Try to make time

I recently read a fascinating book on the cultural history of hunting. I was saddened to read that the number of hunting licences issued in the USA has declined dramatically in some places. In California for example, there are almost a third fewer hunters now than there were 50 years ago.

The reasons, as you can imagine, are many, but one of them is simply that people don’t have as much time as they once did. We are too busy working to do what makes us happy. Some weeks ago, I was on the Isle of Lewis, shooting grouse over setters. The estate manager told me that many of the guests would like to head out for a grouse but it’s too arduous a walk and they are no longer up to it. I was struck by how sad a situation it is — people no doubt spend their young years working in order to be able to shoot in later decades, but by the time they get there, 15 miles over the heather in search of grouse simply isn’t doable.

It’s hard to make time, but none of us really know how much time we’ve got, so get out there while you can. The tide waits for no man.

Patrick Galbraith, Editor

Follow Patrick on Twitter @paddycgalbraith