Clocking up the miles in grouse countdown

I like to think I’m a reasonably tolerant individual, but one thing that is guaranteed to make my teeth itch is referring to pigeons as ‘the grey grouse’. I’m of the view that all quarry species deserve our respect and our best efforts to ensure their quick demise and, as a result, produce the best possible meal at the end of the process.

The woodpigeon is one of the finest flyers that we have to test ourselves when protecting crops and should never, in my opinion, be relegated to the status of ‘practice bird’ for something else.

To get the most out of our sport, we must be completely present in the moment to savour the all-round experience, not only the successful shot. It is for this reason that the