Is Pakistan a Wild Wing-Shooting Paradise?

There is unfairly, a rather well-established image of the sporting agent: swanning about the world, gun under one arm, glass of something cold in the other, all against a backdrop of effortless luxury. The reality more often involves spreadsheets, endless hours on the M6, WhatsApp messages at ungodly hours and an intimate knowledge of airline baggage policies. Fascinating I am sure, but hardly the stuff of a good newsletter. So instead, this piece focuses on something that I am confident will sit at the top of my 2025/2026 season sporting highlight reel! 

It is rarer than one might imagine for us to find ourselves behind the gun rather than cheerleading from behind the line, but when those opportunities do arise, they tend to be properly exciting. It is even rarer for me to write about a trip before it has happened, but the anticipation in this case is so high that I simply could not resist. After all, anticipation is a large part of what makes these trips so special, and frankly, a big part of why we do what we do. 

In our ongoing quest to uncover the most exciting and genuinely “off-beat” sporting adventures, I have been invited to Pakistan for what can only be described as a wild wing-shooting extravaganza. I thought it might be rather entertaining to provide a “before and after” account of the trip and see whether such an unusual destination lives up to expectations, or indeed spectacularly exceeds them. 

On 12^th January, I will be flying into southern Pakistan, where I will be met by my extremely generous hosts, who will look after me until my return to England on 20^th January. During that time, we will be pursuing an impressive variety of wild game, including black and grey francolin, more species of duck than you could sensibly count (Mallard, pintail, gadwall, marbled teal, common teal, shoveler, shelduck, pochard, red crested pochard and wigeon), driven wild boar, and possibly hog deer and snipe. In short, a trip that reads very much like a sportsman’s wish list. 

While the UK still offers some exceptional Wild Game Shooting, it is perhaps not quite what it was eighty years ago, when wild grey partridge was abundant and a regular feature of the gamebook. This trip to Pakistan may well offer parallels into what shooting once was or perhaps even further back, before modern agriculture and today’s vermin pressures began to ravage our wild game populations. 

As dreamy as this all sounds, there is, as ever an edge to it. We are genuinely excited about exploring the viability of offering a very small number of highly selective trips to Pakistan each year, opening this remarkable opportunity to those seeking something truly off-piste. It promises not only exceptional shooting, but also a rich and immersive cultural experience alongside it. 

I have not previously spent time in this part of the world, but I am hugely looking forward to discovering all that it has to offer and will very much enjoy reporting back on the successes, or otherwise, of my time in Pakistan. 

And yes, I appreciate that this may do little to dispel the myth of the Sporting Agent endlessly “swanning around the world shooting and fishing”, but from time to time, we do this and I can assure you, no one enjoys it or appreciates it more! 

If an adventure like this might be of interest to you, please do get in touch. We would be delighted to keep you in mind should Pakistan become a destination we formally open in the future.

This article was taken from the joint JM Osborne Rural & Sporting and William Powell Sporting Winter Newsletter. To read or download a copy of the newsletter please click here.

Article written by Ollie Severn