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A bucket list shoot for most of us. Group of seven attended a property near Bendigo for a game bird shoot. Walk up shooting over Springer, cocker gun dogs. [/quite]
Our member Mpofu/Geoff in England whomi recently visited, is a master springer spaniel trainer and a renowned field trial judge. I was amazed at his dogs and skills with them.
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Well organised by a local shooter Mark, shooters attended from QLD, NT and locally.
Excellent get together.
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Group met and stayed at marks Friday night and a cold early morning start Saturday morning had us at the venue. Safety brief , GMA license check and a purchase of non toxic / bio shells and first group away.
As I asked, why the non toxic shot?
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Lived up to expectations , with eager and very well behaved dogs the stars of the show. Mitch was first up with a clean shot on a pheasant. Retrieved by the springer that put it up. Continued on along the creek and we all took birds.
Hardest part of the shooting was letting the birds get out a bit before shooting, my first was too close.
Watching the dogs work, searching, sniffing, flushing, and retrieving is a very much enjoyable experience of a game bird shoot. I love watching the dogs work. I assume the Working Gun dog Association part of the SSAA does field trials. I didn't realise the gun dogs work the field, flush the birds and the bird is shot, during a trial, as part of the judging. So much better than the show dog circuit, which breeds out the hunting instincts, instead of reinforcing them. I must see about attending some field trials here as a spectator. Might pick up some training tips.
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Second group was made up of four and similar results.
Shotguns were all 12 gauge and mainly O/U. Tony being the only," Puka" shooter using a SXS (greener Empire). My SXS was out of action.
Tony, Jolly Good. Very pukka. Next year, the Year of the Jeffery!
Shame shame shame on the rest. Only joking, friends 
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It will be repaired before next years shoot, or ill get a 20g SXS.
Good excuse for a new 20-bore. Very much needed for pheasant and partridge. 
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Brett one of the dog handlers had a very nice Manton 20g SXS on site. Very lively and came into line beautifully.
All up a well run shoot with a great bunch of shooters. Thanks to all that attended and the dog/ bird handlers, organiser of the shoot. Here's some pics and descriptions. Cheers Mick
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Mark , organiser of shoot
Mark, looking nicely Euro.
I do like the plain but nicely useful looking shooting vest.
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Major returning to Brett my first chukkar
Brett with chukkar
Love watching the dogs
Brett had better be careful in the thick bush country with that Viking beard.
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let this one get out and everyone amazed , when head landed 4 metres from body
Well done Mick.
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Rick plucking birds
many hands , light work
After the shooting, the work begins. If we want to eat the lovely birds.
I believe at some of the large shoots in England there is no market for the great many birds. You can guess what happens to them.... A great political danger to the shooting industry there. Perhaps radical more down to earth shooting sport changes are needed? Fancy shooters getting their hands dirty and far less birds shot?
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beautiful plumage
Lovely.
One day, I must get taxidermied pheasants, partridge, ducks, geese, pigeons etc done.
I visited the hunting and Fishing Museum in Munich, the Rothschild British Museum - Natural History Museum at TrIng, UK, and the British Natural History Museum at South Kensington in London. The taxidermy displays of many species, generated great inspiration in me, for future local species taxidermy displays. Pheasants, partridge geese, quail, pigeons, etc. Fix,ngare, rabbit. Maybe wallaby, Wallaroo/euro, kangaroo, if legal. Pheasant and partridge, ducks for sure.
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Did you all partake?
That's a nice "safari bar/shoot bar" case. Three spirits tumblers and three wine glasses.
I tried several times to do a group buy of Rigby Blair Athol whisky. For various reasons price, total cost, especially my finances, timing the first two tries evaporated. For the third, it's no longer available. All the remaining stocks were sold to a USA buyer. BEWARE another seller is selling counterfeit labelled bottles at a third the price. Buyer beware. Alas no longer in stock at Rigby, I could have carried a couple of bottles home in my luggage I did bring some home made French plum or cherry brandy made by Luc JB's/larchers cousin A couple of whisky bottles bought in Doha and Adelaide duty free did make it as well. The Madeira cask whisky from London was not bought. Impossible to reboard the plane in Doha with it.
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Thanks to Wato and group effort chukkar,gin and cranberry sausage rolls, AWESOME !
Wow, chukar partridge sausage rolls. Very fancy.
Apologies for the long post replies, numerous comments and questions, I've obviously enjoyed your post, an ordinary topic for many overseas, but a rarer event for us here in Australia. And something I've had my interest repigued on seriously in the last few months.
Thanks for posting,
PS I've been coming back to and from to my reply as I've been multi tasking. Mick, I've seen you have made a new post.
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Re: Game Birds Vic