"Sold! Well done, young man." And just like that, two of the greatest things ever to happen to my teenage self occurred in one moment. I became the proud owner of a 10-bore shotgun with 50 cartridges, and John Humphreys, Shooting Times' Country Gun, spoke to me.
It was Little Oakley and District Wild fowlers' sporting auction. We were raising funds for our first land purchase and Humphreys was our celebrity auctioneer. I loved reading his stories of adventures in Hunter's Fen. Part of the reason I'd bought the gun was a chance to speak with him.
He offered kindly, gruff advice for free, just as he did in the pages of ST. A summer of sweat-sodden corn-carting had paid off, and with my hard-earned savings spent, a season with a proper fowling piece beckoned.
Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin July 05, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin July 05, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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
