A vital job with the fun factor
Shooting Times & Country|August 11, 2021
A farmer reports hundreds of pigeons hammering his standing wheat, so the Garnhams are on a mission
SIMON GARNHAM 
A vital job with the fun factor

In recent years, July has baked the south-east of the country. England’s green and pleasant land has more closely resembled the parched and rocky landscapes of the Middle East in drought. Instead of the healthy golden hues of ripening corn, fields have been closer in color to the tired beige of a dry and hardened pasty.

But this year the rains have held and the fields are bursting with green growth. The energy of spring has persisted in high summer.

A huge John Deere combine was being escorted through country lanes as my son William and I threaded our way across the North Essex peninsula in the Ranger. Decoys, hide, guns, and cartridges bounced in the back with Scout, our two-year-old yellow labrador. The first of the barley was ripe to be gathered in and the combine turned into a verdant field gateway, coming to a lurching stop.

Excitement

The sloping banks of the river Stour made way for the vast silt floodplains of the Blackwater estuary. William had been one of a million schoolchildren who missed the end-of-term celebrations because he had to self-isolate; his excitement was palpable. It’s all very well having YouTube and shoot-em-up games for the company but fresh air and the open countryside have an appeal that even the most fashionable of influencers or exciting of online games cannot quite match.

Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin August 11, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin August 11, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 dak  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 dak  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
4 dak  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
6 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

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

time-read
6 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 dak  |
August 02, 2023