THE FIRST OF February was a poignant day for my friend Martin: he retired Harley, his golden retriever. Harley started young, not long after his first birthday: during his long career he worked in the beating line, as a rough-shooting dog and on the peg on end-of-season beaters’ days. He wasn’t a keen water dog so he only went wildfowling a couple of times, but apart from that he was a great all-rounder. In August, he will be 13: if he comes out next season it will be strictly as a spectator.
He still looks good, apart from a greying of the muzzle, so I asked Martin why he had decided to retire him: “He was finding it increasingly hard to perform and there were a few missed retrieves that would never have happened a year ago. Even a half-day made him really stiff the following morning, so it seemed only fair to call it a day. He finished the season and his career, on a high, with a fine cock retrieved on the last drive.”
Communication
Denne historien er fra February 26, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra February 26, 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
