Not a walk in the park

The first of September, much more eagerly awaited by most of us as marking the opening of the rough shooter’s game season than the Twelfth, has come and gone, and for the majority it has been the ‘first’ in name only. The new season fell on a Monday this year and even the young Shot home for the holidays has had to wait impatiently until today to join his elders in their opening day at partridges.

My game book reminds me that over the past two seasons we did not shoot at a partridge until well into September, due to the number of ‘cheepers’ — young birds that were not forward enough to offer sporting shooting. The disadvantage, of course, is that the longer the birds are left, the wilder they become, and walking-up,