Hiding in the shadows

I guess I never knew any different as a child. My father would appear on a winter’s afternoon, a brace of pheasants in hand and we’d pluck them together, after which he taught me how to draw and dress them, cleaning them meticulously. They’d be dinner the next day and we’d all count up the shot on the sides of our plates after nearly losing teeth.

As I got older, there would be brushing (beating in Suffolk), my first airgun aged 10, complete with all of the rules and what was expected of me drummed into me until safety became second nature. We all had air rifles, the boys from the next farm, kids from school, all of us. We’d keep the grain stores clear of starlings and pigeons, shooting every hour we weren’t fishing or working over the long summer holidays.

None of us knew any different. We shot, our fathers shot, My father’s gun a well looked after AYA Yeoman that was given to him by his employer and cleaned fastidiously by me at every opportunity. I adored the process of taking off the fore end, stripping it down, rodding the barrels and snapping it back together again. Mostly I just loved the smell of the 303 gun oil.

Working at a game farm and shooting school in my teenage years probably did nothing to broaden my horizons beyond my countryside roots. But what an education, working for a former GB team clay shot, a true countryman, an eccentric and a maverick.

So what’s my point? My point is that I don’t remember anyone from my formative years hiding what they did. They were countrymen and women. Shooting and countryside management was all they knew and they were proud to live that life.

Have things changed that much?

Fast forward a few decades and now it seems that everyones hides. The vast majority of shooting and shooter’s social media accounts are private and who can blame them? As a community, the news is full of negative stories about Defra, Antis, Wild Justice, Chris Packham, the RSPB and gun licensing. General licences have curtailed much needed pest control and GL43 has restricted the release of pheasants, adversely affecting shoots and putting the livelihoods of gamekeepers and everyone involved in many shoots at risk.

The news may be bleak, but does that really change anything on a shoot day, on a stalk or on the foreshore at dawn? Does that change the fun of spending time with your friends at your local syndicate, the getting together in the depths of winter, the stories, the banter and the laughter? We still have those wonderful things and we’ve got to enjoy every single moment. So let’s not hide the fact that we shoot. We shoot, we enjoy shooting and we should be proud of that fact. We are not alone, there are over 7 million hunters in Europe and over 15 million hunting licence holders in the US. We mustn’t allow ourselves to be treated as pariahs just for enjoying the countryside and taking fur or feather for the table.

Some help from above wouldn’t go amiss though and I’m not talking about divine inspiration. It’s 2023, and every industry needs their influencers. Who’s going to stand up and be counted? Jonny Carter does a wonderful job with TGS, as does Charlie Jacoby at Fieldsports Britain and, of course, the wonderful team at GOP.

Conversely, the King hosts his own shooting party every year at Sandringham, yet we never see him with a gun, or holding a brace or two. Likewise, The Prince of Wales is well known to be a very keen shot and Princess Kate hosts her own shooting party with family and friends every year, but we never see it and so we never get the benefit of their endorsement. The pressure on the Royal Family is immense, of course, but if they are not banging for drum for our sport, it gives the public the impression that, deep down, we feel ashamed about what we do.

In Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik hosts an annual Royal Hunt at the Gludsted Plantation, one of Denmark’s largest plantations with 34 square kilometres of forest. The Crown Prince spoke about the hunt in glowing terms: 

“I always make sure to have an ongoing renewal and inquire about who may have their hunting licenses. It is exciting for people to be part of such a great hunt here. It is good to be back outside and have a good nature experience together in West Jutland. It is something that is very important to me to have the opportunity to bring people who know the area better than me, who also go hunting, to bring them together. And enjoy each other’s company. There are lots of animals out in the woods, and it is also important to regulate so that there are not too many animals out in the woods”.

Here speaks a true advocate for the shooting fraternity.

Despite the reticence to stand in the spotlight, I know that we’re not ashamed. Across the length and breadth of this beautiful country there will be shooting parties this weekend. There will be wildfowlers buried deep in a marshy hole on an evening flight, clay shooting competitions, airgunners carrying out vital pest control, ferreters ferreting and everyone will be having a good time doing what they love.

Let us celebrate that, let’s share that love. Never again should we feel awkward, or that we have to keep quiet when people are discussing their hobbies or endeavours in the pub or at parties, or keep our social media profiles private in order to post about the wonderful time we’re having.

By all means arm yourself with facts about the benefits shooting brings to the economy, the countryside and biodiversity, and be mindful of images that might be graphic, but let’s start shouting about it.

We are a diverse group of people from all walks of life and every social class, men and women, young and old. Those that don’t like what we do will never like what we do, so let’s stand up, be proud and show the World that we’re not ashamed.

I refuse to hide. I am the grandson of a poacher, the son of a farm manager and now, after what feels like a lifetime, I am a part time gamekeeper. I shoot, I fish and I do all I can to protect and nurture the environment for the benefit of all wildlife, and for that I am proud.