9000 9040

REVIEWS OF THE BREDA ZENITH L AND THE MERCEDES-BENZ GLS

DRIVEN SHOOTING’S
FINEST JOURNAL DECEMBER 2020

CHRISTMAS ISSUE
Colourful characters,
tall tales and festive
treats galore
Gift ideas for those
shooters in your life
who have everything
How Boxing Day
shoots beat away
the Christmas blues
IN MY OPINION
Forthright views
on our sport
from the 1930s
PLUS
PRACTISING
GRATITUDE
What should we
raise a glass to
this Christmas?

BUCKHOLT,
HAMPSHIRE
20
FROM THE EDITOR
G iven everything that has
happened over the past nine
months, it feels strange to be
talking about the end of the year.
I was mindful of the communal spirit
of Christmas as we were planning the
December issue way back in late spring.
It was at this time that we needed to
come together more than ever before.
I would like to think that what’s in
store for you over the coming pages
will reiterate just how much we all
mean to each other in the fieldsports
community, and how much we value
the efforts of others come shoot day.
In this issue, John Walker reports
from Buckholt, a traditional lowland
shoot in Hampshire, where the value
of a considered approach to land
CHRIS WARREN
management and personal touches
when hosting a day is clear. We’re also
introduced to two Boxing Day shoots,
one with Paul Kenyon’s Auldallan
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Welcome
Don’t miss this month
Fleet Street
veteran Paul
Fievez has met
syndicate in the Angus Glens, the other
John Clement’s thoroughly enjoyable
day in the east of England.
For those who have left it late to start
their Christmas shopping, Mark Heath
some interesting
characters in his
time, but few in
the game shooting
field will match
the infamous
CJT. A shoot day hosted by anyone with
is putting a few boxes of cartridges rock-star looks and connections with
the great and good was always going to
through the Breda Zenith L 12-bore be interesting, and Paul’s tale of a day’s
shooting with him in the Chiltern Hills
at West London Shooting School and was always going to be interesting, right
if there’s space in your driveway, how until the last drive.
about the new Mercedes-Benz GLS, Dead Man’s Grave 60
reviewed by Ben Samuelson? We
What will you be
have other ideas and there is always a raising a glass to
subscription to Shooting Gazette (below). this Christmas?
Whether it’s friends
Thank you for bearing with us over or family, HM the
the past nine months. One of things that Queen and her
country, it wouldn’t
has got me through the tough times is be so far fetched to suggest that all of us
need to give each other a hearty pat on
knowing how much our readers look the back for banding together to keep
forward to receiving their issue. If you those closest to us safe and warm, fed and
watered and even out in the countryside
have any comments about the magazine
enjoying a sport that means so much to
let me know at the usual address. them. Ben Samuelson and Giles Catchpole
were under strict orders to down their
Enjoy the issue and a Happy duelling pistols for this month’s debate
Christmas to you and your families. and it makes for interesting reading.
Martin Puddifer, editor The great debate 90
The perfect
CHRISTMAS
GIFT
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 3
 THIS MONTH
DEAR
FATHER
CHRISTMAS

32 COVER PHOTOGRAPH: ALAMY

SHOOT
BRIEFING
8 NEWS
10 LETTERS
12 SHOOTING GALLERY
14 SHOTS FROM THE SHIRES
15 GAME RECIPE OF THE
MONTH
16 DEAR UNCLE GILES +
TALK OF THE TRADE
17 WORDSEARCH +
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT?
18 MY DREAM TEAM
19 UNDER THE COVERTS

F E AT U R E S
20 BUCKHOLT,
ALAMY

HAMPSHIRE
32 DEAR FATHER
CHRISTMAS...
40 THE JOY OF
THE BOXING DAY
JOY OF 46 THERE’S MORE THAN
BOXING DAY ONE DAY IN DECEMBER

40 52 THE SPORTING PAGES

OF HISTORY
60 WATCH YOUR STEP

REGULARS
31 PATRICK LAURIE
38 THE BACK GUN
50 DAVID WHITBY
59 WILL GARFIT
ALAMY

69 A WORD FROM THE

EDITOR
70 GREAT GUNS
/SHOOTINGGAZETTE @SHOOTINGGAZETTE /SHOOTINGGAZETTE
90 THE GREAT DEBATE

4 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

 December 2020

BUCKHOLT,
HAMPSHIRE
CHRIS WARREN

20
THE REVIEW
MOTORING 76 GUN TEST

80 78 SHOOTING ADVICE
80 MOTORING
82 SHOOTING GAZETTE
RECOMMENDS

GUNDOGS
GUNDOG UPDATE 86 86 GUNDOG UPDATE

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SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 5

Image from the field

In Focus
GUNS WERE ABLE TO ENJOY FINE SHOOTING
DURING THE DAY AT BUCKHOLT LAST SEASON,
DESPITE THE WET WEATHER. FOR MORE ON
THIS SHOOT, TURN TO PAGES 20 TO 29.

PHOTOGRAPH: CHRIS WARREN

Image from the field
 S H O OT B R I E F I N G News

NEWS IN BRIEF
The products
come from BGA
stockist Holme
Farmed Venison in
North Yorkshire.

British Game Alliance kitemark

flies into Sainsbury’s stores
The British Game Alliance (BGA) kitemark
will now be featured on all game meat
products sold by supermarket chain
Sainsbury’s. Products bearing the kitemark
come from estates that are independently
verified to have high welfare and
environmental standards, giving customers
assurances over the meat’s quality,
traceability and sustainability.
Liam Stokes, chief executive of the BGA,
said: “This represents a huge step forward
for game meat. The sector has introduced
and embraced independent assurance for
game shoots, and the public can now see
the results of those efforts and find assured
game on their supermarket shelves.
“Game shoots now have access to
credible assurance that the public can
recognise alongside the familiar kitemarks
they expect to see on their farmed food.
The more the public see assured game as
an ethical, assured product they can put
in their trolleys, the more secure game
shooting will be.”
Game products sold in Sainsbury’s
stores nationwide from 21 October
include Pheasant Breast Fillets and
Diced Game Casserole Mix (venison,
pheasant and partridge diced in-season)
from BGA stockist Holme Farmed Venison
in North Yorkshire.
For more information, visit:
britishgamealliance.co.uk

DO YOU KNOW A LADY WHO′S A STAR OF SHOOTING?

Nominations for the BASC
Ladies’ Star of Shooting
Awards 2020 are now open.
The awards, now in their
fourth year, have become
increasingly popular. There are
three categories: Game and
Gamekeeping Star; Field to Fork
Star; and Target Shooting Star.
Kathleen O’Connor, BASC
ladies’ shooting coordinator,
said: “The awards are there to
celebrate and recognise those
who continue to make positive
contributions to our sport. If
you know anyone who deserves
a nomination, please tell us
about them.
“The awards continue to go
from strength to strength, so
much so there is ample space
to create categories and further
celebrate the growing sector of
ladies shooting.”
The Ladies’ Star of Shooting
2019 award was won by Emma
Norbury-Perrott, who founded
the Ladies Rifle Club as a ‘group
for ladies with a love of rifles
and deer stalking’.
“It was an honour to be
awarded the BASC Ladies’ Star
of Shooting 2019,” said Emma.
“Thank you to those who
nominated me and thank you
to all the ladies involved in the
Ladies Rifle Club… We hope to
inspire more and more ladies
to join us.”
The 2020 awards are
sponsored by The Sporting
Lodge and Barbour.
For more information or to
nominate someone, visit: basc.
org.uk/ladies/basc-ladies-
shooting-awards; the closing
date for nominations is 31
January 2021.

8 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

 News S H O OT B R I E F I N G

ORGANIC FARMERS WIN 2020 COTSWOLD GREY PARTRIDGE TROPHY

Oxleaze Farm in Lechlade has won the 2020
Cotswold Grey Partridge Trophy.
The award, run by the GWCT and
supported and sponsored by Mark and Jane
Tufnell of the Calmsden Estate, recognises
the efforts of those seeking to reverse the
decline in grey partridge numbers.
The Mann family, who run the farm,
were noted for their work, which included:
provision and enhancement of hedgerows,
pollinator habitat, grassy margins and
wild bird seed mixes and use of the
supplementary feeding agri-environment
option to deliver food, nesting habitat and
cover from predators.
The organic farmers have taken part in
the GWCT’s Partridge Count Scheme since
2014 and have seen autumn grey partridge
density rise from just over eight birds per
100 hectares to 47 per 100 hectares; 148
grey partridges were counted this year.
Austin Weldon, a GWCT advisor, said:
“It was a great delight to award the Mann
family this prestigious trophy. My fellow
judges, Mark Tufnell, George Ponsonby and
Frank Snudden, and I all felt this family
had made an admirable effort to help
not only greys but other wildlife on their
farm. Their holistic approach to caring for
the environment and nurturing wildlife
is clearly delivering great results, more
landowners will need to bear this in mind
as concepts such as natural capital and the
shift to environmental delivery come to the
fore through ELMS [Environmental Land Chipps (left), Will and Charles Mann
Management Scheme]. The Mann’s success receiving their award from Mark Tufnell.
demonstrates what can be achieved
without having a huge budget making it a now and the trophy is there to encourage
great demonstration for others to follow.” more farmers and land managers in their
Mark Tufnell said: “It’s exciting to see efforts to help this iconic bird. Farming and
the number of grey partridges flourishing conservation can go hand in hand as the
across a much wider area in the Cotswolds work of GWCT shows.”

NEW BERETTA NEW ARTISTS TO EXHIBIT AT GWCT GALLERY

PREMIUM
DEALER
ANNOUNCED
Rob Hall Shooting Supplies,
trading as The Gun Room at
Holme-on-Spalding-Moor in
Yorkshire, has been named as
the UK's 12th Beretta Premium
Dealer. GMK said this was due
to: “the excellent facilities
they now have available…
The location and friendly,
knowledgeable and helpful staff
were also significant factors.”
AUCTION IDEAL
FOR GIFT IDEAS
Holts’ Auction of Fine Modern
& Antique Guns will take place
behind closed doors on 7 and
8 December. There will also
be a sealed bid auction on 8
January 2021. For details, go to:
holtsauctioneers.com
Wildlife artists Owen Williams
and Alistair Makinson have
added pieces of their work to
an online art gallery run by the
GWCT. The gallery, which has
original artwork to suit budgets
from £50 to £11,000, sees 25%
of the value of all sales going
to support the work of the
conservation charity.
Since its launch, £10,000 has
been raised for the charity, the
funding streams of which have
been hit hard by coronavirus.
Williams and Makinson join
Ashley Boon, Ian Greensitt and
Rodger McPhail in the gallery.
Pieces added recently include
a study of woodcock in ochre
and a watercolour landscape of Newly added works from Owen Williams and Alistair
grouse in autumn. Makinson vary in subject matter – and are selling fast.
James Swyer, GWCT press
and publications manager, with how well it has gone. some of the most accomplished
said: “When Ashley suggested Being able to add Owen and wildlife artists and support a
launching the site, I thought Alistair as guest artists is a real cause that is looking out for the
it was an excellent idea but honour. Buyers have seized the future of British wildlife.”
we’re all pleasantly surprised opportunity to own work from Visit: gwctgallery.org.uk

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 9

Letters
Readers’ letters
SHARE YOUR VIEWS Email: martin.puddifer@futurenet.com
Game shooting isn’t
a competition
I was pretty disappointed to
read Chris Warren’s Judge
Height Lest Ye Be Judged article
[October issue]. Once again, the
ugly subject of ‘extreme’ high-
bird shooting was discussed
rather flippantly and I think the
sentence: ‘Those pheasants
must be more like 70yds high
and very few guns can shoot
these consistently’ answered
more questions than the rest of
the article asked.
While on the 2002
Countryside March I remember
passing through Trafalgar
Square and squinting up at a
pigeon sitting upon Norfolk’s
finest son’s hat; I have since
discovered Nelson’s Column is
169 feet tall (about 56yd) and it
made me realise I wouldn’t even
dream of shooting at a pheasant
at that altitude.
Most folks I know are average
shots at best and I believe
talking about tackling 60yd and
70yd birds is irresponsible. I
referred to the last Licence To
Kill Game I purchased (it still
resides in my wallet) and its
‘suggestions for ensuring clean
kills’ advises thus: ‘3 Excessive
Range: the effective range of a
12-bore using No 6 shot is 35yd,
a .410 15yd…’
So never fire long shots.
Tellingly, it also advises:
‘Wounded game must be
gathered. It is the duty of every
shooting man to follow wounded
game and search until it is
found, whatever the temptation
may be to go on shooting.’ As
the BFSS helped collate this
10 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Mark, would you like your book back?
he Way of a Gun: touched me most was the In these most unusual
T A Book for Young
Shooting Men was
written by Major Esmond
hand-written inscription:
To my Grandson, Mark.
With my love and best
modern times, with battles
on many fronts, it is still very
sound advice.
Lynn-Allen. wishes for Christmas and the “Hold straight, one
Out of interest, I picked New Year 1961. and all,” from the wise
up this old book on a Please read, mark and inwardly grandfather ‘EGB’.
vintage book site. In addition digest and always in life and If, by chance, Mark is out
to the content covering with your gun. there, you are welcome to
subjects pertinent to a HOLD STRAIGHT. have your book back.
young gun in 1960, what EGB C Sharpe, by email
WIN A PAIR OF DUBARRY BOOTS
THE writer of the Letter of the Month will receive a pair of Wexford boots from
Dubarry of Ireland (RRP £325). The knee-length, side-zip boots – designed for
both men and women – are handcrafted from waterproof Dry Fast-Dry Soft
breathable leathers. The high quality of the boot is reinforced throughout with
an insulated Gore-Tex lining that wicks moisture away from the foot, ensuring
the wearer remains dry and comfortable all day. Dubarry’s new, hard-wearing
durable outsole gives maximum grip whatever the ground conditions.
advice, some may say it is (to ensure a clean kill at Bad taste, Giles
outdated. However, despite the normal ranges) surely still hold I was really surprised and
advances in ammunition in the true? Game shooting isn’t a disappointed with Uncle Giles’s
intervening years, they are not competition, if I felt competitive reply to the request for advice
that great. I would join the CPSA. in the October issue on dealing
I will finish by pleading with TJV Thompson, by email with non-PC jokes and banter
all game shooters to watch within a shooting syndicate.
the wildfowling episode of the Ed. Thanks for this letter, Teresa. The questioner clearly stated
old Jack’s Game series. I was When I first took over as editor that they were unhappy about
prompted to dig out the VHS of Shooting Gazette, I said ‘jokes’ that were effectively
tapes after the sad passing of that the subjects people are thinly disguised forms of
Jack Charlton, and his fowling talking about in the Gunbus, bigotry and ‘no one spared’
trip with Arthur Cadman filmed the beaters’ wagon or on the prejudice. However, Uncle Giles
in 1982 can still teach modern picking-up line are the ones I advised a mix of appeasement
guns a great deal. want debated in the magazine. or removing oneself from the
Mr Cadman was one of ‘Extreme’ high bird shooting is syndicate explaining your
shooting’s finest sportsmen and one of those subjects. As I recall, reasons to the shoot captain.
his comments on the cruelty Chris’s overall message was that Then he suggests, in solidarity
of long-range shooting and if you can’t shoot high birds you with the abusive joker, that
the correct use of a magnum shouldn’t be raising your gun. the questioner should decide

whether their scruples are
simply overvalued.
This certainly did not put my
mind at rest. I was shocked and
the final ‘scruples’ comment
tipped me over the edge and
I was compelled to write and
complain about this bad advice.
The shooting community is
a diverse and inclusive group, a
broad church spanning all social
classes, races and persuasions.
We cherish it because of its
diversity and there should be
a zero-tolerance approach to
any so-called banter that could
alienate or intimidate anyone
within earshot.
This distasteful behaviour
should be challenged, nipped
in the bud and called out
for what it is, no matter how
ambiguously the perpetrator
presents his bigotry.
It may be that the joker
doesn’t realise how unsavoury
their comments are. So, a
balancing response could be
any of the following:
“Oi, less of the racism,
please” or “Don’t you know any
non-racist/non-homophobic/
non-sexist jokes?” or “Is that a
reflection of your true beliefs or
just a really bad joke?”
You get the idea. A firm
redirection is the best response
followed by a reprimand if the
behaviour continues.
We all have a responsibility
to set a friendly tone in our
group chats and that means
being respectful to everyone’s
sensibilities and adjusting
our conversation and sense
of humour accordingly. It also
means that we should take
individual responsibility to fight
bigotry and prejudice when we
see or hear it and demand the
same high standards from our
fellow Guns.
So, if someone’s behaviour
or banter is unacceptable, tell
them. Help them to realise the
error of their ways and value
your scruples as your most
precious asset.
Tolerance should never
be allowed to become
appeasement. We all have a
duty to stand up against all
forms of bigotry, however it may
be disguised.
Uncle Giles needs to reassess
his advice and stop minimising
unacceptable banter in favour of
‘not causing a fuss’.
Kieran O’Donnell, by email
Ed. Thank you for this letter,
Kieran. You’re absolutely right
that intolerance should be
challenged everywhere and
anywhere it’s found, both in
game shooting and society
at large. I felt Uncle Giles was
sympathetic to the original
writer’s plight, not least because
he was a new face on the
shoot (which presents its own
challenges) and encouraged
him to conduct himself in a non-
confrontational fashion.
A day to remember
Back in the days when I was
working as chief surveyor of
a construction company in
Zambia, I thought the lights had
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gone out one morning when an
imposing-looking man burst
through the door, momentarily
blocking out the light and asked
for me. Speedy thoughts flew
through my mind: Do I owe
him money? Has he a daughter
I know? Am I going to die?
Bearing in mind he was about
6ft 6in, built like an outside
toilet and I was 5ft 7in with the
physique of a tube of toffee
Rolos, my future looked bleak.
Then he said that he was a
PH (professional hunter) and
had heard that I was keen on
hunting and invited me snipe
shooting on the following
Saturday. Starting to breath
again, I expressed my sincere
gratitude but, unfortunately, as I
was not a Zambian citizen, I was
not allowed to possess a gun in
the country.
No problem, he stated, his
partner was in the UK on holiday
and I could borrow his gun,
which he was looking after. So,
Saturday arrived and we met at
the Ndola marshes, which years
later I learned had been the
hunting grounds of the famous
author Wilbur Smith.
My new friend, called Eddy,
turned up with a Remington
semi-auto, full choke, for himself
and a leather case that I opened
to reveal a lovely Webley & Scott
side-by-side with 26in barrels
and lightly choked.
Eddy said he had some heavy
load No 4s or some lighter load
trap shooting No 7s. I said the
No 7s would be good enough for
me and we set off.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020
Letters
The old Webley just flew to
my shoulder. The snipe hardly
had time to zig and were down
before they zagged – and
before Eddy could get the heavy
auto to his shoulder. OK, it was
unfair but I had not fired a shot
for two years due to the above
restrictions and I was making
the most of it.
Eventually we had 12 couple
of snipe in the bag (two to Eddy)
and called it a day, whereupon
Eddy exclaimed: “You’re a
sneaky little ba***rd, you
didn’t say you could shoot.”
I responded by stating: “Just
lucky, I guess!”
Terry Colligan, by email
A wildfowler’s
thoughts on high
pheasants
I wonder if the following might
contribute to the high pheasant
debate. As a wildfowler, I treat
a high pheasant as a high
marsh bird – the higher the
bird I consider to be in range
using the fuller choke barrel
(a matter of experience), the
bolder the swing through it to
take advantage of the longer
shot string.
If the bird is passing directly
overhead I turn sideways to
make it a crosser, rather than
lose sight of it when pulling
through the line of flight. This
also allows a better decision on
the necessary pace of the swing.
I read about this technique a
long while ago – advice from a
seasoned Shot, if I recall.
Ian Morton, by email
The perfect
CHRISTMAS
GIFT
11
 Shooting gallery

Shooting gallery
For your chance to win a bottle of Taittinger Champagne for Picture of the Month,
send us a team photograph or a picture of something unusual from your shoot.
Send high-resolution images or prints with captions to Shooting Gazette Gallery,
Future plc, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7BF or
email: martin.puddifer@futurenet.com.

PICTURE OF THE MONTH

“Social distancing maintained by the ladies’ Gun team at Glemham Hall Shoot, October 2020,” writes Peter Riches. A fantastic shot,
Peter, and all the more impressive given that you’ve managed to get a spaniel to look straight at the camera – a feat which, as any
Shooting Gazette snapper will tell you, takes more than a smile.

Pictured are the Guns and pickers-up from the day’s shooting at Buckholt in Hampshire last season.

12 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

 S H O OT B R I E F I N G

Future PLC, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road,

Shots from the shires by John Walker
Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF
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14 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK


Game recipe of the month
Venison chilli con carne and tacos
SERVES 4 PEOPLE
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 50 minutes
Ingredients
• 1 large onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 heaped tsp hot chilli
powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 500g venison
• 1 beef stock cube
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 410g can red kidney beans
• 1 packet of tacos
Method
1. First prepare your vegetables: cut onion into
small dice; cut red pepper in half lengthways
and deseed then chop; peel and finely chop
garlic cloves.
2. Put pan on hob and add oil. Once heated
add the onion and cook, stirring frequently,
until onion is soft, squidgy and translucent.
3. Add the garlic, red pepper, chilli powder,
paprika and cumin. Leave it to cook for another
5 minutes, stirring the mixture occasionally.
4. Turn the heat up a bit then add the venison
and break up the mince for around 5 minutes
until completely browned.
5. Crumble the stock cube into 300ml hot
water then add to the venison.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, stir, then add in
the dried marjoram, tomato purée, sugar and
season with salt and pepper.
7. Bring it to the boil, give it a good stir and put
a lid on the pan. Turn down heat and allow
S H O OT B R I E F I N G
it to simmer for 20 minutes or so, stirring
occasionally; if drying out, add a little water
and turn down heat.
8. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and, once
the sauce looks thick, add the beans to the
sauce. Bring it to the boil again, then let it
bubble gently for 10 minutes.
9. Taste to see if extra seasoning is required. If
so, add in as necessary, then remove from the
heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
10. Warm the taco shells in the oven or
microwave according to packet instructions.
11. Serve the chilli with guacamole, sour cream,
tomato salsa, lettuce and cheddar cheese. Fill
up the tacos at the table for a more fun and
hands-on dinner.
COURTESY
OF
 S H O OT B R I E F I N G

Dear Uncle Giles...
Putting your mind at rest concerning
issues in the field and beyond.
Dear Uncle Giles,
I’d like to do something to say
thank you to everyone in our
syndicate shoot for all their
hard work and efforts to get this
season off the ground, with the
added difficulties of COVID-19.
We are a team of roughly 40
Guns, beaters, pickers-up and
other helpers.
Do you have any ideas, given the
current restrictions?
ASB, by email
Uncle Giles writes,
Given the pace of change with
regard to restrictions it is hard
to be specific at the moment,
but your idea is a proper one
and does you credit.
A little while ago I attended
a similar event at a shoot nearby.
The Guns had a good morning
– there were four busy drives —
and then everyone assembled
in the meadow beside the lake
where a hog roast had arrived
for the purpose.
A keg of local ale sat on the
tailgate of a pickup — with
alcohol-free options for those
driving later, of course.
The sun shone and we had
a very happy and suitably
distanced lunch, which was
funded by the syndicate.
It seemed to me that the
whole thing was appreciated
by all involved for what it was:
a modest gesture of gratitude
and solidarity in difficult times.
And with only tissue napkins
and paper cups to be collected
at the end no one was lumbered
with the washing-up.
I thought it worked. In fact,
I know it did. I hope it works for
you, too.

TALK OF THE TRADE

Hillary Becque, marketing director of Cordings, explains how the London-based company
has met the challenges posed to its sector when the coronavirus struck.

See the bigger picture: As evolved rapidly at the start of

we fulfilled our online orders
via Piccadilly it became
apparent within 24 hours
that we needed to reassess
that aspect of the business
in order to ensure we were
keeping our team safe —
not travelling on public
transport. We therefore took
the monumental decision
not only to close the stores
but also to cease trading
online until we felt we could
do so safely. Sometimes
you need to make business
decisions that aren’t about
money but people.
Be flexible and react
quickly: Cordings is very
well established in how
we operate, but when
something unprecedented
comes along you need to
think on your feet. Being
a small, tight-knit team
we were able to formulate
a plan and implement it
efficiently. The situation
the pandemic and we had to put
systems in place, sometimes
within hours. Work out what
needs to happen, then create a
checklist of how you achieve it.
Engendering loyalty will
always stand you in good
stead: Our customers have
always been at the heart of
what we do and we have been
so grateful for their support
over the past few months. The
situation really brought home
to us that they share our love of
Cordings, even when we weren’t
trading at all it was lovely to be
able to keep in contact.
Keep to your core values
close to your heart: Knowing
what your company stands
for and keeping focused on
providing it is so important
in uncertain times. Cordings
prides itself on its quality and
integrity, that is what has kept it
in business since 1839. As long
as we continue to provide this,
we shouldn’t go too far wrong.

16 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

 S H O OT B R I E F I N G

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Did you hear about..?

Spreading the word about the good that game shooting is doing. By The Flanker.

One of the strongest arguments in
support of game shooting is the amount
of money it generates for businesses
in rural communities during the winter
months, a time of year when visitor
numbers to those areas are much lower
than others.
Recent figures from a survey jointly
undertaken by the Scottish Gamekeepers’
Association (SGA) and regional moorland
groups show that visitors heading to areas
surrounding Scottish grouse moors are
spending around £3,500 before their guns
were even taken out of their slips.
Figures from 22 grouse shooting estates
aimed at quantifying visitor spend in
areas affected by COVID-19 constraints
show each visitor (mostly from the UK) spent
an average of £3,593 (£450 a day) in local
communities, with hotels, shops and car
garages amongst those business benefitting.
The lack of overseas visitors to Scotland’s
moorlands was obviously a cause of concern
this season, but Dutch respondents to the
survey were found to stay for around one week,
spending an average of £3,228.57.
More proof, if it were needed, that at a time
when the countryside needs help the most, the
game shooting community has come together
not only to host shoot days but to welcome
visitors through their gates.
Elsewhere in the fieldsports community,
Bettws Hall continues to do sterling
fundraising work for local causes, most
recently NHS Charities Together, for which
it has raised an impressive £59,185 via a
raffle to win a day's shooting at one of its
six estates.
Apparently, the Evanses who own Bettws
Hall felt they wanted to do something more
than just clap for the NHS back in April and
set about seeking to raise £50,000 via a
JustGiving page. The winner was drawn via
an Amazon Alexa in late October just hours
before Wales went into its "fire breaker"
lockdown.
The money raised will go towards,
amongst other things, helping NHS staff
and support patients by funding wellbeing
packs, paying for accommodation, travel,
parking and volunteer expenses.

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 17

 S H O OT B R I E F I N G
My dream team
BASC chairman Eoghan Cameron selects his team
for a crisp morning of driven pheasants in Perthshire
IT IS a reassuringly crisp, mid-November
morning. Navigating lowland Perthshire’s
avenues of mighty oaks and beeches,
anticipation builds as the rolling peaks of
the Sidlaws beyond dare to defy the early
mist. The familiar silhouette of a house and
its chimney stacks appears welcomingly
before me, as much an old sporting friend
as any. The air is cool and still smells
deliciously autumnal. I gravitate towards
the warmth of the Aga and the aroma of
fresh coffee. Hands are shaken with vigour,
jibes exchanged with the widest of grins.
Eventually, the captain calls the excited
rabble to order. Pegs are approached
with trepidation and eagerness in equal
measure. We scarcely have time to take in
the majesty of this graceful, broadleaved
countryside. There, in the distance,
intimidating Perthshire pheasants launch
forth, hurtling towards the Guns, almost
with an air of menace. I pray silently that
the first of these reach someone, anyone,
in the line before me. And so to my team...
18 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
Suave land agent Rory Galloway,
utterly composed and already calculating
the optimal moment at which to mount
his 20-bore, will be a safe pair of hands.
His meticulously scientific and irritatingly
successful approach to all forms of shooting
is surpassed only by his immaculate attire.
The Honourable James Hopkinson has
already landed several birds at my feet and
had time in between to make an impolite
observation about the hue of Rory’s tweeds.
His grin makes it impossible to be as furious
with him as we’d like. As usual, we’ll prefix
his title with ‘Dis’ on all the gamecards.
The late Lt Col Colin Mitchell, aka ‘Mad
Mitch’, would have something to say about
James’s beastliness. A hero of mine, I tell
him boyishly how thrilled I was to read of his
love of shooting in his autobiography, Having
Been a Soldier. The Guns are enthralled by
him at elevenses and over lunch.
Pegged next to Colin is Toby Rider
MC. Given, as he is, to being exceedingly
unselfish with the contents of his humidor,
a wise man invites TR and doesn’t stray far
from him at elevenses. He is, in fact, one of the
most generous sportsmen I know and there is
no one I would rather help drag a colossal stag
out of a forest in the dark.
The late Peter Hathaway Capstick is in
the line, but his heart-rate is even lower than
Rory’s. He can’t work out why we are making
such a fuss about high pheasants, but engages
a few at long range to indulge us. My copy of
his gripping memoir, Death in the Long Grass,
is in the Land Rover for him to autograph.
Bill Harriman TD, ramrod in hand and
enveloped by blackpowder smoke, is firing
at least three rounds per minute through a
Napoleonic musket. Between drives, we flock
to ask him what he thinks of our assorted
guns. In the majority of cases, we know he
is being polite.
Back-gunning again, somehow, is my
oldest friend and sporting companion, Oliver
Thomson. His slightly unkempt, somewhat
shambling appearance might evoke feelings
of sympathy in the uninitiated. The accuracy
of his shooting quickly exposes the ruse.
His raggedness and that of his equipment
are solely attributable to the remorseless
demands of his sporting calendar.

Under the coverts with...
Alex Hogg
Chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers
Association (SGA)
First, many congratulations
on your MBE. How does it
feel to have those three
letters after your name?
I feel very proud to have been
given the MBE but, at the same
time, very humbled. This has
been a huge team effort from
all the families and supporters
behind the scenes, over
many years. They are equally
deserving, if not more so.
What kind of year has it
been for you, the SGA and
Scottish keepers in general?
We have seen far more local
access being taken due to the
COVID-19 situation. Because
of the restrictions, there have
been fewer holidays abroad.
This has led to our estates
being busy with people, at
the weekends especially. In
Scotland, we have open access
everywhere and, while this has
some positives, it has caused
huge problems with wild
camping, dogs out of control,
wildfires, trap and snare
interference and litter, to name
but a few things. The Scottish
Parliament was quick to pass
the Land Reform laws but there
is still a great ignorance about
how the rural folk work in the
countryside. A lot of members
of the public treat the place
with no respect whatsoever. It’s
sad and it causes problems for
a lot of people who rely on the
countryside for their wages.
In terms of the SGA, we have
been even busier than normal,
advising members on how they
can operate within this new
climate and advising on all
the new steps that they must
take to keep themselves, and
their guests, safe. It has been
a rapidly changing picture at
times so it has been a difficult
year, like it has been for many.
How do you think the current
situation has been handled
by the Scottish government?
As far as the rural land
working folk are concerned,
the government has hidden its
head in the sand on a number
of issues. There has been very
little financial support for small
country sports businesses and
anything received has been
hard won. The venison market
has effectively collapsed yet
state forests started killing
female deer on 1 September
with no consultation with local
deer managers nor with game
dealers. We raised a petition on
this issue but it seems there is
little government support for
an iconic species if there is to
be any impact on trees, even
minimal impact.
What has been getting you
and your members through
the really tough times?
The new ways of
communicating have been
amazing. The SGA has not
held a physical meeting since
February but we can have our
online meetings, which keeps
everyone in touch. Email is
still great. Gone are the days
when you were waiting for
reams of fax paper to come
through with a message. One
very trying episode during
lockdown was the parliament’s
decision to suspend muirburn.
S H O OT
It was politically motivated
by the Green Party, who said
it could stretch frontline
services. Thankfully, the
Scottish government has since
overturned that suspension
and admitted, albeit belatedly,
that muirburn has minimal
resource impact on frontline
services in Scotland.
You became SGA chairman
in 2000. What has changed
for better or worse in the
past 20 years?
In terms of negative
changes, despite warnings to
NatureScot and the Scottish
government over the past 20
years that we need zoning
areas for our wildlife and
more flexible use of species
licensing options, these have
been totally ignored. Those
authorities should be held
accountable for the perilous
situation many of our wading
birds and other species, such
as capercaillie, find themselves
in. Red deer are our number
one iconic species yet they
are being treated like vermin.
When the John Muir Trust left
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020
B R I E F I N G
86 stags to rot on the hill,
that was a real low point. This
should not be happening in
Scotland.
What’s been your proudest
achievement since you took
over as chairman and what
legacy do you hope you will
leave when you eventually
hand over the reins?
I think that there may be
a couple of achievements
that stick in my mind. One
was saving our terriers and
hounds from being banned
forever and, at the minute,
we can still control foxes.
The other one that stands
out was having our puppy
tail shortening ban reversed,
which has saved thousands
of dogs unnecessary pain and
suffering.
How will you be spending
Christmas this year and
what will you be raising
a glass to?
I will be spending Christmas
with my family. I will be
raising a glass to the staff and
committee of the SGA for all
their hard work and the social
19
 On the shoot

Buckholt
H A M P S H I R E
Buckholt, a royal hunting forest dating back to the
Norman Conquest, may no longer accommodate regal
parties but it still produces sport fit for princes.

WORDS: JOHN WALKER | PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRIS WARREN

S
outhern England
has more than
its fair share of
historic highways.
The Roman road
from Winchester
to Old Sarum,
locally identified as the Monarch’s
Way or Clarendon Way, cuts
across the Buckholt ground, which
originally encompassed all the land
lying between the Hampshire/
Wiltshire county boundary in the
west and the River Test in the east.
It straddles that boundary north
of West Tytherley and, besides its
deer, was known for its fine stands
of beech trees, some of which
went into the building of Salisbury
Cathedral and Clarendon Palace
while others fed the insatiable
appetite for shipbuilding in
Portsmouth and elsewhere.
Buckholt’s 1,000 acres have been
in the possession of Michael and
Sarah Matthews since 2006. Michael
is a career farmer while Sarah is a
Emma Hollamby among trees on Bullock’s Hole, which showed the best sport. Previous page: a testing start on Whiteshoot Hill.
22 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
practising veterinary surgeon. As
Michael explains, what visitors see
and experience today is the end of a
long journey. “I grew up on a farm
on the borders of Wiltshire and
Dorset, took over a family holding
in Hampshire’s Candover Valley,
a mixed farm that we developed
over the years, including establishing
a shoot from a standing start that
eventually delivered 14 days a
season with bags of between 150 to
400 birds, mainly partridges, before
investing here in Buckholt, first
the land with its home farm and
then, in 2009, the manor house, to
reunite the estate.
“In many ways, that was the
easy bit because we then took
the decision to replace the main
house. This was made rather more
interesting as we rebuilt it totally
whilst retaining the position and
shape of the south elevation. Most
of the original walls are in the same
place although the openings are very
different. We moved in two years
later and it has delivered everything
that we might have wished for, both
as a comfortable family home and
as a base for entertaining shooting
parties and friends.”
Offering good shooting and
traditional hospitality to the
many visiting teams is a major
preoccupation. Buckholt’s season
begins with quality partridge
days, moves on to more mixed
partridge and pheasant days through
November and December, with
some enjoyable family days around
Christmas and New Year that
enthusiastically include the next
generations, before delivering the
last commercial days and beaters’
day in January.
“Sarah and I host all the days
ourselves,” said Michael, “and
this season we will shoot on close
to 40 occasions, with 200 to 350
average bags and no overage is
ever charged. It’s not entirely
accidental, but very fortunate, that
we are owners, shoot tenants and
 On the shoot

Giles Neville in
characteristic pose,
on the lower side
of Yew Tree Bank.
 A classy demonstration
of selective and
accurate shooting on
fast crossers at Round
Hat from Edward Iliffe.
farm the ground, giving us overall
management control. So alongside
environmentally sound agricultural
principles, we are able to manage
all the aspects of shooting to best
advantage. Buckholt is generally
considered to be a pretty good
Hampshire shoot, with a typically
modest differential in topography
between 70-metre to 150-metre
contours. We run the days in a very
traditional way, both the hospitality
and the shooting. We aim for
24 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
the best presentation of our birds,
evenly spread throughout the day
and across the line.”
Hands-on approach
Given that the hosts are very much
hands-on in shoot planning, they
are helped in delivery by their
experienced headkeeper, Ken
Haydock, now in his ninth season
here. He is a Sparsholt alumnus with
stints at Hedge End and Yattendon
before coming to Buckholt.
He explained further how the
shooting is configured. “Our biggest
feature is the 60 acres of classic
downland on Broughton Down,
which runs south-east to north-west
along our northern boundary and
gives us our highest ground, with
gently undulating downland running
off it east to west. It’s typical
Andover series soil over light chalk
with some heavy clay caps. When
it dries out, the chalk is like talcum
powder and round here we call it

‘Hampshire Puff’. There’s no natural
water anywhere so the average
rainfall of around 28 inches does not
create too much of an issue. We run
the shoot as one beat with around
18 drives to call on. When I came
here the boss was doing about 14
days a season, but I have seen that
number rise over the years, which is
still sustainable for the ground and
without overloading it.
“We buy our redlegs from Spain
– they come in fit and ready at
between 18 and 20 weeks of age –
and bring in Polish Bazantys from a
local game farm as day-olds to rear
on. The Spanish partridge stock is
really good for us and has given us
much more flexibility, particularly
flushing them over our taller tree
belts, as they fly strongly and don’t
pack up like some we sourced
before in this country. Originally
we reared Kansas cross pheasants,
but they were an almost complete
failure. You could pretty much
On the shoot
sweep them along with a broom as
they wouldn’t fly, but the heavier
Bazantys suit us better by flying for
longer and taking on the wind, and
we do get a bit of that here.”
Aside from around 550 acres of
arable cropping, currently divided
into equal drillings of spring oats
and spring barley plus a little maize,
the other facets of the ground
consist of 12 blocks of woodland,
including some ancient stands and
some more recent hardwoods that
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 25
 Shoot captain
Julian Winser led
his experienced
team by example
on Yew Tree Bank.

went in around the millennium.

There is also a thriving ‘closed’ Michael Matthews,
owner of Buckholt
herd of White Park cattle making since 2006.
up the Selkirk herd, introduced to
Buckholt by Sarah Matthews in
1995 and now comprising around
50 breeding cows and stock bulls, all
bred on the estate.
“There are currently 55 acres of
cover crop, 50 of maize and five of
artichoke to steady the pheasants,
and various wildflower, wild bird
and pollen strips with conservation
headlands,” said Michael. “We take
our stewardship of the environment
very seriously. Managing the shoot
is obviously a major preoccupation
for our family throughout the year
and we see it as one further facet of
that environmental care.”

Buckholt Bandvagn
So what would the day ahead hold
for the team on parade this winter
morning? They had come from as
far afield as Guernsey, Scotland and
Switzerland and knew both each

26 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK


other and Buckholt’s owners well.
Having been regular visitors over
seasons past, they had a pretty good
idea of the ground and conditions
likely to be met there. One of the
features of this shoot is the all-
embracing hospitality, so after a
substantial breakfast and peg draw
in the sumptuously appointed shoot
lodge, the Guns and a number of
the hardier wives embarked the
shoot transport that, true to form,
was a chariot less usual, as Michael
Matthews explained.
“For many years we used a
converted farm trailer to carry the
Guns, tugged along by a tractor,
but I fell to thinking that there had
to be a better way that didn’t make
such a mess of our ground and my
research led me to Hägglunds. It’s
a Swedish company that builds
tracked, articulated, all-terrain
vehicles, originally for military and
other emergency organisations,
with low ground pressure and
Flagmen worked
efficiently
throughout the
blustery day.
articulated steering, not a brake and
slew system that most track-layers
employ, so it’s easier to manoeuvre,
more environmentally friendly and
allows me to drive the team point-
to-point across the estate, which
saves time and is more efficient.
Every job counts up to the hilt at The
Folly and everyone knows their role.
On the shoot
Our model is a Bandvagn 206,
which can seat four in the tractor
unit and accommodate 12 plus
dogs and kit in a much-modified
trailer unit, so it’s ideal for
shooting parties. The builders
say it’s the ultimate ATV and,
with all four tracks driven, they
could well be right. We haven’t
had to experiment with its
amphibious capability yet though
out of season we did replace the
original Ford v6 petrol engine
with a more environmentally
friendly diesel unit.”
Buckholt’s Bandvagn is finished
in a pleasing shade of blue and,
as predicted, the host set off
across country to the first drive
at Whiteshoot Hill, where he
explained with military precision
the order of play. With the beaters
already busy beyond the horizon
under glowering clouds and a raw
drizzle, the Guns began by walking
up a gently sloping cultivation,
A chariot less
usual: the Buckholt
Bandvagn is an
intriguing Gunbus.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 27
initially in two lines either side
of a strip of maize in its centre
that produced some testing initial
action. About halfway up the slope
the flank Guns were brought in
towards the centre to form one
more compact line, with the beating
line mirroring that movement up
ahead. Stirred into flight, the line
was presented with a succession of
birds that slipped and slid across the
wind towards them at a variety of
heights and speeds to suit all tastes.
Overture successfully completed.
While en route between the first
and second drives the Bandvagn
began to make noises that suggested
all was not entirely well in the
transmission department. After
a couple of expensive-sounding
hiccups, it was decided to put it out
of its obvious misery before more
damage might be incurred. Any
shoot day is likely to tax its shoot
captain but this posed a logistical
problem for the host. However, in a
masterly demonstration of coolness
under fire, and as the cessation
of forward motion had occurred
quite close to the next scene of
action at Yew Tree Bank, the Guns
were walked forward to their pegs
while the host sought an alternative
method of transport.

Downland fold
The topography signature for this
second drive comprised a sizeable
downland fold, from a high point
on the right dropping progressively
to the left, where Guns six to eight
were hidden from their fellows both
by the contours of the ground and
a big hedgerow. Stuart Falla on the
right flank had a deal of work to do,
both overhead and to his right, but
it was those Guns on the left and in
the dip facing a stand of yews and
a bushy hedge disguising a cover
crop and grassy headland that saw
the most challenging birds and dealt
with them well.
Time for elevenses and it was
hostess Sarah Matthews who arrived
Experienced headkeeper Ken Haydock is now in his 10th season at Buckholt.
to dispense nourishing broth, gamey
partridge gougons, sausages and
duck pancakes. During this break in
proceedings the substitute transport
for the Guns arrived in time to carry
them onward to the interestingly
named Round Hat.
Here again it was the right-
flank peg that occupied the highest
ground, Edward Iliffe standing
just below a track and cover strip
with a strategically placed gap in
the foliage to his right and facing
a curving hedge with a big stand
of timber beyond. He gave a
perfect demonstration of selective
and controlled shooting that was
instructive to watch. Six Guns
pegged in a gentle arc across the
field below him, two taking up
positions well behind the line,
and all were in action throughout
the drive, Julian Winser doing
particularly well on birds that came
barrelling over the trees and off the
bank to sweep up over their pegs.
Such had been the rain in the
previous days and such the glutinous
nature of this chalk and clay subsoil
that two of the pickers-up became
enmeshed in its grasp and could
take no part in the final drive of the
morning, which had the Guns on
level ground facing a modest crop

28 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK


of standing maize with a hedgerow
in the background. Beaters brought
the birds from a good way back to
flush them over the crop and the
result was a succession of coveys
of very rapid partridges that burst
out of hiding to cover the line and
greeted the Guns much as grouse
might. Thus it was no surprise that
Greg Hollamby, who manages
many moors and spends much of his
season in pursuit of Lagopus lagopus
scotica, was in his element and doing
expertly and effortlessly what only
an experienced grouse shot can do.
Pretty to watch indeed and the
team broke for lunch with 193
accounted for and many stories
to exchange over a filling meal in
Buckholt House, a major feature of
the estate hospitality.
Afternoon drives
The afternoon produced two drives
that were as different in terrain as
could be provided on this estate,
beginning with Bullock’s Hole, a
steep, wooded bank with another
block of timber behind it. Emma
Hollamby had elected to join the
line and she was one of five Guns
Tea in the shoot
lodge ends another
fine day on
Buckholt’s ground.
to move into the wood to await the
flow of pheasants. Ray Tonkinson
stood in the open and was presented
with many birds sweeping down the
side and around the lower corner
of the wood which he dealt with in
good style, while Giles Neville was
pleased to pick off any that slipped
past, but the better sport was had
“A succession of
coveys of very rapid
partridges burst out
of hiding to cover
the line and greeted
the Guns much as
grouse might.”
by the Guns within the wood who
could be heard discharging and
the products of their efforts seen
dropping satisfyingly from above
the treetops. From predictably
fast pheasants off the high bank
of Bullock’s Hole to sprightly
partridges off the gentle downland
of Clockwork, so named because
On the shoot
it always runs that way and as the
host had said, regularly and reliably
shows the best birds on the estate,
though no one really understands
how or why. So it proved as this
day drew to its close, with covey
after covey presented beautifully
and both Emma Hollamby and
Angus Henderson in fluid and
fluent action throughout. For
almost the first occasion during
this winter day the clouds parted
briefly and the sun finally broke
through to give a glorious and livid
colour-wash to the sky as the drive
concluded proceedings.
Buckholt’s hosts are passionate
about their ground and continue to
evolve and improve what is already
a fine example of traditional, low-
ground shooting, which is perhaps
why the team in the field on this
day have already put their peg in
the ground for next season.
For information on the shooting
opportunities at Buckholt, call
07711 006601 or email:
michael@buckholt.co.uk
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 29

Facts and fury
How mountain hares became a convenient tool in attacking
grouse moor management. By Patrick Laurie.
W ild controversy sprung up around the
subject of mountain hares in 2020. Amid
accusations that gamekeepers were driving
hares to extinction through culls, campaigners fought to
have these animals protected in Scotland. Lurid headlines
and some ugly video footage of large-scale culls emerged
to drive support for the ban, and it is easy to see why
the public was swayed. Mountain hares are often shot in
their white winter coats, and nothing looks more sordid
than white fur splashed with blood.
Sporting estates often cull hares for a variety of
reasons, but one of the most compelling is an attempt to
control ticks and tick-borne diseases which affect grouse,
livestock and humans. To be effective, these culls have
to work across extensive areas and often produce a large
bag of hares. Campaigners found it easy to mobilise the
general public to support a ban by sharing photos of
A legitimate and rational
action can become hateful
simply because we don’t
like how it looks.
keepers sorting piles of dead hares. This kind of stuff
was shared without context, and many were outraged
by it. Their reactions confirmed a general feeling that
appearances are all-important in the age of social media.
A legitimate and rational action can become hateful
simply because we don’t like how it looks.
Social media was in uproar, and it was hard to peer
through the fury to grasp the facts. Looking in at the
controversy from a part of Scotland where grouse
shooting is not a major land use, the excitement felt
a little bizarre. Here in Galloway, most of our major
grouse moors collapsed after the Second World War.
Our hills had never been perfect for grouse shooting,
and the weather and soil conditions generally led to
a grassier, boggier kind of moorland more suited to
snipe and black grouse. Still, some big bags of red
grouse were killed before the First World War, and
keepers worked hard to ensure that birds were available.
Alongside that effort, mountain hares prospered across
Moorland management
large parts of the county. They were so abundant
here that when a project was proposed to reintroduce
mountain hares to the Peak District, Dumfries
and Galloway was chosen as the most obvious donor.
But when the Second World War came, the landscape
changed completely. Many of the old estates were broken
up, and large areas of grouse moor were ploughed to be
planted with intensively grown spruce trees. Smothered
by forests and lacking proper moorland management,
hares vanished from many of their former strongholds.
Fortunately, Galloway is a big place and many hares
avoided the first wave of planting. Large numbers were
still found north of Newton Stewart until the 1970s,
but the rising tide of forestry steadily pressed them into
collapse. A handful of mountain hares remains in the hills
today, but you’re unlikely to see more than one or two
in a year. Their numbers grumble along at low densities,
and there is some evidence to suggest that decline will
probably continue to a point where they become extinct.
Galloway is far from unusual in this story of loss and
decline. Mountain hares used to be abundant across
large areas of Great Britain, but as the landscape has
modernised, most have been pressed into obscurity. They
survive only where proper moorland management is
undertaken to support them, and it’s no surprise that their
numbers should remain stable around grouse moors. It
can be astonishing to see vast numbers of hares gathering
in herds of 50 or more to run on a winter’s day in Angus.
The campaigners’ wish was granted during the
summer when Holyrood voted to change the law in
order to protect hares. It turned out to be a messy
legislative process, and even some anti-shooting MSPs
felt uncomfortable at supporting new laws which had
been laid in a hurry without proper scrutiny.
There is a certain irony that the people who pressed
hardest to have hares protected on grouse moors have
done nothing whatsoever to address the habitat changes
which have destroyed hare numbers across the country
over the past century. It is easy to decry the spectacle of
100 dead hares, and harder to grasp the significance of
1,000 hares which never existed at all because their habitat
was destroyed. In this, it becomes clear that the issue was
never really about hare conservation at all. Hares became
a convenient tool to attack grouse moor management,
and having won a victory, it’s likely that the campaigners’
attention is already being focused elsewhere.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 31
 Christmas wish list

Dear
Father
Christmas…
What would make your shooting-themed Christmas list
if you could have anything you wanted? Chris Warren
puts pen to paper and sends the following to Lapland...

PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY

You’re never too old to write

a letter to Father Christmas.
I
suppose it could be Dear
Santa, Dear Saint Nicholas
or, shudder, Dear St Nick.
But I’ll stick with Dear Father
Christmas if you don’t mind; that’s
what I’m happiest with and the one
that seems most respectful.
I haven’t written you a letter for
a long time, I’m afraid. I’m sure
you don’t mind; there are so many
children writing to you every year,
a few less might be a blessing. And
I’m not really a child any more.
What am I saying? My children
aren’t officially children any more!
I thought, you know, that
writing to you this year, in 2020,
couldn’t do any harm. To be
honest, it’s more therapy than
34 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
anything else. I don’t really expect
you to deliver a load of presents to
my house at Christmas; there are
a lot more deserving people in the
world. But I wanted to go through
the motions, revert to childhood
and relieve my anxiety.
Shooting has long been under the
cosh. There are a lot of people out
there who would like to stop it and
they are very good at using social
media to sway the undecided. It’s
not only that we shooters see our
way of life threatened, but also that
we fear the very real conservational
benefits shooting offers to our
environment will be lost.
Then came the coronavirus.
If you seek a game changer, thy
name is COVID-19. Just to be able
to go out shooting, whatever the
restrictions, is a massive privilege,
one I hope we will still be enjoying
by the time Christmas comes
around. But who knows what
winter will bring?.
Sorry, I’m becoming maudlin. I
suspect the large whisky I’ve been
tasting to make sure it is suitable for
your Christmas Eve tipple — which
will be served with my wife’s mince
pies — is probably not helping.
Let’s cast off this negativity and get
down to the brassiest of tacks. As
I pointed out, I am not actually
expecting you to drop down my
chimney clutching these gift ideas
but if it were to happen…

1 A NEW
SHOTGUN
That has to be top of the list. Do I
need another gun? No. Do I want
another? Of course. The question
is: Holland & Holland, Purdey or
Boss? If push came to shove my
preference would have to be Boss,
if only because you hardly ever see
one in the field, the firm more or
less invented the perfect over-under
and they are so beautiful.
In truth, I would prefer a lesser
make. The idea of taking a best
London gun into the field terrifies
me. I am absolutely certain I would
damage it, and that would be like
slashing the Mona Lisa.
I’d be far happier with a more
common make of shotgun that I
could take into a pigeon hide, or
out on a very wet day, and not be
worried that I was devaluing it by
the average price of a house.
What I would like is a gun that I
could have fitted. I understand that
gunfit is vital and yet I’ve never had
it done. Why not? Because I have
never been certain that any shotgun
I have owned has been ‘the one’.
I have vacillated between 12- and
20-bore, over-under and side-by-
side, and 28in and 30in barrels.
At no point have I with absolute
certainty thought, I am content.
So, Father Christmas, a new
shotgun, please, but I will leave the
Christmas wish list
A rich and generous
friend with their own
sporting estate would
make a lovely gift.
details up to your infinite wisdom.
Apart, preferably, from steel-proofed
barrels. After all, I won’t
be putting lead through them.
A pair would be acceptable –
let’s think big.
2 A BESPOKE
SHOOTING SUIT
I shall require two pairs of breeks,
one pair of trousers, one waistcoat
and a jacket, all in my unique
tweed. And don’t forget a cap or
two as well, please. This material
will be understated but instantly
recognisable, hand woven by a
beautiful woman in Lewis from the
finest wool.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 35

Actually, it could be a beautiful
man; it is the beauty that counts.
When I say breeks, I think I
would prefer true plus fours, but
they would have to be cut carefully.
Those of us with less than an ample
length of leg run the risk, in plus
fours, of looking stumpy.
I would not want to look
stumpy. A pair of well-crafted plus
fours are a garment of worth and
carry an elan that would please.
3 SHOOTING
LESSONS
There is much to be said for
practice. I may have even waxed
lyrical about it in this very
magazine. I have to confess I am not
a natural at anything. I can perform
reasonably adequately at quite
a lot of sports and pastimes, but
I do need to practise.
For me, those famed 10,000
repetitions are a necessity, not a
36 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
luxury. On a good day I am a fair
Shot, but I would really like to be
more consistent.
So, Father Christmas, a course
of regular lessons with a kind,
forgiving and inspirational coach
would fit the bill. George Digweed
springs to mind, but I am open to
other suggestions.
4 A SMALL
LEGACY
Of course, I don’t want to shoot
every day in the season but a few
more would be fun. So if you
could arrange for a long-lost uncle,
a maiden aunt I didn’t know
existed, or a fan of my written
work to leave me a little something
when they die, it would be put
to good use.
Having photographed and
written about a fair number of
wonderful shooting establishments,
I don’t lack for choice.
A shotgun by Boss
& Co would be very
gratefully received.
5 A CHUMMY AND
HELPFUL LOADER
I have spent a season or three as a
loader and we are the salt of the
earth. Agreed, we are not meant
to be coaches, but the odd “you’re
a little behind, sir” or “make sure
you get the line, madam” can
work wonders, and turn a bit of
a disaster into a red-letter day. If
you could arrange for me to have a
chummy, uncondescending loader
to accompany me on every day the
legacy has added to my diary, I’d be
eternally grateful.
6 RICH & GENEROUS
FRIENDS
It doesn’t have to be many, but if
you could find a couple of wealthy
chaps or ladies who would welcome
a slightly less wealthy friend, that
would sit well on Christmas Day.
The best shooting days are the non-

commercial day, shared with friends.
If those friends happen to be the
owners of large shooting estates, so
much the better. So, dearest Father,
a few landed gentry or nouveaux
riche with open hands would make
Christmas a rather special time.
7 A PERFECTLY
TRAINED GUNDOG
To be picky — and I can be very
picky — something along the
lines of a spaniel with a labrador’s
steadiness would fit the bill. I’ve
never owned a proper gundog, my
tastes in canine chums tending to
the narrow-waisted and fast.
And I mean perfectly trained. I
have seen too may people disgraced
by their dogs. Actually, I’m certain
the overriding reason why black labs
are so popular is that no one can
tell them apart, so no owner can
be blamed for a dog that blots its
copybook. My Christmas gift would
be as immobile as a rock when it
should be, run like the wind when
A dog wouldn’t
be just be for
Christmas.
told to and have the nose of a wine
connoisseur. Should be cheap and
easy to get a dog like that. And, yes,
I mean dog. I know that bitches are
often tipped as the better option,
and you can breed from them, but
this dog is going to have to mix
with our current furry friends.
This is the big one beside which all the
others are mere baubles. Is there any
way you could, ah, well…
8 FIND A CURE
FOR COVID-19?
Not just for me, you understand,
I can be very generous with my
presents. It is such a blight on
everyone. So if there’s a laboratory
at the North Pole and you could
discover a vaccine or a drug
that would defeat this particular
coronavirus, you would make
humanity very, very happy.
So that’s it, Oh Red Robed
One. Of course, I don’t expect all
of them; it is nice for a gift giver
Christmas wish list
to have a choice. Any of the above
would be lovely, though, to be
honest, the last would be by far
the best. I suppose the question is
whether I deserve to get presents
this year. Have I been a good boy?
What with lockdown and what
have you, opportunities to be bad
out here in the sticks have been
pretty few and far between.
I probably drank more than usual
at the start, but carousing with your
family is not quite as attractive as
with a bunch of mates. I may have
been guilty of a little intolerance at
the stupid behaviour of some of our
fellow citizens but I mostly kept that
to myself.
So on the whole, I don’t think
I have put a stain on my escutcheon
these past 12 months. How about it?
My biggest problem is that I don’t
have a working chimney in which I
can burn this letter and send it up to
you. Have you an email? Are you
on WhatsApp?
Yours, as always
Chris, aged 60-something
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 37
 Keep keen
concentration
Now is the time to remain focused both on and off the peg, says The Back Gun.
T
he Back Gun’s
family, on the male
side at least, have
all suffered from
the triple afflictions of selective
deafness, traumatic amnesia and
intemperate explosive disorder.
Early-season outings have
demonstrated that they are not
alone. Selective deafness, or as
the Duchess pithily has it, “wilful
ignorance of what is being said
by others”, manifests itself most
often in moments of restful calm
when a cleansing ale is bringing
peaceful contemplation.
On a shoot day, it is most
often demonstrated by your
fellow Guns, who singularly fail
to hear a large part of the shoot
briefing, omitting to take on
board essential cargo such as peg
numbers, how to advance them
through the day and from which
end to number.
Surprisingly, remembering
things after the event is not
so taxing, so our early-season
partridge days having come
and gone and, in the light of
what may yet strike us, should
be cherished in fond memory.
One early day had my chums
in pursuit of skyrockets as they
fizzed over Dorset combes,
coming off the high banks with
a goodly breeze under their little
feathered bottoms, beneath a
wonderful blue sky, dotted with
fast-moving cumulus clouds.
Hardy could have wept on
seeing those valleys, as well he
ALAMY
might have done, watching some
of our shooting and these early-
season days are often a reminder of
how fallible the human brain can
be. In we go, fired with enthusiasm,
but then we begin to suffer from
the first effects of what appears to be
traumatic amnesia; being so shocked
by the success of the first right-and-
left that we instantly forget how we
managed to do it, after which it all
goes to rats.
My team generally appeared to
have picked up in September where
they left off in January, though
some bad habits had crept in during
the summer lockdown. “Too
“One glorious day
was in pursuit of
skyrockets as they
fizzed over Dorset
combes beneath a
wonderful blue sky.”
much rich food and insufficient
exercise,” mutters the distaff but, of
course, selective deafness means this
calumny passes without comment.
It is stating the obvious to say
that shooting under the current
restrictions has been a journey
into the unknown. It is a sobering
thought that our dispensation to
shoot comes strategically shackled to
the activities of those people who
earn their livings by kicking a pig’s
bladder about a field, but long may
this continue if it permits us to get
out and about.
The Back Gun always
prides himself on the brevity
and succinctness of the Joining
Instructions that he issues in
advance of his syndicate days, but
whereas past seasons have seen
around two pages of essential
stuff, now every shoot has
conducted its own risk analysis
and interpreted its findings in
individual ways, this season has
required less a succinct pamphlet
and something akin to an early
draft of War and Peace.
Never has the brow been
so much interrogated for
temperature, the hands so
regularly scoured, the pre-day
questionnaire so comprehensive,
the mask so assiduously worn,
the catering so clinical, the table
settings in the marquee doubling
for the shoot lodge so spaced that
conversation requires a bullhorn,
but it’s what we need to do.
As for the intemperate
explosive disorder, this is now
generally reserved for cretinous
drivers, deranged pedestrians and
for the EU’s chief negotiator,
who 26 years ago was France’s
Minister of Environment and
has subsequently kept his snout
in the bureaucratic trough and
gravy train. In an idle moment
before the birds began to flush,
I fell to pondering him and asked
himself, why is he among us and
would he not be better stuffed
and mounted and on pay per
view? But now, he too will have
developed selective deafness, so
shout loud.
Straight shooting

Many a shoot’s Joining

Instructions will have increased
in size this season.
 The joy of
Boxing
Day
An unexpected invitation to shoot on an important
day in the calendar will live long in the memory.

WORDS: JOHN CLEMENTS | PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY


T
he handset slid
almost silently into
place, the phone fell
quiet. I raised my
eyebrows and looked at my
friend. At last I heard those
three magical words: “Bring
your gun.”
It was a convincing point to
make and I offered no protest.
It was 26 December, 2017,
and a visit to the Flatlands was
in full flow. We had already
had a good day before and
were planning to have an
armed ramble later on as our
own Boxing Day shoot, which
would actually take place on
27 December. This shoot, the
subject of the phone call, was
the reason for the day’s delay.
I feel fairly sure that many
will be able to relate to the
problem presented by a visit
to friends for a few days and
some shooting.
The first bit is pretty easy.
“Would you like to come and
stay over Christmas?”
“Yes please.”
Easy. A few months pass and
questions are being asked in the
house, trivial details like: are
you sure we are invited? When
are we going and how long for?
What shall we take?
A further telephone
conversation ensues and, despite
your best efforts, you are no
nearer to a coherent set of
answers than you were before.
You are up to date on which
politicians are useless, the health
of the dogs and how the last
day on the peg went. You have
also confirmed that you have
ordered some more of the
paper-cased No 6s, but other
than that…
However, this particular
conversation did have another
facet, something a bit special;
26 December
The first shoot day
after Christmas
Day is eagerly
anticipated across
the countryside.
he had been invited to a shoot,
would I like to come along?
“It’s almost magical; a large
body of water excavated yonks
ago, with some big pike and
one drive in particular in a
swamp, I kid you not; if a
great snorting beast came
charging at you, you wouldn’t
be surprised” is how my host
described the shoot.
Boxing Day was a bit of a
thing there and there would be
plenty of people.
It was for that reason, come
the day, that I had not expected
to be invited to shoot, but was
very happy to go along and
beat or whatever. Besides, if
what I had been told was true,
turning up was more than
enough of a treat. The actual
invitation to shoot presented
the first issue. Since I had
been expecting to beat we had
brought my wife’s yellow
labrador, Eddie, with us, great for
beating but a bit of a fidget on the
peg. My host said to bring him
anyway. And so it was that two
chaps and three labs set off.
As we arrived the richness of the
scene began to unroll, a wonderful
cross-section of the shooting
community: tweeds, caps, bobble
hats, overalls, kids with sticks, tinsel
and any type of sturdy footwear
you could imagine. And dogs. Lots
of dogs, like a version of Crufts
where every single animal looks
fit for a day’s hard work. The sun
was shining, eyes sparkled and the
unmistakable tide of camaraderie
was rising.
Introductions were made, hands
were shaken and we were off. As
my host and I walked along the

“It was a wonderful

cross-section
of the shooting
community: tweeds,
caps, bobble hats,
overalls, kids with
sticks and tinsel.”
history of the place began to reveal
itself. This was where he got his
first right-and-left, here was where
he used to swim and so on. I was
beginning to realise that while
this life was far from my own,
neighbours are still neighbours and
you play with the neighbours’ kids.
Eventually we separated and I was
led off by a beater to my peg, at
the edge of a wood we had just
emerged from, Eddie in tow.
On peg, it was not long before
Eddie began to fidget and my
mind wandered — would the John
Wilkes boxlock I had bought with
some money from my recently The Boxing Day shoot is a
chance to blow away the
departed father cut the mustard? cobwebs and walk off the
Should I have brought my old previous day’s indulgences.
gun? I was lucky to be there,

42 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

 26 December

everything else was a bonus. Get

a grip! I nodded to my neighbour
and smiled.
It wasn’t long before shouts began
to echo through the wood. Wings
beat the air, shots were fired and
dogs were sent. A few minutes
later and from another direction,
shouts and shots rolled in like waves
against a riverbank. Whistles peeped
and dogs scoured the December
woodland floor.
Ahead of me this time; the shouts
rose and with them pheasants, of
the birds that flew one was heading
our way. I say ‘our’, because really
I didn’t want it. The noise and
excitement had got Eddie wound
up and I had opted to make a fuss
of him rather than ruin a drive
with a lot of noise. My neighbour
shot it beautifully. “Oh great shot!”
I said, my hand leaving Eddie’s
head momentarily to give him the
thumbs up.
A couple more birds and the next
was definitely heading my way.
I could leave it or give it a go;
oh why not? I reached toward the
approaching bird, swung through
and the crash of twigs and bramble
behind me brought the good news.
It could have been worse.
The next drive was across an
overgrown stream, up a wooded
bank and into a large field. A
hundred yards in front and above
was a long strip of game cover, the
Gun line was probably 40 or so
yards into the field, looking up with
the line of trees behind and below
us. My host was right down the far
end on my right and, although the
beating started to my left, he was
in the action first.
Watching a friend shoot well,
whatever we actually say to them,
must be one of the greatest pleasures
of shooting. For me, the drive
produced the bath bird — a hen
rose and headed for my neighbour,
who was reloading, she passed him
and was heading the wood, worth
a try! The Wilkes rang out, the

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 43

world paused and the hen fell.
Thank you, Dad.
Which brings us to the next drive.
I would have happily sat this one
out as pegs were limited, but this
was the swamp drive; I shared a peg
with my host. We clambered down
on to a sort of wooden platform
over slow-moving water. Eddie was
near his friends and for once quiet.
Paper cases plunked into chambers,
the music of slides and clicks as
actions closed came and went. An
anticipation grew, it was just us, we
could see no one. Our conversation
faded, carried away and lost with
our misty breath.
It was a drive for the dogs to
beat without people, ahead of us
was a swamp resting in a valley.
To the right trees on a bank, to our
left a bank of willow and mixed
thorns, but nothing else. The world
was obscured.

A magical experience
We waited, the silence yielded
to the activity around us, wrens
berated us and robins peered
judgmentally from the shadows.
The dogs’ heads cocked as their
attention was drawn to the
thousands of tiny movements from
the myriad creatures that shared our
spot. The magic began to settle in,
the position of the sun strained our
eyes but flickering dots pierced the
intense light ahead, blackbirds at
first and then larger forms, lifting
and rising and gathering pace; and
some were heading our way.
We swung, we fired and swung Bringing birds to the table doesn’t come to an end on 25 December.
again, fumbling for cartridges in
pockets first but then in bags. Birds looked down.“Bloody traitors!” he the day could have finished there
came from front and side, some still protested. I looked down. I had and owed me nothing.
rising, some speeding on set wings, started the day with one dog and As the light dwindled and
some looking to land and some, now I had three, and he had none. we returned to the cars, the last
interrupted by shot, following an “Harsh but fair.” formality of the day — my host
arc earthward. A crash, a splash, the We could hear the beaters now won the sweepstake. We collected
shattering of twigs and a swish of and, like a grandparent at the a brace each, thanked everyone
pheasants crashing into reeds. school gates, not wanting to rush for their efforts and company, said
Then a lull; the elation began the inevitable, the end of the drive our goodbyes and headed home.
to kick in, we looked at one was waiting. A few more birds and Strangely, the loyalty of dogs has
another, broad smiles. My host afterwards a couple more drives, but often cropped up since.

44 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK


There’s more
than one day in
DECEMBER
Behind the scenes on a festive shoot day with Paul Kenyon
and his syndicate in the Angus Glens.
T
he Auldallan syndicate
held its last Christmas
shoot on 28 December.
The Auldallan Estate,
situated near the hamlet of Balintore
in the Angus Glens, some eight
miles north of Aylyth, comprises
around 1,700 acres and includes
a small grouse moor. The estate
is owned by Sir Andrew Ogilvy-
Shoot captain Keith Babington
discusses drives with The Laird
and Geordie Ogilvy-Wedderburn.
46 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
Wedderburn, commonly known
as The Laird in these parts, but
usually referred to as Andrew. The
family have held this land for several
hundred years and take three days
per season for themselves, allowing
the syndicate to take the other days.
Due to the location of the
shoot and its woodland being
predominantly conifer, ex-layers
are found to suit the requirements
better than poults, and they are
released in July. This makes life
easier for the keeper and helpers, as
the birds adapt to conditions sooner.
The land is grass and is farmed
for sheep, however the hillsides
do have a considerable amount of
bracken as cover, which the birds
tend to use, especially in colder
weather. The coverts are situated
Members of the
Auldallen syndicate
in the Angus Glens.
along each side of the Glen, which
gives the opportunity to drive
the birds from one side of it to
the other, making use of the high
terrain on each side, which can
show some testing birds. On some
of the drives, Guns can enjoy the
backdrop of Balintore Castle, a
grand Scottish baronial-type house,
standing out on the hillside.
Vermin control is carried under
the strict supervision of Keith
Babington, the shoot captain, and
Iain Hay the headkeeper, while
the neighbouring estate’s keeper
assists with fox control, lamping
at night. There are 11 named
drives to choose from, giving the
opportunity to select five or six for
a day and allowing the others to
be rested. With named drives such
 Scottish Christmas

Balintore Castle is in the

Scottish baronial style.

Hugh Gamlin with Lady Fiona

Ogilvy-Wedderburn.

as Piccadilly, Cockfosters, Edward the steep bracken-covered hillside despatched. Grant Findlay took
Woodward, Sting and Vivienne on the opposite side of the narrow what can only be described as a
Westwood, you might imagine you roadway, is driven along towards stratospheric cock bird as it crossed
were either stood at a railway station the line. Birds break from various the glen. A shout of ‘partridge
or surrounded by persons of fame. heights before climbing to cross the forward’ could be heard from the
The December day was overcast line, making for testing shots. beating line as three birds broke
but dry and quite calm, which can Several pheasant broke cover, from the hillside following the
be unusual for this location, being most of which were swiftly contour of the land. As they
high up in the hills of Angus.
We met at 8.45am sharp at the
Bothy, located at Auldallan Farm.
The usual festive greetings were
exchanged before Keith gave his
briefing, the emphasis being on
safe and a reminder that it’s not
a numbers game; quality before
quantity is the rule here. Before
setting out, the Guns were informed
of the order of drives for the day:
four prior to lunch and two after.
Guns then drew their peg
numbers. My guest for the day was
James McDonald Turner, a friend
whom I had shot with over the past
three years, since I relocated to the
area from Lancashire. Grant Finlay,
one of the longer-serving members
held a sweepstake, guessing the
number of birds shot on the day.
This is open to Guns, beaters and
pickers-up.

A slice of London
We set off to the first drive, the East
End, which is aptly named being
situated at the east end of the estate. Hugh Gamlin waits
The Guns lined out in the bottom patiently on his peg.
of the glen with a bog area behind,

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 47

 Taking a break between drives.
crossed the line, two folded. Once
the picking-up team had swept
the ground, we proceeded to the
next drive, Piccadilly. A block of
woodland on higher ground on
one side of the roadway, most of
the Guns took up position on the
opposite side on lower ground.
The beaters first brought in
some rough ground, blanking the
area into the wood before pushing
the birds out over the waiting line.
Several good birds were taken on
this drive. My guest, James, was on
peg seven, which wasn’t the best,
but he did managed a curling high
cock bird that was well out.
Once the drive was over, we all
gathered at the vehicles and had
elevenses, supplied as usual by shoot
member Roy Sim. As it was the
festive season, Roy excelled himself
by providing a selection of warm
haggis bon-bons and beef pies,
followed by pork pies accompanied
by soup. Port and snacks were
distributed as well by Guns who
The excellent picking-up team.
48 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
Roy Sim (centre)
serves elevenses.
contributed. This gave everyone
a chance to chat, exchange stories
and to discuss how the day was
going so far.
Two more drives followed.
The first was Sting, which on the
occasion was driven in reverse,
producing a good show of birds,
“The shoot captain
reminded us that is
not a numbers game,
quality over quantity
is the rule here.”
several being taken. One thing
I did notice was that only a small
number of beaters were required
to drive these woods. Due to the
lack of ground cover, with a couple
of dogs in the line, Iain is able to
control the line and successfully
manoeuvre the birds to the
flushing points.
The last drive of the morning
before lunch was Edward
Woodward, a long piece of
woodland to the west of the glen.
Most Guns enjoyed the birds
over them here and several good
sporting ones were taken.
Lunch followed in the shoot
bothy, a converted portable cabin
situated at Auldallan Farm. Guns
brought their own lunch and the
usual conversations could be heard
about the day, other shoots and
chatter being exchanged.
The day closed with two more
drives, Cockfosters being the
first. Yet again good birds were
produced and John Welsh —
known as ‘Welshy’ — accounted
for a cracking high, fast partridge.
Last of all we visited High Fella,
a larger wood situated on higher
ground. Due to the terrain this
drive can produce some testing
shots and it didn’t disappoint, with
a number of good birds being
added to the bag.
Roy Sim serving elevenses to picker-up
Gaynor Gent, watched by her dogs.
 Gamekeeping
Headkeeper David Whitby ponders what a
stalker needs from their kit and clothing.
The keeper’s
view
I
managed an early rut visit to
Ireland and was reacquainted
with what must surely be
the best rifle I will ever
own. Some 36 years ago I was
taken to the Parker Hale factory in
Birmingham and allowed to pick
any of its rifles in return for using
it in a video. Parker Hale were
no-frills creations, work horses
that were built for abuse and my
goodness did this rifle get some.
There was nothing smooth about
the bolt action, the wood was OK
and functional the trigger-pull was
fine, the balance was good and the
weight just right. What proved to
be remarkable about this .243 rifle
was its durability. I shot thousands
of deer with it, the barrel should
have been rendered unusable and
bore as smooth as my shotgun. It
simply defies logic that any degree
of accuracy is maintained.
What is just as remarkable is the
fact that it has thrived on neglect,
never been repaired, hardly ever
cleaned and has been wet more
times than an otter. I retired it from
park duty many years ago and gave
it to my friend in Ireland. It’s not
that it was under performing, but
it did not like the 75-grain ballistic
tipped bullets that for various
reasons I had started using.
It started to lose the edge
required for long- range park
ALAMY
culling, especially with a warm
barrel. For chest shooting sika,
50 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
this remarkable rifle is still perfect,
groups well at 100yds and is happy
with 100-grain soft-nosed bullets.
The sika were whistling in
the valley, what a magical sound
they make. Autumn has to be my
favourite time in the deer calendar
and sika my favourite quarry. In
the past I have adopted a policy
of get wet, get changed and get
warm when stalking in Ireland.
Experience has taught me that if any
type of waterproof wear is capable
of keeping out an Irish storm, then
you simply get drenched in sweat
from the inside.
Irish weather
As age and arthritis have
encroached, I have decided to give
myself a slightly easier approach to
life; fewer cold, wet experiences
will do me no harm. With this in
mind, I decided to spend some
of my children’s inheritance and
buy clothing that would perhaps
keep out the very worst that Irish
weather could throw. After much
deliberation and research, I went
for Härkila, and in the first real
storm of the season put it to the
test. I was not disappointed. I chose
the mountain hunter smock and
trousers and they ticked every box.
What then should we be looking
for in good stalking clothing, if
we are not fine-weather stalkers?
I love hunting in adverse
weather, a howling gale and
Stalkers need the
very best equipment,
especially when the
year grows older and
the weather becomes
more unpredictable.
torrential rain is special. Storm-
force stalking can be successful;
it is true that the deer are more
alert but conditions are also more
favourable. The wind is one
directional, important with any
deer, but essential with sika. There
is also movement, bushes, trees and
grasses sway and bend in the wind.
I used to stalk both up and down
the fast-flowing flooded streams;
their movement detracting from
mine, I found it far more successful
when covering open ground. Heavy
rain, along with the wind, muffles
sound, twigs and branches are
already snapping, even the noisiest
of stalkers stand a chance.
Storm-force weather also helps in
finding deer — where possible they
will be in the lee of a mountain
or in the shelter of a wood. Scope
covers, binocular covers and tissue
paper for wet lenses have always
been essential, but what makes the
perfect stalking outfit?
 Possibly the most important
piece of clothing is boots and they
really are worth getting right. For
mountainous, boulder, rock, bog
and stream-laden Kerry, they must
support ankles. No amount of
waterproofing will keep your feet
dry if you end up wading across a
river or sucked knee-deep into bog,
but for a civilised stalk, dry feet are
always welcome. If your favoured
boots are not waterproof, simply
wear Gore-Tex® socks, they have
the same effect. A good sole grip is
essential; a slip may result in injury,
damaged rifle/sights or simply a
soaking. Vibram® soles are on most
if not all the boots I have owned.
Carrying a spare pair of dry socks is
a great comfort; pickled feet can be
uncomfortable and eventually end
up with a fungal infection.
Trousers need to be light, large
enough for both comfort and long-
johns underneath - and quiet. A
knife pocket is useful, though not
essential, as are side pockets. Side-
opening vents are proving to be
a great comfort in warm weather,
especially on my jacket.
I chose a light waterproof smock,
large enough to allow clothing to be
added underneath in cold weather
“Boots with a
good sole grip are
essential; a slip may
result in injury,
damaged rifle/sights
or simply a soaking.”
and roomy enough to be cool in
warm weather. Pockets are essential,
hand warmers and the front pouch
with a couple of extra zip fastenings
house a spare magazine, tissue, wind
detector and calls. Camouflage or
not is personal choice, useful if
doubling up for pigeon, but not so
good for a stroll through Guildford
on a wet day.
Perhaps one of the most
important pieces of kit is a waist
bag. Rather than a small rucksack
with weight on the back, I much
prefer to carry around my waist.
This houses my drag for carcass
removal, spare knife, bullets,
socks, lighter, torch, camera and
waterproof bag for a jumper.
On a cold morning in the
mountains a body warmer or
jumper is needed for half a mile, or
until the first climb is taken. After
that, the under layers come off and
must be kept dry to be donned
when a break is taken. Choose light,
non-bulky and breathable clothing
to wear beneath a coat, easy to
remove and carry, comfortable and
not tight. A little bit of comfort
does us no harm and getting the
right kit is all part of the wonderful
experience we call stalking.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 51
 THE
SPORTING
PAGES OF
HISTORY An examination of a book written by the author,
firearms expert and intelligence agent
Major Hugh Bertie Campbell Pollard.
“T
he pheasant
appears to have
been especially
invented in
order to provide not only the best of
shooting, but one of the finest table
birds.” So begins the sportsman,
soldier and spy Major Hugh Pollard
in his 1936 opus, Game Birds &
Game Bird Shooting, in his chapter
concerning Phasianus colchicus.
“The history of the coming
of the pheasant to Britain is still
obscure,” adds Pollard, whose
storied career saw him fight in the
First World War and run an MI6
station in Madrid in the late 1930s.
“Actually, the native habitat of
our original black-necked pheasant
was the River Rion in the district
of Colchis near the Black Sea
[modern-day Georgia]. The bird,
however, occurs in a wild
state as far west as Dalmatia, and
there is abundant literary evidence,
mainly gastronomic, which shows
52 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
WORDS: ALEC MARSH | PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY
A copy of Major Pollard’s 1936 opus
Game Birds & Game Bird Shooting.
that he was well known to the
ancient Romans.”
But the Romans did not bring the
bird to Britain. Rather it was probably
the medieval church, he says, with
the first “accepted” reference in the
records of King Harold in 1059.
“The bird was soundly established
not only in England but in Ireland
by Tudor times.”
Over 30 pages, Pollard goes
into glorious detail over the rearing
and keeping of pheasants (“It is an
axiom of preservation that cocks
should be shot down as close as
possible at the end of the season”),
their habits (“the pheasant is by
choice a pedestrian”), as well as
offering comments on pest control
that might raise eyebrows today:
“Vermin are an ever-present
trouble, and a good Tyburn tree
or vermin gibbet is one of the best
signs of a good keeper. The more
rodents and stoats, the better.”
As for the shooting of pheasants,
he offers: “The expert Shot at a drive
usually takes his birds at the particular
angle which suits him best. This is a
special knack and it involves not only
very good shooting but very precise
timing.” That’s easier to write than to
do, he realises, noting “quick decision
and footwork is essential” to achieve
the “more leisurely and unhurried
‘crack’” of the expert Gun.
Shooting tomes

Major Hugh Bertie

Campbell Pollard.

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 53

 “The besetting sin is firing
behind and below birds,” he warns.
“They are hardly ever missed in
front. It is an infection and nervous
complaint, but it can be largely
overcome by iron resolution not to
shoot at the bird – but at his beak.”
Sound advice as you’ll find.
Pollard is equally solid on
partridges, which we discover are
his first love: “The partridge is a
bird that most of us secretly or
openly prefer to the pheasant,” he
begins. “The latter is admittedly
far more economically satisfactory,
but there is something genial and
lovable about the partridge which
is lacking in the pheasant.” He is

“A reputation for
mean lunch spreads
fast; beaters, who
may not be plentiful,
will seek any other
shoot rather than
a mean one.”
rather fond of the native status of
Perdix perdix (“definitely squirearchy
and a commoner of pure blood”)
and he is also a defender of their
reputation: “The ancients had a
good deal to say about the amorous
propensities of the partridge, but as a rule well and strong”. “Partridge exhilaration.” Who could disagree
actually they are most respectable beating is an art in itself,” he adds, with that?
and faithful birds. The pheasant is emphasising the importance of quiet. In the next chapters he touches
not only polygamous, but takes full “A good keeper is a quiet keeper, on duck (“an almost separate branch
advantage of propinquity. and his men are quiet too.” of shooting”) and snipe (“inferior
“The partridge, on the other Finally, he offers some advice to other classes of shooting”) before
hand, is delicately sentimental on shooting partridges: “It is rather turning to grouse – “unique in
about the choice of mate, and is a different art to hitting grouse, sporting quality, in flavour”. “The
monogamous and selective.” but a good partridge drive is but grouse is essentially a wild bird,
This does, however, make little inferior as a test of skill and but good moor management has
them harder to breed. Naturally, no whit inferior as a sport,” he enormously increased the stock
Pollard touches on the merits of the writes. “To kill a brace in front, which would be carried by a moor
common or grey partridge, and its change guns, and kill a brace out in a natural or undeveloped state,”
French or Guernsey cousins. “For of the same covey behind, is not Pollard says, reckoning the increase
a long time the ‘Frenchman’ was too easily accomplished, but it can to be between 700% to 1,000%.
discredited as a sporting bird,” he be recommended as producing a And advice for shooting grouse?
writes, though he believes they “fly splendid feeling of well-being and “You must take your first bird long

54 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK


before you think that he is within
range,” he writes. The Gun “should
shoot the moment a bird appears
to him to be about the size of a
house-fly seen over the foresight.
He should just snap to the shoulder
and blaze just over their heads.” Do
that, and “the birds will fly neatly
into his discharge and be killed in
first-rate style”.
Man of many interests
Unsurprisingly Pollard – a firearms
expert who also wrote a history
of firearms as well as books on
revolvers, automatic pistols and
shotguns – has important insights
to share on guns and ammunition.
“Today the standard hammerless
game gun,” he writes, “with
its single safety, is accepted as
representing the highest possible
degree of safety combined with
freedom from complication that
can be achieved.” That said, he
cautions against excessive reliance
on the safety catch: “A gun, even
if ‘on safety’, may go off if it is
dropped or jarred. This ought not
to happen, but it should always be
remembered that it can happen.”
He adds: “Gates and hedges should
not be crossed with a loaded gun.
A very high proportion of shooting
Shooting tomes
Major Pollard holds
nothing back in his views
on sport in the 1930s.
accidents occur ‘when the deceased
was going through a hedge with a
loaded gun’.”
Neglect of one’s gun is perilous:
“Men shoot old guns, clean them
perfunctorily, and never send
them to be overhauled,” Pollard
writes. “Actions get shaky, barrels
get dented and locks wear to an
unsafe degree.” Maintenance is
key therefore, advising “a pair of
guns should go to the makers to
be stripped, cleaned and properly
overhauled at the end of every
shooting season”. Doubtless there’s
not a single reader who disagrees
with that. As to the purchase of
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 55
 So much has changed, so
much has stayed the same
in game shooting since
the book was published.
guns, he writes: “The choice of a
new pair of guns is a serious affair.
It is always wisest to buy the very
best you can afford. If money is
a consideration, guns which are
almost as good but of plainer grade
can be bought.”
And who to buy from? “It is
impossible to say who is the best
gunmaker today,” he cautions.
However, ultimately, it’s clear
where his loyalties lie: “For 300
years the first-class London Best
gun has enjoyed an international
reputation for being the best gun
which can be bought for money
anywhere in the world.”
As to ideal barrel length, he
is a short-barrels man, and his
knowledge of ballistics supports his
stance: “The difference in velocity
and penetration, or range and killing
power, between the same cartridge
fired in a 25in barrel and a long 30in
barrel is negligible and has no effect
whatsoever in regard to the weapon’s
efficiency on game.” Moreover,
longer barrels place “weight at the
muzzle, exactly where you do not
want it”. But it’s a personal choice,
he says: “The one that handles
56 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
best and gives you the best result is
obviously best for you.”
As for over-unders versus side-
by-sides, he opines: “Under-and-
over guns are now out of fashion.
They had no advantage over the
side-by-side type except for men
with very small hands.”
Golden rule
Above all else, his golden rule on
guns is fit: “The work and skill put
in fitting a gun to a client is just as
important as the work and skill put
into the manufacture of the gun
itself. Gun-fitting is essentially an art,
and it is based on endless experience
and extremely critical observation.”
As to calibre, he’s a 12-bore
man (“an admirable light gun”
in its modern form). For “a lady
a 16-bore is probably the best
weapon. A small boy is best
equipped with a double-barrelled
.410.” Meanwhile, “a double
28-bore is the boys’ gun par
excellence. It is also the ideal gun
for vermin destruction during the off
season or general pottering about.”
Oh, to potter about like they
did in the old days.
This is, in short, surely one of
the best shooting books to be had
– from birds to buying a shoot
(best viewed in February),
from feeding chicks to cooking
game (“rabbit roasts well and is
remarkably good cold”), it’s all
here in wonderful, authoritative,
punctilious 1930s prose.
Pollard even warns against
meanness and those who
“economise in the wrong direction”.
“Beaters’ lunch, for instance,” he
states. “Here liberality pays well, for
a reputation for mean lunch spreads
rapidly, and beaters, who may not
be too plentiful, will seek any other
shoot rather than a mean one.”
The author, who died in 1966,
even had a gastronomic answer
for making the most of pheasant –
a squeeze of lemon into your sauce.
“Pheasant,” he notes, “does want
a little sharpening.”
Alec Marsh is a journalist and
author. His new book, Enemy of
the Raj, published by Headline
Accent, is out now.
 Shooting tomes

Major Pollard has

plenty to say about
gamebirds and land
management.

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 57


The same, but different
What was new about pigeon shooting in 2020? By Will Garfit.
F or me and those who enjoy pigeon shooting
with a passion, there are a number of elements
of our sport that have seen a big change this
year. All are directly or indirectly related to coronavirus.
There are few sports more self-isolating than the pigeon
shooter sitting alone all day in a hide, so what problem
could there have been?
Although crop protection was theoretically allowed
during lockdown, I and many pigeon shooters chose
not to go out for several weeks as we felt that to do so
would contravene the spirit and reason for it.
When things eased after a few weeks I was
comfortable to get out on crop protection of growing
peas. However, we were then faced with a very difficult
issue as our game dealer had no market for oven-ready
pigeons due to pubs and restaurants being closed. He
had stockpiled for the future but when his freezer units
were full he had to stop taking our birds. Another
The supermarket ban
is ridiculous; our forebears
have eaten lead-shot game
for several hundred years.
dealer was prepared to collect them but at only 10p as
opposed to the 40p we were getting before, but at least
all our shot birds were going into the food chain. We
were not prepared to shoot pigeons if they had to be
dumped — definitely not.
So for a meagre 10p per bird the new game dealer
continued to collect each week. Then a new problem
as his restaurants and pubs, which were beginning to
open again, were only taking birds shot with steel. This
non-lead trend has been seen in some supermarkets at
the end of last game season. It is ridiculous as we and our
forebears have eaten lead-shot game for several hundred
years; thriving on the healthy game meat without any
medical evidence of ill-health or shortened lives.
We then shot pigeons with steel shot in guns of
half-choke or less or with the fleur-de-lis proof mark.
The comparative effectiveness of steel versus lead is the
Pigeon shooting
subject for another article so I will say no more, except
we were delighted when our original game dealer was
able to take our birds again. We are back shooting these
for his market with lead and being paid 40p again.
Another unexpected issue to come from coronavirus
was that more people had more time and were urged
to get out and walk every day. This then meant that
when shooting on farmland near villages or towns
there has been a considerable increase in the numbers
of the public walking, not only on permitted footpaths
or rights of way, but along any hedgerow, fence line
or even across open fields and standing crops. In the
past the few people you met were understanding and
respectful of the countryside and shooting, but the new
breed of outward bounders were not so understanding
of farming nor shooting for crop protection. This led
to some interesting conversations, with those who were
interested to learn or, at the other extreme, those who
were violently against. We have seen it all this summer.
Recently, the police arrived and while officers
covered one side of the field, another group of three
approached from behind my hide. Apparently various
members of the public had phoned to report shooting.
The officer was totally supportive of our situation. He
regularly enjoyed beating in the winter and one of his
colleagues said that her father regularly shot clays and
game and read shooting magazines, including Shooting
Gazette. After they checked details of car, gun and
licence, I offered to show them my hide and set-up
for decoying pigeons, which they all found interesting.
The conclusion was that you should always phone
101 to log in as a pigeon shooter when near a sensitive
area. I have implemented that strategy for some years
and the operators are always grateful for my call. At the
end of the day I then phone to inform them when I
have finished shooting.
The public are definitely more twitchy about
shooters even if they’re not antis. It is a sign of the
ignorance of the increasing urban population. That call
to 101 to log in will be needed more in the future.
So there has been quite a lot going on this year,
as well as my loss-of-sight problem in my right eye
reported in the October issue. All have made things
more difficult and testing this year.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 59
 Watch
your step Paul Fievez remembers being the last man
standing on the Dead Man’s Grave…
PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY
T
he scream, a child’s,
terrified and panicking,
came from behind me.
I turned. A little blonde
moppet, still screaming, eyes wide
and fearful, was sprawled where she
had tripped or slipped on the ramp
of the horsebox. The overheated,
overbred show pony was rearing, its
hooves thrashing the air.
I moved. Fast. Just in time, I
pulled the child away. The animal’s
feet came crashing down, its iron-
shod hooves splintering the wood
of the loading ramp.
A pale-faced mother, almost as
hysterical as her daughter, snatched
the child from me. A man came
loping over, caught the pony,
walked it around for a minute or
two to calm it prior to quickly
trotting it up the damaged ramp
into the horsebox. As soon as it
was safely in, he shut the gates and
closed the ramp before it could
cause any further damage.
“Thanks mate, I owe you,” he
said, as he ushered his still-sobbing
princess and her mother into the
passenger side, before climbing into
the driver’s seat and pulling away.
That was my introduction to the
man known as CJT.
60 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
I had married a lady, mad about
the blooming things, and although
I enjoyed the occasional ‘hack’,
shooting was my first love. So it
was several weeks before I next
visited the stables.
The horsebox, as big as — and
at that time probably costing more
than — an average bungalow, was
there. Repaired.
In a corner of the yard, with
other Pony Club friends, mother
and the little princess were
grooming a different and much
calmer pony. Clearly the parents
had come to the conclusion that
their little darling was neither
experienced enough, nor physically
ready to fulfil their, or her own,
Olympic ambitions.
I got on with sorting out some
tack that my wife wanted me
to take home.
“I hear that you shoot?”
For the first time, I was
able to study the man
talking to me. At
6ft-plus, he had fine
almost classical chiselled
features. Long blond
hair like a lion’s mane
tied in a ponytail. It was a
style still several years away
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 61
from becoming popular, let alone
acceptable to be worn by men.
He had about him an air of both
dangerous menace and ruthless
competence. Really, I suppose,
there is not much difference
between the two.
CJT — no one ever addressed
him in any other way — could have
been an officer in a ‘good’ regiment
or Special Forces perhaps, or a
mercenary. He had rock-star looks,
and could easily have been an actor,
destined for great things, or even
a successful crook. I learned later
that he had been most of these,
andThe incident took
more.
place
“Yes,”at Ia replied.
shoot in “I do. Clays
the Chiltern Hills.
mostly but I do take the occasional
day as a gun on a game shoot, when
finances permit.”
“Fine,” he said. “A few mates are
coming to my place next weekend.
Nothing too formal, just a mooch
around before we start the season
proper. Care to join us?”
To the Chilterns
The next Saturday saw me at ‘his
place’, a farm of several hundred
acres. It was very private, tucked
away in a fold of the Chiltern Hills.
Introductions were made to the
other Guns, an eclectic gathering,
several of whom I recognised from
newspaper pictures.
No one was too formal. There
were no outrageous nor loud check
shooting suits. Mostly cords or
breeches, good-quality sweaters,
with tweedy gilets and the usual
assortment of boots and topcoats.
A typical small family and friends
shoot. But from the way they
checked and handled their guns,

it was obvious that all were very
experienced at their craft.
We did not draw pegs. CJT
preferred to place the Guns where
he thought they would be best
employed. And so we moved off
to the first drive. I acquitted myself
reasonably well. Relaxed and
enjoying the sport, I continued to
do so, until the last drive of the day.
We had walked through a wood
and down a track, towards a lake.
CJT positioned the Guns — a
couple in the wood, a couple more
along the track, some by the lake,
their backs to the water, and that
left only me.
“You are the flanker on this
drive,” he said. “The birds will try
to break out from the end of the
wood and fly across the lake, behind
and away from the Guns.”
He pointed to a hummock
about 20 yards out; it was not big
enough to be described as an island.
“What I want you to do,” he
continued, “is to walk out to there,
it’s OK, there is a ridge and the
water doesn’t come above the top
of your boots... but do be careful.
Muddy memories
If you step too far either side, you
will be in... about 30ft deep.”
He laughed. For some reason it
reminded me of a wolf, grinning,
just before it pounces.
“Anything that comes out from
there,” he pointed to the end of
the wood, on my left, “is yours.
Oh! By the way, we call this stand
the Dead Man’s Grave.” His voice
was mocking. “And as this is the
last drive of the day, you are the
last man standing on the dead man’s
grave.” He laughed again at his joke
and, before I could comment,
A drive next to a
lake, what could
possibly go wrong?
added: “We have buried better men
than you here, Paul.” The incident took
An ice cold shiver ran down my place at a shoot in
the Chiltern Hills.
spine. For some reason I believed
him. I did not enjoy that last drive
one iota. I missed more birds than
I shot and was extremely glad to
hear the whistle declaring the end
of play. Very cautiously, I began to
retrace my steps back to the safety
of the bank and dry land.
I almost made it.

“Back I went into

the lake. Ducking
under, grubbing
around in the mud,
coming up for air
and going back
down again.”
Two, perhaps three yards out,
disaster struck. I missed my footing
and was up to my neck in dirty
muddy water. Fortunately, as I
cannot swim, at this point the lake
was only about 5ft deep. Struggling
to keep my gun above my head,
I floundered on to the bank to be
greeted by hoots of laughter from
my fellows. They saw this as an
‘initiation ceremony’ for new Guns.
“Come up to the house”
someone shouted. “Get dried off,
then come and join us in the pub.
You’re buying the first round.”
But there was a problem. In those
days, I worked as a photographer
for a national daily newspaper.
Among the various identity cards
and documents that were a necessary
part of my job was a ‘Met card’ — a
card issued by the police confirming out of my pocket, as I floundered it. Wet through, cold, dispirited,
my ID and employer. Another pass through the muddy water. There the day almost gone, almost dark,
gave admittance to Downing Street was no alternative. They had to be I did not bother with the pub. I
and other official places. Yet another, found. So back I went into the lake. squelched to my car. All I wanted
gave close access to politicians and Ducking under, grubbing around was to get home, be showered,
even members of the Royal Family. in the mud, coming up for air and warm and dry. And never again,
They were all in my wallet. going back down again. With the to be the last man standing on the
The wallet, which had slipped light fast fading, eventually, I found Dead Man’s Grave.

64 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK


Stranger than fiction
This is a true story. Would I, could
I do it again? It happened a long
time ago; I was much younger,
fitter and faster, and had no inkling
of the quadruple heart by-pass that I
would need some years later.
So no, I could not.
For a few years, CJT and I
occasionally crossed each other’s
paths. We were always cordial
to each other, but could never be
more. For my part, I was aware that
the original invitation had only been
issued out of gratitude, not a desire
for real friendship.
Muddy memories
The last I heard, about 20
years ago now, CJT had just been
released from prison. Something
to do with a rather messy divorce
and also some financial naughtiness,
and was successfully breeding show
ponies somewhere in the south of
England.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 65
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NEXT MONTH
DON’T MISS
UNBELIEVABLE
BRIGANDS
Another memorable
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finest shoots

SAVE THE BEST

FOR LAST
Is January the best
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The things that live
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AND SO
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New Year hopes
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THE JANUARY ISSUE OF SHOOTING GAZETTE IS ON SALE FROM 17 DECEMBER

Strength and resilience
Why the game shooting community will not
be beaten. By Martin Puddifer.
A s I write in early November, England is on the
brink of entering a month-long lockdown.
While its conditions will not be quite as severe
as the ones announced in March, the new lockdown
will nevertheless have far-reaching consequences for
game shooting and associated businesses, which were
finding their feet again after months of disruption. I
cannot begin to imagine the frustration and upset that
has been felt by readers across the countryside who have
seen their favourite shoots close for the season, possibly
permanently, or have had their hopes of shooting
dashed at the last moment due to regional lockdowns.
All any of us wants is to reconnect with friends we
haven’t spent time with for months, stand on ground
that means so much to us and see those charged with
its management guaranteed a secure future. Let us hope
that the lockdown will be lifted in time for us to enjoy
the remaining weeks of the season.
We’ve had to react
constantly in 2020; let’s try
and make sure that we are
the ones in charge of our
futures in 2021.
My thoughts also go out to sporting agents, hoteliers,
publicans and any other business that relies on shooting
parties. All will have had to come up with last-minute
solutions to complex problems in the face of all this
disruption. And it hasn’t been purely an English
problem. Shoots and associated businesses in Wales and
Scotland know about these snap lockdowns all too well.
In Scotland’s case, I was encouraged to read about the
amount of money being spent near grouse shooting
estates in the country (see the Shoot Briefing section
for more details) but equally troubled by Alex Hogg’s
comments in this month’s Under the Coverts interview
that its Government has been slow in supporting those
rural businesses that are facing a bleak future.
The loss of a month’s shooting in England also comes
at a time when the UK Government has bowed to
pressure from campaigning group Wild Justice, which
Weathering the storm
sought a ban on the release of pheasants around Special
Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection
Areas (SPAs). As Shooting Gazette was going to press, we
received the news that a new interim licensing regime
for the 2021 releases of common pheasants and redleg
partridges had been proposed, affecting releases within
European protected sites and within a 500m buffer zone
around these sites. This will be yet another headache for
shoots, game farmers and others who have hoped that
calmer waters lay ahead.
The stop-start nature of the year has brought many
of us down, and with the colder weather and shorter
days setting in we are all being told it will be more
important for everyone to band together. This is
something that the countryside has always been good
at. The countryside doesn’t need to be told to look in
on the vulnerable, lend a hand or keep its chin up when
sadness or hard times come because the countryside has
always done that. It is accomplished at adapting, being
creative, pooling resources, investing time, effort and
money in things that last and having the kind of spirit
and conviction that those in positions of power could
sometimes learn from.
There is no doubting that while the countryside has
adapted to the modern world the traditions and values of
game shooting still hold strong. There is much to celebrate
about the work we are doing. For that reason, Shooting
Gazette is joining other shooting magazines in the Future
portfolio for the year-long Why We Shoot campaign.
Through interviews, features and other articles in print
and online, Why We Shoot aims to raise awareness of the
positive ripple effect and numerous benefits of shooting.
We’ll be covering conservation and ecology, inclusion
and diversity, and mental and physical wellbeing to show
everyone how valuable our sport is nationwide.
We already have a stack of ideas but we want to hear
from you, too. If you know a person or project within
game shooting deserving of recognition, then email:
martin.puddifer@futurenet.com. It would be great
to speak to anyone you have in mind in person and
photograph them and the brilliant work they are doing
on behalf of their sport and the wider community. Keep
an eye out for the hashtag #whyweshoot on social media.
We’ve had to react constantly in 2020; let’s try and
make sure that we’re the ones in control of our futures
in 2021. Perhaps then we’ll be able to show those who
are against our sport what we are really all about.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 69
Great guns
Gunmaking historian Donald Dallas examines an interesting item from
a lesser known London maker which would have served multiple uses.
Shotgun, rifle
and bayonet
O
ne of the excitements
in the gun world
is that occasionally
you come across an
absolute gem of a gun by a lesser
known maker that can often be far
more interesting than one from the
bigger names. I recently examined
a very fine percussion stalking rifle
by a maker I had never heard of
and when I researched this maker,
I found out that he lived in the mid-
19th century not four miles from
me in rural Fife. Unfortunately,
everybody else spotted its quality
too and my bid was unsuccessful.
The single percussion gun
illustrated this month is a beautiful
and very unusual example with not
John Tallis’s London Street Views
One of the challenges in writing about
19th-century gunmakers is that in pre-
photography days it is very difficult to
find illustrations of gunmakers shops in
this era. However, an excellent source
of illustrations for London gunmakers
is an illustrated London street directory
published by John Tallis.
John Tallis was a publisher and
bookseller who conceived the idea of
publishing an illustrated London street
directory to “assist strangers visiting the
metropolis”. His London Street Views
were accompanied by considerable
illustrations and to increase his profits
the proprietor of a shop or business
had to pay for the privilege of having
70 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
only an 18-bore shot barrel but also a
60-bore rifle barrel, and just to make
it that little bit more exciting, the rifle
barrel has a bayonet attached to it.
This outfit was made by Thomas
Stevens, a London maker who is
not often encountered. The business
was originally established by Wattell
Clark at 133 High Holborn around
1785. In 1797 he moved to 43 High
Holborn and he was succeeded by
James Stevens in 1815. James was in
turn succeeded by Thomas Stevens,
the maker of this gun/rifle, in 1827.
Thomas remained in business until
1842 when the business continued
as Robert Braggs.
Guns boasting both shot and rifle
barrels were relatively unusual in
The successor to Thomas Stevens,
Robert Braggs at 36 High Holborn,
taken from John Tallis’s London
Street Views 1838-1840.
his name placed on the drawing of his
establishment. This explains why many
buildings have no name beside them.
For the gun historian, London Street
Views 1838-1840 is fascinating as hardly any
illustrations of early- to mid-19th century
the 19th century in Great Britain.
However, the Scottish makers,
primarily John Dickson & Son,
built many such combinations.
The Scottish situation was unique
in that customers wanted a shotgun
for game shooting but also a pair of
rifle barrels for the deerstalking in the
Highlands that was on their doorstep.
Octagonal barrels
But a single-barrel gun/rifle with
a bayonet built in London around
1835? Taking the shotgun barrel
first, it is of small bore, just 18-bore,
yet very long at 36in. One tends
to associate such long barrels with
fowling pieces of the previous
century, but by the turn of the
gunmakers shops are in existence.
They are also fascinating as they give
the flavour of a particular street and
it is so interesting to look at the other
businesses on the street.
Thirty-eight gunmakers’ shops are
listed in total, including such famous
makers as William Beckwith, Samuel
Nock, John Blanch, George & John
Deane and Westley Richards.
The illustration shows Robert Braggs’
shop at 36 High Holborn. Robert Braggs
had taken over from Thomas Stevens at
43 High Holborn. It is possible that the
street was renumbered or that Braggs
had taken new premises.
 ANDREW ORR/ HOLTS AUCTIONEERS

A very unusual single

small bore percussion
sporting gun/rifle
with interchangeable
shot and rifle barrels
complete with bayonet
by Thomas Stevens,
London circa 1835.

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 71

Great guns
Henry With A Bayonet
I have only ever encountered one other
sporting rifle with a bayonet attached
and this was an Alexander Henry of
Edinburgh percussion rifle dating from
1860.
Alexander Henry was the pre-eminent
rifle maker in the second half of the 19th
century and when he patented Henry
rifling in 1860, his reputation was secure.
Before Henry rifling was patented,
he used other forms of rifling, primarily
three-groove rifling. Such a rifle with
three grooves, no 362, is illustrated,
completed in 1860 as a best single
25-bore rifle for John Thomas Ord.
What makes this rifle special is that
it came complete with a bayonet. The
19th century, blackpowder had
been so refined that the majority of
barrels were 30in to 32in long. The
barrel is octagonal to 16-sided, then
round with the signature “Stevens,
43 High Holborn, London”.
The rifle barrel is even more
interesting. Again, it is 36in long and
is of relatively small bore at 60-bore.
It has multi-groove rifling and the
rear sight has three folding leaves.
But what makes it really intriguing
is that mounted on the side of the
barrel is a spring-loaded bayonet
some 11in long. This bayonet is
released via a trigger at the tip and
under spring power it flies forwards
when it can then be locked.
A formidable weapon
With the rifle barrel fitted and the
bayonet in its open position, this
Stevens rifle is a formidable looking
weapon with its 36in barrel plus
11in of fluted bayonet added on.
I am at a bit of a loss as to
explain this magnificent Stevens
gun/rifle/bayonet. Encountering a
bayonet on a non-military sporting
firearm is very rare indeed. The
36in small-bore shot barrel is also
difficult to understand on a gun
72 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
The 25-bore three-groove percussion rifle no 362, of 1860
by Alexander Henry complete with bayonet.
bayonet is a Yataghan type with a lug for
fitment to the side of the barrel. Ord was
born in 1807 and lived at Fornham House,
Fornham St Martin in Suffolk, and he was
an honorary colonel in the Yeomanry.
Why on earth he wanted a bayonet
dating from the 1830s. The 60-bore
rifled barrel with bayonet is even
more of a puzzle. I have only
encountered non-military rifles with
bayonets once or twice, but they
were of big bore and were a last-
ditch defence against an angry big
game species. A 60-bore rifle barrel
is more of a park rifle for shooting
deer at close range, so why on earth
would a bayonet need to be fitted?
“This is a top-
quality firearm
intended to be
cosseted in the
gunroom of a
country house.”
It is possible that this gun/rifle was
intended for use abroad, where the
bayonet might offer some protection,
but the bores seem so tiny for the
type of game encountered in the
Empire. Then there is the quality.
This is a top-quality firearm intended
to be cosseted in the gunroom of a
country house not bumped around
on an expedition to Africa.
FRED BIENVENU
with this fine rifle I have no idea, but
perhaps he wanted to look impressive on
the parade ground as this was the era of
the Volunteer Movement.
This interesting rifle is contained in
its original pigskin-lined case complete
Perhaps the engraving gives
us a clue as the lock is finely
engraved with scroll and a prowling
leopard. The patch box is engraved
with stags. The quality of this rifle
is such that it would have been
expensive in its day. Hence, it is
quite possible that an army officer
bought it for sport abroad against
small game.
Social unrest
Another possible scenario is that the
1830s were a time of social unrest
with the Great Reform Act of 1832
and the Chartist demonstrations.
Several landowners feared for
their safety and this gun/rifle with
bayonet might have been bought
for stylish self-defence.
This gun/rifle is contained in
an oak case with full accessories
along with a Murcott of London
label. It is quite an outfit and very
impressive with the rifle barrel and
bayonet on prominent display.
One last question: if you took it
to your local shoot and opened
up the bayonet ready for the drive,
how would this affect the safety talk
and what would the shoot captain’s
comments be?
The intended use of this magnificent gun/rifle is a bit of a mystery. It is possible that it was meant for use abroad,
where the bayonet might offer some protection; another scenario is that it was bought for stylish self-defence.

Dickson With Shot and Rifle Barrels

Due to the proximity to the Highlands, it
was relatively common for the Scottish
makers to supply extra rifle barrels to
create a versatile gun for use in the
coverts and also on the hill.
In the percussion period, John Dickson
& Son of Edinburgh supplied many such
combinations and such a gun/rifle, no
1071, built in 1841, is illustrated here.
No 1071 was ordered as a 13-bore gun
in 1841 by Sir Henry Seaton-Steuart
The reason for the discrepancy is that John
Dickson & Son relocated to 63 Princes Street
in 1848 and Sir Henry must have ordered
the extra rifle barrels after 1848 and had a
bigger case made to accommodate them.
Dickson two-groove rifles with their
corresponding two-winged bullet were
extremely accurate for their day
and though it could not lay claim
to inventing the two-groove rifle,
the Dickson two-groove predates
the famous Purdey two-groove Express
rifle that is always assumed to be the
original two-groove rifle.
FRED BIENVENU

of Touch House near Stirling. The gun

has an extra set of 18-bore two-groove
rifle barrels also numbered 1071. They
have sights graduated to 100, 150
and 200yds. The shotgun barrels are
engraved “60 Princes Street” yet the rifle John Dickson & Son double 13-bore percussion gun no 1071 ordered in 1841,
barrels are engraved “63 Princes Street”. with additional 18-bore two-groove rifle barrels ordered after 1848.

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 73

Is the new Mercedes-Benz GLS capable of matching the likes of Range Rover in the
shooting field? Ben Samuelson takes the new car for a test drive on pages 80 to 81.

74 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

S H O T G U N S | C A R S | S H O O T I N G K I T | S H O O T I N G A D V I C E

THE REVIEW

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 75

 T H E R E V I E W Gun test

A well-engineered shotgun which handles

superbly and can be used on a variety
of quarry, as Mark Heath from West
London Shooting School explains.
M
FR
O
0 0
7
2,
Breda Zenith L 12-bore £
hen you test guns

W each month and

are teaching clients
to shoot every week, you get
used to the measurements and
the handling characteristics
of a wide range of guns. You
would think that there is little
left that would surprise you,
yet the Breda Zenith L we are
testing this month is incredibly
surprising in the handling and
consequently the capability
department. The only other gun
that has completely caught me
out in the same way is the Fausti
32in .410, which was also just a
fantastic shooting experience.
Breda is not a brand that is
well known among shooters
in the UK, unless perhaps you The balance is just
are a regular on the marsh in front of the pin.
and foreshore and use one
of its 31⁄2in magnum semi-
automatics. Breda actually While we are on the subject chambers, however, are 2¾in. to say that if I was out duck
began manufacturing guns in of the barrels, these are fairly Why not 3in, you might ask? flighting and felt the need to
the post-war period with the unique in that they are choked Well, I have put 36g No 3 steel shoot anything heavier, I would
first semi-automatic coming to at three-quarters and full yet loads through my over-under use my semi-auto with its 31⁄2in
the market in 1947, followed by are steel shot proofed. The with a 70mm case and I have chambers. The forcing cones
an over-under in 1953. Being an
Italian brand, it is based, where
else, in the Brescia region. The In the field
brand was brought into the UK I grabbed three boxes of cartridges: some some long, wide targets, the Zenith L delivered
by Viking Arms of Harrogate, 30g pigeon loads, 32g No 5s and, just for some stunning patterns at extreme range with
which has been in the gun trade good measure, some 36g No 5s. Straight all of the cartridges. The felt recoil on the 36g
since the mid 1960s. to the 40ft tower and half a dozen shots loads was minimal and the breaks at long range
The Zenith L on test is the 32in soon demonstrated that the gun handled unbelievable, thanks to the combination of
12-bore with fixed chokes – there exceptionally well. On to the 80ft tower with the long chokes, forcing cones and tight bores
are 30in and multichoke options. the same result; with targets pushed wide to delivering some of the most amazing patterns.
It weighs in at 7lb 14oz so it’s around 45yds plus, I mixed in a few 32g No 5s Probably not for use on your average partridge,
not a complete heavyweight. My and not one clay got past. The handling was but as a specialist high bird gun one of the
preferred weight for 32in barrels just phenomenal and the patterns absolutely best. If you are looking for an all-round gun
is around 1,560g to 1,580g and devastating. On to the 130ft high tower with the multi-choke might be the better option.
these come in at 1,562g.

76 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK


are nice and long at 75mm and
the fixed choking a significant
100mm with a fairly tight bore
size. The technical specification
suggests that the performance
will be interesting. With a solid
mid and top rib – the latter
tapered at 11mm to 7mm –
everything is as I would expect in
a gun that is going to perform.
The stock dimensions are
on the money, a length of pull
of 14¾in with an expected
additional 1⁄8in at heel and 3⁄8in
at toe. The drop measurements
are 13⁄8in at the comb and 2in
at the heel, so not too flat, with
3⁄16in cast-off at heel. The wood
on the test gun was fairly plain
but with a strong grain running
the length of the stock in the
right direction through the
hand to avoid any weak points
and oil finished. The grip on the
stock, together with the palm
swell, was of fairly substantial
proportions, but I have to say
very comfortable. If you have
hands the size of satsumas
rather than pineapples you
might need to get it slimmed
down a bit, an easy job for a
skilled stocker. The wood is laser
chequered and well finished, the
safety is manual with a barrel
selector mounted on top in the
Beretta style.
The gun is exceptionally well
finished with first-class wood-to-
metal and metal-to-metal fit. The
action is low profile, with Beretta-
style locking bolts. Interestingly,
every load-bearing part of the
action, barrels and fore-end is
Gun test T H E R E V I E W
Scores
Engineering: 10/10 This Handling: 10/10 The Zenith Value: 10/10 At this price
gun has been well thought L is one of the best handling you are getting a precision
through and is built to last. high bird guns I have come tool to do a job; from that
The engineering of the load- across, the balance is just perspective you are getting a
bearing surfaces in a way they in front of the pin and the lot of gun for the money.
can be replaced has been well trigger-pulls are first class. Customer service and
designed and completed. The handling and patterns reliability: 9/10 Viking
Looks and finish: 9/10 If are just exceptional; it will Arms has been around a long
you’re looking for a gun with outperform guns costing time and deals in a number
bling then this not for you. significantly more money. of brands and backs them
It is, however, exceptionally For high birds this gun will do very strongly indeed. This is
well finished and the looks the job well. I would leave the a new design but the signs
match the job it is expected chokes as they are, and for are that it will take a lot of
to do – perform on shooting me the slightly chunky grip punishment.
challenging birds. was very comfortable. Total: 48/50
replaceable to ensure that the
gun is always tight regardless of
the hundreds of thousands of
cartridges that might go through
it. The trigger is adjustable to
seven different positions; I didn’t
fiddle with it, though, and shot it
as it arrived out of the box.
If you are looking for a gun
with outstanding engraving and
highly figured wood this is not
the gun for you. This, as you will
see in the test, is an out-and-out
shooting tool.
The action is hand polished
and finished with a treatment
called nickel extreme, which
is almost a mirror finish and
provides extra protection. The The gun is
engraving is completed by exceptionally
laser and then inked by hand; well finished with
first-class wood-
everything is in keeping with the to-metal and
purpose of the gun – to deliver metal-to-metal fit.
performance.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 77
T H E R E V I E W Shooting advice

Cold hands can slow

you down when
reloading, so you could
consider gloves?

Expert instruction
Adam Calvert is a freelance shooting instructor with a global reputation,
offering bespoke training and support. He is also a Fabbri ambassador.
Can you recommend a way to reload
Q a shotgun quickly that does not
compromise safety? I’m all thumbs
when the weather gets colder and was
wondering if a stuffer or a reloading aid
would be a good idea?
This is a question I am asked time
A and time again. Many people seem
to struggle loading even when it’s not
cold and raining, let alone when it’s cold
enough to freeze you to death or you feel
as if you are standing under the shower
whilst on a peg.
My first comment should be that
the more accurately you shoot then
the slower you will need to load as you
won’t have to fire as many cartridges, so
spending time on improving your shooting
rather than your loading is well worth
while. That said, when you are practising,
I suggest that you load for yourself, in
order that you can improve your shooting
and your loading at the same time. I also
suggest that you carry out some flush-
type scenarios, which are undoubtedly
higher pressure, in order to improve both.
As with all these things, practice makes
perfect so the more you load for yourself
then the better you will get at it.
There are, however, things that you
can do to help stack the odds in
your favour, so here are some tips,
tricks and gadgets...
Use a specially designed jacket: if you
are loading out of a pocket make sure
the shooting jacket you are wearing is
specifically designed for this purpose.
If it has a flap on the pocket then there
should be somewhere to tie the flap up
out of the way. When you are buying a
jacket or waistcoat make sure you think
BOB ATKINS
about loading, not just how it looks. I
tried on a waistcoat made by a leading
manufacturer recently and could not get
Shooting advice
my hand in and out of the pockets without
cartridges, let alone with two cartridges
in my hand.
Once you have your chosen jacket or
waistcoat, put more cartridges in the
pocket than you need and shake the
pocket up and down. You will find that
the brass part of the cartridge comes to
the top and the lead points downwards,
so every time you put your hand in your
pocket you stand a better chance of
getting the right end of the cartridge so it
can be loaded straight into your gun.
Pouches: many people now load from
pouches in order to avoid any problems
with pockets. Indeed, I frequently use a
pouch whilst loading on busy grouse days.
The same trick of shaking the pocket
works just as well with a pouch.
Cartridge belts or clip belts: these
are great for most types of shooting,
particularly if you are not firing many
cartridges. For speed, I tend to favour
the clip-off type but these are not always
great if you are moving or walking when
shooting as the cartridges can fall off
unintentionally. They do, however, mean
that the cartridges you take out of the
belt are pointing the right way.
Loadmasters, bags and Gannochys:
people either love these or hate them.
Many Guns absolutely swear by them.
I tend to find when I am shooting that I
want to be able to move around and not
have a bag or Gannochy swinging around
and being in the way – but each to his
or her own. For some people, these are a
great solution.
Shooting gloves: among the other things
that can hamper loading is cold fingers.
Numb digits will mean we are not as
nimble with our loading as we should
be. However, many of us find loading in
gloves difficult. That said, there are now
some shooting gloves that give excellent
feel and dexterity whilst at the same
T H E R E V I E W
time offering good protection from the
elements. These should allow you to be
nimble enough to load quickly. I am a
massive fan of Härkila Pro Shooter Gloves
or Dents Leather Shooting Gloves.
There are other, cheaper options and
one of the most frequently overlooked
gloves in my opinion is a black pair of
heavy-duty nitrile disposable gloves.
These offer great grip and feeling whilst
often just giving enough protection to
keep you warm and dry. I am not a fan
of gloves that use magnets to hold back
a trigger finger as I frequently find a
cartridge attached to the magnet when
you pull your hand out of your pocket.
This then gets dropped on the floor as you
attempt to load your gun.
When all else has failed, there is the
stuffer option: I really enjoy sharing my
days with someone, especially if you know
them well and they can make your life so
much easier, not only stuffing for you but
offering local knowledge on what the birds
do on each drive.
This option is particularly helpful if
you are like me and enjoy working your
dogs as much as shooting. This allows
you to take time to mark birds, especially
wounded ones, whilst your stuffer is
loading for you – and at the same time it
avoids the wrath of the keeper if you are
not loaded and ready for the drive.
Last but not least: no matter which
method you use to load your gun, can I
suggest that, from a safety perspective,
you leave any dropped or fumbled
cartridges on the floor until the end of
the drive and do not load from anything
that involves bending down to collect your
full cartridges from the floor. The last
thing you want to do is to end your day
by sticking your gun in the mud or snow
whilst trying to load. And remember that
part of the fun of shooting is the birds
getting away occasionally.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 79
 T H E R E V I E W Motoring

A comfortable ride is
assured, wherever you
happen to be heading.

A really big, comfortable car that holds its own when

travelling off-road. By Ben Samuelson.

Mercedes-Benz GLS
he Mercedes-Benz I can really remember seeing

T GLS is one of those cars

that has sold fairly well
globally but is virtually unknown
in the UK. With the exception of
a few black-with-black-glass-
and-black-wheels AMG jobs that
you occasionally see round the
back of Harrods, I’m not sure
one in the wild away from car
shows and the like. However, if
you go to the US, where they are
built in Mercedes’s enormous
Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama,
they are way, way more common
than Discoveries. The new GLS
is the car that the Mercedes-

“The GLS made it to the top

of a very long slippery slope, Expect the GLS to be able
despite being the only car there to navigate trickier surfaces
around the countryside.
on standard road tyres.”
80 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

SPECIFICATIONS
Mercedes-Benz GLS 400d
Premium Plus Executive
Price: £91,540
Top speed: 148mph
0-60: 6.3 seconds
Combined: 30.1 mpg
CO2 emission: 213 g/km
Benz UK bosses hope is going
to bring a bit of that success
across the pond.
First impressions are that
it is really, really big. And they
aren’t misleading. This is a
seriously gargantuan car, which
is borne out by the amount of
room that there is inside it. If
you need something hugely
comfortable for fully grown
adults in all three rows, it really
has to be one of these.
Actually, the back seats of
this range-topping version are
incredibly comfortable and it’s
a very, very civilised place to be
driven around in — or at least so
my 14-year-old son said as he
insisted on sitting there on his
way back to school after exeat.
Fold all those seats down and
it takes a van-like 2,400 litres
of kit. By comparison, a full-fat
Range Rover takes 1,943 litres.
The flip side is that it is not
the most wieldy of machines. It’s
a good thing we’re being told to
make sure that we have empty
parking spaces either side of
us nowadays because there is
no chance you’d be getting out
any way other than through the
sunroof if you squeezed a GLS
into a normal parking space.
The new S-Class can be specced
with four-wheel steering. It
would really help its turning
circle if this thing could be too.
That said, after dropping the
boy off at school, I headed to
Oxfordshire for some shooting
the following day (serves him
right for insisting on being
chauffeured) and the GLS
acquitted itself rather well.
Despite coronavirus making
no inter-bubble car-sharing
Motoring T H E R E V I E W
The double digital
screens are among
the best in the world.
possible, I really enjoyed picking But will it sell in decent
my way round some fairly claggy numbers? I’m not sure. This
fields in the big Mercedes. You is a £90,000 car, which buys
can spec it with a £1,495 off- you a Range Rover with a much
road package, which brings a greater sense of occasion than
low-range box and some extra this.
electronic trickery, but I have to However, if you lease your
say that it made it everywhere car — and many of us do
the other cars did, even to the nowadays — they are likely to
top of a long, slippery slope, have some very competitive
despite being the only car there deals that make it quite
on standard road tyres. a difficult thing to ignore,
Finally heading home at especially if you need seven
the end of the day, I was very seats, or the ability to transport
grateful for its fine rolling something truly enormous.
refinement, outstanding It may never be as ubiquitous
navigation system and half- in Oxford as it is Oxnard but,
decent fuel consumption. It may unlike a Range Rover, you can
not be quite as cossetting a ride get it in dark green without
as a Range Rover but the GLS spending thousands of pounds
really does live up to its off-road extra. I think we may be rather
S-Class billing. missing out…
Insider dealing
Speaking of Range Rovers, there has been plenty of talk about
a new one being unveiled next year. It is possible that COVID-
19, and the ensuing financial mess, will mean it is postponed
a bit but there is no doubt that there is a new car on its way.
Spy shots indicate that it will have a bit of a Velar look and the
likelihood is that it will plenty of BMW technology under the
skin like it did 25 years or so ago.
SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 81
 T H E R E V I E W Shooting Gazette Recommends

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82 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

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SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 83

 A spaniel who knows where the birds are retrieves a hen pheasant from
a chilly riverbank during a day’s shooting at Dunskey in December 2017.
DUNCAN IRELAND
E X P E R T A D V I C E | N E W S | O P I N I O N

G U N DO G S
 G U N D O G S Gundog update

REPORTS, RESULTS,
COMMENT AND NEWS
Gundog Q&A By Mike Barnes

My labrador is 14 months old
Q and to date has been very good
in training and progressing well. Just
recently he has gone very flat and
has started to ignore dummies after
finding them and responding less often
to commands. It’s very unusual for
him and I am getting frustrated
and a little concerned. Any ideas?
Let’s assume there is nothing health
A related and it’s happening regularly
in your training and agree between us that
this is not unusual. A gundog in training
can go flat for a number of reasons and
the first might simply be boredom. The
repetitiveness of certain tasks can simply
lead to no interest in a bright dog.
It might be that, as the dog matures
and gets more honed, hunting instincts
and experiences a wider world, it sees
other distractions more rewarding. It may
be the inconsistency of your training and
any lengthy gaps are leading to a loss
of momentum.
It can be that you are training on the
same ground time and time again and this
is quite common.
Whatever the reason, you need to
increase the engagement and stimulus
in your approach. Vary the ground you
work on and try to get the dog working
harder at solving a retrieve.
By this I mean using anything where
the dog has to work out the access to
a seen retrieve — as opposed to one
hidden. Make it more difficult for the dog
to get back to you to improve the game.
Introduce your own new energy and try
not to let the dog second guess you.
The main challenge here is for you
to actually create something different for
you both; use your imagination and break
what is possibly your own routine and give
the dog an achievable challenge.
For example, you could always change
the dummies to fur or feather or some
other high-value item.
For me this is one of the great
enjoyments — knowing what a dog can
do easily, then creating something that is
more interesting and difficult to proof test
it . You nearly always get a more engaged
and responsive dog at the end of it.

Hill strikes the right

chord with new book
If Laura Hill has missed anything out
of this impressive new book, we’d
love to know what it is.
At almost 160 pages, this book
is bursting with training advice
that will help everyone, from the
handler seeking help to those with
ambitions of competing with their
four-legged friends.
From how to manage handler-dog
relationships to getting nutrition
right, nothing is left out. The book is
well written, easy to reference and
bursting with images of the author
practising what she preachers.
It would make a great Christmas
present for anyone who needs a hand
with their gundog training.
Advanced Retriever Training,
by Laura Hill, published by
the Crowood Press, is out now.

86 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

 Gundog update G U N D O G S

Gundog picture THIS

of the month MONTH’S
WINNER
John Finch’s 12-year-old cocker Jack
was the coolest in a very strong class
this month. John writes: “Jack is a
fantastic dog and has spent many years
both beating and picking-up on local
shoots. He is in semi-retirement now
and goes out picking-up occasionally
with our other dogs. He does enjoy his
daily walks, but he has to endure being
dressed up by the grandchildren.”

How to win
For your chance to win either a
Pintail Explorer II smock (top
right) or a Seasons jacket (right),
email high-res images to martin.
puddifer@futurenet.com. Please
put “Gundog Picture of the Month”
in the subject line. The winner will
be chosen by the Shooting Gazette
judging panel. Good luck! *The prize will only be posted to winners with a fixed UK postal address.

Behind the Line Pigeon were already flying

By Gatherer
y phone pinged. It was
M a text from MM. It was
not an offer of undying love
and affection, nor was it on
a par with a letter from your
late great aunt’s solicitors
telling you she has left you
the family grouse moor, but it
was on the same continuum.
The message read: “Pigeons
savaging newly sown wild bird
seed. Can you bring a gun?”
Cecil and I immediately set
off on a recce and, at about
5pm, the grey hordes were
still hurling themselves over
a tall hedge and flopping on
to the field, even though MM,
Cecil and I were very visible.
We noticed they mostly flew
out along a line over an oak
tree, so it was there that I built
our hide the next morning.
Cecil had never been in
a hide before and he wasn’t
too keen, preferring instead
to sit outside in order to get
a better view of the action.
I tried to coax him in and
the best he could offer was
to poke his head under the
netting, thus leaving his pure
white posterior to alert our
quarry to the fact that our
new bit of hedge wasn’t quite
what it seemed.
over the decoys and I nearly lost
my temper with him. I spoke
softly and tickled him under his
chin and eventually he deigned
to join me. With gimlet eyes he
watched as fiendishly difficult
birds came from all directions
and after I’d missed several he
looked at me pityingly, sighed
and lay down in disgust.
He woke up with a start
when a spectacularly high bird
“Dogs have an uncanny ability
to work out the fall of a bird.”
thumped into the hedge 30yds
away. Dogs have an uncanny
ability to work out the fall even
though they don’t have a visual.
Cecil rushed off — mercifully
not taking the hide with him
— ran the 30yds, snuffled
about and was on my
bird in a tick. As if he had
been doing it all his life,
he scooped it up, delivered
it inside the hide and lay
down again.
We had a couple more
then the birds stopped
coming, which I guess
was really the point of the
whole exercise. We retired
in triumph. A couple of
nights later, pan-fried pigeon
breasts, freshly picked
spinach and chips were on
the menu. With a glass or
two of Rioja. And Cecil got
to lick the wok.

SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK DECEMBER 2020 87

The great debate
WHAT
SHOULD WE
BE RAISING
A GLASS
TO THIS
CHRISTMAS?
To me and mine, to you
and yours
By Ben Samuelson
A t Christmas I suspect I will not be raising
a glass to anything much different from so
many of you. By Christmas this wonderful
United Kingdom of ours will have discovered a bit
more of the backbone and community spirit for which
it is rightly famous. Most of us will by then hopefully
understand that we are doing what needs to be done
to keep people safe, while not completely switching
off the economy. We will be getting on with wearing
our masks and not invading each other’s space – and I
sincerely hope we will have stopped whingeing about it.
I would like to think that more of us will have
understood that the rules seem a little bit cockeyed
because the powers that be are desperately trying not to
spend too much money, while trying not to destroy the
economy. We will understand that it may seem strange
that we can do one thing if it is contributing to the
economy, but not something similar if it is not. It makes
a bit of sense, even if it is communicated abysmally.
I also hope that by Christmas, most of us will be able
to toast having had the odd day in the field. We may
have had fewer days, with fewer convivial moments,
but we will be able to raise a glass to the survival of our
sport for another year. We may not see a return to so
many huge bags – but that mightn’t be the worst thing.
As Churchill almost said, it may not be the end of the
end, or even the beginning of the end, but by Christmas
it could be the end of the beginning. The Oxford
vaccine, doctors studying every aspect of this bloody
disease, not least the horrid effects of Long Covid, all
their colleagues doing their jobs every day to look after
us – I shall be raising a glass to them. And to you all.
Merry Christmas.
90 DECEMBER 2020 SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK
To victory and a brighter future
By Giles Catchpole
T his is a trickier question than it looks. In
normal circumstances it would be the work
of a moment to rattle off a few comfortable
suggestions and call it a day.
But these are not normal circumstances and there is
precious little to be comfortable about just now. It has
been said that for those of us born in the last 50 years or
so, this is the beginning of our war years. Many of our
parents and grandparents remember the global conflict
of 1939-1945 and their parents lived through the Great
War before that. Those were times where nothing was
as it was before and after which nothing was ever the
same again. There was great heroism and unthinkable
numbers of casualties.
So perhaps this is the beginning of our war. Certainly
there are battles being fought and undoubtedly there are
acts of great gallantry being undertaken by all sorts of
people. And the casualties are listed daily for all to see.
It’s a different sort of conflict, against an invisible and
insidious enemy for which we were poorly prepared
and ill equipped. The rationing that characterises this
latest conflict is not butter and eggs but time with
friends and family and the familiar companionship from
the pub to the terraces to the cinema via a test match
to a festival, a picnic on the beach or a shoot lunch in
a bothy in the back of beyond.
But I believe – or rather, hope – that in the hospitals
and in universities and the laboratories and research
facilities of dynamic and creative companies across the
globe, brilliant people are working ceaselessly to find the
tools we need to defeat this thing. If they are supported
by the rest of us with the same determination, resolution
and courage that our parents and grandparents mustered
to win their wars, we will eventually win ours.
So after I have toasted the Christmas pudding, HM
The Queen, family and friends — whether present or
not — and the dog, I’ll drink to that. To victory and a
brighter future! That’ll do me.
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