- Joined
- Jul 16, 2024
- Messages
- 140
- Reaction score
- 840
- Location
- LONDON
- Website
- www.johnrigbyandco.com
- Deals & offers
- 10
- Media
- 5
- Articles
- 16
Donald Trump Jr. tracks the traditions of the hunt - John Rigby & Co.
In spring 2024, Rigby’s Managing Director Marc Newton took Donald Trump Jr. stalking through the English countryside.Learn more
www.johnrigbyandco.com
In spring 2024, Rigby’s Managing Director Marc Newton took Donald Trump Jr. stalking through the English countryside. Amid bluebells and ancient woodland, they shared a successful hunt and reflected on conservation, hunting and preserving a vital connection with our ancestors.
Last spring, as England’s countryside shook off the last grey of a long, wet winter, Rigby Managing Director Marc Newton welcomed Donald Trump Jr. for a few days of stalking in Oxfordshire. The landscape was at its vibrant best: bright with bluebells, fresh growth and the long light of late spring that hints at the summer to come. But what unfolded was more than just a successful hunt. It was a chance to reflect on conservation, family, and the deep, personal reasons that draw people into the wild with a rifle in hand.
Donald Trump Jr. is well known for his lifelong passion for hunting and conservation. On this trip, joined by Marc and guide Alex Robinson, he had the opportunity to stalk roe deer and muntjac using Marc’s own Highland Stalker rifle. Between outings, the pair found time to talk about what hunting really means to them.
“Hunting, shooting and fishing have all been a grounding element in a chaotic life,” Don said. “I’ve not been an angel, but hunting has kept me out of a lot more trouble I’d have found myself in without it. In our instant gratification society, anything that gets my children into the woods, onto a stream or on the range is doing a good job of setting them up for the future.”
For Don, a connection to people and place is another valuable part of the experience.
“It’s the ultimate adventure,” he said. “There’s something about being under the stars and hunting that’s in our DNA. Plus, the campfire is a great equaliser. In camp, at the end of a long day of success or failure, it doesn’t matter what’s in your wallet. Everyone’s the same – and it’s obviously a great escape from some of the nonsense of the world. People pull too many punches these days and I’m pushing back and making it clear why hunting is so important.”
Don has hunted all over the world, including two weeks with nomadic hunters in Mongolia, but this trip marked his first opportunity to dedicate time to roebuck and muntjac. While it fell outside the rut, it was still an ideal time to be out, Marc explained.
“Don and I are lucky to be hunting when the deer are very active,” said Marc. “They’re carving up territories and charging about, so you can really see what’s on the ground. The crops and grass are growing, but not yet tall enough to obscure your view. It just feels so good to be out in spring.”
The land they stalked is carefully managed by Alex, who monitors the herd through the late winter and early spring, identifying older or weaker animals to be culled as part of a responsible management strategy.
Marc explained, “With any kind of hunting, it’s always first and foremost about management. We shot some beautiful old cull bucks, animals identified by Alex when he was scouting during the past winter as being near the end of their natural lives.
Don agreed. “One roebuck we took was in a bad way. He had a badly broken leg and almost starting to rot in his own body, so to be able to put him out humanely was the right thing to do. It reminds us of what we’re here for. We’ve hunted in the most pristine landscape today and its key that we can conserve that for the future.”
Marc and Don spoke at length about their shared ethos of stewardship, not sport. For both men, the pull of hunting runs far deeper than trophies or travel.
“I think another reason we go hunting is often for the sense of community and spending time with one another,” Marc said. “It touches something very deep within all of us. On this hunt we’re just three blokes out there spending time with one another. I can imagine our ancestors doing much the same thing, whether it was with a gun, rifle or spear and bow. It is, I believe, a fundamental part of being a human being, the interaction with nature.”
Don enjoyed the chance to shoot with Marc’s personal Highland Stalker and impressed everyone involved.
Marc said: “It was great spending time with Don, he has a great sense of humour, is upfront on his views, and he handled my Highland Stalker with ease. He really did shoot phenomenally well.” “That’s four shots, four kills!” Don added.
Reflecting on the rifle itself, Don said: “I’ve been really impressed with it! Lately, I’ve been shooting shotguns, lots of clay guns, and then with the rifles I’ve really gone way down the precision, long-range rabbit hole in the last two decades. But to be able to do this, taking part in such a traditional sport with a proper, handmade gun, made the whole thing better. It’s how it’s supposed to be done. The Highland Stalker is still a beautiful, aspirational gun, but it’s not out of reach for many people. I know it would be capable of doing its job around the world but here, in these woods, it’s perfect. My visit has been an incredible experience across the board and so many of the things we have done have been packed with history. But, of course, the hunting is always the best part of any trip!”
As the outing came to a close, Don summed it up in his own way: “I can say with confidence that I’ve ruined many a great day’s hunting by pulling the trigger. Not because I missed or got it wrong, but sometimes it feels a shame to break that magic by firing. But when you boil it down, that’s what we’re there for – to hunt. That’s the whole point.”
