For an organised shoot beating is an essential part of the shoot. If you are a gundog owner, beating could be your first experience of the shooting scene. As in many events, beating and game shooting has a language and set of rules all of its own. This new experience can be quite daunting for newcomers. Beaters work as part of a team, normally led by the Gamekeeper, through woodland/gamecrops to move and flush birds towards a line of guns.
If you have no experience at all of participating in a shoot or beating in any capacity, it is strongly recommend that you have a go at beating first and do not take your dog with you.
Taking your dog on a beat is probably one of the reasons you want to go beating (and later on picking up). If you and your dog are novices, this can cause huge problems in the beating line.
The next thing to think about is your fitness. Shoots take place in very demanding terrain. Sometimes these terrains are very and you may be required to walk up and down several times.
So if you are seriously unfit, you could be putting yourself at risk. Beating is not just a ramble in the countryside, it is tough going to get through the dense undergrowth, over obstacles many times during the beat.
Join NOBs, the National Organisation for Beaters and Pickers Up. NOBs have a website full off usefull information that will guide you and help you to go on your first beat.
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