There’s a particular sound to the final day of the shooting season.
The first shot of the day feels much like any other, familiar and steady. But as the last drive approaches, everything subtly shifts. Horns linger a little longer than usual. Conversations stretch out. Guns are unloaded with care, and people take their time walking back from the pegs—pausing to notice the frost clinging to hedgerows, the dogs finally settling after a long season, and the soft light beginning to fade over the landscape.
It’s not dramatic. It’s not hurried. It’s simply the natural close of something shared.
The Last Drive: Marking the End of the Shooting Season
As the day draws to a close, there’s that familiar gathering that defines the end of the shooting season. Boots are muddied, coats shrugged off, hands wrapped around warm cups. Stories are exchanged—some well-worn, some brand new—each one adding to the collective memory of the season just gone.
These moments aren’t about spectacle. They’re about connection. About recognising the quiet rhythm of the countryside and the people who move within it. The final drive doesn’t announce an ending so much as it gently acknowledges one.
Thank You to Those Who Care for the Countryside
As the season comes to a close, it’s a fitting time to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who looks after the countryside throughout the year. To those who manage the land with care and foresight. To the dog handlers, gamekeepers, farmers, and rural workers who rise early in all weathers. To those who mend fences, plant hedges, steward wildlife, and protect habitats long after the last day of the shooting season has passed.
This way of life is sustained by people who share a deep respect for the landscape and its wildlife—people who understand that responsible game shooting and conservation go hand in hand.
Respect for the Land Doesn’t End with the Season
While the shooting season may close, that shared respect for the countryside doesn’t end here. It carries on in winter planning, in conversations by the fire, and in the gatherings that bring the rural community together beyond the field. The care shown throughout the season continues quietly in the months that follow, ensuring the countryside remains healthy, balanced, and thriving.
Events like The Game Fair are a natural extension of that commitment—a place where countryside traditions, land management, sporting heritage, and conservation are celebrated together.
Looking Ahead to The Game Fair
Our shared love of the countryside doesn’t stop when the season ends. In many ways, it simply takes on a different form. The Game Fair offers something to look forward to: a chance to reconnect with the community, share knowledge, celebrate rural skills, and enjoy the very landscape that brings us together. It’s where conversations that began on the peg continue, and where the values of the countryside are proudly shared with a wider audience.
If the close of the shooting season leaves a quiet space in the calendar, The Game Fair fills it with anticipation.
Make sure you’ve got your tickets booked—something to look forward to now the season has ended.
Here’s to the Countryside, Cared for Together
Here’s to the last drive.
Here’s to the people behind the scenes.
And here’s to a countryside that is respected, managed, and celebrated—together.
The season may be over, but it doesn’t end here.
