There’s nothing so fine as fowling

Let’s be honest, game shooting this season is going to be unlike any you have known before. No more will you be able to easily buy a day on a whim via GunsOnPegs.

The avian flu-induced movement bans on European gamebird eggs have resulted in a scarcity of birds and to date 13% of shoots selling days have decided to shut up shop completely. Syndicates have been similarly affected by a shortage or total lack of poults, while feed prices have risen, and fertiliser and seed costs are similarly soaring.

Nor, if you do succeed in buying a day, will you pick up a bargain. The cost of a pheasant on the game cart has risen by more than 30% and partridges by nearly 20%. This means that the cost for the average UK driven day — 127 birds to be