SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE • 11Email your letters / [email protected]HIGHLANDSTALK
Astheseasonheatsup,
MeganRowlandgoesin
search of a red stag.SEASONPREVIEW
Arewefallingoutoflove
with wildfowling?ALLCHOKEDUP
Teague:thebestchokesin
theworld?The Editor goes
to find out.LEARNA CRAFT
Is fieldcraft a dying art?...AND MUCH MORE!NEXT WEEK IN‘‘Thewildlifeoftodayis notourstodisposeofasweplease.
We have it intrust.Wemustaccountforit to those who
come after.’’King George VIclearlytakesa similarapproachto
you,MrThompson,butI suppose
it’shighlyunlikelyhe’severgoing
to get a dressing down.
GIVEA PLATFORM
IsuggestthatShootingTimes
invitesWildJusticetocontribute
anarticletoexplainitsmotives,
objectivesandprinciples—
orwhynotpublishaninterview
withChrisPackhamandco?
I donotunderstandthegroup’s
objectiontoshooting.Isit OK
toshootratsbutnottoshoot
woodpigeons?Whydoesn’tWild
Justicecampaignagainstthe
slaughterofbeef,pigs,sheep,
chickensandsoon?
Yearsagomyjobtookme
toabattoirswhereI witnessed
occasionsofcruelty.MrPackham
is a vegetarianandI respecthim
forthisbutI donotunderstand
hisconcentrationuponand
antipathytowardsshooting.
It is simplyanotherway
toharvestfood;is it wrong
toenjoytheharvesting?
Aretheothermembers
ofWildJusticevegetarians?Why
is WildJusticenotcampaigning
againstthekillingofanimalsfor
food—somebyhalal—which
bringssix-week-oldchickens
tothesupermarketshelf.
Weintheshootingcommunity
needtoadvancefromangerand
frustrationtounderstandingour
protagonists’viewsthe better
tofrustratethem.
K.Salad,Lancashire
See the Editor’s letter, p.4.
BESTINVESTMENT
HavinglistenedtoCharlie
JacobyandguestsintheCarter
JonasGameFairTheatreand
visitedtheirstands,I amnowa
memberofthebigfour—BASC,
GWCT,NationalGamekeepers’
Organisationandfinallythe
CountrysideAlliance.Theyall
havespecialindividualstrengths
but,united,theyforma valuable
lobbyingbodyandbetween
them truly represent the cross
sectionofrurallife.Expensive?
Comparedwitha good-quality
coat,no;valueformoney,
excellent.Whatbetterwayto
investinthecountryside,its
peopleandthepursuitsI love?
OnthestandsI metandsaw
a lotofbrandambassadorsfor
varyingproducts.I alsosaw
thousands of ambassadors forcountrylifeandsportsandwas
fortunatetospeaktomanyof
them.WewereremindedbyMr
Jacobyandgueststhatweneed
totakegreatcarewithwhat we
postonsocialmedia.
Likeallambassadors,it’snot
whatwesaybuthowwesayit and
presentit intherightcontext.
J. Smith, by emailKEEPINGIT
‘NATURAL’
Asa youngboy,I wasinvited
bya friendofmyfather’sto
beat.PeterMedforthstarted
a wonderfuldrivengame
shootatRaisthorpeManor
andhissonDavidandhis
wifeJuliahavebuiltonhis
foundation.Thiswasthestart
ofmyloveofcountrysports,
especiallygameshooting.
Fastforward 15 years,my
thenfather-in-law,a true
countryman,introduced
metothewalked-uprough
shoot,somylifelong love
wasformed.
Fastforwardagain.
I wasincensedtoreadthat
WildJusticeis considering
challengingourrightto
releasepheasantsintoour
‘greenandpleasantland’
(News, 24and 31 July).Do
thesedeludedpeoplereally
believethatour‘natural’
countrysidewouldbeas
it looksandis withoutthe
careful,dedicatedandoften
underpaidhardworkofallthe
keepers,gilliesandrangers?
Nevermindthoseofuswho
beat and pick-up for loveofworkingdogsandgood
company,notforpay.
I wouldalsoliketoknowthe
lineageofMrPackhamtosee
if hisbloodlineis indigenous
tothisgreatlandorwhether
theintroductionofpheasants
bytheRomanspre-dates his
ancestors’arrival.
WildJusticerefusesto
acceptscientificevidenceto
supportthepro-shootingand
conservationgroupswithin
ourpopulation.Theyshout
downdistinguishacademics
andsidestepanyonewho
canexposethemforthe
misguidedsoulsthattheyare.
Havetheyevenbegun
toconsiderthedamage
theirmisinformedviews
willhaveonthevastrural
communitythatreliesonthe
countrysportsindustryforits
livelihoodortop-upincome?
If theviewsofWildJustice
prevail,allI canseeforthe
futureis a barrenlandruled
bycorvidsandpredators,
andwhenthereis noother
creaturetopredatetheywill
disappeartoo.Howverysad
forourfuturegenerations.
C.E.Bamforth,
West YorkshireOurbeautifulcountrysidewouldbecome
barren and bare without management