Sport As It's Meant To Be
Shooting Times & Country|October 9, 2019
As big commercial shoots come in for criticism, Patrick Galbraith goes back to the sport’s roots to visit a small country shoot
Sport As It's Meant To Be

Say what you will but I don’t always wear a tie in the field, remember to fill out my gamebook, nor ever really use my side-by-side.

I am not a traditionalist and yet, as I looked down the line at well-dressed Guns, silhouetted against the clear Wiltshire sky with handsome dogs at their feet, I couldn’t help but smile.

It was one of those glorious days when everything feels right in the world. Behind us, a flinty field dropped away into a deep gully, and in front stood a quintessentially English wood.

Just insight, a little boy with a stick was advancing, a diminutive beater leaving no trunk untapped.

The majority of the beating line at the Field Barn shoot are related to members of the syndicate, with Gavin Atterton, whose father was one of the founders, keeping them in check.

Then a pheasant broke. I have never liked firing the first shot of the day, so I fixed it with an unfriendly stare in the hope that it would decide to make its escape elsewhere.

But its mind was made up and it soared in my direction. I pushed my gun up into my shoulder and fired 32g of lead just beyond the bird’s beak. It buckled and tumbled hard on to the dewy plow. Then, Lazarus-like, it stood up, shook itself off and ran towards the trees. It was a regrettable start to an otherwise perfect day.

On my right, Matt Fry was making very tidy work of some impressive birds. A number of them crashed down into the valley behind us, where an experienced member of the picking-up team was waiting.

“That was Oxdroves,” remarked Matt as we wandered up the hill. “Once upon a time they drove cattle to market along a track that runs through the woods.”

Poignant

Denne historien er fra October 9, 2019-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.

Denne historien er fra October 9, 2019-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.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRYSe alt
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 mins  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 mins  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
4 mins  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
6 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
6 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 mins  |
August 02, 2023