Shooting Gazette – September 2019

16 SEPTEMBER 2019 WWW.SHOOTINGGAZETTE.CO.UK

SHOOT BRIEFING

InJuly,thecountrysawthe

biggestelectricalstorm

manycouldremember.In

the 48 hoursfollowingit,the

countrywasagainvisitedby

sturmunddrang,thistime

intheshapeofournewPM,

BorisJohnson.Hewasted

littletimeafterhisanointing

toputintoactionthebiggest

cullofincumbentcabinet

ministerssinceAttilatheHun

sackedtheleadersofthe

Ostrogothsin452AD.

It is fairtosayBorisis not

universallylovedor,indeed,

hated,butis viewedwithdeep

suspicionbymanyaslooking

moreorlesslikethespot

markedwitha crosswherethe

accident happened. Or might

Shots from the shires byJohn Walker

happencome 31 October,when

another 100 daysofhandtohand

combatinWestminsterwillhave

provedordisprovedtherousing

actionandhighemotionalismthat

markedhisfirstpublicutterances.

Amongstthechanges,Michael

Govelosthisbattletoretain

theDEFRAportfolioandwas

replacedbyTheresaVilliers,

notsomeonewithanyobvious

ruralexperience.If socialmedia

wentintovituperativeoverdrive

overJohnson,thelegionsof

keyboardwarriorsintheirdark,

dankdungeonshitthewebover

Villierstooandif oneactuallytook

theselooniesseriouslyshewas

apparentlyatoneremovefrom

theDarkLords,beingpro-Brexit,

pro-hunting, badger culling, selling

offforests,fracking,raising

subsidiesandapparentlyanti-

targetsforgreenhousegas

emissions,fly-tippers and live

animalexports.

A formerEurosceptic

MEP,withtimeservedin

thetreasuryandNorthern

Ireland,everyself-styled

environmentalistis after

herear,frompreservingthe

greenbelt,embracingclimate

changetobanningHS2,

butherinterfacewiththe

agriculturalcommunitymay

proveabrasive,particularly

Welshhillfarmersandsheep

exporters.Govegotthepoint

farmingandtheenvironment

is importantsolet’shope his

legacy endures.

TALKOFTHETRADE

JamesCrowther,headkeeperatUpperwoodEstate,on

howhehaslearnttomakehisshootworkinharshconditions.

Keepyourpoultshealthy:

Tryingtogetpartridges

tosettleonmoorland

edgeswherefewwould

livenaturallycreatesa

headacheinitself.If birds

don’tcomein100%healthy

andgetupsetstraightaway

youcangu t th

willbeprob

fromthest

needtoget

ontothesa

foodthey

wereeating

atthe

gamefarm

because

they’llbeu

toeatingit

aboveallli

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PinehurstRoad,Farnborough,
HampshireGU147BF

EDITORIAL
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EditorMartinPuddifer
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GroupartdirectorDeanUsher
SubeditorsDiCross,Victoria
Rea,RichardReed,NicolaSwinney
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Groupmanagingdirector
AdrianHughes
Managingdirector
KirstySetchell
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Manageexpectations:

There’snowa demand

forreallytallbirdsthat

challengethebestshots

intheworld.That’sall

wellandgoodbutfrom

experiencecreatesa big

problemforthehost.

Perfectconditionsdon’t

comeoften,maybeonce

a fortnight.I havenoticed

thisexpectationtoget

straightoutofthevehicle

andshootattheextreme

birdsfromtheget-go,

puttingmassivepressure

onthegamekeeper.Aslong

asyou’rehonestwiththe

Guns,mostunderstandyou

aretryingtogivethebest

sportpossible.Onthese

daysit’sbesttotrytoleave

yoursignaturedriveuntil

theendoftheday.Itcan

beallthatisneededtoput

smilesonfaces.

eatingit.If youdon’tyoucan

betthepoult’sstresslevelswill

increase.Stressisoneofthe

majorfactorsinanydisease.

Beongoodtermswithyour

gamedealerandvet:Hours

makehugedifferenceswhen

birdsstarttobecomepoorly.

G th dysyoucan

decidewhat’s

ndstartself-

medicating.

Withso

many

fferent

asesaffecting

u needa good

ipwithyour

morvetto

heckedout

y.