would you work your dog if you weren't paid?

[Judy]

Us poor old pensioners will have to reclaim the tax every year then? Bleah!

[fixit]

On the shoot that i am a half gun on for the first time this year we only pay the few kids that turn up to beat all the adults do it foc

Two of my lads come along and on the weeks that i shoot i match the money that they get keeps them happy

All the rest of use do it for fun a few glasses of port when we finish that the guns bring along and a brace of birds
And on a sold day we only have 2 to keep costs down for the regular guns
There is bacon sandwich in the morning a pasty and soup at lunch time and even more port and xmas pies etc when we are done and a good time is had by all

[Gazelle1000]

I get a very small payment however would do if foc. To me it's about working the dogs, out in the country, the wild life and the banter.

Its also good to talk gundogs with similar like folk sharing tips etc

I always get a brace at the end which is nice

[pontbeck]

On the shoot that i am a half gun on for the first time this year we only pay the few kids that turn up to beat all the adults do it foc

Two of my lads come along and on the weeks that i shoot i match the money that they get keeps them happy

All the rest of use do it for fun a few glasses of port when we finish that the guns bring along and a brace of birds
And on a sold day we only have 2 to keep costs down for the regular guns
There is bacon sandwich in the morning a pasty and soup at lunch time and even more port and xmas pies etc when we are done and a good time is had by all

That`s standard practice with the DIY shoots that I`ve been part of.
As for the commercial shoots I would be prepared to pick up without pay, as it`s my hobby and my way of life, but they charge from £26 per bird upwards. If I pick 2 birds they`re in profit from my work and I deserve to be paid.Some of my shoots are not anticipating a problem with PAYE but the larger ones certainly are.

Bill

[trekmoor]

When I was younger and got paid for my regular job I would have worked my dogs for nothing provided it wasn't a long drive to a shoot.

As an O.A.P. I do like to be paid, that extra money is very useful.

Wullie

[chunky]

I attended the last shoot of the season last week and i have loved minute of my time spent there as the shoot is a small syndicate shoot i was told that unfortunately beaters and pickers up could not be paid, but that didn't matter as it was a foot in the door for my first season and has helped me to learn the ropes. although with the price of fuel etc i think that i may be looking for a beat nearer to my home as unfortunately the effects of the recession are starting to be felt

[jazz0273]

I pick up and beat on 2 smaller shoots and 1 larger shoot which i do all FOC,but i do get fed on all of them and get a couple of beaters days off all of them which is more than enough payment. I used to pay to shoot, now i pick up and beat to shoot!

[LJR]

I get paid for only one of the shoots I pick-up at.

All the rest are non-commercial shoots, I have chosen these shoots to go to because they are the ones I enjoy the most. I am lucky that it doesn't matter whether I get paid, it is a hobby for me, for me its all about the day and the bunch of people that I work with.

[Springfield Pointers]

Paid!!! You guys are onto something. I should try and introduce that out here. LOL! Here we do it for the love of the sport, it's people and where it takes us. Some of us spend thousands on an annual basis and wouldn't think of accepting payment for it.

[philconsequence]

no payments here apart from the opportunity to let the dog spend time in an environment it was bred for, new friends, good exercise and the occasional pheasant in the freezer

love it!

sad today is the last Saturday of the season.... still several months of training ahead and next season we should be able to enjoy it even more