The Gamekeeper.

Game keeping is perhaps one of the oldest professions in the UK, the first game keepers hailing from medieval times to protect deer from poachers, but what is exactly is game keeping today? What is a game keeper?

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The keeper’s job is to manage the general health of the countryside and game, they actively manages areas of woodland, moorland, waterways or farmland for the benefit of game birds, deer, fish and wildlife in general.

The National Game Keeper’s Org states:

“There are about 3000 full time gamekeepers in the UK and a similar number who do the job part time. They work on farms and estates to look after the game species, their habitats and the other wildlife that shares them.”

There are several variations in game keeping:

·         Lowland keepers: rearing pheasant and partridge and managing lowland habitats.

·         Upland keepers: managing moorland for grouse in upland areas.

·         Stalkers: keepers who specialise in the stealthy pursuit of deer, mainly in the uplands of Scotland.

·         Gillies/river keepers: keepers who manage rivers such as the River Spey for trout and salmon.

Thus it can be said a keeper’s priority is to make sure that pheasants, partridges, hares, deer and grouse to thrive in the countryside. They know the times to rear each type of bird and the appropriate measures to take for the countryside and game each season, a person with the love of the outdoors is well suited to such a time honoured profession. Being out on one’s feet all day proves itself a tiring yet rewarding job, as the entire ecosystem is to be managed by the gamekeeper.

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The wildlife cannot survive and thrive without a well-cared for environment. For example, hares need open field and grassland for protection against foxes, bushes and hedgerows protect eggs of rats and crows.

Oxford Blue has for years been making quality Gamekeeper jackets, made from 100% cotton Japara wax. It features a brown corduroy collar with detachable Oxford metal badge, throat tab, two-way zip fastener, storm flap with stud fasteners, back venting, check pattern lining, knitted inner cuffs and is multi-pocketed: two hand-warmer pockets, two patch pockets and an inner pocket.

This garments radiates eminence and has served many a gamekeeper true over the decades.

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A brief history of clay pigeon shooting.

A traditionally aristocratic pastime, clay pigeon shooting has evolved to be a widespread pastime amongst all.

It was popular practise in the 1800's for hunting parties to don tweed garments and boots and hunt pheasants, pigeons and other game birds of all varieties in their country estates. It was in 1812 in a London suburb that the first live pigeon-shooting club was born. It was called the "Old Hats Tavern". The old hats were used nas boxes in order to launch the pigeons. This was when the expansion of this sport first started. 

However around the 1850's glass balls filled with feathers were used instead of live game, perhaps in an effort to make the sport less ghastly to the less bloodthirsty inclined sportsmen or even to cut down costs. Mechanisms were devised as a sort of animal trap to release the glass balls into the air, coining the phrase "ball trap."

By 1921 live pigeon shooting competitions were made illegal but by the end of the 19th century the clay target had emerged which Victorian era shooters used as practise before hunting for live game, thus the cklay pigeon had already reach mainstream circles paving its way to take over during competitions, by 1927 it has enough popularity for Britain to host it's first open championship.

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The country tweed shooting jacket.

Among the British aristocracy was a popular pastime of hunting game and shooting, this was largely done in tweed garments to help shield the wearer from the typically cold and damp British weather. Shooting was largely a seasonal hobby depending on the quarry:

Gamebird and Waterfowl Open Seasons (dates inclusive)

Species	England and Wales	Scotland	Northern Ireland	Isle of Man
Pheasant	Oct 1 – Feb 1	Oct 1 – Feb 1	Oct 1 – Jan 31	Oct 1 – Jan 31
Grey Partridge	Sep 1 – Feb 1	Sep 1 – Feb 1	Sep 1- Jan 31	Protected (ban in force)
Red-legged Partridge	Sep 1 – Feb 1	Sep 1 – Feb 1	Sep 1- Jan 31	Sep 13 – Jan 31
Red Grouse	Aug 12 – Dec 10	Aug 12 – Dec 10	Aug 12 – Nov 30	Aug 25 – Oct 31 *
Black Grouse	Aug 20 – Dec 10 (Somerset, Devon and New Forest: Sep 1 – Dec 10)	Aug 20 – Dec 10	—	—
Ptarmigan	—	Aug 12 – Dec 10	—	—
Duck & Goose inland	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31 – DucksJuly 1 – Mar 31 – Geese**
Duck & Goose below HWM (see below)	Sep 1 – Feb 20	Sep 1 – Feb 20	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31- Ducks Jul 1 – Mar 31 – Geese **
Common Snipe	Aug 12 – Jan 31	Aug 12 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31
Jack Snipe	Protected	Protected	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Protected
Woodcock	Oct 1 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Oct 1 – Jan 31	Oct 1 – Jan 31
Golden Plover	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Protected
Coot/Moorhen	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Sep 1 – Jan 31	Protected	Protected

HWM – High water mark:

England and Wales: The area of sea shore which is more often than not covered by the flux and reflux of the four ordinary tides occurring midway between springs and neaps.

Scotland: Area between high and low water marks of ordinary spring tides

Northern Ireland: The limit of where the living seaweed is attached to the stones of the foreshore.

Isle of Man: * Currently a voluntary ban on shooting red grouse is in place. ** Geese can only be shot under general licence under the Wildlife Act 1990. See the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) website for terms and conditions of general licences http://www.gov.im/categories/the-environment-and-greener-living/wildlife/

http://basc.org.uk/game-and-gamekeeping/quarry-species-shooting-seasons/

The shooting jacket had to cater for it wearer in a different respect to a traditional jacket die to the nature of the sport, the 4 main ways are:

1.      Greater manoeuvrability

None shooting jackets do not allow much give when lifting the arms up, therefore should one go clay pigeon shooting where a high flying target moves fast, one would need the extra room and give in the shoulder region to allow such play.

2.       Deep and wide pockets

A defining characteristic, the pockets should be deep to ensure cartridges do not fall out and wide enough to allow quick and easy access to, shooters could also wear bandoliers as an alternative however the jacket also served as an accompanying store.

3.       Hidden zips

The zips would be hidden under flaps of tweed to protect the gun but from getting scratched and surely from making noise, on waistcoats the shoulder would have fabric over layer for the same reason.

4.       Warm and waterproof

Out in the estate all day, one would be up against fairly regularly un friendly British weather, hunting jackets in particular needed waterproof coating.

A theory of how the jacket came about which is not implausible is an evolution from the Norfolk jacket, popular as a sports jacket in the 1860’s but perhaps too restrictive, thus a more baggy coat came about to allow shooters greater play when hunting.

http://www.gentlemansgazette.com/

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