Crow Busters Forum

Lest someone thinks this is about shooting supports/gun rests, I'm reporting about the British usage of this term.

I wanted to not hijack Butch’s thread (“Blind Seats”) so I began this related one: the use of a peculiarly British piece of equipment known as a “Shooting Stick.” Mine came from Pakistan, very nicely made I might add, of aluminum and Nauga hide (Naugas are very rare and dangerous to hunt, kill, and skin; but their hide is particularly durable, comfy, and waterproof, to which I can attest). I picked it up at the Hamburg Fischmarkt (fresh fish, animals, and lots, lots, more) one Sunday in 1984, for about 35 DM. If you ever get to Hamburg, Germany, this is a weekly event at the harbor (Hafen) that begins at 0500(!), ends at 0930, and is a hoot to see, because you can see just about anything, including people on their way home after drinking all night at the (mostly) deservedly notorious Reeperbahn—Zeddicus will back me up on this info. Anyhow, I wanted to add this to our usual intellectual discussions of fine hunting/seating gear. For more info on the Fischmarkt, go to:

http://english.hamburg.de/museums-attractions-hamburg-en/295006/fischmarkt-hamburg-elbe-english/

Back to the Shooting Stick. As you can see in its traveling state, one may use it as a walking stick; again, very British. This one is adjustable for height. Some even come with a built-in umbrella—but then, one would have to make the decision to either shoot or keep your tweeds dry. Then, upon reaching the shooting site (prearranged I think—help me out Redditch!), you spread the seat wings (which as you can see in photos 2 and 3, can hold a very ample posterior), move the circular spade (artillery term—I don’t know its actual name) to keep it from sinking into the ground, and relax, while your team of beaters drive the birds toward you. At least that’s how it might work over there in the UK.

I’ve tried it out at outdoor spectator events (my pre-Crowbuster days) and it is very comfortable. What follows is a description from the late 70s, reportedly from the Canadian publication, Infantry Magazine, in an article titled “How to Suceed at TEWT Without Really Trying.” By the way, “TEWT” is an acronym meaning Tactical Exercise Without Troops. Also discussed in the same article was the “NEWD” (Night Exercise Without Darkness--I’ve done a couple of those also), and much more very funny stuff, by now, you might guess. I got my copy from a fellow Canadian student, while attending the USA Infantry School (yes, Infantry). The article discussed required equipment for the successful TEWTer including: 

“Shooting Stick: A sort of mobile seat that looks like a walking stick with a large, fold-out handle.  Much used on “point to points” (a sort of cross country horse race or fox hunt without fox or hounds) and on shoots (a form of British hunting where the game is brought to the hunter rather than vice-versa). The point of the shooting stick is stuck firmly in the ground and the handle is opened to form a precarious seat.  Stories are told of a colonial student unfamiliar with the equipment who thought that the handle was opened to provide a firm lane, and couldn’t understand how British officers were able to maintain a stiff upper lip and their British cool while sitting on the point.”

I might just give my shooting stick a new life next AUG/SEP on a Run & Gun in a tree line setup. If anybody wants a copy of the above-mentioned article, PM me with an e-mail address--it's pretty funny, especially if you've worked in NATO. Cheers!