Check it off your list now: Shooting in UK or Spain…

Discover Delaney & Sons: European shooting specialists
Discover Delaney & Sons: European shooting specialists

One thing covid has made more apparent to me is that if there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, do it now. You never know what the tomorrow will bring.

Make some memories at Delaney & Sons 2017 Beacons Shoot
Make some memories at Delaney & Sons 2017 Beacons Shoot

If shooting in the UK is on your bucket list, once of the best ways to experience it is by booking a trip with Delaney & Sons.

Make some memories at Delaney & Sons 2017 Beacons Shoot
Make some memories at Delaney & Sons 2017 Beacons Shoot

They offer driven shooting for pheasants and grouse on famous estates in England, Wales, Scotland as well as driven partridge in Spain. They’re offering a full range of trips for the 2021 season.

One of the most exciting ones is the chance to complete a traditional Scottish MacNab Challenge (a brace of grouse, a stag, and an Atlantic salmon in one day) at a stunning estate on the Isle of Harris in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.

Location of Delaney & Sons 2021 MacNab Challenge. Amhuinnsuidhe Castle is a 55,000 acre sporting paradise.
Location of Delaney & Sons 2021 MacNab Challenge. Amhuinnsuidhe Castle is a 55,000 acre sporting paradise.

I’ve known Sean & Liz Delaney since they started their shooting trips to the UK. I’ve watched their business grow and their clients list expand.

The Harding Shoot with Delaney & Sons, traditional shooting in Wales, tailored for Americans
The Harding Shoot with Delaney & Sons, traditional shooting in Wales, tailored for Americans

They’ve done this by offering clients great sporting experiences at prices that are more affordable than what British companies charge for the same thing. See for yourself what people say about Delaney & Sons in this long list of testimonials.

Shoot like a King on this dream trip: Partridge and paella in Spain …

Discover Delaney & Sons: European shooting specialists
Discover Delaney & Sons: European shooting specialists

The Sierra de Norte Shoot – Fuentelfresno, Spain

Monday, October 21th – Friday, October 25th, 2019

Red-legged partridge shooting in Spain with Delaney & Sons: European shooting specialists
Red-legged partridge shooting in Spain with Delaney & Sons: European shooting specialists

Book now: Just 2 out of 8 pegs left

We are extremely excited to share with you the details for a new shoot at Finca Fuentelfresno, located along the Eastern edge of the Cordilla Central Mountain Range, approximately forty-five minutes northeast of Madrid. This will be a traditional partridge shoot, and all shooting will be conducted within the confines of the Estate, with different drives every day. This is truly a rare and unique opportunity. Let us know soon if you are interested in this elegant and all things Spanish driven shooting experience!

Best, Sean and Liz Delaney

The Shoot

Fuentelfresno consists of 35,000 acres of ground filled with olive groves, almond trees, vineyards, farmland, and rolling hills, all providing excellent habitat with perfect topography for a traditional shoot. Birds are driven by a team of up to forty beaters over narrow valleys for the guns waiting below. We will shoot three back-to-back 400 bird days. This is challenging shooting in a breathtaking setting!

The Lodge

We will spend the entire week at Finca Fuentelfresno as the guests of Carlos de Llanza Mala, its current custodian. The Lodge, which was built by Carlos’ father about sixty years ago, manages to be rustic and elegant at the same time, a perfect setting for a shooting party. All rooms are en suite and comfortable, with excellent views of the gardens and the landscape beyond. The Main Lounge has a pair of beautiful fireplaces, a perfect spot for a sundowner. Our team will have exclusive use of the premises, and all of our meals will be prepared in-house by our chef Anna. The food is beyond compare.

Shoot Price – $9,750

Delicious paella made for the team after a day of shooting.
Delicious paella made for the team after a day of shooting.

Includes: Transportation to and from Madrid airport and throughout the week, three days of driven shooting (with an anticipated bag of 400 birds per day), lodging at the elegant Fuentelfresno, guns (if needed) and ammunition, traditional tapas and shoot lunches on the estate, gourmet dinners each evening, alcohol, game licenses, liability insurance, and gun permits (for your guns or ours).

Excludes: Flights, gratuities to chargor (loader) and secretario (€80 each per day), and gratuities to hotel staff (€100 total).

Non-Shooting or Peg-Sharing Spouses: Non-shooting spouses are welcome to join us for an additional $1,750. This includes four nights’ lodging, all meals, alcohol, and ground transportation. Two days of sightseeing. Spouses are welcome to share pegs on some or all days for the same rate.

Book now: Just 2 out of 8 pegs left

According to GeorgeGoldsmith.com, the King of Spain & other aristos love Finca Fuentelfresno:

“This family shoot (Finca Fuentelfresno) is favoured by many of the royal houses of Europe and King Juan Carlos, although no longer young, still takes 6 days during the year when he comes, either with friends and family, or as a guest of friends. The photos displayed in the lodge go from Caroline of Monaco (who on a yearly basis takes a team of ladies to shoot with her), to Dutch Crown Prince William Alexander van Oranje, and the Grand Duke of Luxembourg …”

Book now: Just 2 out of 8 pegs left

Get a great deal on driven shooting in the UK…

Make some memories at Delaney & Sons 2017 Beacons Shoot
Make some memories at Delaney & Sons 2017 Beacons Shoot

Knock, knock. Who’s there? Opportunity – specifically the opportunity to get $1000 off on a dream trip to shoot in the UK.

For several years now, Delaney and Sons has given American hunters the chance to experience some of the finest driven shooting in the UK at very reasonable prices. Due to client conflict, a spot just opened up on their famed Beacons Shoot, scheduled for the end of the November, this year. Here are the details from Delaney and Sons:

“Sometimes life interferes with the best laid plans. Our friend and past shooter, pictured above, unfortunately has been forced to cancel his trip with us next month due to an illness. He has asked us to try to sell his peg for $7,700, a discount of $1,000.

If you are adventurous and have been wanting to come with us, now is the time. The 2018 price is $9,200 (there are only 4 spots left by the way.)

Amazingly, flights are still a decent price depending on the airport. We will be picking up our team at London Heathrow on the morning of Sunday 26 November at 9:30am. Everyone will be taken back to Heathrow late in the morning on Saturday 2 December. So please keep that in mind when looking at flights. Some shooters stay at the Marriott Renaissance Heathrow the night before pick up. We will pick you up in the lobby at 10:00am.

Make some memories at Delaney & Sons 2017 Beacons Shoot
Make some memories at Delaney & Sons 2017 Beacons Shoot

Please let us know if you might have interest, and feel free to give us a call as soon as possible at 717-919-5317.

The price for friend or spouse traveling with you is $1,600.

Click here to link to the relevant page on our website (about 2018 though).”

A day later, but still glorious …

A friend of Dogs & Doubles sent me these pics. They were taken yesterday, August 13, in Yorkshire, UK. Our friend is experiencing some driven grouse shooting for the very first time. He said he’s having a fantastic trip. On one drive, he dropped 15 birds. Not bad…not bad at all.

Grouse shooting, August 13, Yorkshire, UK
Grouse shooting, August 13, Yorkshire, UK
Grouse shooting, August 13, Yorkshire, UK
Grouse shooting, August 13, Yorkshire, UK

Take a dream trip to Wales with Delaney & Sons …

The Harding Shoot with Delaney & Sons, traditional shooting in Wales, tailored for Americans
The Harding Shoot with Delaney & Sons, traditional shooting in Wales, tailored for Americans

Being a sucker for history, double barrel shotguns, and all things tweedy, I’ve always wanted to shoot in the UK. If I had the time, I would definitely join Delaney & Sons this fall in Wales for their 2015 Harding Shoot.

Established in 1999, The Harding Shoot runs from November 15th to November 21st. It is based in the majestic hills of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales, and guests stay in the quaint town of Crickhowell, Wales, at the historic Dragon Inn.

Last fall, Sean Delaney and his wife, Liz, took over the shoot from its originator. Their goal “… is to provide like minded American hunters with hassle-free access to traditional, high quality driven  shooting — without pretense —  for a reasonable price.”

The 2015 Harding Shoot is an all-inclusive affair and accommodations, ground transport, gun hire, ammunition, visitor’s permits, and food are all included. The price: $8,500.

To join the 2015 Harding Shoot, call 717-919-5317 for more info.

Here’s more about the Harding Shoot, from Sean Delaney:

“For our trip, all you need to do is show up at Heathrow on Sunday, and the rest is sorted from there.  We provide nice vintage boxlocks, with the odd sidelock thrown in, as well as modern over unders if that is someone’s preference. If someone wants to bring their own guns, that is fine as well.  Cartridges, food, lodging, etc. are all included. Tips to the individual estate keeper and alcohol at night are not included. The food is great, but there are no black tie dinners at castles.

The locals in the town we stay in, Crickhowell, know that we are coming and stop in throughout the week to say hello. If you go in a shop, the proprietor will likely say, “I heard the Americans were coming this week, how’s the sport been?”.

As far as the hunting is concerned, we are trying to drive home the point that driven shooting is a team endeavor, and a lot of people work very hard to present high birds to the guns. The head keeper, beaters, dog handlers and pickers up act in coordination with the guns to bring the bag home to be processed and sent to market. On many estates, the shoot lunch is a lavish affair held in a shoot lodge, but the beaters, handlers, and pickers up eat a boxed lunch in the parking lot. We have a much more egalitarian (American?) set up, inasmuch as well all eat together in a barn or an outbuilding. I think that this is a great way to really immerse the hunters in the tradition of the sport.

The other thing that we provide is hunting diversity. First, we hunt five estates over five days.  The larger estates could entertain a team for a whole week, but ours are generally smaller.  One of the shoots is almost entirely private; they only let one day a year, to us.  We get to see different terrain and meet different people every day. Second, we provide diversity of species. Every shoot in the UK has pheasants, and many have partridge as well.  But we add duck and woodcock to the bag, which is fairly unique.”