Those of us in the North, the proper North, not Manchester, can rightly claim to live among the most diverse counties of England, in every meaning of the word. The sport those counties contain within their boundaries is varied, from hunting and angling to grouse, partridge and pheasant shooting, and the best wildfowling you could find.
You will be hard-pressed to find a Yorkshire resident who would not subscribe to the adage that it is the greatest county in England, and for good reason too. It is the largest by some distance and it stretches from the great Humber coast to over 2,000ft at the head of Swaledale, and the water from those high hills and grouse moors feed the rivers that end up in the Humber. Indeed, all three counties we will look at can claim to have one of the greatest river systems in England, and the Swale then the Ouse and into the Humber is indeed one of them.
Yorkshire is home to some of the greatest country houses and estates in England, and Yorkshire folk are known for their love of sport, all sport. The Ouse Washes have been part of wildfowling history, with huge numbers of birds overwintering there. Sadly the Government, through its agency Natural England, has pretty much ended wildfowling on those areas by banning shooting on the Special Protection Area.
Of course, sport comes in all shapes and forms, and Yorkshire can lay claim to legends in almost every one. The cricketer Sir Geoffrey Boycott and the Brownlee brothers are two of the more recent but the list is extensive to say the least, with notable footballers and rugby players from both codes high on that list.
The best trout angling
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 26, 2023-Ausgabe von Shooting Times & Country.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 26, 2023-Ausgabe von Shooting Times & Country.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside