If you would like to book individual shoot experience days, please click here. The best way to cement your hunting, pointing and retriever training before going on an actual shoot day is to practice everything you’ve learned on live and freshly shot game. Aimed at intermediate and advanced dogs, the focus will be on hunting and retrieving, and working with live game, building greater reliability in your gundog's behaviours along with increasing duration and distance. Our Winter Shoot Preparation Camps are split into preparation days and shoot experience days. The preparation days will look at ensuring you are well equipped with all the essential skills you need for the shoot days. The exact programme of activities will be tailored around the handlers and dogs booked on the camp but will likely include steadiness, stop whistle, picking cold game, retrieving over water and obstacles, hunting in different types of cover, as well as informing handlers about what to expect on a shoot, shoot etiquette, how to work in a beating or picking up line. Our shoot experience days are run exactly like any other shoot day, but the Guns are there solely for the dog's benefit, allowing you to test your dog’s ability and control in a more relaxed environment than on a formal shoot. These days will challenge your dog and will also get you up to speed on how a driven shoot is run in the UK. If you are booked on the full camp, you will be able to choose a beating or picking up role, or do a bit of both. If you would like to book individual shoot experience days, please click here. For beating dogs and their handlers, this is a valuable opportunity to: Learn how to find and follow game scent in different types of cover Work as part of a group in a beating line Get used to multiple handlers, environmental distractions, and varying terrain Distinguish between whistles in a noisy environment Cope with tapping, and other unfamiliar noises such as walkie-talkies Get used to hearing multiple shots, without seeing anything fall Take instructions from the gamekeeper and adapt to changes Develop an understanding of the beating line’s role in driving birds over the Guns For picking-up dogs and their handlers, it’s a chance to: Practice standing calmly behind the Gun line Develop steadiness to shot and patience over long periods Work without a guaranteed retrieve on every drive Watch other dogs retrieve game Retrieve warm and freshly shot game Watch, locate and collect runners Navigate water retrieves Sweep an area carefully for injured or fallen game Learn how to humanely dispatch injured game Develop an understanding of how birds fall and improve marking skills Please note: these days are for intermediate and advanced dogs only. While our team will be on hand to answer questions, troubleshoot any issues you're having and offer support throughout the day, you will need to be confident in handling your dog independently (particularly on the shoot experience days), and your dog should already have the basic cues in place (such as recall, heelwork, stop, hunting and retrieving) even if they are not yet "perfect" or proofed around game or highly distracting environments. Scenarios on the preparation days will be tailored to the group's needs, but on the shoot days, everything will be realistic and unscripted, just as they would be on a real shoot, and we cannot guarantee anything. Our Shoot Preparation Camps, led by Helen, are suitable for: Those who think their gundog is ready to work on a shoot (beating, picking up, or rough shooting) but would like some experience in a similar environment before entering a formal setting. Handlers who would like to fine-tune their dog's behaviours in a shoot environment. All breeds of gundog, including retrievers, spaniels and HPRs, plus any crossbreeds or non-gundog breeds that will be worked on a shoot. Dogs which have already been introduced to shot and are not gun-shy. Handlers looking to take their Kennel Club Working Gundog Certificate on Game. Our Shoot Preparation Camps are held at Kemble's Field in Charlton, near Evesham, Worcestershire. On Wednesday evening, there will also be a group supper at a local pub. This is scheduled for 4.30 pm so we can leave straight from the training venue. This is a dog-friendly pub, and your dogs are welcome to sit with us in the restaurant area while we eat. There is a great menu of home cooked food. The format for the Preparation Days is as follows: Timings vary depending on day, please see above. We will work through a full programme of shoot preparation such as Exposure to game Different shooting scenarios from rough shooting to walk-ups and driven Hunting and retrieving in challenging terrain including thick cover and cover crops Continuous exposure to shot, including shot gun Steadiness, stop whistle, heelwork, recall, directional handling, and more in a shoot-like environment The format for the Shoot Experience Days is as follows: Arrival time is 8.30 am, with breakfast and refreshments provided on arrival prior to a briefing. There will be two or three drives before refreshments at elevenses, which will include game-based finger food and drinks. We will then go back out for another couple of drives, returning for a late game-based lunch at 3pm. This will include a debrief, aiming to finish around 4pm to 4:30 pm. Dogs and handlers will be split into beaters and pickers up and will get to experience everything these roles include on any standard British drive shoot. Game will include pheasant, and may include partridge and duck. There may also be the opportunity to experience water retrieving on the river. All handlers will be offered the chance to take home any game shot and assistance will be given on request as to how to prepare this for the table. If you would like to book individual shoot experience days, please click here. All dogs must have been exposed to shot before attending. Not sure if the camp will be right for you and your dog? Please email [email protected]
