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My daughter was booked on what was billed in the letter home as a clay shooting activity day through her School yesterday. The day started that way at Coniston ground, with a BASC coach who managed to fill my girl with confidence in her own ability. BTW this is a state school! The day then progressed (unadvertised in the letter home) with a visit to one of our neighbours a well know gamekeeper and owner of a large scale Pheasant farm. Here the candidates were informed of the nature of game shooting and the rearing of birds, then off the Spur, Russell the owner heard a Sika crash in the woods and took them all on a tracking mission explaining how to recognise the slot marks and identify how fresh they were. This really is good stuff as it brought the message home to kids from non shooting families and also those who already come from that background (less than 50% of the attendance ) that it not just their own Dad that's nutty and the whole gig is actually great fun, good for the community and yes quite normal (an important thing with teenagers this Normal thing apparently) Before anyone says "why didn't you?" well I have, she had her first wild Trout before she started infant school, done evening flight in the middle of winter on the saltings before she was ten, Shot .22 lr at club level, fished for Pike on Windermere, Salmon on the River etc. etc. So if you think you have done enough think again teenagers are funny things and sometimes need outside encouragement / endorsement. Heck she was even asking about joining my Wildfowling club as a junior last night, apparently her biggest fear in the past of live quarry shooting has been wounding! Now she knows she is better than most with a gun and has a capable dog anyhow her hidden worries are settled a bit more, suppose that's my fault for insisting too hard things are done correctly

Hello everyone, Just a quick thought which i wondered if anyone agreed. I am 23 and have been shooting since the age of 12, when my dad gave to me my first spring loaded air rifle to shoot rats with on some old farm land while he fired his FAC rifles. Since then I have had lots of rifles sub12ft/ and FAC and shot countless small game and can quite easily hit a rabbit over the 100yd mark but because of my age i have had trouble getting on to farm land. Up until last week I had land/permission to shoot on which got sold, so now I have to look around to find somewhere new to shoot. However because of my age i am instantly dismissed as inexperienced and looked upon as if i have no idea as what i am doing even though i am a stickler for safety and fully insured with BASC and have over 11 years of experience. How do we except the sport of shooting to expand and carry on if young shots are frowned upon and are rarely taken under someone's wing for guidance and experience. i completely understand that there are many young shots who wouldn't even hesitate at taking a shot at a rabbit with a main road as the back drop but to be put in this stereotype is so frustrating and is fast becoming a pet hate of mine so just wondered if anyone out there felt the same way or has had similar problems. Many thanks to any replies, Nick