It’s good to talk

When I was young, I used to do a fair bit of beating on grouse moors. The young keepers there used to wind each other up by saying that they’d seen the RSPB poking around. At that point, RSPB officials held a bit of a bogeyman status.

Last week, I went to see Paul Jackson, the RSPB’S conservation adviser for upland shooting estates. I should add that we struggled to get a date in the diary because Paul, at this time of year, is often out beating. He wondered, he told me, when he took the job if keepers might no longer want him in the beating line, but it hasn’t bothered any of them. In fact, a few of them have welcomed the opportunity to discuss upland management with somebody with a foot in a slightly different camp.

I found Paul to be a kindred spirit. To my mind, he really gets our world and his knowledge of shooting was impressive. After all, his father will be known to many of you as a Game Conservancy lifer. When it comes to shooting, we spend so much time talking about sides, but to my mind, dialogue is the key to ensuring a bright future.

Patrick Galbraith, Editor

Follow Patrick on Twitter @paddycgalbraith