15/08/07 - Review of the Morocco season

Another successful season draws to a close 14th August sees the end of the dove shooting season in Morocco. It has once again proved a great destination for guns as well as their non-shooting partners.

The birds arrive in Morocco having already travelled 2,000 miles from the sub-Sahara regions of West Africa, on their way to Europe. They are not welcomed by the locals, being a pest by the sheer volume of numbers. The shooting, however, adds much needed wealth to the local economy as well as meat for the pot.

The Moroccan Government started the season two weeks later than normal. This meant a scramble for the first two weekends when many couples like to make the escape before the start of the school holidays. The five star accommodation at the Gazelle d'Or, originally built as a hunting lodge for a French baron, is a quiet oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby ancient fortified town of Taroudant. While the guns enjoyed four days of shooting over a long weekend - shooting takes place Friday to Monday - non-shooting guests enjoyed fascinating tours around the old town, guided trips into the many souks and carpet shops and scenic drives into the Atlas Mountains with laden picnic hampers.

While some of our guests went to Morocco just for the shooting, others combined this with a drive across the Atlas Mountains and a few nights at either Richard Branson's Kasbah Tamadot on the northern side of the Atlas or in one of the many hidden riads of Marrakech. The nearby airport makes for an easier journey home from there.

The shooting proved to be as exciting as ever and the Gazelle d'Or has lost none of its charm. Definitely a destination for the shooter's 'A' list, but the non-shooting partner will be pleased to be invited - for once!