AN OLD FLAME

bangs on point, your heart skips a beat then beats a little faster. The handler signals the Guns to move forward, keeping the dog centre as he ‘hisses’ it forward. Now the heartbeat is going like a train as the dog edges forward, nose down, slowly, slowly… then, with a chorus of “get back, get back”, the grouse explode from the heather.

It’s a covey of five or six.

You pick your targets and swing through. Bang — one folds into the heather. You keep the swing going and — bang — a second one follows it in. I should say here that this result is by no means a given — on many occasions, the grouse wins. Now, with my lab having marked the birds, it’s reload and stay alert as the dog works out the point. The point cleared, I send Bonnie to pick my birds and slip them into the gamebag.

When the day is done and we come off the hill, the dogs get a well-earned treat, as do we, but instead of a biscuit it’s a slice of home-baked fruit cake and a wee dram of the malt, all enjoyed with the backdrop of the hills and heather. In Giles’s own words, “it really doesn’t get any better.”

Jeremy Vernall, by email

I have recently renewed my subscription and my first copy has just arrived. I am now 86 years old and it must be 40 years since I read Shooting Times on a regular basis. I still manage to shoot a few clays and the magazine is a great reminder of past experiences, and will keep me up to date with country sports. I look forward to all the coming issues.

Peter Davis, by email

The Editor responds: I’m pleased to hear that. One of the great things about shooting is that it really is a sport for all ages. A couple of seasons ago, I shot pheasants (a driven day) with two 85-year-olds — very handy they were, too.

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‘‘The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please. We have it in trust. We must account for it to those who come after.’’ King George VI