Afternoon Stephen I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank both yourself and James for a fantastic and challenging day. t was thoroughly enjoyed by myself and Rob and we very much look forward to doing it again at some point. Please extend our thanks to all of your team, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxed day, very much appreciated.
Dear Stephen and James,
I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank you both for such an enjoyable days shooting on Monday. From the moment we arrived to the time we drove down the Dale at the end of the day, we felt that you couldn’t have improved on the day in any way, particularly in light of Covid restrictions.
If I could ask you to pass on my thanks to all the team at Coverhead, that would be appreciated. Knowing how tricky late September grouse are to drive and get over the butts, I was impressed with the skill of your keepers and beating team in getting so many grouse over the butts, they did an excellent job.
Jim was an excellent host for the day and he added to our enjoyment, his briefing in the morning hit just the right tone, without being too over bearing, a very hard line to judge, certainly one of the best briefings I’ve heard for a long time. Jim was also very kind in driving us about, fun to chat to and full of amusing stories.
The grouse themselves lived unto expectations, and were fast and challenging, as good as any I have shot in the Scottish Highlands in October.
Coverhead its self is a magical place, wonderfully wild, and so different from much of the “ twee picture perfect” Dales that one is used to. Your management of Coverhead should be used as an example to all.
Hi Stephen,
Just wanted to say what an awesome day your staff/team put on for us the other day - had an absolutely awesome experience and will definitely look out for opportunities to shoot at Coverhead in future, if you’d have me back!
I think the day went as well as it could have possibly done so, testament to the organisation and beating staff.
Thanks once again for the opportunity and best wishes for the remainder of the season.
Dear Stephen,
Just a quick note to thank you, James and all your team for a very enjoyable and challenging day yesterday. What fun...
Such a friendly, relaxed atmosphere set amongst a stunning estate / very much enjoyed chatting to the other guests and small world when you find so many connections....and apologies didn’t get to say thanks to Jim who was very Welcoming and good with us all day...
Frankly, the day will last for some time in my memory as I managed by chance to bag my first left and right in front on the last drive...Happy days...
May I thank you and your family for their hospitality and you for a very informative and helpful half day on Sunday and a most enjoyable and informative days shooting on Monday with a generally very friendly bunch of guns. The team of beaters, pickers up and keepers were great, friendly courteous and clearly well practiced. You have lovely ground to shoot over but I don’t envy you the amount of work that running a Grouse moor clearly entails. Your tutelage on Sunday clearly paid dividends and without it my tally would have been considerably lower, so thanks for your patience and persistence with the clays. If you ever need someone to recommend the course just ask, it was worth every penny.
I just wanted to thank you all for a brilliant day's shooting on the
Glorious 12th. It was a triumph from start to finish and your team could not
have provided a more perfect day - very relaxed and friendly, delicious food
and drink, stunning scenery and amazing shooting!
2nd or 3rd visit to Coverhead. Quiet first couple of drives (weather was humid and very warm). Drive just before lunch was excellent and I started to get my eye in. Lunch was great then the final drive fantastic (for me). Shot well (2:1) and busy. Back next year is the plan.
This was my first taste of grouse shooting and I went for the package which included the training day prior to the shoot day. All nine guns were grouse virgins. On the 11th, we were met upon arrival by Stephen Mawle, the managing partner, where we were offered a very nice sandwich lunch and soup. We were then given a tour of the moor with a very interesting and insightful talk about grouse moor management. We also had a safety briefing with regard to operations on the 12th. We spent the rest of the afternoon with 3 professional coaches teaching us how to shoot grouse. The clays and ammunition were supplied as part of the experience. The instruction was very informative and enjoyable, despite the rain lashing down! This also allowed me to get to know the other guns.
We retired to the lodge for the night, were we were served a very good quality 3 course meal, with alcohol in abundance (if one was foolish enough to overindulge!). The accommodation and facilities in the shooting lodge were first class.
The following day we enjoyed 5 drives in windy but reasonably dry conditions. Some had better opportunities than others during the day (that is the nature of shooting) to shoot, but everyone had well presented and challenging birds over them. In total we shot 51 brace. Our shot/kill ratio was not great, but that is down to the guns - we certainly had a lot of opportunities to shoot presented to us.
I cannot praise enough the reception, facilities, the coaching and the shooting. Being a first timer, I missed plenty but I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole package and am very grateful to Coverhead Farms and Stephen for a great experience. I'm now trying to work out how I can afford this again next year!
The best and most testing grouse shooting you will have the chance to shoot at. If you really serious about wanting to be able to shoot them as they are quality WILD grouse, Not lowland flapping pheasants or partridge. Invest in the services of an instructor to load for you, you only need to shoot a couple of brace to have paid for his time!! or shoot somewhere where they are tame. prehaps at the beginning of the season when there are more and slower!!!
Shot on Monday Sept 26th September 2016 and we were treated to some very fast and highly challenging Grouse. The birds were in abundance and proved to be more than a match for the Guns. The beating team were very well organised and worked hard to push the birds through the line. The hospitality was excellent. Highly recommended.
We were a Team of 9 novice Grouse shooters shooting on 15th August 2016,Stephen & the team provided us with two days of excellent hospitality & Shooting starting with Clay Practice from the Grouse Butts on the Sunday & a 65 Brace day on the Monday,Great team of Guns,the catering was superb,stunning scenery & Shooting Lodge-would highly recommend
We were a Team of 9 novice Grouse shooters shooting on 15th August 2016,Stephen & the team provided us with two days of excellent hospitality & Shooting starting with Clay Practice from the Grouse Butts on the Sunday & a 65 Brace day on the Monday,Great team of Guns,the catering was superb,stunning scenery & Shooting Lodge-would highly recommend
Single gun in a team of 8 - The weather was against us (FOG but Stephen and his team worked there socks of to ensure we had plenty of shooting ,walked up and driven grouse .went a grouse virgin left a grouse addict .The whole day was superb with excellent shooting, hospitality, company and the stunning scenery. Ill be back there as soon as possible .
Shot at Coverhead yesterday and had a great time. It was my first time shooting grouse and it was brilliant!!
The weather was not looking good first thing but we headed out around 11am and Stephen and his team worked their socks off to try and get as many birds over the guns as they could. He even put on an extra drive at the end of the day to show as many birds as he could. The weather and wind direction were against us but it was a fantastic day and everyone worked so hard for the guns.
We all had loaders who were also fantastic, not only with loading but advice and tips throughout the day.
Stephens passion for the moor, shooting and conservation is a lesson to us all and I will be going back as soon as I can!
What a great 36 hours at Coverhead. Tutoring on the Sunday with simulated grouse before the day on the Monday. Stephen's passion for the moor gave us the confidence to enjoy the day totally. Two drives in the morning and two after lunch produced 59.5 brace which for mostly novices was good (I will leave out the shot number!). The accommodation and hospitality were amazing. All in all a fabulous day which I hope, as one of Stephen's "graduates", to repeat next season. As a lady gun, this opportunity has made me realize why guns want to shoot grouse. A very special day!
I joined a shooting party at Coverhead estate in Yorkshire with a good friend and shooting colleague. Although experienced shots, we were both new to grouse shooting. Stephen Mawle, the shoot owner, and his team, delivered an outstanding experience including a half day's coaching on the moor on the conservation and ecology of a grouse moor, instruction and practical experience of shooting from a grouse butt with clay practice and professional coaching, followed by a day's driven shooting and a day's walked up shooting. We stayed in the estate's Royal Shoot lodge dating from the 17th Century tastefully modernised to accommodate the guns with outstanding hospitality. For guns used to driven pheasant and partridge, but a little concerned about the etiquette, safety and mystique of grouse shooting I enthusiastically recommend they consider Coverhead as a great experience to access one of the most exciting forms of shooting with a great conservation record. I hope to return to the grouse moor soon!
Address:
Coverhead Farms, Woodale, Horsehouse, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 4TY, United Kingdom