The future of shooting this season is looking extremely uncertain
The situation surrounding COVID-19 is changing rapidly and opinions are shifting. One of the few things that meets with general agreement is that the pandemic is going to have a huge effect on all aspects of life in this country.
Perhaps in the short-term the impact is being felt more keenly in towns and cities, where lockdown has resulted in confinement to flats and apartments, and the only fresh air available is a lap of an overcrowded park, or the queue to get into a supermarket.
In the countryside, farmers are still out in the fields and lambing sheds, continuing to feed the nation. I’m working from home, tucked away from the world in my cottage — I can’t go fishing but that is more or less where the disruption ends.
The shooting industry, however, seems to have been hit with a massive dose of uncertainty. Just at the critical time of the year when deposits for days are being collected and poults being ordered, the chain has ground to an uneasy halt. There are going to be winners and losers and I’m sure there will be positives, as well as the inevitable negatives.
I have heard of a number of shoots cancelling their seasons altogether, with businesses not able to stomach the potential losses of buying and feeding birds then not being able to generate income by shooting them. Some of the big shoots, which rely on corporate shooting days to pay the bills, are simply looking at the situation and backing off.
Denne historien er fra April 22, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra April 22, 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