Guardians of the Land, by 33-year-old agriculture insurance broker George Bowyer, has hit the high streets with the backing of the pro-bloodsports pressure group, the Countryside Alliance.

Flashback to March protest

The single is a hard-hitting defence of traditional pursuits like shooting, hunting and fishing as a means of managing the countryside.

But anti-hunt sources predicted the song could provoke death threats against Mr Bowyer from hardline activists.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association has warned major record chains that they are harming their image by stocking a single promoting bloodsports.

Explaining the 'benefits of hunting'

Mr Bowyer wrote the song to mark the anniversary of the countryside rally last July when he walked from Coldstream on the Scottish border to Hyde Park.

George Bowyer defends hunting to BBC Online's Emma Batha

He said: ''Our real concern is that people disagree on a gut reaction. They make instant judgements without any understanding.

''The single explains all the benefits of hunting and that if you stop hunting you have to replace it with something else. The environment has to be managed.''

Mr Bowyer, who hunts mink, fox and stag and goes deer stalking in Scotland, is not worried about anti-hunt activists.

''I've been the target of death threats before and no doubt I will be again. There might be some reaction to the song. There are always a few loonies, but I'm not expecting to die in the near future.''

Huntsman: hounding out the opposition

Mr Bowyer, who snapped up a copy of his own single on its release at HMV's flagship store in London's Oxford Street, is now looking forward to hearing Sunday's pop charts.

''We had 250,000 people on the countryside march last March. If even half buy a record we could be looking at the top 10, maybe even number one,'' he said.

But Hunt Saboteurs spokesman Ben Ponton said: ''Anyone who promotes the idea of killing animals for fun is beyond the pale.

''Presumably they're trying to appeal to young people in a William Hague style by getting them on their own ground, but I don't think it will work.''

Defending UK farmers

Mr Bowyer said the B side was about Britain's farmers who have seen profits drop by 80% in the last three years and have the highest suicide rate of any profession in the country.

Profits from the single will be donated to the Babbington Conservation Trust which supports conservation and education about the countryside.

Countryside Alliance spokesman Paul Latham said the campaign group was encouraging its supporters to buy the single.

''It's a protest song. The message is that many people involved in country sports are involved in conservation of the country,'' he added.

An HMV spokesman said a couple of stores had sold out and the dozen or so copies at the Oxford Street store had gone within half an hour.

A spokesman for rival music chains Virgin and Our Price said: ''Demand is not phenomenal. It's not going through the ceiling and we don't expect it to be a number one hit.''