WWW.THEFIELD.CO.UK 69
O’Donnell,altered the angle of the safety
stickstocoverthem.A packthathadsettled
100ydinfrontofbuttsliftedandwereturned
bythe flankersoverthe bottom buttsjust
beforethefirstsafetyhorn,andwithsome
shootingbehindthebeaterscamethrough.
Lunch provided by Gill Kelly, a local
farmer’swife,intheGlaisdaleHut– oneof
threelunchhutsonDanby– wasa veryjolly
affair, particularly after Snaith reported
thatthebagforthemorningwas 82 brace.
Acredibleresult consideringsomeofthe
guns, although experienced shots, were
newtodrivengrouse.
Lunchover,gunsdroveontothefourth
drive, Double Dykes, reached by a stiff
climb up a steep track beside a quarry
wherethevehicleswereparked.Thiswas
a downwind drive, which the beating line
wasbringingfromTroughHouseRigginthe
centreofthemoorandwheregunsfaceda
slopewitha shorthorizon.A gustingwind
hadpickedupandthefirstbirdstoshow
at 3.15 were really moving, curling and
twistingoverandthroughbutts,givingall
thegunssometerrificallychallengingshots.
A biggishpacksweptthelengthoftheline
andthenthebeatersappeared,thesafety
hornblewandtherewasplenty of shooting
behindbeforethewhistle.
ThefifthandlastdrivewasDoubleDykes
returnagainstthewind,withthebeatcoming
inquitea distanceandit was4.15beforethe
topflankersstoodandshowedtheirflagsto
turna coveyof 20 overthetopthreebutts.
Grousecamethick andfastnow, in small
coveys,scatteringsofone,twosandthrees,
with a big pack of 30 through the middleof theline.I hadpositioned myselfatthe
sideofbutt5,occupiedbyLarryPottinger
fromMissouriandhisloader,NeilRadcliffe,
whohadbeenheadkeeperatneighbouring
Rosedale for 33 years. Pottinger was
shooting,withnotablesuccess,a beautiful
pairofPurdeysidelock20-boresandjustas
wecouldhearthebeatersgettingcloser,a
loosepackcameoverbutts4 and5, andwith
a bitofniftychangingbyRadcliffe,Pottinger
hadthreedeadintheairatthesametime.
Thefinalbagwas 139 braceandallthe
gunsagreedthattheyhadexperiencedan
exceptionaldayonanhistoricgrousemoor,
immaculately preserved by generations of
dedicatedconservation.
Foropportunitiestoshootdrivengrouse,
pleaseemailEdDarbishireatIanColey
Sporting Ltd, [email protected]