The GunsOnPegs Podcast

The Obscure Fieldsports Episode (Live from the Game Fair Theatre)

Chris and George take over the stage at the Carter Jonas Theatre at the Game Fair and welcome Charlie Jacoby back to the podcast. Showing the effects of being on stage for two days straight, Fieldsports Channel's Charlie Jacoby tells us about fishing the alphabet, shooting Cabbage White butterflies with dustshot, and ferreting mice with bumblebees(?!?). We also discuss the Unpopular Opinions of a harrumphing Colonel, how to paint a more positive picture of shooting in the fieldsports press and media, as well as  offering a listener advice on how to get their friends psyched for their annual shooting trip by trying something different.

The Episode of Smoke and Fire

Once again, George hits the road to go on an adventure. This time he travels along the south coast to meet Nick Weston, better known as Hunter:Gather:Cook, at his HQ in a stunning 200 year old barn deep in the Sussex countryside.
Nick's journey from archaeology student to wild food and fire cooking champion is a fascinating one, and he shares his passion for wild food, whether that be furred, feathered, finned or fungoid. Today he hosts corporate groups, families and other parties for wild food workshops in Sussex, as well as taking his skills on the road to festivals around the UK.
Along with Weber's Head Grillmaster, Dan Cooper, Nick cooks up a feast over hot coals, and the pair share top tips for cooking game over flame.Follow Nick here
 

The Moorland Matters Episode

Our guest for this episode is Ian Coghill, chair of Aim to Sustain, former chairman of GWCT, author, campaigner and all-round sportsman Ian Coghill.Ian's book, Moorland Matters, achieved great acclaim for its thorough analysis of the arguments for and against grouse moor management, and some of the legislative, adminstrative and beaurocratic obstacles to sensible conservation policies.
 
He joins us to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the shooting community, share his wisdom, and offer advice to our listeners, who seek answers to the problem of winning a reluctant significant other round to the idea of shooting and whether the term 'gamekeeper' under-sells the hard work put in by shoot employees up and down the land.

The Media Spotlight Episode

Have guns lost the ability to mark their birds, or is there a deeper problem? What would you do if you learned that your fellow beaters were being paid but you were not? Ollie Williams, he of Fieldsports Channel and Love Island fame, joins us to answer these questions. He also shares the history and future of his family's Cornish estate, Lanhydrock, and how his sudden rise to notoriety, courtesy of his Love Island appearance, changed his life for both better and worse. He, more than almost anyone, has experienced the full glare of the media spotlight, and how an association with fieldsports can result in disgusting abuse, not only for you, but those around you.

The Morocco Special

George and Digby have been on a "work trip" to the Atlas Mountains to experience a Moroccan-style driven boar hunt. In their commitment to creating great content no matter how tough the conditions, we bring you a podcast they recorded on the balcony of a 5* hotel in the burning North African sun, with only refreshing mint tea and cold beer to sustain them.The boys discuss their first experience of hunting wild boar, Moroccan hospitality and the strangest nightclub in the world. They are joined by Matt Hollington of Atlas Sporting, the man who probably knows more about hunting in Morocco than anyone else in the UK. He shares some insider knowledge about the local hunting culture and the importance of hunting tourism to the local economy in the Altas Mountains.

The Grey Partridge Episode

Purdey Gold Award winner George Ponsonby joins Chris and George to share his passion for grey partridge shooting and conservation. Just a handful of years ago George took the decision to manage the 4,000 acres that he farms with a view to restoring grey partridge numbers in the hope that one day he might be able to enjoy a day or two each season shooting driven English partridges. At this year's Puurdey Awards for Game and Conservation he and his team at Great Lemhill were honoured with the Gold award, the highest accolade on offer, a testament to their dedication and passion for greys.George also helps us to adjudicate on a suspect left-and-right claim, and describes what might be the most elaborate and carefully thought-out Desert Island Shooting in the history of the podcast.

The Glorified Travel Agent Episode

In this episode: George has a question about his chickens, and Chris has seen a ferret. Both of these things might be the result of one too many beers the night before the recording.
We discuss the rights and wrongs of social media on a shoot day, in response to a listener's query regarding an 'Instaspammer' he encountered last season. How much is too much, and should phones be shot on sight?Another listener writes in to put the cat amongst the partridges, suggesting that one member of The Order of the Garters may have gained his membership and garters by nefarious means, which leads to an interesting discussion on the politics of syndicates and sporting trips.
Our special guest is Tarquin Millington-Drake, UK managing director of the well-known sporting travel company Frontiers Travel, which he's been running since 1993, taking clients, shooting, fishing all over the world, doing lovely things that no one calls work. In 2015, Tarquin produced a sellout book A Year on the Moor, a photographic account of a year on a grouse moor, which took seven years to complete. He was also part of the Great Lemhill team, which recently won the 2022 Gold Purdy Award. We talk to Tarquin about his experiences as a 'glorified travel agent', and he shares a few of the scrapes he's had to extricate himself and his clients from over the years. We also discuss his forthcoming book, Living with Greys, all about grey partridges, and some of the remarkable wildlife experiences he's had in the production of the book. 

The Dawn of a New Era Episode

We're back! Once again we've been making big plans for the future, and we're sure you're going to love them! A bright new dawn is breaking over the podcast, and we, slightly hungover and blinking in the light, are ready to embrace the future.As our first guest for the first episode of this bright new epoch, we're joined by Digby Taylor, Managing Director of GunsOnPegs. He shares the news on how the 2023 rearing season is shaping up, with the latest on Avian Flu. We also discuss the one thing that everyone can do to help safeguard the future of shooting.Natural Resources Wales game bird releasing consultation

The 50 Not Out Episode - Season 5 Episode 10

To mark our half-century - 50 full length episodes - we recorded a special episode LIVE at Clays Bar in London. Chris and George reflect on the origins of the podcast, recall some dreadful drinks, and reward some of our most loyal listeners.
The 'studio audience' have their say on matching tweeds, whether side-by-sides are de rigeur or passé, and we build the ultimate Desert Island Shooting. Also: George goes for a pee.

The Irish Grouse Episode - Series 4 Episode 9

After a break of waaaay too long, Chris and George return with a fascinating special guest in the form of Peter Mackie, sledging enthusiast and Chairman of the Irish Grouse Conservation Trust.
We discuss the age-old issue of whether to shoot through or stop for lunch, there's an update from a US correspondent and offer some words of comfort for a calculating beater.
Peter shares the story of how the IGCT has painstakingly built partnerships with a wide array of disparate bodies in order to help bring Irish grouse populations back from the brink.