Devon and Cornwall are both famous for their high and fast pheasants flighted across steep wooded hills and valleys, always producing the sort of high quality shooting which keeps our sporting agencies fully booked.
Exmoor boasts some quite excellent partridge shoots, one of which recently featured on a well balanced and informative West Country TV programme introduced by local personality, Edward Woodward. Coastal wildfowling is in general controlled by local clubs, some of which have visitor permit schemes, and details of these can be obtained from BASC HQ at Marford Mill. Whilst mentioning the shooting organisations, please remember that for a very modest subscription you get up to £5 million Third Party Liability Insurance cover and are actively supporting your chosen sport.
The West Country not only boasts a very active clay pigeon shooting fraternity, it is also home to previous World Champion, Martin Elworthy. Whilst small and friendly clubs are the order of the day in more rural areas, several bigger shooting grounds operate nearer the larger population centres, most with some form of tuition available. both the CPSA and the BASC can provide information on shooting schools and the availability of fully qualified instructors.
There are many Sporting Hotels in all four counties which offer clay shooting and plentiful fishing as well as game shooting or, if you prefer, a superb range of self-catering cottages are available from Helpful Holidays, who really do live up to their name. Sporting information can also be obtained from gunshops who will be able to help with ammunition and clothing or, in the event of a minor disaster, can recommend a local gunsmith.
Finally, whilst on my soap box, I must raise a topic which has been very much on everyone's minds after recent and tragic events. Kitchen knives, carving knives, firearms, axes, cars, motorbikes, lorries, chemicals, drugs, alcohol and almost anything else you can think of has been used at sometime by someone to deliberately murder someone else. So why, oh why, do apparently quite rational and intelligent people suddenly call for bans on firearms, or tighter firearm legislation? Do they really believe that yet another set of rules or regulations will in any way affect the actions of a madman? It is never the actual weapon which is at fault, it is always the action of the person operating it that causes the tragedy. Before we see any further action against law-abiding members of society can we please see some strong, effective and permanent action against the importers and the holders of illegal weapons which are used in a staggering ninety-six per cent of all armed crimes in this country.
Bruce Ross-Smith