Shooting Times & Country – 21 August 2019

I

shootwithGermanrifles.I drive
a Germancar,doa lotofwork
fora Germanfamily,speak
passableGermanandhavebeen
fortunateenoughtospendquitea bit
oftimesamplingGermany’s sporting
cultureandtraditions.
Thedifferencesinapproachand
seemingboundlessenthusiasmfor
regulationsandqualificationsset
ourcontinentalfriendsmilesapart
fromoursportingnorms.Readily
availabletraining,radioearpieces
andmyriadsafetyrules,plusthe
universaladoptionofhigh-visibility
clothing,makethewholeendeavour
considerablysaferandfarmore
controlledthanit mightfirstappear.
I’malwayskeentolearnfrom
anybodyworthlisteningto.I have
importedoneoftheelementsofmy
sampledcontinentalsportandfound
it tobeideallysuitedtoourconditions
at home— thehuntingtower.
Regularreaderswillknowthat
mystalkingis distinctlylowland,with
arableanda mixtureofestablished
woodlands,togetherwithextensive
C.WARREN new hardwood planting — much of

/R. HARDY / ALAMY

40 • SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE

it nestledamongthetightchalk

valleysofWiltshire,withmany

hamletsincloseproximity.Highseats

area necessityforsafeandsuccessful

stalking,affordinga stableshooting

platformandgettingyourhuman

scentwellabovethehypersensitive

nostrilsofthecervinae.

Sightlines

Highseatsgenerallyneeda treefor

supportandthereinliesthefirst

problem— a treethatis toosmall

tendstoreportanymovementas

noisefromtheleaves.Myoverall

interestis usuallytoprotectyoung

trees,soit seemsperversetohack

branchesfromolderspecimens

toprovidethedesiredsightlines.

A tallandsolidtreeis therefore

requiredandthatcanbea bigask

inthedesiredlocation.Onmynew

tree-plantingprojectsI’veplanned

aheadfordeercontrol,withlongrides

leftthroughtherowsoftreeguards

thatofferbotha safebackstopat one

endandoftena sizeableoakwith

highcanopyat theother.Theaimis

to provide the ideal home for a high

Germantraditions maybedifferent tooursbut thereis muchwecan

learn from them, not least their hunting towers, says Richard Hardy

Thismediumheighttoweris bigenoughtoallow

two stalkers to sit and wait fairly comfortably

Towering

ambition

TheRolls-Royce

ofhuntingtowers,

roughlythesizeofa

small garden shed

West Country stalker