Rough Shooting in Southern Jutland

Tore Danielsen
Feb 20, 2018
2 min read

On Sunday the 24th of September, we were ready for a day of exciting rough shooting, primarily for partridge. After a good night’s sleep near Gram Castle in the village with the same name, we sat course for the little town named Skærbæk, and the Danish “prairie” close to the sea, in the southwest of Jutland.

These prairie-like plains are in fact called “heden” by the local Danish population. At Hedebovej 33 we met with the young but experienced Danish hunter and gamekeeper, Bjorn Nielsen. Bjorn has several shooting areas at his disposal, and we had booked a rough shooting day with him this Sunday. Since it was still September, no pheasants or brown hares were to be taken on this day. Thus, our primary quarry was grey partridges, ducks and perhaps a snipe. Bjorn often arranges days for visiting hunters on different terrains at his disposal, and he offers most of the bird-shooting which is available and legal in Denmark. This includes pheasants, grey partridges, ducks, geese, woodcock and snipe. For those who would like to go rough shooting with Bjorn someday, his e mail address is: bnjagt87@gmail.com

Chasing after partridges with Old Danish Pointers and a Vorster

The plan for the day was to chase partridges and other legal birds by using pointing dogs. Two Old Danish Pointers were brought in, together with a German Vorster. Old Danish Pointer is a charming and traditional breed that has been used for partridge shooting on “heden” for generations. Unfortunately, due to an excess of rain in Jutland for several weeks before our visit, the green and brown fields were flooded with water and mud, making the job very difficult for both four-legged and two-legged. Nevertheless, in the middle of the day the Vorster named Charlie, found a couple of partridges. Unfortunately, they sat on the neighbour’s property and therefore I was not allowed to shoot as the dog flushed the birds. I could only watch them escape. Amid all that happened, Charlie caught and killed a brown hare that sprang up on him from a hole in the ground! In the afternoon, however, I was able to shoot a couple of wild partridges, a male and a female, as they flushed out in front of my feet. A situation which definitely made my day much brighter! Lastly, The Old Danish Pointer, Victor, found and flushed a single partridge that took a U-turn around the shooting party, before I swung my barrels through it and disposed of the bird. I also had a couple of chances at common snipe, but missed the little wily birds. They are not a popular quarry for Norwegian shooters.

A total bag of three wild partridges may not be a lot to many people, but under these rather extreme circumstances and conditions, it was a result which I found myself more than happy with!