doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com St. Partridge Day

Thanks, Parabola. Very interesting that partridge would choose to hide/feed in turnip fields, unless that's the only cover around.

Turnip fields in September would provide cover, probably not too
wet at that time of the year and at least in those days an abundance of insects to feed on?
As you say it’s a matter of where the birds choose to be.

Good Hunting to all who are fortunate enough to be out today, whether it is in Georgia, Norfolk, Sussex or wherever.

The modus operandi was to walk up the stubble fields and other open ground but always in the direction that after flushing the covey would fly towards the cover, predominantly turnips. With the birds now collected in cover the group of guns would line out and walk slowly through the turnips, usually across the drills rather than with them. Setters or pointers would have been the main dogs used then.

There’s a covey of Grey’s here in the yard.
I will try to get a photo tomorrow morning.

Happy Saint Partridge day! Y’all

The photograph with which I started this thread, tucked into the front of my grandfather’s 1906 Edition of The Art of Shooting, has St. Partridge Day 1925 written on the back.

The above image is one of the many instructional illustrations in that book (the Shotkam of its time?).

Happy St.Partridge day to all fortunate enough to be out in pursuit of game today on either side of the pond.

Saint Partridge Day sounds pretty good to me. I believe Ted here coined the phrase "Grousemas", but for the opener "St. Partridge Day" works just fine as well. In 2023, "St. Partridge Day" for me will be September 16th in Minnesota.

Steve Voss was calling it grousemas within hours of Al Gore creating the internet.
Ask him, I think he is Bluestem here.

St. Partridge Day falls on a Sunday this year, so I trust no Partridge were shot on this side of the pond today, even in self defence.

One hopes it was not a Sunday in 1827, when Col. Hawker bagged 102 with his own muzzle loading gun.

Anyway, good shooting to all out shooting from tomorrow onwards, whether in Norfolk, Hampshire, Georgia or elsewhere!

The First of September in 1827 fell on a Saturday, so the good Colonel was obeying the law, and was no doubt able to give thanks the day after at Matins.