GETTING IT ALL THERE AND GETTING IT ALL BACK AGAIN – KEEPING YOUR CAR FREE OF BLOOD IN THE PROCESS

When it comes to kit I use one of the most useful things I have is a plasterer’s bath. This blow moulded heavy duty plastic bath is designed to stand rigorous use. Everything goes into it and it is dragged to the site of the hide. Because it is flat bottomed with rounded sides it has little friction and does little damage to low crops. At the front I have drilled two holes either side and have some rope with a length of hosepipe to stiffen it and act as a comfortable hand hold. Step in, put the hosepipe up to your hips and walk on or off the field – a little like an Arctic explorer.

If it doesn’t fit into the bath – it doesn’t go with me. I know one shooter who has a quad bike and a trailer to hump all his kit – that might mean he has too much gear – there is a limit.

Also on hot summer days the birds I shoot go into the bath under a fly net with a bungee keeping it sealed. On days such as this I pick up every 25 birds and put a layer of ice packs (crushed litre water bottles from the freezer kept in a cool bag) on the bottom, a layer of pigeon, layer of ice, layer of pigeons, and so on. This is the best way I have found of keeping flies of the birds and getting the temperature of the carcasses down as quickly as possible. Also just step in to walk the whole lot of the field at the end of the day. (I go back later for the kit apart from my gun and cartridges).

I also use this as a deer carcass tray. It catches the blood and washes out with no nooks or crannies for bacteria to fester in – I would be lost without it now.

£32.99 inc P&P from Transtools on Ebay – and delivery was fast too

Follow this link: Transtools plasterer's bath