With the end of the season nearing fast, our minds turn to beaters day. Those of us who are split between shoots may even be lucky enough to have more than one to attend. It’s the one last thank you for all the hard work and time put into the days we spend out in the fields and cover pushing those sky-high pheasants over the waiting guns.
We head down to the nearest gun shop to buy ourselves some half decent cartridges, not the ones your wife managed to find six months ago wedged in a draw along with an assortment of empty shells. And for those who are keen to impress others they may even get a day on the clays before the ever looming beaters day.
We all want to be that person who wipes the eye of a fellow beater as they miss that sitter of a pheasant and you knock it clean from above them. The banter which the day consists of also adds to the excitement of standing on the peg and shooting at the birds you had been flushing for guns all season (time to show them how to really shoot). For some this may also be the first time all season they have had their gun out. These people are usually found waddling over to the peg while scratching their heads and aiming at only the highest pigeon. Only to find out that they now have to reload while partridges are screaming over their heads.
With this hard earned day imminent we can all start to feel that short break before the season prep starts again. The end of the season seems to arrive much faster than the beginning but all the good memories and great shooting will stay in your mind for years to come.