Shooting Times & Country Magazine
Walking-up the Pennine way
Broken arm notwithstanding, Lindsay Waddell takes five of his friends out for a day on the grouse
I’m fortunate enough to have a small piece of the Pennines to shoot over, and even more fortunate to have a nice lot of grouse on it this season for my friends to enjoy a day — or more if they do not live 200 miles away. In my tender years I count myself lucky that I have enough friends still alive and kicking to be able to enjoy a day’s walking-up, on ground that’s not easy at times.
We’d taken a tally of 16 brace at the end of the first day over the ground but it was a hot and humid day, hard work for everyone. I had high hopes for a few more on our second outing, which was looking like a more temperate day. I normally shoot with six Guns as I consider it adequate to do the job without appearing to be too much and, because of the gaps in the line, we leave a good few grouse on the ground for the next day. As it happens one of my friends called off at very short notice due to COVID-19, so our company was reduced to five Guns. I took the role of picker-up as I broke my arm some weeks ago and was fit to go armed with no more than a walking stick.
We gathered on the day at our allotted meeting place and made our way out on to the moor that, fortunately, due to the lack of rain, is accessible to four-wheel drives such is the state of the ground. It was one of those mornings when the grouse were very vocal. Cock grouse were cackling all over the ground, winding up the anticipation of four of my five friends as it was their first day out this season. Although my little patch of 250 acres would lend itself to little drives, I prefer to walk it up. I enjoy working for my game and even more enjoy watching the dogs, plus there
“Cock grouse were cackling all over the ground, winding up the anticipation”
are always birds which come back through the line, giving the team a chance of what is essentially a driven bird or two.
I don’t bother with numbering the Guns on these days; everyone seems to get their share of chances
wherever they are in the line. And so it was with Peter at the top, Laurence Catlow, Charles, Simon and Keith leading the way to the bottom end, we were ready for the off. As two of the Guns didn’t have a dog, I stationed myself between them in the middle of the line and we set off at a very easy pace. Remember these days are for enjoyment, not a work out.
Good covey
It was only a few yards before the first shot rang out from Keith at the bottom end and, although I didn’t see anything drop, a good covey lifted and, going forward, picked another up on the way. Off they went, safe for a time anyway. I will put it down to ring rust but the first few birds fared well before the odd one began to
Above:
fall. Each time a hand was raised, the line paused, the bird collected and we moved slowly on.
Sometimes the pauses were rather longer than a straightforward retrieve. Keith took a bird going back behind the line that went on some way before falling and that entailed a five-minute wait. Even though the sun was not shining, it gave everyone time to enjoy the view. Despite the fact the heather bloom is over, it was still quite a sight as the autumn tints eased into the moorland grasses and shrubs.
Blank salute
Peter was quite busy at the top end and after the odd blank salute or two, both my neighbours gave my dogs something to do. It’s always a relief to find the scent is good on any day’s shooting, and even more so on a day like this as I really dislike leaving anything unpicked. The first bird or two my dogs went for confirmed it was good, turning into the very light breeze some 10ft or 12ft from the fall of the bird to scoop it up and bring it safely into the gamebag.
My patch is conveniently split into three blocks with a good drystone wall and a narrow wooded brackenfilled ghyll. As we approached the wall a shout from Peter alerted those at the bottom of a good covey of grouse coming back over the line. One bird fell, although it was admitted by the two of those they flew over that he only managed one shot.
We had reached our first break, the drystone wall, and gathered together to empty the bags as the birds could be collected on the route back. Seven and a half brace were placed in a row on a patch of grass for collection later, a good return for the first third, and a marker of what was to come. We negotiated the wall via a railed section and relined ready for the second stage. Once more, birds were lifting at a steady rate on what was a good day for walking-up. Not too hot, nor too windy, just right.
As we approached what would have been another break point to cross the ghyll, Peter had a right-andleft to pick, one of which was proving difficult. We waited. Sometimes it’s better to pick-up with just a couple of dogs rather than fouling the scent with too many. Then, having decided I had better try to help out, having plodded nearly to him, he picked it. As is so often the case, having made the effort the bird is picked just in front of you.
We broke our line to try the patch over the ghyll that, due to rather too much very long heather, has never been quite as good as the rest. Having removed much of it, I’m hopeful it will give me a better return; there are signs already as a curlew nested on it this year, grateful for the open ground. A note to those who would do nothing in terms of burning; when Glen Robson did his thesis on the habitat selection of curlew for nesting sites, all of his 20-plus nests on the Raby moor in Teesdale were on fires less than three years old.
An uphill climb
It’s still pretty hard going and leaving Laurence as a standing Gun for anything going back, we relined and walked it back over the ghyll with just the odd grouse to show for it.
On our last patch, I switched the team round with Peter at the bottom and Keith at the top. This was a long climb up the hill with a large swing of the line at the top end, to end up with our line heading back towards the cars some distance away.
The bottom end had a very steady walk as they, in essence, were at the short end of the swing, but the shooting was steady from all parts and the lower Guns were treated to a few grouse coming off the higher ground, swinging down and back over the line.
As we were well spaced out, a good few of these grouse escaped without even being saluted but that’s the nature of the game. There were, however, one or two rather good ones taken with Laurence and Peter more than happy. As the last couple of hundred yards head towards some grass fields, more of the grouse try to head back and very often, sometimes for safety reasons, many of them make it. Grouse which take a tight line to the Guns both in front and behind are simply unsafe and often end up making their way to safety without a shot fired at them.
Our few hours were over. We gathered together, guns broken, and turned to view our mornings wander. Grouse were all gathered up and, back at the vehicles, were laid out to cool as we had our well-earned lunch. As Laurence said, “Why would anyone think what we have done is so wrong? What we have shot we will eat.” Twenty one and a half brace of very fit grouse, which bodes well for next year, Mother Nature and God allowing.
“Once more, birds were lifting at a steady rate on what was a good day for walking-up”