In 1970 the estate car of choice was the Morris Traveller. Then the Range Rover was launched and changed everything. Shooting at the time was an exclusive undertaking. Either you were invited by the owners of large estates, manors or moors or you inveigled your way into a syndicate. This was a modern concept, creeping in as landowners sought to defray the spiralling costs of pretty much everything.
Wildfowlers lurked below the tideline and a bit of pigeon shooting might be had by making yourself useful to the local gamekeepers, with occasional pints thrown in for good measure.
Today it is fair to say that shooting is more accessible than ever — but who shoots these days, what do they shoot and how does the whole thing work?
Two innovations have changed everything. Somewhere in the 1980s it became not only possible but acceptable to rent shooting by the day. Teams of Guns could wander happily hither and yon choosing shoots that took their fancy. And in the past decade or so, through internet facilities such as GunsOnPegs, it has become possible even to take a single peg as part of an ad hoc shooting line.
Boondoggles
It’s not the way everyone does it and it may not be the way everyone wants to do it, but it does mean that anyone with the necessary funds can go shooting. It doesn’t always take a fortune either. In the early days of the modern era, shooting was infested by corporate hospitality boondoggles. It wasn’t a pretty sight for the most part and subsequent rigorous application of rules concerning bribery and corruption have largely put paid to the worst excesses.
Denne historien er fra April 26, 2023-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra April 26, 2023-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.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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
