Driven game shooting has undergone some changes since I have been involved with it, most for the better to be honest. We are, as a sector, far better at regulating ourselves, as can be shown with regards to the reduction of antibiotic use in the rearing of game birds by our game farmers and gamekeepers.
It was a similar scenario with a drug called Emtryl; the licence was removed for animal use and we adapted and got better at what we do, making game bird rearing far more ethical and environmentally friendly. We have also modified our snares and now use far better hardwear for catching foxes, which don’t catch non-target species.
Shooting is a sport, there is no question about that in my view. It is there to be enjoyed by the Guns, beaters, pickers-up and everybody else involved with the day. As we all know, driven shooting takes many forms, from larger days to more intimate days on a smaller scale and it is great to see young and old getting involved and rural committees being supported by what we do.
However, this season, as I have been going about on shoots and speaking to Guns, a very worrying theme has developed among many of them. I have heard more than once that shooting only has 10 to 20 years left. I really don’t like that sentiment and feel that we (the people who shoot) don’t need to be so negative. Yes, we are under a lot of pressure from the other side and they are probing and prodding at us through legislation and fake news. However, we have such a good story to tell when it comes to conservation and the social benefits that shooting brings, we should be more positive and proactive.
Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Sporting Shooter.
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Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Sporting Shooter.
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
RSPB gives mixed message on shooting
Having recently attended the RSPB’s virtual AGM, Conor O’Gorman discusses the outcome of the charity’s year-long review of game bird shooting
Causeway for concern
Alan Jarrett’s renewed interest in reading takes him down memory lane to an offshore island duck flight that very nearly ended in disaster
Through a purple patch
The Garrows Estate is taking a conservation-focused approach to restoring the wildlife populations and biodiversity on the Scottish heather moorland.
When the wheels fall off
Losing form on a day’s shooting can be infuriating, especially if you’ve been shooting like a god up to that point. Simon O’Leary looks at some common causes and how to remedy them
Beaches, books & bad behaviour!
The annual Kay family vacation to Northumberland offers a chance to give the cockers a blast on the beach – although they don’t always shower themselves in glory, as Ryan Kay recalls...
Using the Stop whistle
Now you’ve instilled the basics, it’s time to up the ante with some more tricky distance work. Howard Kirby explains how to take the core Stop whistle command to the next level
The humble teal
They may be tiny, but as far as Rupert Butler is concerned, the appeal of this little duck is huge. He recalls some of his most memorable nights in pursuit of these aerial acrobats
Fab all-rounder
Mike is impressed with the Fabarm Elos B2 Field Notte, which offers great value for money, is suited to fieldwork or clays and is future-proofed for use with steel in all choke constrictions
CALL OF THE WILD
Dom Holtam reconnects with one of the purest forms of shotgun shooting as he walks-up woodcock over pointing dogs in the Scottish Highlands
A yen for the Fens
Tony Jackson recounts a memorable duck flight over an area of Fenland in Norfolk with his friend and author, the late Alan Savory
