A common misconception

[Amberquest]

Depends where you beat I suppose. No picking up and getting dropped off where I go!! Bringing in grouse moors is a nightmare! Even on a little shoot me and the dogs cover 7 miles when beating, including blanking in bits of cover before actually getting into the wood. It's 6 and two 3's really, all depends on the terrain, what the shoot is like in terms of transporting people etc.

[Judy]

A friend of mine didn't work her Lab dog two days on the trot last January, when I asked why and mentioned the Cockers were fine she said it was easier for them because they were smaller. Then I mentioned that short legs have to take a lot more steps to get anywhere.

...... After much p*** taking the next week I took us both pedometers and with much ceremony we put them on at the beginning of the day. At the end of the day they were independently checked and I'd done well over 2000 more steps than he had, not bad for someone wot spends a lot of time on her arse...

Rascal

Amberquest, I have the greatest respect for anyone who beats or picks up on a Grouse Moor, I know I couldn't do it much as I would love to experience it, just the once! Terrain plays a large part in how easy or difficult it is to beat or pick up.

[Cynic]

You could also really mix it up between the start of the season and the end,

From the dogs point of view I.M.O.
Start of season Lots of birds = less beating more picking up.

End of Season less birds = more beating less picking up.

From the retrospective dog owners point of view its simpler I.M.O., I know who has to wear gloves to keep there hands warm

[Tungulria]

End of Season less birds = more beating less picking up

= harder work finding those fewer birds!! But then the same in the beating line I guess. Harder hunting required to flush those now wiley birds that would rather sit tight.

[Judy]

Hmmm, you could also say the reverse is true; beat at the start of the season because that way the dog can be at heel most of the time. Picking up is harder because the dog has to run through large numbers of birds to find the one which has been pricked, that trick still amazes me. End of season both beaters' and picking up dogs are on overtime looking for birds although when picking up it must be easier to sort out the wounded from the rest, partly because the unshot birds are fit and will fly off pdq if they see a dog coming.

Beaters wear gloves, Pickers up have nice warm birds to hold.

[Judy]

A friend of mine didn't work her Lab dog two days on the trot last January, when I asked why and mentioned the Cockers were fine she said it was easier for them because they were smaller. Then I mentioned that short legs have to take a lot more steps to get anywhere.

...... After much p*** taking the next week I took us both pedometers and with much ceremony we put them on at the beginning of the day. At the end of the day they were independently checked and I'd done well over 2000 more steps than he had, not bad for someone wot spends a lot of time on her arse...

Rascal

Amberquest, I have the greatest respect for anyone who beats or picks up on a Grouse Moor, I know I couldn't do it much as I would love to experience it, just the once! Terrain plays a large part in how easy or difficult it is to beat or pick up.

After a complaint, I should like to point out that Rascal doesn't have Labs but does take more steps to do the same distance as the rest of us.

[Rascal]

[trekmoor]

I must admit I have it very easy most of the time when picking-up nowadays. I rarely have to walk more than a couple of hundred yards to my picking-up stations. I take my vehicle to the next drive almost always and it is the other pickers-up that do the long walks. That wasn't always the case, I too used to walk for miles while picking up. Nowadays I am given "auld man's" privileges just as I used to extend those same privileges to the more ancient pickers-up.

I began as a beater then got promoted or demoted to being a picker-up ..... whichever way you want to look at it ! I come in for a lot of banter from the beaters but I notice they are always into their second hot pie in the lunch hall before I get back ! I really enjoy the banter, it makes shoot days the great fun that they are. My honest opinion is that picking -up is sometimes a bit more stressful mentally than beating is, I have to make my poor wee brain cell work harder.

Wullie

[Amberquest]

I'd rather deal with the stress of a dog running in while picking up than a dog running in at the end of the drive though Wullie. Hasn't happened to me - honest

[Tungulria]

I agreed with Wullie a little in terms of stress. There is sometimes that pressure of finding that bird that you know was hit but has flown on or run like stink. I hate giving up and will often stay behind to make sure none are missed. However this is an uninevitable on occasion. Last season we were sweeping a field and a fellow picker up (keepers uncle) was sweeping a bank when I heard the shout "MARK!!!!" Off the bank at some height came a hen with a leg down. Immediately labs head went up and i said the "Get on it". She took off across the field in hot pursuit and me ever so slightly less elegantly. About 150m along the valley I watched bird pitch in and the dogs catching up. Cast the spaniel off to hunt the cover where she'd gone in and out and after a few minutes and me starting to feel despondent that we'd lost her she flushed out again and took off up the hill towards a small wood of firs. Again the labrador who'd I'd kept out in the field with me got the "Get on it" and took off in pursuit. The hill is quite steep and it's near on 200m to the wood. The dog got there about 10 seconds after the bird but luckily came out seconds later with her. This was being watched by the entire shoot party including the beaters who were sat down now in the field for their break. Yes the congratulations and well dones came thick and fast but the stress that could have resulted had the dogs mucked about, not found it etc would have been too much to bear.