Walked Up Pheasant and Grouse

[Roebuck]

Something a little different from our driven pheasant days, this is a day on the hills of Cumbria in the north of England after Pheasant, Red Grouse and Rabbit. A lot of walking and always alert as you never know when a dog is going to flush game. It’s my preferred way of shooting game birds.

 

[kmckinnie]

Any old shotgun pics to would be nice.
Great pics.

 

[Roebuck]

Any old shotgun pics to would be nice.
Great pics.

I‘ll see what I can do. But lots of them to see on Holts Auctioneers web site see if you can download their latest catalogue……and yes they will ship to the USA. Enjoy!

HOLTS Auctioneers

HOLTS are Europe's leading Auctioneers of Fine Modern & Antique Guns.

www.holtsauctioneers.com

 

[Ruger#3]

That looks like fun. I enlarged your pics so us old guys could enjoy them.

 

[ddavis1120]

Beautiful pictures and beautiful dogs. I assume the dogs hunt rabbits and birds? Most bird dog owners in the States do NOT want rabbits or anything else shot in front of their dogs so that’s interesting to me. In my experience here bird dogs are bird dogs and rabbits are hunted with rabbit dogs like beagles.

 

[Roebuck]

Most gundogs here are trained to retrieve both feather and fur. On a driven day there is usually a no ground game rule meaning no ground game such as rabbits are to be shot, but on a walked up day generally both birds and rabbits can be shot so you need a dog that do both.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

Good deal. Nice pictures as well. I'm always jealous to see upland hunts in open country!

 

[Roebuck]

Good deal. Nice pictures as well. I'm always jealous to see upland hunts in open country!

Yes it was a good day. We we’re up about 2000 feet above sea level so not many trees but lots of reeds, rushes and white grass for the birds to hunker down in.

 

[NCHillbilly]

That is awesome, love seeing your hunt pics. Beautiful pics of some beautiful country. Is that what y'all would call moorland?

 

[Roebuck]

That is awesome, love seeing your hunt pics. Beautiful pics of some beautiful country. Is that what y'all would call moorland?

Yes indeed, moorland in Cumbria, Northern England. Keep going north into Scotland then you’ll reach the mountains.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Yes indeed, moorland in Cumbria, Northern England. Keep going north into Scotland then you’ll reach the mountains.

From what I've researched, one branch of my family originated next door to there in Northumbria, on both sides of the border. I'd love to get over there and see some of that country.

How do those grouse taste?

 

[redneck_billcollector]

Love all the Barbour jackets and vests, well at least they look like Barbour. I am a fan of that line and wear it when I bird hunt.

 

[Roebuck]

From what I've researched, one branch of my family originated next door to there in Northumbria, on both sides of the border. I'd love to get over there and see some of that country.

How do those grouse taste?

You should get over here November or December when the game bird and deer seasons are in full swing. Northumbria is very much like Cumbria they both border Scotland. Grouse are good like partridge but a bit more gamier.

 

[Roebuck]

Love all the Barbour jackets and vests, well at least they look like Barbour. I am a fan of that line and wear it when I bird hunt.

Yep Barbour is still a strong brand over here, in fact I’ll be wearing my jacket tomorrow when I go picking up (shot pheasants on a driven shoot) with my dog on a shoot at the edge of my village. I’ve had the jacket years, Barbour do a great mail order service to have your jacket cleaned, repaired and re-waxed. I have mine done about every three years, will last a lifetime.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

Yes it was a good day. We we’re up about 2000 feet above sea level so not many trees but lots of reeds, rushes and white grass for the birds to hunker down in.

That’s interesting that you don’t have trees at that elevation. I grouse hunt here at 2,500 to 5,000ft and it looks like this.

 

[Roebuck]

That’s interesting that you don’t have trees at that elevation. I grouse hunt here at 2,500 to 5,000ft and it looks like this. View attachment 1275017View attachment 1275018View attachment 1275019

Yes, it’s got a lot to do with soil quality. Soil quality is poor on our moorlands often it’s peat which is very acidic and will only generally support reeds and grasses not many trees. Also it’s not far from the coast so you get a lot of strong onshore winds. You must have better soil and a better climate than we do. I like your dog!

 

[NCHillbilly]

Yes, it’s got a lot to do with soil quality. Soil quality is poor on our moorlands often it’s peat which is very acidic and will only generally support reeds and grasses not many trees. Also it’s not far from the coast so you get a lot of strong onshore winds. You must have better soil and a better climate than we do. I like your dog!

Plus, y'all are about 20* further north in latitude than us. I think it's interesting that those mountains there are geologically the upper end of the same Appalachian mountain chain that I live in. We don't have true timberline here, even at almost 7,000' elevation on our higher peaks. We do have areas of natural grassy and heath balds, probably a result of soil and wind, like you said. In my county, there is a large swath of grass and heath balds around 5,000-6000'. Part of it is natural, much of it was caused by a combination of industrial logging of the spruce/fir forests back in the early 1900s that was followed by massive fires that were so hot they burned most of the soil off the ground. Now, it's mostly grasses and forbs with patches of blueberries, rhododendrons, mountain ash, and such. The area in these pics is in the southeastern corner of my county at 5,000-6,000' elevation.

 

[Roebuck]

Plus, y'all are about 20* further north in latitude than us. I think it's interesting that those mountains there are geologically the upper end of the same Appalachian mountain chain that I live in. We don't have true timberline here, even at almost 7,000' elevation on our higher peaks. We do have areas of natural grassy and heath balds, probably a result of soil and wind, like you said. In my county, there is a large swath of grass and heath balds around 5,000-6000'. Part of it is natural, much of it was caused by a combination of industrial logging of the spruce/fir forests back in the early 1900s that was followed by massive fires that were so hot they burned most of the soil off the ground. Now, it's mostly grasses and forbs with patches of blueberries, rhododendrons, mountain ash, and such. The area in these pics is in the southeastern corner of my county at 5,000-6,000' elevation.

View attachment 1275140
View attachment 1275141

Yes I think latitude and general climate conditions have a lot to do with it as well soil quality. Over here the tree line is anywhere between 800 and 1,200 feet depending on which part of the country you are in. The Malvern Hills which are about 5 miles from where I live have a definite tree line and they are only 1,400 feet above sea level.