As I write this month’s article, we have recently moved to the next stage of the easing of lockdown. With no real idea of the impact of the last few weeks of permitted travel and distanced interaction, I am not yet ready to throw my hat in the air thinking the worst is behind us. I was shocked to see the numbers of people visiting beaches and beauty spots over the last Bank Holiday weekend, and at our local supermarket shoppers seem to have regressed, with social distancing evaporating into the heat of the gorgeous spring weather.
I am a positive person, but with my Rough Rovers hat on, my fear is that the size of groups allowed to gather may be restricted, which would have an adverse effect on some of our days. We took an early decision to plan this season’s calendar as though the season was going ahead pretty much as normal. In line with many of the shoots, we reduced the number of days initially offered to members by about 30%. We currently have only five days booked for September, when we managed 13 last season and for October we have nine compared to 18 last year. This is sympathetic to our members’ requests as people seemed to be reluctant to commit to the early season days until we had a better idea of where we might be at the start of the season.
Esta historia es de la edición August 2020 de Sporting Shooter.
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Esta historia es de la edición August 2020 de Sporting Shooter.
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RSPB gives mixed message on shooting
Having recently attended the RSPB’s virtual AGM, Conor O’Gorman discusses the outcome of the charity’s year-long review of game bird shooting
Causeway for concern
Alan Jarrett’s renewed interest in reading takes him down memory lane to an offshore island duck flight that very nearly ended in disaster
Through a purple patch
The Garrows Estate is taking a conservation-focused approach to restoring the wildlife populations and biodiversity on the Scottish heather moorland.
When the wheels fall off
Losing form on a day’s shooting can be infuriating, especially if you’ve been shooting like a god up to that point. Simon O’Leary looks at some common causes and how to remedy them
Beaches, books & bad behaviour!
The annual Kay family vacation to Northumberland offers a chance to give the cockers a blast on the beach – although they don’t always shower themselves in glory, as Ryan Kay recalls...
Using the Stop whistle
Now you’ve instilled the basics, it’s time to up the ante with some more tricky distance work. Howard Kirby explains how to take the core Stop whistle command to the next level
The humble teal
They may be tiny, but as far as Rupert Butler is concerned, the appeal of this little duck is huge. He recalls some of his most memorable nights in pursuit of these aerial acrobats
Fab all-rounder
Mike is impressed with the Fabarm Elos B2 Field Notte, which offers great value for money, is suited to fieldwork or clays and is future-proofed for use with steel in all choke constrictions
CALL OF THE WILD
Dom Holtam reconnects with one of the purest forms of shotgun shooting as he walks-up woodcock over pointing dogs in the Scottish Highlands
A yen for the Fens
Tony Jackson recounts a memorable duck flight over an area of Fenland in Norfolk with his friend and author, the late Alan Savory