10 traits of the best shot collectors
On any shoot, large or small, there will be working dogs to pick up fallen and injured animals. Pickers are a central part of any shoot, and in a commercial shoot where revenue is calculated per bird, a good picker can make a real difference to the economy of the day. So what are the characteristics of a good collector?
Gundogs of good work stuff
Without exception, the best gatherers have dogs specifically bred for shooting. Breed is far less important than the fact that they were born to hunt and retrieve. I like to work with a spaniel and a retriever; Each has its strengths, but both are more than capable of doing everything that is required of a working hunting dog. A top-of-the-line puppy can be expensive, but you can’t make a purse out of a sow’s ear. Good working dogs will be natural hunters, extremely docile, and will also have soft mouths – there is little point in working hard to find a lost pheasant only to be handed a mutilated inedible carcass.
Properly trained hunting dogs
You can see a good pickup’s dogs in the parking lot even before the day starts. They’ll be under control, whether it’s sitting patiently in the back of the car or on their heels, or possibly on the cables. They won’t make a fuss with the rest of the pack! Dogs do not have to be trained to the level of circus performers, but it is essential that they stop and stand up as soon as they are called, and that they do what their handler wants rather than what is convenient for them. The ability to work with hand signals can be extremely helpful, but the important skills of hunting and marking can only really be learned by a dog on the job.
Not scream
It seems that the more a dog handler yells, the less his dogs do what he wants. Excessive noise can ruin a trip and there should be no need to yell at a dog. A good gatherer will control his dogs with a quiet word and a whistle – there will be no need to yell because his dogs will always be under control.
Always looking at the birds
At the end of the trip, even if it is very busy, a good collector will know how many birds to collect and how many are likely to be runners. You will have marked the birds that were hit with a single pellet and flew, if possible by observing them until they are out of sight or fall. Experience has taught you which birds you need to look for first and which ones can wait. You will also know which birds on your plot have been poached by someone else’s dog!
Know what terrain to leave intact
Even if the gatherer returns in triumph with his pricked bird, the ranger will be less than thrilled if by doing so the gatherer has hunted most of the next trip. The good gatherer always knows where the next trip is and where he can and cannot go. Even if you’re familiar with the terrain, don’t take it for granted – the order of tours often changes on short notice in light of how the day is going.
Go the extra mile
Having seen a wounded bird fly and dart across the valley, the conscious forager will happily walk that half mile to make the recovery. There is nothing more satisfying than tagging a distant bird, finding the right cover, getting your dogs in, and getting them out with the bird. This type of retrieval is far more valuable than simply collecting half a dozen pheasants in the middle of a grassy field and it really sets the best collector apart.
Quality not quantity
A good collector knows that it is far more important to make some good recoveries where the birds would otherwise have been lost than to collect dozens of birds that could have been just as easily hand-picked. The gatherer who returns to the game cart within minutes of the end of a trip complaining under the weight of dozens of pheasants is not necessarily as good as the person who emerges from a remote hedge 10 minutes later with only two or three.
Choose the brokers ASAP
Even the best pickers will have had the experience of a runner falling down next to them but escaping nonetheless. Seconds really count – an injured pheasant can cover a large amount of ground in just a few minutes and needs to be collected as soon as possible. Waiting until the end of the drive is asking about the failure, and if you have multiple riders at the same time, it is highly unlikely that you will pick them all.
Support further back
It is vital that the collector and his dogs can see everything that is happening. This is much easier to do when you are further away from the Guns. Collectors further back will be much better positioned to pick up injured flying birds, while birds that drop dead near Guns can be picked up at any time.
Respect Guns who wish to work with their own dogs.
Often a stand up pistol will appear on its peg with a dog on the heel. And often they would like Fido to get one or two back at the end of the trip. If possible, they should be pleased. But it is an indulgence. In a driven shot, the gun’s number one responsibility is to fire, and the collector’s responsibility is to make sure all birds are recovered. The Gun may well be paying for his sport, but there is a higher duty to the game and letting injured pheasants get away so Fido can play is not acceptable – the conscientious gatherer will avoid it if possible.
These observations are based on 40 years of experience in the shooting range. What you think? Let us know.