Is this the perfect shoot?

What's your ideal day? 

We’ve all taken part in the conversation – what’s your ideal day?

The favourite response is for a bag of 100 birds – really high ones. My normal reply, knowing something  of the realities of shoot management, is ‘good luck with that one’. Assuming a shoot is trying to cover its costs, it is not the perceived way.

Well, it seems that I may be proved wrong after all – for that is exactly what now happens at the famous old North Wales shoot of Bodidris.  

100 bird days – that’s their proud speciality.

A different perspective 

The Dowell family, who’ve taken this shoot under their wing alongside one of the beats of the nearby Rhug estate, believe in involving as many as possible in the day. For that reason, guns meet for breakfast at the Community café, where they can start their day with anything from a dainty cup of chamomile tea to a Full Welsh.

The programme then usually consists of 4 or 5 drives with a large elevenses taken ‘on the hoof’ – usually a Land Rover bonnet. This is a mixture of game related dishes – all delicious and prepared by Tom (Dowell jnr) and his partner.

The day finishes with a pint and bowl of chips down at the local – alongside tales of high ones that you’ve seen your mates miss cleanly!

It’s not meant to be fancy – but it helps make sense of doing a top quality driven day with a relatively small bag – surely the most important thing. All this and prices that won’t scare the horses – what’s not to like?

"An exciting future ahead"

The Dowell stewardship of this famous shoot is in its early days – but there are growing numbers of grouse on the hill (Welsh grouse are finally ‘on the up’) as well as impressive numbers of Black Grouse (firmly off the menu). Add wild duck whistling into the various ponds and there’s an exciting future ahead. Their ambition is not to make money (phew!) but instead to improve the shoot as much as they can without overly exploiting its assets.

Their enthusiasm and appetite for hard work should ensure that.

Firthy’s recommendation

This one is twofold; get in early – whilst you still can. Oh – and consider teaming it with a day on their other excellent nearby shoot (Rhug) to make a cracking away-day.