Vegetarian Gamekeeper On His First Shoot

You may remember our guest blog last month about whether it was possible to be a vegetarian gamekeeper. We looked at changes that are taking place in the world of country sports and the need to attract a fresh audience to the pursuits that we all enjoy and can also take for granted. We also started following the progress of Charlie as he pursues a career in country sports, whilst having never eaten meat.

Beaters’ Day

Charlie has worked hard and shown his commitment this season. As a result, he was invited onto the beaters’ day of the Markington Shoot in North Yorkshire. Thanks to the support of his mentor and the guns on his first shoot, he was able to take part in every drive throughout the day. Most impressively, he brought down a pheasant with his second shot. Needless to say, he did not take the bird home for his tea.

It’s great to see the progression of this ambition. It’s also encouraging to see the openness to commit to his training from members of the shoot. For country sports to survive and thrive, we need to be attracting the next generation and giving them every opportunity. I enjoy training young dog handlers for just this reason; it’s great to encourage their interest in gundogs and they are keen, quick to learn and do their homework. I look forward to following Charlie’s progress in the months to come.

Posted: January 28, 2020