At Daggans the bag is second to camaraderie, as Dominic Prince discovers when he spends a day with this close-knit syndicate
Daggans shoot is a sort of family affair drawing its members from the beautiful village of Cranborne in east Dorset. They shoot over 600 acres of pristine arable land that they rent from a local farmer who is a tenant of the estate. There are ponds, woodland and rolling hills that embrace the landscape.
I say sort of because all the members are friends who live or work in the village or surrounding area; some are related, some not but there is a strong sense of camaraderie. This fellowship has its roots in the local pub, the Sheaf of Arrows located in the centre of Cranborne, where the syndicate meets more or less daily to discuss the “progress” of the shoot. In reality, most admit they meet to drink generous quantities of beer under the guise of holding discussions on whose turn it is to feed and who should be doing what.
The Cranborne estate has its own partridge shoot but that is a separate, grander affair to the Daggans pheasant shoot, which is run by a close-knit team who all muck in together. If you have never been to Cranborne, you should do. It is a near-perfect English village with a good shop and bakery, two pubs, a garden centre connected to Cranborne Manor, a restaurant, a church and a hall.
Denne historien er fra November 29,2017-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 29,2017-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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