Beating or Picking Up Equipment Checklist

Beaters and Pickers Up are vital to any successful shoot day.

Without the beating team the birds wouldn’t get flushed from the cover or flagged high for the Guns to shoot in the first place. And without a decent picking up team the chances of eating what you shoot is quite slim!

The beating and picking up teams are usually organised separately. Pickers up are positioned well back from the guns so they have a good view of the proceedings and where each shot bird lands.

Gun dogs used for picking up should be trained to a high standard and be under control and responsive to your instructions. Game birds should be retrieved as soon as it is safe to do so and handled well. Game is food after all!

Beaters are led by the Gamekeeper or Underkeeper through woodland or cover crops to flush the birds in the direction of the Guns using sticks/whistles/noise. Beaters will also often be required to stand in the open and flag the birds higher so they are a more challenging shot for the Guns.

Dogs can also be used on the beating line, depending on the rules of the shoot. They will need to be steady and under control. The best beating dogs should have no interest in retrieving.

For more information take a look at the National Organisation of Beaters and Pickers Up website here.

Beating Equipment checklist:

• Waterproof, hardwearing, comfortable clothing suitable for the weather on the day.

For your dog:

• Dog whistle
• Slip lead
• Towel or dog robe
• Boot bed for your car

For the beater:

• Beaters flag & handle (often provided but worth checking)

For the picking team:

• Game carrier
• Bird dispatcher

We now stock a wide range of shooting clothing and accessories.

New brands now in stock include: Acme Whistles & Bird Calls, Seeland Clothing, Bisley Accessories, Primos Shooting Sticks, Danish Design Dog Beds and much more!

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