Come one, come all

It will probably not come as any sort of surprise to learn that shooting sports are predominately the pastime of men. The most recent Home Office figures reveal that 94% of shotgun and firearms certificate holders in England and Wales are male. The 6% minority, however, equates to more than 36,000 individuals and this figure only represents those who are licensed, failing to highlight the numerous women who have significant involvement in fieldsports in a variety of capacities.

Oddly, there still seems to be some stigma around women on the shooting field. Speak to any lady, whether they are picking-up, beating or shooting, and they will likely have a story to tell about inappropriate remarks or an atmosphere change when they arrive on a male-dominated shoot day.

I hope these tales will soon be from ‘the bad old days’, but we must accept that there are still some who