Another Field

[Jon]

Growing up on the outskirts of Edinburgh I was completely absorbed by field sports - fishing took center stage, but for many years shooting (the term we use for anything other than deer or fox "hunting") grew to be much more than a worthy distraction from salmon and trout. I sold my shotgun when I moved to the US, and miss the social shooting days of autumn and winter. Z Fisher got me thinking about my other passion so I dug out some pictures from a Boxing Day (December 26th) shoot from a few years' ago. Next week I'm going home to Scotland for a few days and I'm cursing the empty shotgun cabinet!

Hope Todd and others don't mind my posting non-fishing pictures (no images of dead animals, of course!) There was always a connection between fishing and shooting to me. Perhaps if it's permissible others might share photographs of their field pursuits.

My turn to stand - waiting for the walking guns and dogs to flush pheasants from the coppice.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/Kirkaig/Atherton/Wintershoot.jpg

Walking gun. Plenty of hoarfrost; the game was sitting tight that day.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/Kirkaig/Hoarfrost.jpg

Typical scene between drives - the shooting day was often formal, always safe, and always social (Cherry Brandy or Sloe Gin were never far away).
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/Kirkaig/Atherton/shootingparty.jpg

My old rough shooting ground in Kinross, Scotland, had a nice mix of game crop (kale and turnip fields holding pheasant and gray partridge), stubble fields (gray partridge), woodland (pheasant, wood pigeon), and moorland (hare, rabbit, snipe and woodcock). We also flighted Mallard and Teal to a pond on the farm. A fly-tyer's dream!
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/Kirkaig/Atherton/wintershootii.jpg

Jon

[Todd K]

What a spectacular photo there at the bottom!

[Kierran]

Great photos, especially the last.

Re: Fly-tyer's dream. Sounds about right! Good stuff.

[MuddlerMinnow]

Jon, just speculating here, but could the connection between fishing and shooting you feel be driven by an affinity for silly hats?

:P

[Jon]

...and a fetish for Harris Tweed plus 4s.....

[The Fisherman]

I need some more teal flank and partridge, please.

[leadwingcoachman]

I need some more teal flank and partridge, please.

Yes, whanything you get through customs...

Very beautiful country and picture. The last is just wonderful, I'd frame that one if you haven't already.

[The Fisherman]

Oh! And snipe and woodcock, too. :-)

[Jon]

Very beautiful country

You're right about that! But of course my new home is every bit as lovely. I'll never forget the very first time I drove north on Rt7 (I'd heard about this strange and impressive-sounding "Housatonic" river) - as we drove through those wonderful farming plains just south of Kent, where the hills start to rise all around, I swear it was like driving through Speyside. The river didn't disappoint either - as pretty a stream as I've seen in the world.

Anyone else have shooting snaps to share?

J

[paddy]

Jon:

Nice pics of hedge rows, the fields, and the side by sides. Where are the birds? My family calls 26 Dec Wren day.

I have shotguns available and have my sportmens license in the State of CT and NY if you like to go out hunting some birds.

[Jon]

Hey Paddy - nice one. I left out the pictures of dead pheasants to abide by Flyaddict policy (nae dead animals, and quite right too!) We got so few birds on this particular day, but typically we'd get a nice mixed bag of maybe 20 brace* of pheasants, some ground game (rabbits and a hare or two) etc. I loved the anticipation of starting a drive, seeing birds run ahead, and finally flushing noisy pheasants, which often seemed to know which way to fly to avoid the guns! Once upon a time i was walking through a woodland and came to a small burn (stream) where, to my amazement, a large trout was lying. I can tell you that I missed it with both barrels! The innocence of youth...

JA

[Andrew]

Most of my photos, or at least the ones I have ready access to, show me holding up various dead critters. I wasn't aware there was a "no successful hunt photos" policy, since I seem to recall some photos of somebody's successful turkey hunt a long time ago. But, so as not to violate the policy, I'll not post mine.

But I did find this one, which is a photo of my father with one of his English pointers. He had Labrador retrievers for duck and pheasant hunting when I was younger, then moved into English setters for a long time (for ruffed grouse and woodcock), and since about 1995 has had only pointers (also for grouse and woodcock).

The pointers are very handsome dogs, but stubborn and way too fast. This photo was taken in Michigan, but it's entirely possible that you saw this dog streak by you at some point while walking the woods in Connecticut. They have a tendency to run well out of whistle (or electric collar) range...

http://www.flyaddict.com/gallery/data/504/DSCN0844.JPG

[French_Nympher]

Jon, those are spectacular photos of a noble pursuit! All the best to you for a wonderful trip in your homeland.

[Jon]

Thank you kindly. I hope others might chime in with their shots from the field.

Andrew - Good picture. I never owned a dog. I have two children, though.

JA

[Z Fisher]

I really need to get some breeks. A much more civilized look that gore tex briar pants.

[MuddlerMinnow]

I never owned a dog. I have two children, though.

A friend once pointed out that the advantage of children over dogs is that, unlike a dog, you can take your child with you into a restaurant.

Of course, that's also the disadvantage of children. :)