A couple of seasons ago, I was lucky enough to get a formal invite to a local sporting shoot which I simply could not turn down. This was a shoot like no other. It was so far removed for the general publics perception of Range Rovers, Purdy’s (very expensive shotguns) and people drinking whisky out of lead crystal glasses. This shoot was far from it. Not a single Range Rover in site but plenty of harris tweeds and well dresser shooters ( the guys with the guns). This was and is a budget end local family run shoot. Open to all and invites to all, providing you have some experience of course.
The shoot was headed up by Dan (centre stage in the image below), a local farmers son which has access to woodlands, hidden valleys and acres and open farm land that is so well suited to shoots of this kind. For Dan, putting this shoot together was and is all about budget end shooting. A level where all can afford rather than the high end “Purdy” end of the market. Dan’s shoot is different, the beaters are the shooters and the shooters are the beaters. All of the members takes a turn. The high end shooters just arrive to shoot and leave the beating to others. They see themselves as being beyond that brief sadly…
An integral part of any shoot are the dogs. “Trained to the gun” as they are often referred to. Endless hours of training by their owners to get to a level where they can send them on to hunt out and retrieve the birds. Amazing to watch and their reward is nothing other than working.
The shoot as a rule takes a day and the “peg” selection comes first thing. The “peg” is a ground marker that you will stand at during the shoot. Each member has their own peg. Selection sometimes can be the luck of the draw. In some cases it appears to be pain full - see below
I follow Dan and his members throughout the shoot and captured all that I saw. This kind of “sporting” activity is closely monitored and managed and rightly so. There will always be a high element of danger when the likes of guns/firearms are being used but it was very clear to me from the off that professionalism here was key and everyone understood what was expected of them.
Its rare to be invited to these type of shoots as a photographer, but with my connections I was invited in. I was made to feel very welcome and to some degress put of the shoot myself. Lunch with the shoot was epic by the way. A farmers wife cooking is second to none. Thank you Dan and a thank you to all your members that made me feel welcome that day. RD
