IT’S NEARLY 25 YEARS since I shot my first pheasant off a point. Shooting birds over pointing dogs may not be particularly challenging, as the shot is often quite simple, but as anyone who has tried it will confirm, it’s still awfully easy to miss. The real challenge and satisfaction comes from the hunt itself: watching the dog work the ground, seeing how it handles the scent, then enjoying the excitement as it locks on to the point. There’s always the thrill of the flush itself, followed, hopefully, by a satisfying retrieve.
Through I’ve been out on the moors with both pointers and setters, I’ve never had the good fortune to carry a gun on such occasions — I’ve always been armed with my camera. Shooting grouse over pointing dogs may be the purest shooting sport there is, but lowland shooting over HPRs is not a bad substitute at all, as my own experience confirms.
Memorable shooting
My first time shooting over pointers was memorable not just for bagging my pheasant, but the dogs I was shooting over. They were German longhaired pointers (GLP), at the time rare dogs in the UK, but a breed that I predicted had a bright future here. Time has proven me wrong, though I still wonder why.
The most elegant and setter-like of the German pointers, the stylish GLP has enjoyed considerable success in trials in the UK. However, despite its attractive looks and undoubted ability in the shooting field, the breed remains a rarity here: only 13 puppies were registered by the Kennel Club in 2022, up from zero the year before. Its lack of popularity is puzzling, as it is an accomplished all-rounder.
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