Continuing the Nickerson Legend.

Classic drives, slick organisation and perfect hospitality.
Jill Bradley visits the Acthorpe-North Ormsby Shoot Lincolnshire.

Tucked away and perfectly positioned in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds is the Acthorpe-North Ormsby shoot. The fact that it is managed by the late great Sir Joseph Nickerson's nephew certainly hints that this shoot may be a little bit special. As indeed it is. David Nickerson's game management prowess, depth of sporting experience and genial but understated hospitality skills combine to produce outstanding sport in what for many is an unfamiliar corner of England.

The Nickerson name is written down in history associated with big bags of wild partridge on the Rothwell Estate, but the Acthorpe-North Ormsby shoot holds the current record for the largest number of partridge shot on one drive. Samuel Nickerson and his brother, Sir Joseph, together with six friends shot 272 on October 6, 1961 (David's father was also in the six-man team on that famous day at Rothwell when they accounted for a record bag of 2,119 wild partridges, in a total bag of 2,342). The modern day gun, however, requires more then just large numbers and herein lies the success of David Nickerson.

I arrived at Acthorpe House a little earlier than planned, to be welcomed by David and shown into the kitchen where the coffee cups were already waiting to be filled. The first of the guns arrived soon after and familiar greetings were made. The shooting party was the Church Farm syndicate from Norfolk, a roving team that has been shooting here since 1986. The day started as it was to progress: all members on excellent form with plenty of good humour, the atmosphere very relaxed. The fact that this syndicate has been a regular for 13 years suggests that David provides something out of the ordinary.

The shoot has been in his family since 1949 when his father, Samuel, took on the sporting rights. Covering 7,00 acres of undulating arable and grassland, there are three beats: two pheasant and one partridge together providing four day's shooting. David took over around 18 years ago due to his father's ill health and has gradually adapted proceedings to accommodate a number of let days. That said, it still has the air of a private shoot. This could in part be due to the owner looking after the guns on the day; drawing on his own long experience he knows instinctively how a day should be run.. I would guess that there is pride at stake. There are usually 50 shooting days in a season, 30 of which are let, the remainder are private, or syndicated for the family and friends.

The terrain lends itself to presenting birds well with rolling fields and steep chalk valleys at the bottom of which there is some very pretty woodland. Further trees too on higher ground make for great January shooting. Anyone who dismisses Lincolnshire as flat and boring has clearly never visited the Wolds. It is unsung and unspoiled and I suspect that's how the residents like it. Whatever, it is fabulous shooting country.

Shooting has of course always been part of his life. " I was very fortunate and shot my first grouse when I was nine - my father and my uncle took on Wemmergill in the mid-forties and had it until Sir Joseph's death. Ironically I did much more shooting then - running the shoot keeps me absolutely flat out. But I have to say that I genuinely enjoy it, and there is a lot of satisfaction seeing it work so well"

The quality of game is very important "We import a Scandinavian strain of pheasant from Denmark. This is a very good strain and doesn't tend to wander as much as blueback. They also fly very well - really stand on their tails and climb. With regards to partridges we use 40% English and 60% French on the shoot. The game farm rears mainly redlegs so we buy in a number of partridges each season".

Shoot captain Jeff Hazel was sat next to me on the short journey to the first drive and gave a brief insight into why his team of guns returned year after year: "There are so many pheasants of such high quality. They don't just fly but glide at a good height, which makes their speed easy to misjudge".

The weather was overcast, reasonably mild for the time of year and very still. I wondered whether the lack of breeze would affect how the birds flew, despite the favourable grey skies. I needn't have worried. The first drive of the morning saw the eight guns positioned in front of a wood, across a grass field facing a crop of maize with a small spinney the other side. Within minutes flurries of pheasants were soaring overhead producing frequent and sporting shots right across the line. As the birds were flushed they sprung up out of the game cover reaching for the sky, bursting over the guns to reach safety of the trees behind.

Another strip of maize cover crop ran right angles to the line of guns on the second drive. Again, the beaters made light work of producing good birds in the less than perfect weather conditions which more than met the satisfaction of the shooters. On returning to the vehicles we were quick to observe that David had converted the tailgate of his range rover into a mini bar hosting winter warming drinks which the grateful party readily supped.

The following two drives were of a different nature and used the natural steep contours of the land to produce the goods. The first of these placed the guns along the bottom of a tree lined bank with a sloping arable field rising behind. The efficient team of beaters flushed the birds over the brow of the bank forcing them to launch themselves up over the trees, sailing high above the pegs. It was exhilarating to watch and set a real challenge for the guns. Not only were the pheasants at sporting heights, they were unpredictable, sometimes flying at full speed directly over the line, sometimes skimming over the trees, following the lines of trees.

A further test was to come, this time with tall trees either side of the line. The pegs had been placed along a narrow ride, a situation that gave the guns very little airspace for a clear shot. Sharp eyesight, quick reactions and skilled marksmanship were essential if contact was to be made.

By this time I had become acutely aware that, as well as excellent presentation of birds, the days proceedings were uncommonly slick. There was no evidence of being rushed as the morning progressed in a very relaxed manner, yet five drives were fitted in before lunch. Not a single radio among the keepers was evident, yet beaters were in place and ready to move before guns were at their pegs. The frequent waiting at the peg for 15 minutes for the drive to get going did not occur.

Much of this is greatly due to an efficient team of keepers headed by Derek Mills who has been keeper on the shoot all of his working life. An amiable and knowledgeable man, he was weaned as a wild partridge keeper but with the change of farming practices and decline in partridge he has adapted brilliantly to helping David develop the reared bird potential on the shoot. Derek joined the Nickerson's at the age of 16 and will be over 60 next year.

The whole affair comes together resembling an animated jigsaw, with each piece falling into place at precisely the right moment. The drives are expertly presented, offer a great variety (rather than just a stream of high pheasants flying from "A" to "B"), and whilst David is clearly heavily involved in the hands on management of the shoot he is constantly the front-of-house face attending to his party of guns throughout the day.

Lunch was served in the dining room of Acthorpe House. A delicious gigot of lamb was carved at the table (and accompanied by the renowned onion sauce reputed to be as good as the shooting), which was surrounded by walls hanging heavy with photographs showing shooting parties of days gone by.

The seventh and final drive began as the first shadows of dusk swept across the sky. A similar drive layout to the second, birds were few but challenging all the same. The last whistle blew and facial expressions were enough to suggest that the day had ended all too quickly. But there was comfort in store in the shape of tea and hot crumpets, with Derek joining the party to announce the days big bag: 289 pheasants and 1 woodcock.