The big question

[Drew]

What a tragic tale. It is sad that there are a few of these types still around, the ones who poison eagles and kites, who will take for their own ends with no thought to the wider consequences. I don't know what we do about these characters.

 

[5ways]

The express train roar from a huge skein of pinkfeet coming into your decoys, the early morning sun shooting shafts of light through the mist at the start of a May roe stalk, a covey of ptarmigan slipping over the edge of the hill in a flurry of spindrift, a walk one, stand one day with a group of people you’ve known for 25 years, cock pheasants going to roost while you’re waiting on February pigeons coming to the wood, a dog you’ve trained battling against a January flood to pick a cock wigeon you managed to scramble down, a venison casserole, watching the pickers up work after a drive, being able to dream on the Boss stand at the game fair, a grouse shouting goback-goback-goback, two buddies to pull you out of the mud, sausage rolls and hot soup laced with sherry between drives, squeaking in a troublesome vixen from two fields away, the look on my boys face the first time he fired a rifle, the hunt clay shoot on a summers evening, loading for a top shot, having a bond with likeminded strangers, watching a peregrine pick off a teal, that hind you didn’t spot until she’d seen you, knowing that the way we run fieldsports in Britain is superb, a shout of ‘woodcock’, splashing home over a flooded field with a bag full of duck, memories of a friend now departed, being on the leader board for the flush…at least until Carl Bloxhams team arrived, a complement on your shooting from the keeper, giving your neighbour a brace of oven ready pheasants, the old boy leaning on the fence, finding sport in unlikely places, haring across a field in the back of a dodgy Subaru pick up, printing a cloverleaf group, a steaming spaniel, a comfy chair, a glass of malt and a head full of memories, that’s why I do it. Because I love it, because there is nothing quite like it.

All of the above plus, the sight and sound of a pack of hounds on a scent, on a crisp autumnal morning, watching a couple of terriers work a hedge, the thrill of the slipping of a greyhound on a well matched hare, standing in the water as the mink hounds cast about on warm afternoon, hearing the turfers lift a stag far away down the end of some secret Exmore combe.

Many years ago I was given a small privately printed leather bound journal, by a very close and good friend now sadly departed. In which he had written the following few lines. Its a quote from somewhere a book or article, that he had read in his early twenties whilst recovering from wounds received whilst involved in the terrible hand to hand fighting for control of the Monte Casino strong hold in Italy 1944

QUOTE:-
Freedom is HUNTING, freedom --that it is which makes the veins to swell, the breast to heave and the eye to glow, aye, that is freedom, --that is pleasure -- that is life.

It just about say's it all for me.

 

[Grantoliver]

Hi legaleagle69. I am sorry to hear the tale, a pretty awful sight that must have made. I am sure that anyone who has shot for any period of time will have seen things that made them question what they do. For me that point has mainly come in the company of others and has lead to me embracing the sport of stalking. Game shooting has alot to answer for. Its impossible I guess, but shoot managers should be alot harder on guns if they display poor safety or discipline. The need to satisfy the guns should not mean that a day is not cancelled or delayed when conditions drive the birds to fly low. I picked the wad out of a pheasant on such a day. I stood and watched (having put my gun down) on one occasion as birds rained down and then, when the drive was over looked behind me to see a carpet of dead and wounded birds. Then of course is the always faithful reared duck. A bird incapable of flight unless really pushed, just so that it can circle around for a bit to give some sport.

I thought this was a good thread as it was thought provoking and the responses were excellent. Drews was wonderful as he expressed in a way that makes me envious, what we have all felt in those moments that only field sports can create.

However, when I am being quizzed by my daughter (who goes to a school full of politically correct children) about why I shoot, 'because I love it darling' does not cut it. As I tried to say in my first post, the fact is that 99.9% of what we get from the sport could be seen through the lens of a camera and not a scope.

If that is true, why dont we.

Is it an unfortunate truth that the pulling of the trigger is THE thing that gets us out of bed in the dark and cold to sit in a hedge and pay someone for doing it.

Thats a lovely quote 5ways. Good to hear from a new member.

Grant

 

[geoshot]

Some cracking posts on this thread!
Drew highlights the plusses of our sport and in a way which most of us could only admire, never emulate.
Leagleagle69 paints a sorry tale of how it can all go wrong, again quite eloquently put.
As I've said before, this is a cracking forum, one that is well worth a return too, especially after a day like I've just had at work.
Thanks guys, I haven't met you and might never, but I honestly think I'm among friends when I'm here.
All the best
Geoshot

 

[5ways]

However, when I am being quizzed by my daughter (who goes to a school full of politically correct children) about why I shoot, 'because I love it darling' does not cut it. As I tried to say in my first post, the fact is that 99.9% of what we get from the sport could be seen through the lens of a camera and not a scope.

If that is true, why dont we.

Is it an unfortunate truth that the pulling of the trigger is THE thing that gets us out of bed in the dark and cold to sit in a hedge and pay someone for doing it.

Thats a lovely quote 5ways. Good to hear from a new member.

Grant

True some of might just be able to achieve that 99.9%, through the lens of a camera. But its that elusive 0.1% that makes that sensation just that little bit different , that little bit more fore filling, more special.

Its not the pulling of the trigger, its the sense of contact with the quarry and all things involved in that contact.

There is nothing purer than the hunting of a hound, be it terrier, beagle, fox hound , grey hound or stag hound. You pull no trigger yet for me the thrill , drive, reward, enjoyment is as great as when I do pull a trigger. on some quarry or other.

It is a fair enough quote Grant, I'm glad you liked it, and its the one that I shall have carved into my marker at some point in the distant future I hope.

 

[alled12]

I have to say there are bundled of brilliant messages on this thread, I would have to agree with all of them. I just thought I would add something, my own little bit. I happen to sit in an office all day, getting out in the countryside even if I dont shot anything is all part of the experience. It takes me away from the corporate world I live in and gives me a signficant release. Do I enjoy killing well, I tend not to think about that to much, ask me after a few and I'll let you in on that one. More I think of it as the coming together of lots of practice and hard work. I have the utmost respect for what I shoot, always will have and I eat most of it, what I dont the local predator population mops up. I must admit to enjoying long range exploits, but before anyone says anything not on deer, the thrill with them is to get close, thats why its called stalking isnt it. Theirs something about the cold crisp morning air, the sound of the frost laden grass as it crunches and crackles under your footsteps. The feeling of complete solitude or sharing it with someone who appreciattes what you do as a hobby. Pulling off the shot when all of what you have practiced, learnt and tried to take in comes together in an instant. What we do is a precision science and gentlemen from what I see and read on this forum, we're pretty good at it. I dont no if this adds anything to the other messages but for me, what we do is the most personal thing on earth, a powerful thing. Anyway enough I look forward to reading more on this thread shortly.

 

[legaleagle69]

I have just thought of a lighter note through one of Grants comments, I am in a syndicate as a few of you know and actually made it out for a rare days walking about with the chap who runs it and a couple of Irish lads who were paying clients.
We had a couple of walked up semi drives which produces some very nice birds, after a break for lunch it was decided to go fight a couple of ponds but as most were frozen over we ended up way up in the Welsh hills sneeking down on to some "very easily spooked" duck..
After spending ages walking down this treacherous bloody valley paired up syncronised watches, with military precision and stealth sneaked up on the pond only to find not only were they going to flight they seemed quite happy to see us and swam over to say hello and see if we had any sanwdwiches left... me and my girlfriend just burst out with howls of laughter so loud we did actually prompt a flyby leaving a very red faced guide who shall remain nameless ( he still swears it was the walk down that left hime red faced) Priceless

 

[stone]

leagleeagle
that sounds priceless , which part of the welsh country side were you in?
stone

 

[legaleagle69]

Just up the road from Corwen

 

[stone]

Just up the road from Corwen

hi leagle i was part of a syndicate just a bit higher than there in ruthin to be precise and one night after a days walked up we went for an evening flight and the only thing that came in was a moorhen at which the fella running the day shouts out teal quick shoot it i shouted moor hen so he then shot it and lone behold my wild spaniel quick as a flash was out on the water , gathered and brought back this said teal , as a good little boy i waited till the flight was over and presented this bird to the fella and said ' best stick this in your pocket' to my surprise he said thank you and asked if i could keep it quiet from that day he never put his name down on the same days that i did i not sure why as i never made a big thing of it
but never mind that are there many deer up there?
as i hav never stalked that area?