I have lost count of the times random and faceless animal rights devotees have, on social media, offered a challenge for me to “get shot at and see how I like it” or “imagine I was the one being chased by a pack of ‘dogs’ for miles across country”. To the annoyance of the keyboard warriors I can truthfully reply that I have already been “shot at” with lethal intent, or more precisely, “mortared over”.
Thankfully the IRA’s marksmanship was off and I live to testify that my experience is much like that of a missed pheasant — a big bang then it was over with so quickly that I had no idea it happened at all. I had, however, never been hunted, other than games of hide and seek with Mabel. Therefore it was with a glad and grateful heart that I accepted the invitation from James Chadwick, Joint Master of the Hamilton Bloodhounds, to find out what is like to become the quarry.
James is a remarkable young man. He hunts hounds and is his own kennel man. His partner Tegen acts as groom and whips-in. Theirs is a seven-days-a-week, 365 days a year role and they clearly love this life, this job and the 15 and a half couple of hounds in kennels. The hunt itself is similarly youthful, having only been formed in 2019. Hounds are kennelled at Easton, a picturesque village near Framlingham, the castellated town famed as the home of Suffolk’s greatest global export, Ed Sheeran. The thatched huntsman’s house and mellow red-brick buildings were formerly the home of the fine old pack the Easton Harriers.
Denne historien er fra December 02, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra December 02, 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.
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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
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