The Editor confidently stated that “where wild bird shooting happens, biodiversity flourishes” (Leader, 13 November). Sporting conservationists the length and breadth of these fine islands know this to be true and are putting it into practice every single day of the year.
Nothing could amply demonstrate this so succinctly as a challenge set on my tiny sporting oasis — 10 years in the making on 10 acres of Wessex chalk, the target of 10 species between sunrise and sunset in November, giving us barely 10 hours.
In November 2009 I bought 10 acres of fairly dull grassland, with a few hundred meters of precious chalk stream running through the centre. My head planned to fence off the river from marauding cattle and linking the pasture to my surrounding land-holding, but my heart wanted to remove the fences, scrape out the old pond, plant trees and let the whole thing go a bit wild and woolly. Thank goodness, for once my heart won over my head.
Wind the clock forward to November 2019. It’s 6.40 am and the far corner of the pasture is now unrecognizable; hedges have escaped the annual flail and hawthorn is marching slowly outwards.
6.40 am making a start
The hedge, now 5m thick, harbors untold sporting treasures, but the thermal scope in my hand tears away the thorny layers to reveal a roe doe picking her way silently through the scene. She pauses to sniff the air before breaking cover, her destination the thick nettle patch where she will sleep her day away.
The orange glow through the thermal is replaced with wet grey flank, save the unblinking red spot in the centre of the reticle. Breath out, hold, squeeze and the .243 breaks the silence. In a split second the freezer is replenished and my young trees are given some much-needed space to grow. The combination of conservation and sustainable harvest is lifeless but perfectly preserved on the frosted ground.
This story is from the December 04, 2019 edition of Shooting Times & Country.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 04, 2019 edition of Shooting Times & Country.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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
