GROUSE SHOOTING
Recent problems have primarily been climatically driven, mild winters and poor springs being responsible for cyclical and intolerable worm burdens (trichostrongylous tenuis): also tick-borne virus have reduced grouse stocks in certain areas. Very thorough scientific investigation by the Game Conservancy has indicated ways of tackling these problems. The spreading of medicated grit or the nocturnal catching and oral dosing of grouse to combat worms and the heavy culling of deer and mountain hares together with increased dipping of sheep is reducing ticks to acceptable levels. In consequence greatly improved keepering skills and increased management input are showing improved and more consistent results.

GROUSE OVER DOGS
Starting on 12 August I am unwilling to offer this type of shooting after the first week in September since the birds become too wild to hold for the dogs. This walk-up shoot is physically quite demanding. Most clients book a 2 or 3 day programme and a group of 1, 2 or 3 guns may expect to shoot 25 birds per day in total. Group sporting charges for 2 days will approximate £2,000 plus VAT at 17.5% with lodgings extra. We retain high quality dog handlers and dogs.

DRIVEN GROUSE
This is the 'sport of kings' but it can be unreliable for the reasons outlined above. Grouse are totally wild birds and their success or failure will largely depend on a host of management and climatic factors, the latter being uncontrollable. Sample areas are examined with pointing dogs both in April and late July. In poor years programmes have to be cancelled after the summer count with full refund. While we are currently offering 2 - 5 day programmes on a famous Scottish moor expecting + 80 - 100 brace per day, and another 3 and 4 day shoot expecting daily bags of 60-70 brace - both of these in strong recovery situation, the more normal target in Scotland is 40-70 brace and the cost for shooting such days approximates £6,050 plus VAT based on an expectation of 55 brace. We act as booking agents for a remarkable shoot in the north of England where early season days of 200 brace are scarcely worthy of comment.  I have seen 350 brace of grouse shot on this property in one day. It is capable of a remarkably rapid recovery.

DRIVEN DUCK IN WALES (High Volume Shoot)
Taking place only in September and for 2 days each week between Monday and Wednesday, the unique duck shoot is well known and respected for producing the finest and most challenging sport. Very unusually 6 varieties of duck can be shot in an area which covers 1,000 acres and provides approximately 50 pools while the centre is a large natural bog described as an alarming trampoline of quacking mosses, reed beds and secret pools. 

The key to the success of this shoot is that the birds are never fed by hand, the hoppers on which they rely being refilled only during the hours of darkness so that the birds never become acquainted with the movement of men. This shoot is considered without peer by highly discerning sportsmen who travel the country in search of an ultimate experience. An average of 200 birds per gun per day is normal but the total requested may be pumped up to a figure of nearly 4,000 birds per group over 2 days shooting. Accommodation for this shoot is 12 miles from RAF Aberforth that can accept private aircrafts while Cardiff Airport is barely 1 hour distant.

DRIVEN PARTRIDGES 
Hendry, Ramsay & Waters was probably the first organiser to recognise the potential of rearing and releasing red-legged partridges on the periphery of a moor which formerly had supported a stock of grouse; this is on our own estate of Cardney near Dunkeld in Perthshire. This practice is now being carried out on a number of estates who are able to use their demanding topography to show challenging and spectacular birds. The season starts on 1 September and is to a great extent concluded by the end of October and most properties can comfortably offer days of 250 birds while double this figure may be requested in the early part of the season. The cost of shooting driven partridges is approximately half of that shooting driven grouse. It is often possible to accommodate single guns to join existing parties for one or more days.

DRIVEN & WALKED UP MIXED SPECIES WINTER BIRD SHOOTING IN SCOTLAND (Our mixed species safaris)
Taking place principally between mid-October and mid-December certain estates have perfected the art of arranging interesting days normally offering the opportunity of shooting driven partridges, pheasants and duck while on some estates and in good seasons a small number of grouse may also be driven. On one particular estate a remarkable evening goose flight or more accurately goose drive off their night-time roosting may be offered for those shooting a 2 day programme. The daily expectation for this type of shooting for a team of 6-8 guns is between 100 - 150 head with geese extra but slightly larger bags may be requested. Example: One day driven pheasants, 200 birds; one day driven partridges 150 birds; one day driven pheasant, partridges and duck 150 birds plus geese. Walk up shooting or rough shooting normally for not less than 4 guns can expect an expectation averaging 10 - 12 head of game per gun per day.

DRIVEN PHEASANTS - Our driven pheasant safaris
(High Volume Available at the end of October)
The topography of many of the aristocratically owned estates over which we shoot ensures the birds are shown over the guns at a very respectable height and speed. To the uninitiated I must point out that this is in no way comparable to shooting pheasants walked-up. Shooting is principally in November and December and teams of 6-8 guns can at the lower end request single days expecting 150 birds moving upwards to multiple day programmes perhaps involving several different estates and with a daily expectation above or below the 350 bird mark: one 2 day programme in the north of England at the end of October yields 1000 birds per day. Driven pheasants may be offered with a mixture of driven partridges or indeed days of several hundred driven duck. Some of our most important programmes incorporate accommodation in privately owned castles of historical interest and as guests of the owners. 

We accommodate our guests in a variety of castles, mansion houses or country house hotels.

Programmes centred on private house or castle accommodation will normally be conducted exclusively on that estate while our Driven Pheasant Safaris cover different properties, in one case using the railway services to reach a fascinating more remote venue where large numbers of stratospherically high birds are shown. Most estates are under one hour from the lodgings.

There is a degree of flexibility in the size of the days but by way of an example I show at the end of this overview particulars of a three day driven pheasant safari conducted on 13, 14 & 15 November 2000. It is interesting to note that this party has been composed into a group by ourselves and has comprised guns from The Bahamas, Holland, Austria, Germany, the United States, Romania and Scotland. Please contact me early if you wish to bring a complete party of 7 - 8 guns or to join one of our composed groups preferably end October, last half of November or early or mid December.

DEER STALKING or STAG HUNTING
Taking place principally in September and up to 20 October and on treeless mountain areas surprisingly known as Deer Forests, many of our programmes are based on Victorian lodges thus continuing traditions started well before the end of the 19th Century. While some short duration programmes may be offered for those with limited time available, the normal is a full week stalking of 5 or 6 days duration. Expect an average of one or more stags per rifle per day and on some estates where accommodation is in estate lodges there is often the ability to put out two or more separate stalking parties at the same time.

Not many Highland mainland deer are trophies when compared to their East European feral counterparts but the excitement of lying close to and watching sizeable herds of deer often gives rise to 'stag-fever' - the cause of missing a comparatively straight-forward shot. The skill of the stalker in locating deer in wind sheltered areas and then guiding the guest to a suitable shooting position never fails to arouse admiration.

The standard of comfort and in some cases luxury of the accommodation means that ladies frequently are part of the group whether they enjoy walking in the mountains or partaking of local tourist or shopping attractions.

The following shows the properties that we listed for 2000 and where superior estate lodge accommodation is provided. Other programmes are offered using suitable nearby hotels. 

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