British fieldsports are famous throughout the world. Despite being a small island, we punch well above our weight across an astonishingly wide range of sporting disciplines and there can be few other countries that offer such an exciting combination of fishing, hunting, shooting and stalking.
As a community, we’re united by some basic shared values which are based upon an abiding respect for the countryside, but the reality of a day outdoors might land you anywhere from falconry and pike fishing to ferreting or walked-up ptarmigan.
It’s fair to say that you’ll find bigger stags and grander salmon in other countries, but it’s unlikely you’ll find both species together in a single afternoon. It’s that combination of habitats and opportunities that allows us to stand above the crowd and, while there are some very good reasons to travel abroad for your sport, British shooting surely deserves a good deal of praise for its endless variety.
Wild, rugged mountains run down into saltmarshes and estuaries in the space of a few miles. An afternoon’s mooching around in North Wales can put you under grouse, woodcock, snipe, pheasants and all manner of wildfowl. Jump in the car for a few hours and you’ll find yourself in East Anglia, surrounded on all sides by hares, partridges and cheekily elusive muntjac deer.
Our list of potential quarry species is extensive, and the geography of our island means that everything is close at hand. It’s fair to imagine that a dedicated deerstalker could start the day with a sika in Somerset and end it with another in Sutherland.
Plenty to savour
Esta historia es de la edición October 28, 2020 de Shooting Times & Country.
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Esta historia es de la edición October 28, 2020 de Shooting Times & Country.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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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