Shooting manners

Tony Bracci provides a refresher on what is expected

- Tony Bracci

Shoot day etiquette has been the cornerstone of a day in the field ever since we have been shooting game, both driven and walked-up. What with COVID-19 restrictions and the ability to buy a peg for the day, it does no harm to take a fresh look of the important aspects of what is and what isn’t acceptable.

Traditionally, you would have received an invitation to which you would reply and never to pull out of, even if in your estimation a better invitation had come along. Nowadays, you’re just as likely to book your peg online. Whichever scenario, the first responsibility of good etiquette is to turn up on time. There is nothing worse than everyone waiting for a late arrival.

The briefing on the morning before the shoot starts is important, as it will give you all the information you will need about the day. This will include the intended quarry, the way the drive is numbered – that is to say, from the left or the right – whether the drive starts as you get to the peg, or wait for a signal to start and a signal that the drive has ended. You will also be told how many pegs you will move up each drive. Also, it is quite normal to not shoot vermin species until the first gamebirds have come through. More recently it will include procedures to fulfil COVID-19 risk assessment, including social distancing, the use of hand sanitiser and face masks, hospitality arrangements and moving around the shoot. I cannot emphasise how much it is worth paying the closest attention to the brief, as it will help your day run as smoothly as possible.

On the peg