The latest autumn country sporting sale by Cockermouth auctioneers Mitchells has had to be broken up into two separate days. What it also looks set to break are records.

Sales from the first day, on Saturday, totalled £47,000 – and sales from day two have still to be added.

Saturday was dedicated to hunting and shooting-related items. Sporting art and taxidermy proved the most popular, and top seller was Sir Peter Markham Scott’s oil painting A Spring of Teal Coming into the Decoy, which fetched £1,750.

As expected, works by the Keswick cartoonist John William Wilkinson – better known as “Wilk” – did well. The top seller was a cartoon of Margaret Thatcher telling Blencathra huntsman Johnnie Richardson: “Don’t worry Johnnie, your hunting’s safe in our hands.” It sold for £800.

Examples of work by well-known taxidermist Peter Spicer boosted the taxidermy section. There were nine of his specimens, and the top selling was a full-mount otter.

Despite needing restoration, it sailed way past its £200 to £300 estimate. After a battle between bidders in the room and over the internet it eventually went for £1,300.

Another taxidermy item which far surpassed its estimate was the 1942 Van Ingen Mysore India jackal head, which was conservatively estimated at £50 to £80 but fetched £520. The Spicer fox mask made £240 and the otter mask made £190.

Top gun was a Winchester 10 bore shotgun from around 1901, which sold for £1,000, followed by a Browning B725 20 bore shotgun which made £880.

The air gun section also sold well, and the surprise was a Webley senior pistol made between 1946 and 1958 which had been expected to fetch £80 to £120 but went for £200.

And ammunition overshot its estimate. Two sealed boxes of J Strong and Son of Carlisle 12 bore cartridges started out at £50 to £80 but went to an online bidder for £260. A part box by the same maker made £140.

Good-quality knives did well, with a Randall-made Knives of Florida bowie knife making £420 and an Alan Wood camp knife selling for £320.

There were a range of unusual lots within the miscellaneous section. A set of six gold buttons stamped “375” and decorated with game cocks sold for £150.

A life-sized, cast iron dog sold for £450 and a late 19th century tripod table with a top decorated with three fox cubs made £280.

A large multi-coloured light fitting with brass stag decoration sailed past the £120 to £180 estimate to sell for £520.

An illustrated catalogue with all the prices from the sale can be viewed online at www.mitchellsantiques.co.uk.

n Mitchells’ next sporting sale will be in April. For details phone auctioneer James Moore on 01900 827800.