The Highs And The Lows

From stratospheric partridge in the spectacular Welsh valleys, to a lone pheasant and a few corvids in Cornwall, Phil Moorsom recounts taking a risk on two very different shoot days

- Phil Moorsom

There is always an element of risk when booking a day’s shooting somewhere one has not previously visited. Each season, we look for new and exciting places to take the Rough Rovers and are always keen to consider recommendations from our members or others we have shot with. Where possible, I try and visit prospective shoots out of season to look over the ground and meet the owner or keeper to glean an idea of what one might expect. Occasionally, this is not possible and last week we had two new shoots that I had not managed to look over, so there was a sense of both excitement and trepidation when the days approached.

The first was a small walked-up day down in Cornwall, suggested by a reliable source who we have booked shooting through before. It was a long way to go and we were greeted warmly by our host and a home-cooked full English breakfast. Now, when someone talks too much and stresses what great stalking ground they have and then repeatedly reminds the team to take their shots on rabbits, foxes, pigeons and corvids, one’s suspicions rise and expectations dwindle. Having seen nothing after almost two hours walking past barren, dishevelled pens and empty feeders, it was obvious we were on a hiding to nothing and even after a characteristically delicious elevenses prepared by two of our Guns, team morale was at a low and attentions were turning to the journey home.