They call them moose in Finland and Patrick Galbraith, having visited Sako headquarters, sets off into the icy land with a licence to shoot one
Usually when I fall asleep in the bath, I wake up when the water goes cold. This time, though, it was a phone call. “Shall we drive up to Primrose Hill on Saturday and wander across the heath to the pub?” It sounded like a lovely idea but I smugly declined: “Another time. I’m going to Sweden to hunt elk.”
I had been telling everyone. There is something tedious about the sort of person who bangs on about how much they are “looking forward to a day of driven pheasants in the home counties”. On the other hand, announcing that you are packing every last bit of knitwear you own because you are “off to some freezing Scandinavian outpost, in pursuit of colossal beasts” is pretty cool, or at least I thought so.
It turns out, though, that I was wrong. Wrong by some 580km in fact. “We’re going to Finland to hunt moose,” Karl Waktare, the charming managing director of GMK, corrected me, over a croissant at the airport.
This came as something of a surprise but not an altogether unpleasant one. To me, the land of the midnight sun was a much better idea. Some weeks previously, I had read a fascinating article about the oldest indigenous community in Scandinavia, the Sámi people of Lapland. This seemed a perfect opportunity to learn more.
But that evening, when we were sitting at the bar after our transfer from the airport, it transpired that there would be no learning about the Sámi. We were at the wrong end of the country. The next day, though, we were going to walk around the factory of the rifle and cartridge brand Sako and its subsidiary, Tikka, which are both imported into the UK by GMK.
Denne historien er fra November 15,2017-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra November 15,2017-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.
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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
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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