A-Z of Useful Information

Breakfast, lunch and refreshments are a very important social part of any shoot day and I feel that in order to fully appreciate and enjoy the company of the other guns and guests, it is important to join them and not spend too much time on your mobile phone or by rushing off at the end of the shooting, unless there is a valid reason to do so.

By popular request I am pleased to give details of my own recipe for "Bullshot". It is best mixed the previous evening and left to marinade overnight.

Sufficient ingredients to make a "brew" for 9 guns: approximately 3 litres

2 No. 400 g tins: Heinz Oxtail Soup

5 No. 415 g tins: Baxters Beef Consomme

1 No. 200 ml bottle: Schweppes Tomato Juice cocktail or V8 is even better

2 tablespoons of Geo Walkers Mushroom ketchup

A few drops of Lea & Perrins Worcester Sauce

A few less drops of McIlhenny Co. Tabasco pepper sauce

A pinch of paprika or cayenne pepper (or both if it is a very cold day!)

Then leave covered overnight. Heat up around 6.30 a.m. when you are half awake!

Bring to simmer and stir in 1 No. heaped tablespoon Knorr Beef Bouillon paste and 1 twisted table fork of Marmite

Stir well and bring to simmer then add Croft Original Sherry to taste. Do not spoil it with Vodka or similar

Store in a thermos or similar container until required.

I may try a few additional ingredients each season! I look forward to hearing how you all get on with this as getting the quantities right is the key to a good brew!

In order for our birds to enter the food chain. Our game dealers have requested our game should be lead free. We therefore only shoot non lead shot cartridges with fibre or degradable wads only.  

All proceeds from our daily sweep, non-shooting guest lunches and fines are donated to our Shoot Charity Fund. Each season we raise in excess of £15,000. The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust GWCT receives a major part, with the remaining distributed to worthy causes allied to Field Sports, or local to the Shoot.

Contact Malcolm Birkett

Tel: 01423 603 144 Mobile: 07359 084 101 E-mail: malcolm@theyorkshirechauffeur.com  

The location of meeting places and start times are detailed on your booking confirmation.

Guns are most welcome to bring their own dogs, however it is most important to keep them pegged during a drive if you feel there is any possibility of them running in. Once the drive is over the dogs (and owners) may do whatever they wish provided they keep count of what they have picked. Although we have a very experienced team of pickers up, guns will always have the opportunity to work their dogs provided they work closely with the pickers up.

We shoot only single guns with or without a loader/instructor.

It is important to add to the sense of occasion and dress smartly out of respect to our quarry, gilet or jacket, tie, breeks, waterproof coat and cap. However dressing sensibly and comfortably is more important in our variable climate. I suggest boots in preference to wellingtons.

At the end of each shoot day each gun will receive a pack of pheasant or partridge crowns ready chilled for the oven or freezer. You may take as much game in feather as you wish at the end of a shoot day. Could you please advise the Shoot Host at the start of the day the number of species of game in feather required.  

We take a number of drinks and pie breaks throughout the day and as the weather turns colder we also provide my unique brew of bullshot which is most welcome on a winter’s day. Champagne, Sloe and Damson Gin are also served, which must be taken in moderation. Soft drinks and other snacks are always available.

As in previous seasons this will be available to everyone who book days to the value of £2,500 or more before VAT during the season. Full details are available in our brochure and on our website.

The Shoot cannot accept any responsibility for damage cause to property or injury, i.e. vehicles or person, from falling birds. It is often the case that in a flush of birds it may be difficult to know for certain who has shot each bird. Yourself, your guests and vehicles attend the shooting field at your own risk from falling birds.

We have released a number of white and Reeves pheasants on Mountgarret. If you shoot either, a fine of £100 to £150 will be levied and donated to our Charity Fund. Fines may also be levied by the team on the day for habitual use of mobile phones and other trivial offences!

There should be nowhere on our Shoot where you will get your feet wet if you are only wearing boots. That is of course unless you wish to cross a stream, I have not worn wellingtons on our Shoot for over ten years and recommend boots and gaiters to be an ideal combination.

As more and more guns are travelling some distance to shoot with us, often in a normal two wheel drive vehicle which is unsuitable for travelling around the shoot. We now have available with a driver two long wheel base Land Rover Station Wagons.  These vehicles will seat up to five passengers comfortably.

Each vehicle is available at no cost to the guns and their guests. However prior booking is recommended to ensure space is available. Your dogs may travel in our Keepers vehicles. 

There will always be adequate parking to leave your car all day and everyone is welcome to bring their own four wheeled drive vehicle, there is no restriction to the number on the day, however I prefer no-one to be on their own, unless this is necessary for private phone calls etc. If you travel to the Shoot by car, there is normally space available in the other guns vehicles for you to travel with them or in our courtesy Land Rover. However please bear in mind that not everyone wishes to give a wet muddy dog a lift in their vehicle so your dogs would travel with my Keepers. 

For shooting related services they are offering:

• 4 x 4 Vehicles with Chauffeur/Loader,

• 4 x 4 Vehicles with Chauffeur/Non Loader,

• Range Rover / Landrover Discovery etc,

• Airport & Railway Station transfers,

• Helicopter Night Landings/Lights/Radio Comms/JetA1 (CAA Licensed)

• Luxury Saloon Cars (Mercedes & Audi Etc),

• Accommodation(@Feversham Arms Hotel), 4 x 4 Chauffeur & Loader Package,

• Hire Guns available, Single & Pairs, Browning & Beretta, LH & RH, 12 & 20 Bore.

Guns are most welcome to bring either shooting or non-shooting guests, Ladies or Gentlemen, just to enjoy the day, as a day with the Shoot is just as enjoyable for non shooting guests as it is for the guns. It is important that any gun or guest gun with limited shooting experience must be accompanied by a friend who is an experienced shot or an experienced instructor or loader in order to assist them on the day. It is also important to ensure that any shooting guest has the required £10 Million, personal liability insurance in place prior to the shoot day. If you are bringing a non shooting guest some prior notice is necessary in order to plan the catering for the day.

We welcome non shooting guests to accompany the guns and enjoy any shoot day, including breakfast, lunch and refreshments throughout the day when they are requested to make a donation to our Charity Fund. Some prior notice would be appreciated for catering arrangements. 

The majority of our days are sold by the gun per day to individual guns or small parties and it may not always be possible to sell every gun on each day. We will field a team provided we have six guns or more; however we reserve the option to adjust the target bag in line with the number of guns fielded.

HOTELS: Full details of local hotels are detailed in our brochure and on our website www.mountgarretshoot.com

This website is a must for anyone looking for driven shooting.

E-mail: digbytaylor@gunsonpegs.com

Website: www.gunsonpegs.com

When you buy a new pair of gloves they may keep you warm but are uncomfortable and awkward until you have worn them in to fit you. The same applies to your shotguns. You may buy a shotgun and find the stock to be the ideal length for you so you feel you have the right gun. You may shoot well with it. However if the stock had been finely adjusted to fit you, you may well shoot even better. If you have never had your gun actually fitted for you, I do strongly recommend that you do this. It is not expensive and can make your favourite gun even better.

Local gunshops and shooting accessories suppliers

The Brown Trout Co., 26 Cold Bath Road, Harrogate HG2 0NA

Contact: Tim Brown 01423 709741 sales@brown-trout.org   www.browntroutonline.co.uk

Northallerton Shooting and Countrywear. The Paddocks, Breckenbrough, Thirsk YO7 4EL

Contact: Tom Bell 01845 587207 northallertonshooting@btconnect.com

The Shoot has a policy of ongoing Risk Assessments.

We are able to land helicopters at Ripley Castle. Ordinance Survey Co-ordinates - please contact us for co-ordinates.

DLS Aviation for all your VIP travel needs to the Shoots or arriving into the Country , We arrange world wide travel on private jets and our fleet of helicopters.  Also Range Rovers for chauffeur on the Moor and the airport runs, We also have loaders too.  Contact: Dawn Smith 01642 640544 or 07548 730466 or Liz Dennison 07548 730466     https://www.dlsaviation.co.uk

The majority of our days are let to individual guns or small parties, sold by the gun per day making up the team.

We are fortunate in having available the services of a number of experienced clay pigeon and driven game shooting instructors. No matter how experienced a shot may be, having an instructor for the day soon rectifies all the bad habits - shooting ones - which we seem to perfect without too much of a problem! Having an instructor is a necessity for a novice game shot and even for an experienced shot an instructor can make quite a difference to your performance. The cost of an instructor/loader for the day is £100 which should be paid direct by the gun. This service is now very popular so as much prior notice as possible would be appreciated. If you do not require instruction, a loader is always useful to look after you for the day. If you bring your dog, having a loader gives you more time to work it at the end of a drive. (See also Shotgun Hire).

Full details are available in our brochure and on our website.

It is becoming more and more difficult to find someone able to repair gunslips and other leather items. I can recommend:

Newfields, Galphay, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 3NT

Tel: 01765 658565

E-mail: nigelmcconnell678@gmail.com

Members who are not shooting are most welcome to join the Shoot on any day to go round with the guns or pick up with their dog. However on an Exclusive Day, Members are welcome to pick up but should make their own refreshment and luncheon arrangements. 

As we may be under more stress without our phones than with them, all I ask is that they are used with the minimum of disruption to the other guns, preferably in the vehicles between drives and certainly not during a drive or at lunch. Suitable fines may be imposed on habitual offenders with all proceeds to our Charity Fund!!

 

We hear a lot from the Sporting Fraternity and Agricultural Market (Farmers and Suppliers) in the rural areas about how poor mobile service is. 

 

RURAL SIM allows you to use a single SIM which roams across Multiple Networks giving you the best chance of Staying Connected and Staying in Touch.

Please contact www.ruralsim.co.uk and look forward to a better connected shooting experience.

We welcome non shooting guests to accompany the guns and enjoy any shoot day, including breakfast, lunch and refreshments throughout the day when they are requested to make a donation to our Charity Fund. Some prior notice would be appreciated for catering arrangements.

Each day on Mountgarret we normally field 5 drives. 

Everyone who shoots with me is well aware of my total dislike of overages.  On all our days no overages are charged. However on  No credits or refunds are given if we do not achieve the target bag or expected number of shots on the day.  

I much prefer to agree the bag before we start the day rather than after!

I have no objections to peg sharing, however I suggest alternate drives. Unfortunately this may not give an equal number of shots. Both guns shooting is possible but I suggest 10 shots each and change over – not alternative shots as two guns recently tried!!

Our Shoot fees are detailed on the list of available days. It is worth noting that with the ever increasing popularity in our partridge days and as September and early October are mainly partridge days on Mountgarret, our September shoot fees will continue for the first two weeks of October. November and December prices come into effect mid October onwards.

For real quality products such as silver and gilded drinks tumblers, peg place finders, gun bag and gun sleeve straps:

Should you be considering a new suit for shooting, business or any other sporting clothing, I can strongly recommend Jeremy Shaw at Carters Countrywear, 

7 The Market Place, Helmsley, YO62 5BH. 

Tel: 01439 770688.

The Mountgarret Shoot tweed is available from Jeremy.

We also have an excellent gentleman's tailors and outfitters in Harrogate. Jeremy Wood Beaumont at: 

Rhodes-Wood, 56 - 58 Parliament Street, Harrogate, HG1 2RL

Tel: 01423 505878 

E-mail info@rhodeswood.co.uk

The law states that anyone may use a shotgun without a UK Shotgun Certificate or Visitors Permit provided it is in the presence of the owner who has it registered on his Shotgun Certificate however you must have the required personal insurance cover is in place. Shotguns are available for hire, provided notice is given, from one of our instructor/loaders at £50 per day. Knowledge of height and if he or she is left or right handed would help in selecting the most ideal shotgun available.

You must have in your possession on all shoot days a valid UK Shotgun Certificate or UK Visitors Permit, with serial numbers of the shotguns to be used entered on the Certificate.

Anyone shooting with us and using their own shotguns must have a valid Shotgun Certificate or Visitors Permit for overseas visitors with the shotgun(s) used detailed on the Certificate/Permit. You may use a shotgun without a Shotgun Certificate providing the owner of the shotgun is present and he or she has a valid Shotgun Certificate which includes details of the shotgun and the serial number; this is permitted under Section II of the Firearms Act 1968. This applies when an instructor/loader or friend brings a shotgun for your use and stands with you; it also applies to overseas visitors. However whenever a shotgun is loaned or hired it is most important that the person shooting has adequate liability insurance in place before the shoot day. We can arrange overseas Visitors Shotgun permits, however North Yorkshire Police insist on receiving the completed application form a minimum of 8 weeks prior to your shoot day. Failure to give this period will mean the Permit will not be granted.

It is important to check that the point of entry in the UK will permit shotguns. Manchester Airport will not permit entry for shotguns. 

Sadly, Jeff Lupton the proprietor of The Yorkshire Gun Room recently died. The Gun Room has closed and the resident gunsmith Steve Baren has relocated his workshop. Steve now offers repairs and servicing from his new workshop.

Many guns particularly from abroad find it an inconvenience to take shotguns home from the UK.

The Yorkshire Gun Room and Shooting Ground, Bishop Thornton, Nr Harrogate HG3 3JN

Tel: 01765 620602   E-mail sales@yorkshiregunroom.com    www.yorkshiregunroom.com

A very good friend Nick Radclyffe supplies the Shoot with excellent Sloe, Damson and Plum Gin which are produced for us from a unique ancient recipe. I now much prefer Damson to Sloe. We often mix with Champagne, for Sloe with champagne it makes a “Sloegasm” for Damson with champagne it’s “A Dam Shame”. Bottles are always available for sale on a shoot day or you can purchase direct.

Foxdenton Estate Company Limited, Northfield House, 162 High Street, Winslow, Bucks, MK18 3DQ.

Tel: 01296 713306

If you require a bird or fish mounting for display:

Brian Lancaster, Manley Farm, Masham Road, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 2SE

01677 423358

Edward James Taxidermy Ltd, Cleveland Way, Helmsley, North Yorkshire YO62 5AT

07774 369219 info@ejtaxidermy.com

D.H., Taxidermy: Dave Hornbrook

Redlands, Reid Terrace, Guisborough, Cleveland, TS14 6EB

Tel: 01287 630940. 

Mobile: 07809 004783.

E-mail: dave@taxidermists.co.uk 

Website: www.taxidermists.co.uk

Mike Gadd

Hollydene Cottage, Padmans Lane, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire LS23 6BR

Tel: 01937 844580

E-mail: mike@taxidermy.co.uk

Web: www.taxidermy.co.uk

This is kept to the absolute minimum, we erect gates rather than having a stile but unfortunately in some fields our farmers insist on stiles in boundary fences.  We build steps and strim tracks to make walking as easy as possible. If in doubt it is always useful to have a stick with you for any rough ground.

There has been much in the press regarding the Police targeting muddy vehicles with a view to checking if the driver and passengers had been drinking and also if any shotguns were stored safely. The Shoot does not condone excessive drinking at any time; however I feel we should avoid unnecessary attention if at all possible.  We have the necessary equipment available for either the guns or shoot staff to clean off any excess mud and in particular to ensure all lights and number plates are clean. This facility for both cars and dogs is available in our Mountgarret Shoot Yard.

As supplied to the Shoot and installed in the Mountgarret Shoot Yard:

James Keyser Products.

Tel/Fax: 01285 712206

Web: www.jameskeyserproducts.co.uk

Guidance for young people as advised by North Yorkshire Police Firearms Department

There is no minimum age to acquire a shotgun certificate but there are certain restrictions that apply:-

It is an offence for a person under the age of 15 to have an assembled shotgun with him/her unless

• He/she is either under the supervision of a person aged 21 or over.

• The gun is covered with a securely fastened gun cover so that it cannot be fired.

• Persons under the age of 15 may NOT accept a shotgun as a gift.

The aim of the provision is to ensure that before they reach the qualifying age children should not be given shotguns of their own which may tempt them to shoot without supervision. It is in the interest of safety that a young person should be properly taught at a relatively early age. For further information please view our website www.ripleycastleshoot.com under “Important Information”.