The wistful notion that ‘things were better back then’ is a popular, if largely foundation free, belief. Society looks fondly at the homefront of World War II, declaring it our nation’s finest hour, a time of stoic ‘Blitz’ spirit. Largely forgotten is that this same home-front saw serious crime, such as murder and rape, increase by 57%.
Shooting, too, has a rose-tinted history, the period of popular choice being the late Victorian/Edwardian era. Leaf through the browning pages of a coroneted gamebook dated 1905 and images of high society and huge bags are conjured as a time of things ‘done right’. The narrative continues with the sporting art of the period. Swan-necked ladies, bedecked in bustles and bittern-feather hats, wait like greyhounds to applaud their beau for a left-and-right. The male Guns are of the neatest order; no mud clings to their gleaming brogues or spats. Their ’taches are bold, barrels are damascus, and jackets cut like a waspish remark. They, too, are athletically slim, all bar King Edward VII, of course, who was very fat indeed, but was this really the golden time for lowland game shooting?
Gamebirds
Esta historia es de la edición May 27, 2020 de Shooting Times & Country.
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Esta historia es de la edición May 27, 2020 de 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