Shooting Gazette – September 2019

12 SEPTEMBER 2019 WWW.SHOOTINGGAZETTE.CO.UK

WINA PAIROFDUBARRYBOOTS

THEWRITERoftheLetteroftheMonthwillreceivea pairofWexfordboots

fromDubarryofIreland(RRP£325).Theknee-length,side-zipboots– designed

forbothmenandwomen– arehandcraftedfromwaterproofDryFast-DrySoft

breathableleathers.Thehighqualityofthebootisreinforcedthroughoutwithan

insulatedGORE-TEXliningthatwicksmoistureawayfromthefoot,ensuringthe

wearerremainsdryandcomfortableallday.Dubarry’snew,hard-wearing,

durableoutsolegivesmaximumgripwhateverthegroundconditions.

Letters

LETTER OFTHE MONTH

Readers’ letters

I

attendeda children’s

festivalrecentlywith

familyandamongstthe

standswasGreenpeace.

TryasI mighttoavoid

conversation,one

determinedyoung

ladystruckoneup.It

startedabouttheir

displayandthensheasked

if I wasinagreement with

theirpolicies.

Now,I canseewhyshe

mighthavethoughtI was

a bigfanofGreenpeace

asI wassportinga weird

andwonderfulhairstyle.

However,thiswasa

questionI wascautiousto

answergiventherewasa

lotofyoungstersinclose

proximity.I saidpolitely

I didn’twanttogetinto

a conversationbutshe

pressed the matter again

soI saidalthoughI agreewith

some,thereareothers policies I

donotagreewith.

Shewasintriguedastowhat

I didn’tagreewithsoI informed

herI waspassionateabout

thecountryside(allsmilesat

thispoint)andI wasalsoan

activegameshot.Thelook

ofhorroronherfacewasasI

expected;whatI didn’texpect

wereherquestionsafterwards.

Sheaskedmeif I meantI shot

andkilledgameandasI stood

firmandgavemyreplies,her

horrorturnedtointerestand

shewasfascinated.Shehadno

understandingofhowa shoot

wasrun(Idoubtmanywho

volunteerforthecharitywould)

andtheamountofpeoplewho

canbesupportedbya shoot,

nevermindthebenefitsforthe

countryside.Inherwords,she

thought birds were released

Education about game shooting is key

Beproudnot

apologetic

IhavejustreadSimon

Peniston-Bird’sinterviewwith

TimMaddamsandothers,

whichseekstojustifyour

sportofshootingonthe

groundsofeatingwhatwe

shoot.I startedshootingin

myteensandI amnowwell

intomyeighties.I havenever

felttheneedtoexcusemy

totallylegalsportonany

groundswhatsoever.Themeat

weproduceisexcellentand

should,ofcourse,beeaten

wheneverpossible,butit isnot

thereasonforshooting.Itis,

sofarasI amconcerned,for

thesheerpleasureofbeing

outinthecountrysidehunting

withourdogs(evenif they

canbea tadunruly)andwith

like-mindedpals.Forthose

whocanaffordthemthesame

principlesshouldapplyto

large-scale,drivenshoots.

Asa footnote,I am

morethanwillingtoengage

withthosewhowishto

banoursports,especially

grouseshooting.

Peter Harrison, by email

Practicemakes

perfect

YourJuneissueraisessome

interestingissuesontheability

toshootwell,asillustrated

bythebanterofMessrs

SamuelsonandCatchpole

(TheGreatDebate),whooffer

anamusingappraisaloftheir

lackofshootingskills.

Weallknowpractice

makesperfect,inmost

cases,however,beyondthe

assessment of just having fun

froma pen,shotatand

thendumped.Shewasn’t

judgementalaboutwhatI

hadtosayandapologised

forbeingnaiveoverthe

topic.Shesaidinsteadof

listeningtoherpeers,she

wouldlookatgettinga

betterunderstandingofit

forherself.I couldn’tsway

hertobecominga meat

eaterbutshesaidit had

givenhera betteroutlook

onshootsandthatit wasn’t

“asmurderousasshehad

beenleadtobelieve.”

I wasinthedoghouse

withmyfamilyfortalking

butI amgladI tookthe

timetoeducatesomeone

andhopefullychangetheir

opinionoftheshooting

fraternity.

SamanthaBanks,

by email

andhavinga jollyattheclay

groundthereisa fundamental

pointthatmostscribesseem

to miss when encouraging

otherstotakeupthesport:

thetransitionfroma fakebird

totherealthing.Wehavea

moral responsibility to shoot

wellwhenit comestothereal

thingandjustclippinga few

edgesoffa claydoesnotmean

you have executed a clean kill.

SHARE YOUR VIEWS Email: [email protected] Letters may be edited for clarity or space