Guineafowl might be short sighted, but with their twenty twenty hearing, they have the intelligence to clock when you might be after them. Here's the best way to catch a guineafowl.
Guineas can run very fast and have extremely strong wings. The Field knows how to catch them.
Knowing how to catch a guineafowl is a useful skill for those who have the birds in garden or field. They can be notoriously difficult to wrangle, so it is worth seeking advice from The Field’s Country Queries on how best to catch a guineafowl.
As soon as you have made your handy trap, sit back with our other useful smallholder tips and wait for the bird to take the bait.
Last summer a colony of bees took up residence in my attic. I have no wish to harm the squatters, More…
Once you have caught your guineafowl and transported it home there are myriad recipes your can use – if the bird is not purely a decorative feature. Or the feathers make extremely fetching additions to a hat.
QUERY: I have been offered the chance to rehome four guineafowl but have to catch and collect them myself. Can you give me some advice?
SR, Suffolk
HOW TO CATCH A GUINEAFOWL
ANSWER:
Field readers recommend how to catch a Guineafowl.
Dr Mike Swan of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust offers the following advice.
“To catch a free-range guineafowl I would suggest using a pheasant catcher borrowed from a gamekeeper. This is basically a multi-catch cage trap based on the lobster-pot principle, with a funnel entrance. Simply set it out where the birds customarily feed and bait it with a sprinkle of corn, putting a few grains outside the entrance as well to show the way in. You can even pre-bait a site to get the birds used to feeding in a specific place. If the guineafowl seem suspicious of the catcher, lay it on its side near the feeding site so that it cannot catch. As the birds gain confidence you can feed progressively closer to draw them in.”
The pheasant professors are unbeatable in their category. These ten can shoot archangels with aplomb.
Maund employs Browning and Miroku 12s to superb effect.
Pheasant professors can deal with high birds. Want to know why they make our list? Read on. These ten top shots stands heads above the others when it comes to dealing with pheasants.
TOP SHOTS 2015: PHEASANT PROFESSORS
Mark Denning
A regular at Haddeo (20 years) and Combe Sydenham (15) he “not only shoots the highest of birds cleanly but he does so against all the odds as he constantly switches throughout the season between his pair of Purdey side-by-sides and his Beretta over-and-unders with a multitude of different cart-ridges. Keeps his spirit of fun throughout the day with no outward signs of competition but relying wholly on natural skill. He really is very good!” Happily, this paragon pheasant professor does have one vice: getting his aging Audi stuck and asking the keepers to rescue him.
Simon Ford
A fixture on the high-bird circuit, “Fordy’s” commitment is such that he even went to a fluffy-towel retreat for “treatments” to get into fighting form for the season. Rumoured to be giving Mary Berry some tips for her next Aga book, having found that his FOB cartridges like a spell in the warming oven.
Colin French
According to one agent, “he never has an off day like the rest of us.” While others fiddle with chokes and squibs, French “just uses the same guns and loads throughout the season with devastating effect”. Also runs his own small shoot, doing all the feeding and keepering.
John Heagren
The Bisley Shooting Ground’s shooting manager has been at the top of the coaching game for 20 years. The one old dogs turn to when they need to learn new tricks, Heagren shows how it’s done on the real thing, felling archangels with the heavy artillery that’s now standard kit on the high-bird shoots.
Caspar Macdonald-Hall
Based at Castle Hill, he has shot at “around 2.5 to 1 at the highest pheasants, making him the most consistent gun I’ve seen this season and the most competitive,” says one informant, adding, “he’s always pushing the boundaries of our sport and his ability.”
Andrew Maund
Renowned for killing his birds cleanly and in front. On archangels Maund employs Browning and Miroku 12s fed with High Bird RC4 Oro 35g No 4s, a combination that resulted in him shooting, “over 80 super-high birds on one drive in Gnaton, Devon, without missing’’. Looks like John Bull and comes armed with a sense of humour that can offend lawyers.
Nigel Mustill
There are men who shoot and then there are shooting men. Mustill is definitely one of the latter, says our informant, “being a first-class pheasant-shot, a top bloke and one of only a handful of real sportsmen I see nowadays”.
Ian Musto
“If there were an Olympics for game-shooting he would be in the GB team,” says one fan. “Accurate, lightning-quick and deadly, the pheasants don’t even know they are dead. An all-time great shot and modest with it.”
Dan Reynolds
The Roxtons consultant has been on Exmoor as long as the Doones and manages Milton’s and Wellshead. As such, he sees a lot of rather tall pheasants and has worked out how to drop them on the “rare” occasions he carries a gun. One of the old-school sportsmen who makes that part of the world so special. .
Simon Rood
Now gunroom manager for William Evans, Rood “is a real high-bird supremo,” says one witness, “killing the highest and fastest pheasants in the beak with his Miroku”. His employers must be pleased as, “there isn’t a day’s shooting that he has turned down since I’ve known him,” a friend comments.
The pheasant professors are exceptional sportsmen and we look forward to seeing them in the line this season.
With the glorious 12th fast approaching who are the boys who will dominate the moors this season? We reveal the grouse gurus.
You can probably count the days when Jonathan Kennedy isn't shooting on one hand.
The mantle of the grouse guru rests lightly on these 10 shoulders. But they tumble birds with deadly accuracy. It is sport enough to watch them on the hill this season.
TOP SHOTS 2015: GROUSE GURUS
Nick Baikie
A former grousekeeper – he came up through the ranks under the guidance of Jeremy Wearmouth at Gunnerside – Baikie now manages a significant portfolio of grouse moors. In his late thirties and fiercely fit, “he’s right up there with the best,” according to one admirer, who cites his killing 38 late-October grouse with 45 shots last season using 32g No 6s from a pair of fully choked Churchills. Friends consider he has the natural hunting instincts of a Cherokee, giving rise to his nickname, Three Bears.
Phil Burtt
Recently deified as “Grouse God” in an American magazine, does Burtt instruct his loader to whisper throughout the drive, Memento mori – “Remember [that you have to] die”, to remind him of his mortal status? No need; despite his accuracy, Burtt remains as modest and kind as ever.
Is Burtt a grouse God? The Americans think so.
David Flux
While the trend is for increasingly heavy artillery, Norfolk-based Flux uses pairs of 28-bores and .410s to devastating effect on grouse, a living example of the maxim it’s not the size that matters but where you put it.
Francis Franco
Spanish speed demon Franco is a game-changer.
Wildly enthusiastic with woodcock, Franco is a game-changer on grouse. Accuracy is no longer enough – accuracy with speed is now the standard after the Spaniard showed them what it means to be a quick-change artist. Brings his Spanish “cargador” who loads from a folding seat in the front of the butt.
Johnny Goodhart
A reluctant vote can count far more than gush, which is why we liked, “much to my displeasure, Goodhart still deserves inclusion, for all the tedious reasons of which you are aware.” Goodhart’s consistency on grouse is matched only by the deeply unnatural tidiness of his Range Rover.
An unnaturally tidy Range Rover is this grouse guru’s hallmark.
Jeremy Herrmann
The owner of Muggleswick and East Allenheads remains a top grouse performer and pigeon-shot. His success with over-and-unders on late-season birds is such that a rash of grouse fiends are thinking of trading in their side-by-sides. Quietly generous to country causes, he’s devoted to the pursuit of wild quarry whether feathered or finned, spending weeks hunting the notoriously tricky brown trout of Lough Corrib.
Jonathan Kennedy
Excluding Sundays, there were probably at least two days last season when this grouse guru wasn’t tumbling grouse. He remains as accurate, generous and modest as ever. His ability on long birds is extraordinary and he’ll consistently kill birds at 50yd. Always encouraging lesser mortals, he urges them never to dwell on missed birds.
You can probably count the days when Jonathan Kennedy isn’t shooting on one hand.
Duke of Northumberland
Northumberland’s name “is synonymous with consistency and accuracy”, observes another top shot. His Grulla side-by-sides are deceptively souped up with adjustable chokes and an integrated recoil system, enabling him to shoot a steady diet of 32g No 7 Sipes from 12 August onwards.
Paul Portz
Always good company and never aggressively competitive, Portz’s raw enthusiasm for wild sport is undiminishing. Demon on grouse, he’s also a pigeon fanatic (a coupling common to many in this section). Be careful if you’re invited to dinner – his freezer’s stuffed with things awaiting resurrection as decoys.
Micky Tylor
The owner of the Lanarth woodcock shoot is a key player in the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s woodcock study and is, unsurprisingly, one of the best ’cock-shots in the country. But this Cornish farmer is also a proper job when it comes to driven grouse.
No matter what is driven over these guns they will hit their mark. The all rounders are as comfortable with walked up species days as they are with the big driven days and clays too.
Lord Stafford is "one of the most stylish shots you'll ever be privileged to witness".
Little will inch past these 10 all rounders. Whether walking up a foreshore, after high pheasants or just something feathered and wild you want one of the all rounders as a companion.
TOP SHOTS 2015: ALL ROUNDERS
Sir Edward Dashwood
Endlessly enthusiastic, Dashwood is in hot pursuit of game all year, from double-figure sewin to monstrous boar. He’d admit that he’s no high-bird specialist but if it’s wild, feathered and within 45yd we’d be amazed if it did not fall to his shot. And when it comes to woodcock, he’s had more doubles than a Scot at Hogmanay.
Sir Edward Dashwood is endlessly enthusiastic.
George Digweed
Even if you’re a 23 times world champion it’s hard to impress a Yorkshireman. So when Digweed pointed to the far horizon and told his hard-bitten loader, “that’s where I’ll kill the first brace,” there was a certain degree of silent “oh aye’ing ” – which stopped abruptly as the loader tried to keep up with the cascade of dead grouse. An equally gnarly Westcountry loader writes, “Digweed is still at the top of his game – an incredible reign as World Champion spanning nearly 30 years now. It puts him in the super league of British sportsmen, along with Sir Steve Redgrave, etc, and he is as good on live quarry as he is on clays.”
José “Pepe” Fanjul
Fanjul has a passion for British game-shooting. “From the start of the British grouse season to the end of the American quail season in April, he will be shooting five to six times a week somewhere in the world: grouse at Knaresdale, pheasants at Alnwick, partridges in Spain, duck in Italy or quail in Florida,” we’re told. Uses a variety of over-and-unders and has a kennel of labs and English pointers. “A complete Anglophile”, he serves elevenses at his shoot in Florida from a 1953 Rolls Royce shooting brake.
Fanjul shoots everything, everywhere with a variety of over-and-unders.
Richard Faulds
Last December, Faulds an-nounced his retirement from competitive shooting after a career that included five Olympic appearances, culminating in an Olympic gold medal in 2000. That’s not good news for quarry species, as Faulds will now be able to concentrate entirely on game. High pheasants, late grouse, February pigeon – Faulds excels at them all.
Rob Fenwick
The managing director of EJ Churchill seemed to pop up everywhere last season, from the North Yorkshire moors to the Welsh high-bird shoots. As the old saw has it, practice makes perfect – and Fenwick’s getting a lot of practice, while running the shop with boundless energy. We suspect an excess of Lucozade and/or hidden Duracell batteries.
Francois Michaud
The French “Silver Fox” is considered his country’s “top game-shot” who “simply never misses” with his 30in Berettas, choked full and full and fuelled with 36g of No 4s. We were worried, naturally, by a reference from one admirer to an “impeccable dress sense” but were reassured by the fact he’s so good he’s sponsored by Beretta.
The French silver fox is France’s top game shot.
Lord James Percy
One of Percy’s endearing traits is his willingness to admit when he’s off form (a modesty somewhat lacking in some other top shots). He freely admits in his book, Field of Dreams, to having been “monstered” by some November pigeon and “getting through the first slab without many more than a gamebag full”. But that doesn’t happen often and his usual form is such that we are genuinely surprised when he misses.
Lord Stafford
Francis Stafford remains at the top of his and everyone else’s game, whether it’s high pheasants, grouse or English partridges. Performed flawlessly at the Duke of Norfolk’s wild-grey day last October, tumbling rights-and-lefts while watched by a dolly mixture of sporting hounds. “One of the most stylish shots you’ll ever be privileged to witness,” says an admirer.
Lord Stafford is “one of the most stylish shots you’ll ever be privileged to witness”.
Simon Ward
An extremely experienced hand, who sees thousands of people shoot every year, had no hesitation in naming Ward as, “without doubt, the best all-round game-shot”. “Shooting at Prescombe he was killing everything at a ratio of under 2 for 1.” Part of his success is due to his precise judgment of range: he does not address birds that he is not completely confident of killing cleanly.
Nick Zoll
Not much seems to escape Zoll, whether it’s Englishmen on his syndicate’s wild-game shoot in Norfolk, driven grouse, wigeon on the Wash foreshore or pigeon over chopped maize. Always sharp-set, he was part of a three-man mooch on 30 January that bagged 45 head of 14 species without really trying.
These gun-toting Dianas will give any of our top shots a run for their money. The ladies are at large, with game books to show it.
Claire Zambuni is back on form this year.
These ladies don’t lunch, they shoot their own. And these 10 dead-eyed Dianas will wipe most men’s eyes.
TOP SHOTS 2015: LADIES
Sally Cannon
Married to Michael Cannon, owner of Wemmergill and a class performer on the moors, Mrs C manages to be both “a brilliant hostess and a demon grouse shot”. “She has that happy knack of staying statue-still until the moment critique then – pop, pop – another two grouse are falling dead in front of her butt,” says our northern witness.
Anne-Sofie (“Fie”) Foghsgaard
A regular winner on the European ladies’ competition circuit, the Danish hot-shot hones her driven game-shooting on the family estate in Scotland. Like all proper Vikings, she can hold her drink, seeing off the feeble Englishmen at a recent pre-shoot session in Norfolk.
Anne-Sofie Foghsgaard is a regular winner on the European ladies’ competition circuit.
Charlotte Kerwood
Kerwood won her first trap-shooting Commonwealth gold medal at the age of 15, just three years after she took up shooting, and won her fourth 12 years later at the Glasgow Games. Blessed with Wonder Woman reactions, Kerwood can drop a driven bird while the average male gun is computing “pheasant”.
Serena Orr (nee Williams)
The recently married daughter of Charlie Williams spent her honeymoon adding a black wildebeest and a warthog to her collection of trophies – she already had gold-medal roe and wild boar. Enjoying a reputation as a “Westcountry woodcock hot-shot”, Orr can be found throughout the season “favouring her father’s high Caerhays pheasants, armed with a pair of side-by-side Ariettas that she has used for the last 15 years to deadly effect”.
Orr enjoys a reputation as a ‘Westcountry woodcock hot-shot’.
Lady Katie Percy
The Duke of Northumberland’s shooting gene has undoubtedly been passed on to his daughter. “I stood next to her all day at Alnwick in a January gale and it was quite extraordinary,” recalls one admirer (himself no slouch with a gun). “She was wiping my eye, her mother’s eye and even her father’s and uncle’s eyes – all day long!”
Sally Prendergast
Married to Chris Prendergast, a Wiltshire farmer who’s also a high-bird professor, Mrs P has the advantage of shooting regularly on the family farm, which can easily show birds on the edge of range. Noted for her immaculate hosting of appallingly lively shooting lunches held after the last drive
Louise Stimson
Stimson is a regular loader and picker-up on the grouse moors, which leads to a fair bit of practice at back-end birds and some very bruised egos among males who don’t like being “eye wiped by a girl”. Recently won the ladies’ class in the Golden Grouse competition by a country mile.
Carol Weatherall
Few ladies appear in our awards who really shine at high birds, mostly because they do not get the necessary practice, but Weatherall holds her own, dropping a “right-and-left at Castle Hill, with one falling one side of the aqueduct, and one the other – and that only happens if they’re cloudscrapers”. Is the holding-hands friend of Ron Dennis, the Formula 1 maestro.
Rosie Whitaker
Taken grouse-shooting by her father, Sir Joe Nickerson, when she was nine, Whitaker is now doing the same for her young family. Has sold more than 10,000 copies of her book, How to be Asked Again: How to be the Perfect Shooting Guest. One of the ways is the ability to shoot straight and that ability, plus her charm, sees Whitaker writing a lot of thank-you letters.
Claire Zambuni
The 6ft Diana was out of action in the 2013/14 season with a wing down. But she’s now repaired, changed to lighter Beretta 20s, put in weekly shooting lessons and is back to previous form, shooting a run of right-and-lefts at Brigands’ archangels.
These young bucks are a cut above when it comes to sporting birds.
Shooting 70-plus days a season means Matthew Swift makes our top shots.
The Top Shots 2015 list is not the preserve of the ancient few. These young bucks prove that being just good on game is not adequate, when you are gunning for great.
TOP SHOTS 2015: YOUNG BUCKS
Earl of Arundel
You need decent reactions to be a racing driver and Henry Fitzalan-Howard made a good fist of it, finishing 15th in the Formula 3 Championship in 2008. Like many others his age, he’s now putting in long hours in the City but when he’s in the shooting field his reflexes are put to excellent use. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he excels on the wild grey partridges at the family shoot at Peppering, taking them well out in front.
Mark Gilchrist
The ultimate armed forager, Gilchrist supplies his Game For Everything catering company with the spoils from his own gun, be that pigeon, rabbit or pheasant. Success in the catering world requires cost control and Gilchrist is very frugal indeed with his cartridge-to-meal ratio.
Bertie Hoskyns-Abrahall
Bertie H-A, once best known for his plus-nines, is, we’re rather shocked to discover, named “one of the best landed estates lawyers in the Spear’s 500 list” (whatever that may be). But in the far more exclusive Field’s Top Shots list, H-A still makes the cut, perhaps because one of his specialities is advising clients on the purchase of grouse moors.
Once known for his plus nines Bertie H-A now advises clients on the purchase of grouse moors.
Toby Milbank
The son of Sir Anthony is “as keen as they come. Shuns his immaculate Holland 16-bores in favour of a pair of ‘lager and chunders’, which he wields with ease.” His annual species contest is hot and he is always in the running. “Like his father, he’s fond of the rough stuff.”
Earl Percy
If you’re a Percy it’s almost de rigueur to shoot well and George Percy is no exception. “Wonderfully modest, George shoots everything from grouse to high pheasant with ease,” says our source. “Can already beat his father, Ralph Northumberland, at some of the indoor shooting video games and will soon be challenging on the shooting field itself.”
Frank Speir
“Cuts a distinctive silhouette with a hooked beak like a goshawk and just as deadly,” says our source. “Nothing that looks vaguely within range gets away without a barrel and it is surprising what he can achieve with what looks like a couple of old fence posts.”
Matthew Swift
Shoots 70-plus days a season with three dogs to heel (all steady) and is punctilious about finding wounded birds. Using a Lancaster side-by-side, “he’s a remarkable shot on game. Whether it’s grouse, partridge, pheasant or vermin, everything is in trouble when it’s in range of Matt, “ says our source. “He seems to live the winter in breeks – we can’t understand how he is still married.”
Shooting 70-plus days a season means Matthew Swift makes our top shots.
William Van Cutsem
“The best of the four brothers, which is quite an accolade as they all shoot very straight, William is as stylish and as accurate as his father Hugh Van Cutsem,” reveals our man. “When shooting five guns at Hilborough, William left the front line to shoot as back gun and killed every bird that was missed.”
Peter Wilson
Our young gold-medal hero of the 2012 Olympics has announced his retirement from competitive shooting to concentrate on coaching and running the family farm. Happily, being in arable will allow him the whole season off to display his undoubted panache on those high Dorset birds.
Olympic blade Peter Wilson is a Field Top Shot.
Eddie Wyvill
Wyvill is “mustard keen” and “revels in every aspect of the day, so much sought-after for his reliability, both with gun and in the lunch hut”. Dropped a “stinky-high” pair of Canadas on the Ure last season.
Who are the men and women who are heads above in the field? We reveal the top 50 shots of 2015.
Lord Stafford is "one of the most stylish shots you'll ever be privileged to witness".
Being a top shots is quite simple. You cannot buy a place among the hallowed few.The only real test is this. Are you truly and obviously outstanding when it comes to shooting game? The 2015 top shots fit these requirements with ease.
TOP SHOTS 2015
Editor of The Field Jonathan Young, says:
As part of that unceasing struggle for perfection that distinguishes The Field, this year’s Top Shots list attempts to place the laurel crown of immortality on those who shine in different firmaments. We have, therefore, divided the Fabled Fifty into five categories: grouse gurus; pheasant professors; all rounders; ladies (unquestionably); and the Young Bucks, by which we mean those yet to reach respectable middle age.
As ever, the FF have been selected using one harsh standard: are they truly and obviously outstanding? Our international jury has pondered long, interrogated hard and found the following make the ranks of the heaven born.
So who has made it into our Fabled Fifty top shots? Each category consists of 10 sporiting gurus who are guaranteed to be the recipients of envy and admiration in the line this season.
Celebrate the best of Yorkshire with this delicious Wensleydale focaccia paired with tomato and spring onions. Philippa Davis shows you how to make this simple recipe, which freezes very well.
Yorkshire and Italy combine remarkably well in this delicious bread.
Wensleydale focaccia would definitely make it on to Wallace’s menu. This classic Yorkshire cheese makes an Italian bread perfect for sharing as a starter. Or eating alongside the main course. For more Italian inspiration try our Italian pheasant recipe, or hare ragout with pappardelle pasta.
WENSLEYDALE FOCACCIA WITH TOMATO AND SPRING ONIONS
Serves 10 as a pre-dinner nibble
■ 2 tsp dried yeast
■ 1 tsp sugar
■ 250ml (9fl oz) warm water
■ 400g (141⁄4oz) organic, unbleached, strong white bread flour (plus a little extra for rolling)
■ 1 tsp salt
■ 50ml (2fl oz) olive oil (plus a little extra)
■ 100 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
■ 4 spring onions, chopped
■ 100g (31⁄2oz) Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese, grated
Wensleydale was first made in Yorkshire in the 12th century by monks who had come over from Roquefort in the south of France. It has a creamy sweetness and a lemony tang. Focaccias are perfect for picnics or served warm with aperitifs.
When using flour in any recipe it is best to use unbleached, organic, stoneground flour as it is easier to digest.
In a jug, mix the yeast and sugar with the warm water.
Place the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well and pour in the water mix. Start to combine with the flour then add the 50ml (2fl oz) olive oil.
Knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 40cm (16in) by 25cm (10in). Lay out on a lightly floured baking tray and brush with extra oil.
Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove somewhere warm for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Once the dough has doubled in size sprinkle over the tomatoes, spring onions and cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
Leave to cool slightly before cutting into long slices. (This will freeze well if not all eaten in one sitting.)
This grilled venison cooks sublimely on the barbecue too. Pair with a runner bean, pomegranate and honey salad for the perfect summer dish.
A sensational summer recipe that goes well on the barbecue.
Grilled venison requires a butterflied haunch and a little marinade. Not much could be simpler. Tucking in to a butterflied haunch is a convivial way to feast. The accompanying salad is deliciously light. For more venison ideas try our best venison recipes and our moreish venison sausage rolls.
GRILLED VENISON WITH RUNNER BEAN, POMEGRANATE AND HONEY SALAD
Serves 6 as a main course
■ 1 small haunch venison, butterflied, outer sinew removed
For the meat marinade
■ 20g (3⁄4oz) coriander with stalks
■ 2 cloves garlic, crushed
■ 1 tsp cumin
■ 1 small white onion, skinned and quartered
■ Juice from half a lemon
■ 1 tbsp olive oil
■ 1 tsp sweet paprika
■ 1 pinch chilli flakes
■ 1 tbsp Yorkshire heather honey
■ Salt and pepper to season
Grilled venison makes a great alternative for the barbecue. By butterflying the leg the meat will cook quickly to prevent it drying out but will still have time to take on that fantastic smoky flavour from the coals.
Finely chop the coriander stalks (keep the leaves for the salad), then place all the marinade ingredients in a processor, season with salt and pepper then blitz to a smooth paste. Rub on to the butterflied leg and leave to marinate for between 30 minutes and an hour.
Top, tail and remove tough outer strands from the beans then chop into 2.5cm (1in) pieces. Blanch in salted boiling water until just cooked then drain.
Roughly chop the coriander leaves then mix with the yoghurt, cumin, garlic and honey. Season.
Mix the beans, yoghurt mix and pomegranate seeds and check the seasoning. Delicious warm or cold. To serve, barbecue the marinated fillets on a hot grill (best served medium rare).
BASC's seasonal infographic showing the 'Glorious Twelve' benefits of grouse shooting. As the season beckons what better time to really understand what happens as a result of those days on the moor.
Do you know the 'Glorious Twelve'?
The benefits of grouse shooting are apparent to those of a Fieldy bent. The amalgamation of sport, conservation and food is linked to everything we do with gun or rod in hand. The benefits of grouse shooting are no different.
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) has unveiled an infographic all about the benefits of grouse shooting. They have called it The “Glorious Twelve” benefits of Grouse Shooting. It coincides with the opening of the Red Grouse season on 12th August.
Grouse is a bird best served in classic style. This traditional grouse recipe is the only one you need for More…
Anyone grouse shooting this season should read this list of benefits. It is paramount that we can defend our sport coherently and BASC’s infographic is an intelligent way to present the benefits to all.
BENEFITS OF GROUSE SHOOTING: THE ‘GLORIOUS TWELVE’
BASC’s infographic contains the following facts:
Heather moorland is “rarer than rainforest” with 75% found in Britain.
An estimated £100 million is spent in conservation by grouse moor owners and those who shoot grouse.
Much of this goes to control damaging diseases and invasive species.
79% of the Pennines and North York moors Special Protection Areas are managed for grouse shooting.
Up to five times more threatened wading birds such as curlews are supported on moors managed for grouse shooting.
90% of English grouse moors are within a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Managing the heather essential for red grouse helps preserve and protect the UK’s biggest carbon store in the peat found on grouse moors.
70% of the UK’s drinking water comes from the uplands that include managed grouse moors.
The equivalent of over 2,500 jobs are supported by grouse shooting in England, Wales and Scotland.
40,000 people take part in grouse shooting every year with average shoot bringing together 40 people.
The risk of destructive upland wild fires can be reduced by the fire breaks created by controlled burning.
Grouse are an important source of healthy and delicious food.
BASC’s infographic illustrates the benfits of grouse shooting to the wider world.
Tarquin Millington-Drake has witnessed numerous grouse shots get it right, and sometimes wrong. He explains how to shoot grouse safely and avoid the three big grouse shooting errors.
Be aware of the safety rules and your time in the butt will be rewarded.
How to shoot grouse safely is the primary concern of anyone standing in a grouse butt. You must be aware of the issues before you set boot to moor. Grouse shooting is thrilling but it should always be a matter of safety first. For succinct safety advice read the editor’s top ten tips for grouse shooting in safety. For more in depth advice see below.
SHOOT GROUSE SAFELY
A key to shooting well and making the most of your opportunity is to feel relaxed and avoid hesitancy. And to feel relaxed you need to be sure that your approach to safety is the best it can be. Everything you may have heard is true, and it is too easy for accidents to happen. To my mind, how to shoot grouse safely starts with understanding the most common errors and organising yourself to avoid making them. Then you can shoot with confidence.
1. SWINGING THROUGH
Error number one is swinging through the line and shooting your neighbour. This can be avoided by using the sticks placed either side of your butt. You are responsible for your sticks and you need to feel confident they are correctly placed to prevent you making a mistake, and to suit your style of shooting in terms of footwork and position. Ask your loader’s opinion on placement. If in doubt err on the side of caution; you will be far more at ease and shoot better.
Be aware that, for the right-hander, the more likely side on which to make an error is the left. For the left-hander, it is the right. Pheasant-shots have a tendency to swing through a crossing bird starting from behind but the speed of the grouse is such that a dramatic catch up is required, therefore guns end up swinging through and leaning round or clattering the sticks. Do not swing over your sticks, do not put the gun through the sticks, and do note that the most dangerous butts are the beautiful big, round, stone ones. Their shape means you are able to get ahead of your sticks. Therefore, if placed safely, sticks on a round butt often seem to have a very restrictive window. If you find yourself in one, walk forward and think it through.
2. WALKING PAST YOUR STICKS
“Walking past your sticks” when shooting behind is the second and perhaps the most common error. The sticks will not prevent you making a mistake if, when facing out the back of the butt, you move from within to beyond them (possible in some butts) and are therefore able to address the bird with no restriction. So, the advice here is to stay within the boundaries of the butt sticks when shooting behind; do not walk to the back of the butt where there are no sticks to prevent you making a mistake and addressing a bird as it passes your neighbour.
3. BE AWARE OF THE FLANKERS
The third mistake concerns the safety of the flankers: the men and women with flags on the end of the beating line whose job it is to squeeze the line so the birds go through the line of butts. They are the most vulnerable people on the moor. If you are on the end of the line, how to set up to avoid them may be obvious but if you are one butt in from the end, you will find them less prominent and may hit them, so take extra care. If pieces of moor are being brought in on an angle due to wind direction, those in the middle of the line may also need to be careful in the latter stages of the drive. Some guns and loaders will tell you just to be aware and careful. I like to move one set of my sticks as the flanker moves to protect him or her from me at all times. This involves moving the sticks from time to time but it does not cost you opportunities. You may end up with what seems to be a very narrow window between your sticks but it is not as small as it looks and usually the space to shoot behind safely is enormous. Flankers do not appreciate being peppered, so make sure you are visually in touch with them at all times and ask your loader to keep an eye, too, as in the time it has taken for a couple of shots much can change in a flanker’s position.
My final word on safety is to go easy on the alcohol the night before and on the day itself.
The journey from dufferdom to competence can be a tough one. Tarquin Millington-Drake shares his hard-won advice on how to shoot grouse. This advice is not to be missed.
The ultimate game bird. Shooting grouse is thrilling, when you know how.
How to shoot grouse well is what those heading to the moor for the first or fourtieth time always keep in mind. No one stands in the butt without some trepidation. Grouse shooting is a privilege and you should perform to the best of your ability.
Be inspired by a day on the moor and see what happened on the Helbeck Estate. Or if you’re keen to shoot your grouse as part of something different try The Field’s Macnab Challenge in association with Glenfarclas Whisky, Hine Cognac and Champagne Pol Roger.
To prepare yourself for the moor follow Millington-Drake’s lead below.
HOW TO SHOOT GROUSE
“Just shoot,” was the seemingly unhelpful advice I was given on returning to shooting grouse after a 20-year break. As it turned out, it was good advice once I came to understand the context in which it was given. But how else does one set about preparing and then performing when the dream grouse invitation does finally arrive? Just what lessons need to be learned about how to shoot grouse? With modern grouse-moor management meaning there are more grouse about, an invitation is perhaps more likely now than it has ever been, or you may get a crack at them by taking a day or two at more affordable prices.
As a photographer of grouse and grouse- shooting, I have watched a huge number of people from the worst to the very best but I am not one of the legendary grouse-shots who bounce around the moors; I have made the journey from what I now realise was awesomely crap to acceptable over several years. For the grouse gurus this knowledge about how to shoot grouse seems to come direct from the sporting gods.
So, when the invitation does come, where to start? What can be done off the moor to prepare? Firstly, accept that how to shoot grouse is unlike shooting anything else other than pigeon coming into decoys. If you can, practise on pigeon, perhaps by buying a few days with a professional pigeon guide during harvest.
HOW TO SHOOT GROUSE: INSTRUCTION
There’s no doubt that time with a specialist grouse instructor in a shooting school’s grouse butt is well spent understanding how to shoot grouse. But only if you insist on the traps being tuned to throw head-high targets rather than the partridge-like ones that many places show because of safety concerns. Although this does not adequately simulate the real thing, if nothing else, it prepares you for the environment and safety aspects of how to shoot driven grouse.
Incoming grouse. How to shoot grouse well involves exacting preparation.
It will also reveal whether or not your gun fits properly. It’s possible to get away with a poorly fitted gun shooting pheasants and partridges but when the gun is parallel with the ground your head must be snug with the stock and your eye properly aligned. Also, a good instructor will show you how to use double guns properly, which is an art form (and you will need double guns on anything other than a small day, to maximise the chances of making a bag as the grouse sweep through).
HOW TO SHOOT GROUSE: CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
In terms of equipment and clothing, wear the same as for a normal day’s shooting but lose the bright shirt and tie and go dark green or brown unless you want to be kind to your neighbours in the line.
Regulars on the hill tend to wear boots for ankle support.
A stick is a good idea for your walk across the heather, and a hill bag should contain the all-important safety glasses, ear defenders, midge repellent, some kind of marker to record where fallen birds are, maybe a bottle of water and a dog lead if appropriate.
Do put your dog on a lead; a dog running around the moor during a grouse drive is a bad idea.
A range finder is useful – great for getting a feel for your distances, especially out in front of the butt and for distancing flankers.
HOW TO SHOOT GROUSE: SAFETY
Being a safe shot is crucial on the moor. Tarquin Millington-Drake examines how to shoot grouse safely and the three big errors he has seen on the moor.
How to shoot grouse safely is the primary concern of anyone standing in a grouse butt. You must be aware More…
HOW TO SHOOT GROUSE: YOUR FIRST BUTT
The time has come; you have arrived at your first butt, a magical sporting moment that carries much anticipation. Try to take a little time to look around you. Look at the ground in front and behind. Do not be shy in asking the advice of your loader, especially if he’s a local man. You will always learn something and there’s a very high chance that he’s been in that exact butt a score of times and will have a good idea of what line the birds will take. Also, two pairs of eyes are invaluable so ask him to alert you to any approaching birds. Will the birds coming towards and going away from you be rising or dropping? These details are useful in the heat of battle. Try to choose mental markers (or actual ones if you have a range finder); pick a rock or piece of heather where you should be lifting your gun to oncoming birds. Talk to your loader about it, as the chances are he knows how the birds will come and therefore what feature makes a good marker.
Pick a marker such as a rock or piece of heather where you should be lifting your gun.
Having got comfortable with the safety issue, the next challenge is shooting early enough. That is not to say you should be trying to shoot at them 60yd out. The top shots might be capable of that but their real killing zone is 45yd to 20yd out and they will be aiming to shoot two birds in front. Your objective should be to shoot a bird with every two shots. Don’t think about two. If you get the first one with the first shot then, of course, have a go but pick your bird and focus on it. This is where the ‘‘just shoot’’ comment was right.
When the birds appear follow good advice, and ‘just shoot’.
When the birds arrive at your chosen markers, do not start thinking about shooting or tracking and swinging: lift the gun, do what is natural and just shoot. You do not have time to analyse, just rely on your natural ability. A common problem is that new grouse-shots are unused to shooting at birds without sky so they wait far too long to shoot and the speed of the grouse means they try to catch up far too late, swinging the gun violently as the bird is upon them. This is where markers really help. It is better that approaching birds do not see you, so there is something to be said for keeping low and trying to ensure you are not above the skyline, but usually it is far more effective simply to keep perfectly still until it is time to shoot. If you hide and pop up, particularly later in the season, you will flare the birds.
HOW TO SHOOT GROUSE: AFTER THE FIRST SHOT
You have fired your first two shots, now what? There is much talk about two in front and two behind but the really good shots are good not only because of their accuracy but because of their ability to read what to do next. Too many of us are too quick to chase birds out of the back of the butt (especially if we missed them in front) when some perfectly good birds are following those we have just shot at. We get what is called “turned around” and there is a lot to be said for standing one’s ground and facing forward to avoid this. The problem is: you turn around to shoot, turn back and another grouse is whizzing past you so you turn back to shoot at that and more come and so on. At some point you have to let some go to return to shooting in front. I have numerous photographs of guns shooting out the back while birds pour forward towards them.
Try to stay facing the front and resist being ‘turned around’.
Often, new invitees are asked to shoot later in the season but before the really testing shooting starts. The birds may have begun to “pack up” by then into groups of 100 to 300. We struggle to choose a bird when these packs come through the line and, having missed many, we try to save our dignity by turning around to get one out the back. What we should do is remain still and calm. The packs are often cigar shaped so we should fire two shots in front, stay still, calmly take a second gun and take two more shots and then two more, remaining focused on the front. More often than not, if it is a pack, at least four and maybe six shots can be taken on oncoming birds before the need to turn around. If you turn around instantly, when you face the front again there will be a whole lot of birds upon you that you could have been shooting at.
The beaters are now approaching the line of butts and another feature of grouse-shooting emerges to put you off. We low-ground shots have been taught not to shoot at people, and no matter how far away it is disconcerting. On most moors a horn will sound to stop shooting in front and it is best that you signal to your neighbours when you hear this and ensure they have heard it, too. Nobody will criticise you for stopping shooting in front if you have concerns, so discuss it with your loader, maybe narrow the window between your sticks if you continue shooting or stop altogether if you and your loader think it appropriate. Once the horn has sounded, you should turn around but lean on the front of your butt so that you are well within your sticks and cannot address birds too early, endangering your neighbour. Never shoot high grouse over the beaters unless you have been given specific permission to do so by your host. Even then, the beating line may well give you a hard look as they come through the line.
Soon a second horn will signify that the drive is over. Help pick-up your birds and leave them on the front of your butt for collection. If you are missing birds, tell a keeper or picker-up so they can have a good look.
Grouse-shooting is the pinnacle of driven shooting and one wants to make the most of the day and do well. To achieve that you really have to be right on your mettle. For me, the key was to understand how to shoot grouse safely. Then I could relax and focus on the grouse. Don’t forget to look around you and enjoy the spectacle of the moor itself and some of Britain’s unique and most beautiful countryside.
Jam making at home is the perfect way to preserve fruit. Read our advice on how best to judge pectin levels in your fruit and prepare for the fall of apples and plums.
When producing homemade jam it is important to remember that pectin levels can vary according to season or ripeness of the fruit.
Knowing how to judge pectin levels in fruit is crucial when it comes to perfecting your jam. Not only do different fruits have different amounts of pectin, these levels can vary according to the season or ripeness of the fruit.
There are two sides to jam making. One side is rather jolly and quaint and involves collecting old glass jars, string and fabric; you can begin capturing the essence of flavours and balancing the sweetness of the fruit. However, there is the maddedning technical side too which involves knowing how best to judge pectin levels.
If you want more ideas on how to make the most of your orchard, read our receipe on how to poach strawberries in Napoleon brandy. And if squeezing apples rather than grappling with them in a maslin pan is more to your liking read the below on how to make cider and juices at home.
HOW TO JUDGE PECTIN LEVELS IN FRUIT
QUERY: My jam has provided much amusement over the past year. It has tasted wonderful but has the appearance of coulis. Is there a way of telling whether your mix of fruit has enough pectin in it? JH, Wiltshire
ANSWER:
Field readers recommend how best to judge the pectin levels when making your own jam at home.
“Different fruits contain different amounts of pectin. This amount can vary depending on the season and the ripeness of the fruit. To test whether your mix of fruit has enough pectin, take a teaspoon of the boiling fruit juice and place it in a cold glass, leave it to cool for a minute then add three teaspoons of methylated spirit and swirl it around gently. If a large clot forms your fruit mix has enough pectin in it; if several small clots form it might be worth adding a small amount of pectin; if there are lots of small pieces, then there is insufficient pectin. Sometimes it’s worth simmering the fruit for longer and retesting to check the pectin levels”.
Yorkshire drop is a cross between a clafoutis and a Yorkshire pudding. Philippa Davis tries it with peaches and a butterscotch sauce.
This clafoutis cross Yorkshire pudding is the ideal full stop after dinner.
Yorkshire drop is a cross between a clafoutis and a Yorkshire pudding. Tried one? We hadn’t until but this delicious Peach Yorkshire drop with butterscotch sauce is the perfect place to start. Or try one of our other classic puddings. Blackcurrant sorbet works wonderfully well during summer months (divine made with your own blackcurrants) or the fruit and almond tart is a sure-fire crowd pleaser, and ridiculously simple to make.
YORKSHIRE DROP WITH PEACHES AND A BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
Serves 6-8
■ Small knob butter for greasing
■ 200ml (7fl oz) whole milk
■ 2 free-range or organic eggs
■ 1 tsp vanilla extract
■ 125g (41⁄2oz) plain flour
■ 45g (13⁄4oz) caster sugar
■ 1 tsp cinnamon
■ 3 peaches, stones removed and each cut into 8 segments
A cross between a clafoutis and Yorkshire pudding, this makes a great summer dessert and is flexible as you can use fruits other than peaches, such as plums or rhubarb. We thank Yorkshire for the sauce as butterscotch is said to have originated in Doncaster in the 19th century.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/Gas Mark 4 and grease the sides of a round, 24cm (91⁄2in) baking dish with 4cm (11⁄2in) sides with the knob of butter.
Measure the milk in a jug then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
Place the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl then slowly pour in the milk; whisk until you have a smooth batter. Leave to rest for 10 minutes giving it the occasional whisk. Pour the batter into the dish, drop the fruit in and bake for 45 minutes.
While it is baking make the butterscotch sauce. In a saucepan melt the sugar with two tablespoons of water. Once dissolved turn up the heat and let it caramelise. When a darkish golden whisk in the butter and cream (it will spit).
Serve the Yorkshire drop straight from the oven with a jug of warm butterscotch sauce.
A good functional hat is an important piece of attire for stalkers. Trying to find the correct hat without the flaps and unneccesary frippery can prove tricky.
Finding a hat without too much flair and flaps can be a tricky task.
The correct deerstalking hat is a crucial accessory for any stalker. Spot a hunter stood against the edge of a misty woodline and it is apparent that the correct deerstalking hat is the best way to camouflage, and keep warm.
A smart and well-tailored piece of kit might look the part, but there is no need for unnecessary flaps and decoration. When choosing the correct deerstalking hat, fashion is not be the focus. Your choice of clothing needs to be durable and comfortable to allow discreet movement. It is also essential that deerstalking kits are warm and allow you to camouflage with your surroundings.
The Field has the best advice on what to wear when shooting. We suggest the comfort of natural fibres; a fine merino wool T-shirt worn underneath a shirt tends to do the job.
HOW TO FIND THE CORRECT DEERSTALKING HAT
QUERY: I have been searching for a deerstalker hat without the ear flaps. They were popular some years ago but now seem to be extinct. Can you help?
JB, Devon
ANSWER:
Field readers tell us where we can buy a deerstalker hat:
“A deerstalker hat made with a narrow brim and no earflaps can be purchased from www.scotweb.co.uk. This tweed “Ghillie” hat, handmade in the traditional way, comprises six to eight triangular panels, can be folded in the middle, comes in four sizes (S-XL) and costs £35″. For details, tel 0800 634 8640.
As the grouse season starts and the migration north continues the most important question is how to cook the best roast grouse when you take your brace home. This traditional roast grouse recipe is perfect.
Traditional roast grouse recipe
Traditional roast grouse is one of the best grouse recipes you will find. Roast grouse is as much a part of the sporting season as the migration north on the 12th August, pheasants on the 1st October and hounds come November. The best sort of restaurant will be racing to serve the first bird on the 12th – a North Yorkshire one might best a Scottish one in terms of distance. But for those who would rather cook their own we have all you need to know.
Once you have your brace in hand it is time to cook your traditional roast grouse.
As we are at the start of the season there is no need to worry about older birds. A young bird is best cooked in the traditional way. There is no danger it will be tough, like an older bird. As the season goes on and older birds present themselves you do need to think about changing your cooking technique.
Even old grouse can be roasted, do not overlook an old bird
But at the start of the season there is no need to fuss with a young bird. Just roast it and serve with bread sauce and game chips – the elements that complete the traditional roast grouse recipe. There is very little that can compete with a properly roasted grouse for gastronomic delight.
This traditional roast grouse recipe pays unadulterated homage to the main ingredient. Grouse does have a strong smell but this game bird often tastes less strong than one anticipates. Grouse is wild, natural and a thoroughly healthy addition to the diet.
WHAT TYPE OF GROUSE?
If you are have shot your bird you will know its age. There is no need to hang a young bird. Old birds can benefit from a different cooking method. If you don’t know the age of your bird err on the side of caution.
TRADITIONAL ROAST GROUSE RECIPE
(best for young birds)
Serves 4
Ingredients
■ 4 young grouse
■ Salt and pepper
■ 8 crushed juniper berries
■ 8 sprigs thyme
■ 8 rashers streaky bacon
■ A little fat for roasting
■ A couple of handfuls root vegetables
For the bread sauce
■ 400ml (131⁄2fl oz) milk
■ 1 white onion studded with 5 whole cloves
■ 4 slices white bread, crushed
■ A good pinch mixed ground spice
■ Salt and pepper
For the game chips
■ 1 large frying potato, such as Maris Piper
■ Oil for deep frying
■ Salt
For the gravy
■ 200ml (7fl oz) veal/game stock
■ A good splash sloe gin
■ 100ml (31⁄2fl oz) light red wine
To garnish
■ Local watercress
■ Home-made or high-quality redcurrant jelly
How to cook the traditional roast grouse recipe
To make the bread sauce
Bring the milk to the boil with the onion in it. Let this infuse for about 20 minutes, then remove the onion and add the breadcrumbs, spice and seasoning.
The sauce needs to be of a loose, dropping consistency. Set aside and keep warm.
To cook the game chips
Peel the potato and slice it very thinly (NB: this should be done before the grouse is roasted). Rinse it thoroughly in cold water two or three times to remove as much starch as possible (this makes the potato crisps crispier). Pat dry, and deep-fry for two to three minutes, until golden brown. Season with a little table salt and set aside.
To cook the grouse
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Season inside and out, put the juniper berries inside the cavities of the birds, tuck a sprig of thyme under each leg and lay two rashers of streaky bacon over the breast of each grouse.
Colour in a roasting tray with a little clarified butter or duck fat. When sealed on all sides, roast for between 16 and 20 minutes, depending on size. Remove from tray and keep warm. Add the root vegetables to the roasting tray. Tip any juices from the birds into the tray as well as any offal – this will add to the flavour – and scrape up any sediment
that’s in the tray. Add the stock, sloe gin and red wine. Simmer gently for five to six minutes, pass through a fine sieve into a saucepan, and check the seasoning.
HOW TO PRESENT TRADITIONAL ROAST GROUSE
Carve the breasts and legs. Arrange the streaky bacon next to each bird on a warm dinner plate. Put a pile of game chips next to the bird with a sprig or two of watercress. Pour any excess juices into the sauce, then pour the sauce over the birds and serve with warmed bread sauce and a pot of redcurrant jelly.
NB: keep all the carcasses for making good game stock; you can always stockpile bones in the freezer and make a decent batch when you have a good quantity.
These vet students from Sydney adopted standard British countryside fund-raising habits for their Under the Overalls naked charity calendar
Vet students from Sydney, Australia adopting British fund-raising methods.
The Under the Overalls naked charity calendar is a little different from the usual comely country beauties raising money for charity. They come from the land Down Under. But sneak in to The Field’s collectionof naked charity calendars as members of the commonwealth. They are in jolly company…
The Around the Farm naked charity calendar 2015 is another of the top notch naked charity calendars raising money for More…
The naked charity calendars that have graced the pages of The Field recently have had one thing in common. Not the bonny embonpoints but the very Britishness of them all. After all pants down, trousers off disrobing is a habit that those who live surrounded by fields and animals take to with zeal. If you ever worry about moving to the country and settling in your stall, the ability to strip and jump into the nearest body of water is a thoroughly useful skill to possess.
However, the Aussies are just as game. The sold out Under the Overalls calendar is a tip top example of the southern hemisphere’s joy de vivre.
UNDER THE OVERALLS NAKED CHARITY CALENDAR
The vet students from Sydney featured in the Under the Overalls naked charity calendar stripped and clutched at rather lucky animals to raise money to support greyhound adoption at Greyhound Rescue New South Wales.
Greyhound Rescue was set up to find homes for the many greyhounds surplus to requirements of the Racing Industry and launched this website in 2009. In that time we have found homes for more than 600 greyhounds which otherwise would not have had a life after finishing their racing career or failing to start one.
It is based on Sydney’s North Shore and is run by Peter and Janet, a retired couple, who have worked in dog rescue for many years and devoted their attention to Greyhounds in particular for the past nine years. More recently a number of volunteers have joined us and have added hard work and imagination to help the greyhounds.
Although the calendar is now sold out The Field has contributed to the cause.
Grouse shooting tips from the Editor of The Field, Jonathan Young. Keep safe on the moor and be great on the grouse
Grouse Shooting tips
These grouse shooting tips from The Field’s Editor Jonathan Young will set you up splendidly for the start of the season.
DON’T hit the booze, either the night before or on the day. Alcohol slows your reactions and grouse shooting requires full concentration, both to make a bag and be safe.
DON’T wear a white shirt. White acts as signal – think rabbit scuts and pigeon wing-bars – and you don’t want to alert the grouse to your presence in the butt.
DON’T stare at the heather for 30 minutes before the grouse arrive. Your eyes will tire. Try and relax until the drive really starts.
DO Wear yellow shooting glasses, both to protect your eyes and to enable you to pick out the grouse quicker against the background.
DO Stay still in the butt. Like pigeon, grouse can spot movement and take avoiding action instantly.
DON’T try and take the birds 60 yards in front. A few full-time grouse gurus shots can do this but the majority of decent shots wait until the birds are well in range. Think of when you’d take pigeon coming into a decoy pattern and you won’t go far wrong. Better to drop one or two out of a covey than fire four unsuccessful shots.
Having said that, if the grouse are not coming to you, but crossing your bows 40 yards out, then DO go for the shot.
DO mark the position of the flankers carefully, especially if you’re in one of the three end butts. Position yourself in the corner of the butt nearest the flankers and concentrate on the safe area to your right or left, according to which end of the line you’re standing.
DON’T take singletons or pairs going straight to your neighbour. You won’t win friends so doing. But do try and drop the back birds of a covey going towards your neighbour.
DO mark your birds carefully and keep a running tally with your loader. Don’t expect him to do this, as he’ll be busy loading.
If your butt has a very short horizon, it’s a downwind drive and the wind is strong, DO consider taking the birds behind throughout the drive.
Do make certain you thank the beaters, pickers-up and keepers whenever the opportunity arises. Grouse shooting is a team sport and they will have put in huge effort to provide you with sport.
Make sure to thank the beaters and pickers up whenever possible.
To celebrate the Glorious 12th and the start of the grouse season we have a fantastic subscription deal with an amazing free gift - a pair of Bloc Shadow 3 lens glasses with every subscription.
A glorious offer for the Glorious 12th. Don't miss out on these exceptional BLOC three lens glasses free with every subscription.
FLASH SALE
Celebrate the start of the season with this amazing 48 hour subscription offer.
Subscribe today to The Field and receive BLOC eye wear worth £50, as well as saving up to 30%. An amazing deal from the brightest and best fieldsports magazine.
With maximum peripheral vision these BLOC glasses with interchangeable lenses let you adapt to all weather conditions. Perfect for the start of the shooting season! And ideal if you find yourself alongside one of our grouse gurus on the moor. They will be wearing theirs…
These BLOC glasses have three lenses and are perfect for different light conditions when shooting.
Every subscription package includes access to the digital version for iPad and iPhone so you can download your magazine right away.
Don’t hesitate. Subscribe to The Field today for our very special Glorious 12th offer in celebration of the start of the shooting season.
The offer lasts from 00:01 on 12 August until 11:59 on 13 August 2015.
Sometimes a salad needs a bit of extra bang. Philippa Davis adds some punchy chorizo and smoked sweet paprika to 'unmanly' couscous and makes it into a shooting cert.
Try this macho salad with its generous helping of chorizo and spice.
Chorizo, squash and couscous salad with extra coriander, chilli and lemon is a hearty choice. And will go particularly well with butterflied venison. I started making this dish when I was once caught between the couple hosting the shoot. She loved couscous salads but he said it was “unmanly” and threatened (jokingly) to send me home if I served one. Cajoled into making one I had to ensure it was macho enough by adding lots of spice and fatty chorizo. He was obviously swayed as not only was I allowed to stay but I was booked for the following shoot.
CHORIZO, SQUASH AND COUSCOUS SALAD
Serves 12 alongside 1 or 2 main dishes
■ 2 butternut squash peeled, deseeded and roughly cut into 2cm (4⁄5in) chunks
■ 9 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
■ 4 tbsp water
■ 3 tsp ground cinnamon
■ 800g (13⁄4lb) spicy cooking chorizo, sliced into 1cm (2⁄5in) rounds
■ 6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
■ 3 tsp smoked sweet paprika
■ 3 tsp ground cumin
■ 400g (141⁄4oz) couscous
■ 400ml (14fl oz) very hot chicken or game stock
■ 100g (31⁄2oz) coriander, washed and finely chopped (stalks and leaves)
■ 2 green chillies, halved and finely chopped
■ 1 cucumber, cut in to 1cm (2⁄5in) cubes
■ Juice of 3 lemons
■ 80g (22⁄5oz) flatleaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
For the chorizo, squash and couscous salad, first of all toss the squash with 4 tbsp olive oil, the water, cinnamon and seasoning. Roast on a baking tray until tender (30 minutes). Fry the chorizo in 2 tbsp olive oil. When it starts to brown, add garlic, paprika and cumin. Cook for a further minute. Put the couscous into a bowl, pour the stock over it, cover with cling film and leave for five minutes or until soft.
Remove the cling film and fluff up the couscous with a fork. Add the chorizo and any remaining cooking oil, coriander, chillies, cucumber, lemon juice, parsley, squash and the rest of the olive oil. Mix well and serve. This can be eaten warm or cold and goes well with grilled meats.
