a fully-charged mobile telephone with you… Do take a whistle — an emergency is indicated by six short blasts of a whistle in quick succession — repeated after a one-minute interval.”
As it’s a daytime survey, I’m mystified as to why a torch is needed. I often have a whistle round my neck, but if I blow it six times in a row people will simply assume that I’m trying to recall my dog. I find such
Hares provide the ultimate test of steadiness in any dog, so I was impressed not to see any chasing, especially as several of the dogs had never encountered a hare before. I was reminded why red-legged partridges aren’t the best gamebirds for pointing, as they tend to run or fly rather than squat, while I was disappointed not to see more grey partridges, as the ground we were on has a healthy wild population.
I did ask the handlers why they thought it was worth driving such a long distance to attend a day like this. Many of the answers were strikingly similar, with most citing the fact that there was no opportunity to run their instructions — and there are a lot more of them — both patronising and an insult to my intelligence, while I doubt if any of my fellow surveyors will take any notice of them. However, if you come across any forlorn-looking birdwatchers this summer flashing torches and blowing whistles, you will at least know they were meant to be looking for turtle doves. dogs on similar open, but gamey, ground where they lived.
Debbie Dixon, who had come down from Derbyshire with her spinone, told me that the big attraction was the flat ground, where it was possible to get out after her dog if it went wrong. The terrain at home was too rough and hilly to do so.
Fresh ground
Mac Mattravers, who had left home in Bristol at 4am, was running his vizsla, an open trial winner and one of the most experienced of the dogs on the day. He thought it essential to get dogs on to fresh ground to stop them becoming bored and stale.
For almost all the participants, it was the first time that they had been to anything like this for more than a year, while all were bemoaning the lack of work their dogs had been able to do during the past season.
This was reflected in how some of the dogs behaved, with some pottering about rather than getting out and quartering the ground. It wasn’t the dogs’ fault. They were out of practice and in need of a gentle reminder of what’s expected of a proper pointer. For everyone, though, it was an enormously encouraging day and a reminder of the pleasure of being out with your dog in the company of like-minded people.