Unless you are reading this as a resident of the idyllic yet remote Federated States of Micronesia, you will be, by now, fed up to the back teeth with COVID-19. Island states such as this are the only places on earth that have succeeded in staying virus-free. To date, more than 76,300 Britons have died showing COVID-19 symptoms. Financially, the virus is ruinous. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates our Government borrowing will top £394billion for the current financial year — that is a whopping £339billion over pre-Covid expected borrowing requirements. In the future, countless tomes will be written on the economic disaster that this virus has piled upon nation after nation.
Our niche rural bubble of shooting and conservation has, of course, not been immune to nor removed from the implications of Covid. Restrictions and lockdown led to the cancellation of many early-season shoot days. The resumption of shooting coincided with restaurants, hotels and pubs being either shut or severely limited in operation, thus removing one of the largest markets for game meat. At a glance this would seem disastrous; however, having spoken with Louisa North, head of operations for the British Game Alliance (BGA), it would appear all is not doom and gloom when it comes to Covid and game. She reports that rather than nosediving, sales of game are actually buoyant.
The first ally for game sales came in the unlikely guise of devolution. Mark Drakeford, the leader of the Welsh Assembly, and Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, permitted shooting to continue, while the Prime Minister vetoed the sport for those of us who live in England.
Denne historien er fra January 13, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra January 13, 2021-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