Bagging more grouse
For a successful day at this, the fastest of gamebirds, there’s one word to keep at the forefront of your mind, whether picking your target or swapping guns: speed
Edward Dashwood explains how to improve your bag
Driven grouse-shooting is often called the king of shooting and the pursuit of this fastest of birds is the ultimate challenge. Of course, different weather conditions, terrain and wind speed all have their part to play. Nonetheless, on its day, the driven grouse is as challenging as any quarry. Soaring pheasants on a high wind are some guns’ ultimate quarry but I would argue they are more predictable and when shooting grouse the weather and terrain is generally more hostile and the shooting more challenging. Certainly, grouse give you the widest variety of shot.
We all have our own techniques, which we hope work when the time comes. These can be helped by practice – whether at pigeon, real or clay – good gun fit, suitable clothes and other kit, being relaxed, breathing properly, having a stable base, good vision and the rest. However, I would argue that one of the things that really sets the grouse apart is that, to be really proficient, you need to be quick and the best shots are very quick indeed.
This speed comes in many forms. It means you need to be quick to spot your quarry, quick to work out which ones to shoot and where, quick to mount and shoot, and quick to load or change guns and, obviously, then carry on. Very often too you need quick feet and can find yourself dancing round a butt (with or without a loader) far more than you might think possible.
SPOTTING YOUR BIRD
You should wear safety glasses when shooting grouse and modern glasses, such as those made by Pilla or Oakley, are quite superb. They really help bring out targets, especially against poor backgrounds or in low light. This is most noticeable later in the season when grouse have turned all brown, as has the heather and much of the surroundings. It helps if you can try and work out where your grouse are likely to come from. Look at the terrain. Are there any gullies they might follow? Which way is the wind going? Might you hear a flag crack behind a hill to alert you? I keep an eye out for my neighbouring guns, too. They may have better sightlines than you and catching them suddenly crouch down or the obvious sound of a shot can give you that added millisecond that counts for so much.
Sometimes you can pick a line behind your neighbour where birds might present themselves that much better. Even if you don’t use double guns, another pair of eyes in your butt can never do any harm. Remember, too, young eyes are always quicker than old so as you get older your loader should get younger. I was fortunate enough for a number of years to have Steve Colmer loading for me. He is now headkeeper at East Allenheads and doing a superb job there. A grouse keeper himself, he was used to
spotting grouse at long distances on a daily basis in a way that I could never match, just like a fishing guide can spot trout in a river. Also, being a few inches taller than me he was able to see into dead ground just that much quicker than I could.
PICKING YOUR TARGET
In terms of shooting style, clay shooting and most driven pheasant and partridge shooting allows you to be much more deliberate and considered. More often than not, you know where the bird is coming from, where it’s going to and they come in singles, or streams of singles, rather than small, closely packed groups with intervals in between. Only grouse can perform that sudden change of direction with just a flick of their wing (other than pigeon or woodcock). The later in the season the more crafty and aerobatic they become. Most times you simply do not have time to dwell or be too deliberate.
Some people say they like to pick a bird a long way out and stick with it, almost regardless. I prefer to get ready to shoot when grouse approach but keep a sort of fuzzy, open-minded vision, remain relaxed and only choose my target when I want to engage it as late as possible, really only as my gun comes into my shoulder. This way you can shoot the bird that presents itself best at the right moment. More often than not, the bird you might have thought of shooting dips away or an easier target suddenly presents itself from nowhere. It must make sense to take this opportunity. And with accurate neighbours you might also find the obvious bird is shot by one of them anyway. This can throw some people who are locked on to it into confusion and either they cannot help but fire at a dead bird or are too slow to change and any other birds pass by unchallenged. Sometimes it is possible to work out which birds from which angles your neighbours are most likely to be able to engage first and you can leave these for them and shoot other birds. It is immensely enjoyable being next to a good shot and when such teamwork works really well. This whole approach