WELL, SINCE I WROTE my last column in February, it seems the entire world has fallen apart a little bit. You think you’ve got all the pieces on the board, then a tiny little virus from the other side of the planet enters the game.
It is incredibly difficult right now to gauge which way things will go over the next year and onwards from there. COVID-19 — I know, we’re all sick of hearing about it — has given everything a very thorough shakeup and the traditional rhythms and patterns of years gone by have been well and truly disrupted.
As well as the usual bureaucratic processes we have to deal with in the world of land management, as I write, the ban on open culling of mountain hares in Scotland has just slipped through parliament.
We now have to work out how and when clients will return to the hills in line with nationwide lockdowns and quarantines, how long venison prices will be painfully low, which deer to cull and when to do it, whether we’ll see a second wave and another shutdown of our game dealers. There are lots of new variables that will shape the way we work this year.
Personally, I don’t see us having clients for the 2020 season. At best, we may have a few of our English guests up for the hind cull. Having spoken to other keepers and stalkers, I don’t think we’re alone in making this judgement call either.
With many of Scotland’s stag stalking clientele coming from mainland Europe and the Scandinavian countries, a 14-day quarantine before we even meet them is completely unworkable for all of us.
Denne historien er fra July 01, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra July 01, 2020-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
