A BRACE of English setters, creamy patches in a haze of purple, are working into the wind ahead. They’re covering the moor quickly, but as effortlessly as the zephyr trembling the bell heather. Abruptly, the lead dog—the older, more experienced bitch—stops her tacking as the scent of grouse fills her nostrils. Seconds later, the younger dog also collects the waft and they lower their supple bodies, head level, to gather in and analyze the strength and direction of the smell. At this stage, they are still dog-like—but, as the scent grows hotter, they grow more feline, placing each slow step with the care of a stalking tiger. Finally, they halt. They have ‘set’ their game.
Within feet is a covey of grouse, the birds’ eyes fixed on the setter and hers on them in what seems a hypnotic trance. If unbroken, it could last for 20 minutes as prey and predator wait for the other to move first and react accordingly. However, the dogs’ handler quickly arrives, together with two guns, who position themselves on either side of the setters. The play now reaches its final act. The dog man urges his charges forward, the covey explodes from the heather and the guns select the bigger, darker cock grouse, two of which tumble by a burn to be rapidly retrieved by a grey-muzzled labrador, for retrieving is his prerogative. The brace is put carefully in the game bag and the setters flow out to find the next covey.
For lovers of wild places, wild game, and skilled dog work, harvesting game over setters and their cousins, pointers, is a sport of soul-lifting beauty and an ancient one. Peregrines, not shotguns, once worked with pointing dogs to bag grouse and still do on moors rented by falconers. Setters were used to freezing the covey as men, often poachers threw a net over it.
Denne historien er fra August 11, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 11, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery