The rut has broken in the glen and it is truly one of the highlights of every hill stalker’s year. To take a particular animal, and to be able to stalk past healthier beasts in order to do so, is not something that is learned overnight. Having the right mentor early on in a stalker’s career is crucial to learning such skills.
Those of you who know Loch Shiel may have seen a lonely cottage, only accessible by boat, that sits high above the far bank. It is a place that the writer Mike Tomkies christened ‘Wildernesse’ in his book A Last Wild Place.
I had been there on an estate for some months as a trainee when an older stalker moved on to the beat. He instantly took me under his wing. One particular day, we had spotted a group of hinds high out, given the time of year, and it was beautifully clear and frosty. The seven beasts we eventually took made us suffer, with the most grueling of drags in which we had to relay them downhill. It was well after dark by the time we retrieved the final hind.
This story is from the September 29, 2021 edition of Shooting Times & Country.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
This story is from the September 29, 2021 edition of Shooting Times & Country.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
Sharpshooter
The shooting community is often threatened with new legislation, but how potent such threats turn out to be may well depend on timing
Beaten by the heat
Thanks to an incredibly dry May, Arthur Oglesby reveals that he is struggling to find much fishing to offer to his incoming customers
Gunroom
Introduced in 1896, the semi-automatic Mauser 96 became a favourite of officers across Europe and dominated the market for nearly 40 years
Keep up with these creatures of habit
Don't leave fox control until it's too late - learn their behaviour and use it to your advantage to gain the upper hand
Is 'cocker rage' real?
New research on the health of cocker spaniels resulted in a flurry of headlines, but David Tomlinson looks deeper into the science
Pulling in the birds
After running out of luck with whirlers and flappers, Blue Zulu goes back to decoying basics and ponders on recycling his claret bottles
Conservation is a three-legged stool
The 'balance of nature' isn't always as it seems, says David Whitby, and predator control must work alongside habitat and food supply
Serious matters
A simple bird call crystallises the problems of the countryside
A taste of what we do
Intrigue often leads to understanding, says Will Pocklington, who finds that food is just the way to get the conversation started
Birds in the back garden
There's nothing as quintessentially English as the woodpigeon, says Graham Lorne, but their behaviour has changed markedly
Yet Another Winning Year For Hindsight Capital
With the miserable year of 2020 over, it’s time to return to the offices of Hindsight Capital LLC.
virtual competition
Esports has moved to the front lines in competitive gaming for high schools and colleges.