Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Shooting Gazette

The East Anglian Game & Country Fair returns to Euston Estate in Thetford, Norfolk, for a third time on April 27-28 – and Shooting Gazette has 10 sets of family tickets to give away. The fair, which has been held since 2004, offers something for country folk of all ages and is the perfect way to banish post-driven-shooting-season blues. Whether you’re interested in clay shooting, gundogs, country clothing or fly-fishing, there’s something here for you across 350 stands and nine arenas. BASC, the GWCT and NGO will also be attending. This year will also see a 40-bird re-entry clay shoot with a guaranteed £1,000 cash prize fund being held over the weekend. “My family and I are delighted that Euston Estate is once again hosting the East Anglian Game &…

A lot has been said recently about the awareness of mental health in the gamekeeping world. It’s made me want to speak out and say something about the mental health issues also affecting their wives and partners. Facebook is a huge part of everyone’s lives and there is now a group for wives and girlfriends of keepers. It’s here they come to write about their highs and many lows and get support from like-minded women going through the same thing. I am probably one of the older ones at 39 and have been with my gamekeeper husband for 18 years, so I have seen it all. What I don’t think employers and estate owners really appreciate is while these men work hard and their hours are unsociable and sometimes ridiculously…

Why do gamekeepers get in touch with the GWT? The most common reasons are job related, whether that is redundancy, retirement or related to an on-going problem. Underlying this is often anxiety and stress, which can then impact on relationships. Has this changed since you founded the GWT in 1992? The introduction of the helpline and affiliated services around support and assistance has changed the volume and nature of calls. We help with housing, finance, health, relationships, loneliness, job-related queries, run a job register, anything that impacts on gamekeepers and their families. Should shoots and estates encourage gamekeepers to seek mental health services? Shoots and estates have a duty of care and this should and could extend to mental health. However, the reasons for reluctance are complicated. This relates to…

The day would be on our little rough shoot in East Devon, where I grew up. It is special being able to walk out to shoot in the countryside you know so well. My four fellow syndicate members would be on the team: wildlife-friendly farmer and oldest friend Mark Chattey; chairman of Devon Wildfowlers Nick Millman; ecologist Adam Bratt; and, lastly, my brother, Ed, who inspired me to take up shooting when we were teenagers. We all share a passion for conservation, getting as much pleasure from the trees planted, owl boxes installed, ponds dug and the wildlife attracted as we do occasionally shooting a zipping teal or wind-whipped pheasant. With those four in the bag, I would add my good friends John and Julia Plumptre, who have given me…

For your chance to win a bottle of Taittinger Champagne for Picture of the Month, send us a team photograph or a picture of something unusual from your shoot. Send high-resolution images or prints with captions to Shooting Gazette Gallery, Time Inc. (UK) Ltd., Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF or email: martin.puddifer@ti-media.com.…

TRAVEL Upperwood shoot sits between Manchester and Leeds, so is easy to reach via the M62, which links up with the M1 to the east and M6 to the west. Upperwood House, which is within a large farm complex, can be reached from the A635 (Holmfirth Road). It sits alone and the entrance is not immediately obvious, so keep and close eye out or you will miss it quite easily indeed. STAY The Old Bell Inn is a wonderful 18th century coaching house known for its Gin Emporium, so if you are a fan of said tipple then what better way to toast to your shoot day after the guns have fallen silent (theoldbellinn.co.uk). James Crowther also recommends The Huntsman Inn, a traditional, cosy rural pub which will tick the…

It might be a sweeping statement, but the average gamekeeper is not generally known for their gregariousness. What might be seen by some as being the perfect lifestyle, gamekeeping is, in reality, a quite insular profession. Richard Jefferies, writing in The Gamekeeper at Home in 1879, remarked of the keeper’s domain that “the woods are lovely in the sunshine of summer; they are full of charm when the leaves are bursting forth in spring or turning brown with the early morning frosts…” but then went on to say “… in wet weather in the winter they [the woods] are the most wretched places conceivable…” Jefferies and his ilk most probably wouldn’t have thought of such winter conditions as having a detrimental effect on an individual’s mental health, but now, some…

How that extra month of doe stalking has helped. A case of sensible wildlife management adapting to deal with a problem. Deer populations across the board have enjoyed an explosion and, in many places, the burgeoning numbers have had a detrimental effect upon flora and fauna. I accept, even shared the reservations of many who objected to the unpleasant sight of a fully formed foetus at the gralloch, but sadly it was a case of needs must. Practical game and wildlife management has unfortunate aspects. Perhaps we often choose not to think about the consequences of killing a milky vixen, corvids and pigeons with young or rabbits with kits. The reality is we harden our hearts and get on with it, just as vixens, crows and raptors do. I doubt…

The Holts main sale in December and January sealed bid sale saw record bidding with over £1m being spent, the latter making its highest ever total. As usual, prices were strong with a vast array of items on offer. Cartridge display boards were found in every ironmonger and gunshop the length and breadth of the land at one time. These colourful display pieces are highly sought-after. I am always slightly wary as there are many reproductions, but Lot 705 saw a nice original Eley Bros. example c.1895 containing a comprehensive display of early paper cases. What made it appealing was its original, untouched condition and it made £3,800. A lovely little whimsy that would have the ultimate snob appeal for dispensing sloe gin on the shoot was a silver spirit…

Engineering: 9/10 Appears very well put together and executed. It feels properly screwed together and comes with a two-year warranty. I think the way the safety catch works gives an indication of the quality of the gun, this one has a reassuring, very precise click on and off. Handling: 10/10 A real shock in this department to a significant degree with some truly fabulous handling. Looks and finishing: 9/10 A very well presented gun, that has been well finished, my personal preference would be slightly darker wood but then with a Chapuis I could upgrade the wood. Value: 9/10 With a starting price of £3,800 you can then customise your gun with various extras and bespoke measurements in a way that I am not sure many others currently offer. I…

Q A friend of mine has a young gundog who has brilliant scenting and hunting abilities and is keen on the shoot. My friend is restricted on working him due to mobility problems. We are not sure what we can do to keep the dog active. Ideas? A You have a number of options. Either someone else works the dog or your friend is limited to picking-up. Or take up something different. Have a go at truffle hunting. Training is relatively simple. You start with some truffle oil (buy it from a supermarket) and put some on a rag. Hide it under a group of plant pots or similar and walk the dog around them. Praise when it is found. The idea is the dog associates the smell and finding…

Readers of this column may remember a recent account of how my black cocker Granite humiliated me by chasing a hare into the estate owner’s garden immediately after wiping the eyes of six labradors by finding and collecting a vigorously running partridge. You may also recall his spirited defence of his sin. The week after the unfortunate incident with the hare, he unexpectedly excelled on another runner. We were standing well back above and behind the line — in order to keep from view any possible transgressions — when a partridge spun in the air and dropped in front of us. And ran. It was the last shot of the drive and I was uncomfortably aware that the guy who had shot the partridge, other Guns, the pickers-up, the keeper…

How to win For your chance to win either a Pintail Explorer smock (top) or a Seasons jacket (right), email high-resolution pictures to: katemaxim@outlook.com. Please put “Gundog Picture of the Month” in the subject line. The winner will be chosen by the Shooting Gazette judging panel. Good luck! The prize will only be posted to winners with a fixed UK postal address.…

A pair of 12 bore, self-opening sidelock ejectors from James Purdey & Sons was the star lot at Gavin Gardiner’s auction of fine modern and vintage sporting guns at Sotheby’s in London just before Christmas. The Purdeys (below), made in 1871 for the Duke of Fife, exceeded their lower estimate of £25,000 to sell for £31,250. Other highlights in the sale included a pair of Boss & Co. 12 bore, single trigger, round-body sidelock ejectors (1909), which realised £14,375, and a 20 bore, custom sideplate, single trigger, over-under from Browning (£7,500).…

THE AUTHOR of the Letter of the Month will receive a pair of Wexford boots from Dubarry of Ireland (RRP £325). The knee-length side-zip boots – designed for both men and women – are handcrafted from waterproof Dry Fast-Dry Soft™ breathable leathers. The high quality of the boot is reinforced throughout with an insulated GORE-TEX® lining that wicks moisture away from the foot, ensuring the wearer remains dry and comfortable all day. Dubarry’s new hard-wearing durable outsole gives maximum grip whatever the ground conditions.…

Roast partridge with bubble and squeak and ale gravy SERVES TWO PEOPLE Ingredients • 1kg red skin potatoes • Milk • Butter • Salt & white pepper • 200g roast partridge • 1 small savoy cabbage For the ale gravy • 200ml good-quality ale • 200ml game stock (or chicken/beef) • 4 tsp gravy granules Method For the gravy, pour the ale into a saucepan and reduce by half. Add the game stock, then return to a gentle simmer. To make the bubble and squeak, peel and boil the potatoes until soft and mash them up with butter and milk until smooth. Season. Roughly chop the savoy cabbage and cook in a pan of salted boiling water until soft. Drain, add this to the mashed potato and mix well. Cut…

Dear Uncle Giles, My roving syndicate took on a new member at the start of last season. She shoots very well, is a good sort on the whole and takes the total number of ladies in our syndicate to three, exactly one quarter its size. However, she also has an annoying habit, namely complaining about the quality of the birds, the weather and the hosting to the rest of us at the end of every shoot day. There’s grumbling amongst the others about giving her the Heave Ho! I think this too drastic. Can you suggest an appropriate course of action? BR deM, by email Uncle Giles writes You are in something of a pickle there, aren’t you? The situation in which you find yourself is not however uncommon. Syndicate…

The grouse are in mint condition after a winter which rarely seemed to slip below zero degrees, and it is really encouraging to see them fit and ready to go for another breeding season. I put lots of work into setting up new grit piles during the autumn. It was boring, horrible work over several days, but I am glad to see the effort seems to have paid off. Winter heather is poor quality forage, and grouse have to extract every fragment of goodness from the hill. They eat small stones which line their stomachs and then they use powerful muscles to grind up the heather into a fine soup which is easier to digest. Grouse depend upon a steady supply of small stones to help with their digestion, and…

“The days when only a stiff upper lip will do have got to come to an end.” One of the overriding messages I received from gamekeepers and shoot captains last season was they wished more Guns would take an interest in the mechanics of a shoot; the behind the scenes graft without which there’d be no shoot at all. Now, of course, I know it’ll be difficult for Guns in London to nip to the Borders or Cornwall on a regular basis to watch gamekeepers feed their birds, repair their pens or protect them from predators. However, the countryside custodians I spoke to said they would be thrilled if more Guns at least asked one question about what happens on their ground outside of shooting hours. They assured me it…

BAY GANSEY BY BERTIES OF BAY £120 bertiesofbay.co.uk ‘Hard wearing and bloody warm’ is how Berties of Bay describes its knitted gansey, and as anyone who has worn any of this brand’s garments in a bracing coastal wind will tell you, they are worth the asking price 10 times over. For the uninitiated, a gansey was traditionally a jumper knitted and worn by sailors and fishermen bearing a pattern distinctive to their home village (in this case Robin Hood’s Bay) so should they be lost overboard during a storm they could be returned to their loved ones. Made from 100% British Wool and knitted in the British Isles, this gansey is an absolute must when shooting in cold weather, so much so you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.…

Club: Bristol & West Working Gundog Society Event: Open cocker spaniel trial Venue: Brandhouse Farm Judges: Alec Coutts & Ian Flint Headkeeper: Andy Fisher Guns: Andy Fisher, Jeremy Organ, Oliver Organ and Andrew James Sponsor: Skinner’s REPORT BY: HELEN FISHER We began the trial in wild flower crop and then into a mixed kale crop on a wet and windy day. The keeper Andy Fisher ran the day, so most of the competitors had a head-wind beat to enable the dogs to keep up with the game, which held well. Some had challenging retrieves and the majority of dogs held their heads among the amount of game in places, but some did fall by the wayside. Thank you to all involved, especially the Regis family for allowing us to hold…

1 Mr S. Winspear’s FTCh Kiltonbeck Rollo 2 Mrs N. Cannon’s FTCh Countryways Alice of Craiwarn 3 (and Gun’s Choice) Miss S. Thatcher’s FTCh Windwithe Solitaire of Strigidae 4 Mr I. Openshaw’s FTCh Endowood Clowne Diplomas of Merit Mr J. Reid’s FTCH Glenugie's Nalani Ms A. Hayes’ FTCH Timsgarry Jynx handled by Ian Openshaw Mr M. Smee’s FTCH Amtosk Countach Mr R. Ellershaw’s FTCH Fernmoss Gertie Mr M. Smee’s FTCH Poolgreen Clasp Mr L. Mulcrow’s Rugeley's Peregrine handled by Andy Bennett Mr J. & Mrs C. Atkinson’s FTCH Dakotagun Arwin handled by Jaseon Atkinson Mr W. Clulee’s Trochry Eau Rouge of Poolgreen Mr & Mrs J. Reid’s Glenugies Tempest handled by Ian Openshaw Mr S. Winspear’s FTCH Kiltonbeck Helga Mr J. Thompson’s FTCH Brillscote Blackberry Mr A. Kirk’s Pinsark Anastasia…

Holding a mirror up to the sport As a relatively new Gun I follow the issues swirling around our sport with interest. I have just scrambled over the many hurdles placed before those seeking to get involved. Taking up shooting is not inexpensive and yet while this may well be unavoidable and the social tests along the way necessary to weed out the dangerous, both feed an elitist image. As a friend recently said: “guns, tweed, tradition and etiquette attracts a certain type”. I looked at my fellow comfortably off, white, male, middle-aged, professional syndicate members and could only agree. I fully acknowledge there is more diversity in shooting than my own Home Counties experience would indicate, but we should be aware of the image our sport routinely projects. Flick…

Mikhail Kalashnikov once remarked that he would prefer to be remembered for inventing something ordinary people or farmers could use than for his ubiquitous firearm. At least one game farmer in Leicestershire must be wishing he might be remembered for doing game shooting good through best practice in processing shot game, though he will almost certainly endure notoriety for a different reason. Those busy little elves from the West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs just happened upon a worker from Cotesbach Game Farm shovelling large quantities of shot pheasant carcasses into a hole in the ground. ITV News ran the footage, complete with an earnest-looking sab damning shooting, and Jerome Starkey, countryside correspondent for The Times, used the same story, one of a number in recent months by him, highlighting various levels…

The battle will not be won on social media: Social media amplifies simple, emotive messages such as those advanced by the animal rights movement. Our more complex message of interdependence and the value of management doesn’t travel nearly so well on social media, and it never will. That doesn’t mean we should stop using it, quite the opposite, but it does mean that the battle will be won elsewhere. For the Alliance that means helping policy makers understand that they do not have to respond to everything they see on social media. Self-regulation is vital to reassure the public: Game shooting is a modern sector, and modern sectors self-regulate. The growth of shooting is cause for celebration, but growth brings human failings. When these failings hit the press, as they…

TRAVEL Audley End lies on the edge of Saffron Walden close to Junctions 8 or 10 on the M11. The estate is about an hour’s drive from central London and with the M11 so close by you can be on your way north or west in no time. Stansted Airport is under 30 minutes away. Access to the shoot is simple and the good news is a four-wheel drive is not needed as Guns are driven around in a Gunbus. STAY As the estate is so close to Saffron Walden, there are plenty of hotels and bed and breakfasts close by. The ones which caught our eye included The Cross Keys, a six-bedroom boutique hotel which offers comfortable and traditional surroundings with a modern twist (theoldcrosskeys.co.uk). Others include The Saffron…

My pigeon shooting companion A.C. lost a leg in his late teens and has been on crutches ever since. But he is remarkably agile at erecting a pigeon hide, setting out decoys and doing all that is involved in a day’s pigeon shooting. I, normally, am lucky to be a fairly fit biped, able to help A.C., particularly at the end of a day to pick-up birds spread in the area all around his hide. However, while involved on tree work with a chainsaw on my shoot I must have stubbed my knee on a protruding stump. To be precise, the tendon between my right knee cap and the lower end of the femur. I did not notice this while actually working but two days later my knee was swollen,…

Thomas Boss had been apprenticed to Joseph Manton and when he set up business in the 1820s he was determined to carry on the Manton quality. After various changes of address, Boss moved to 76 St. James’s Street in 1837 and in 1839 moved to the address synonymous with Boss: 73 St. James’s Street. The building was brick built on four storeys with a cellar and the entire building was used by the firm with a flat above the shop. All the guns were produced on the premises with 10 gunmakers resident. St. James’s Street was an exclusive location with a large number of gentlemen clubs in situ. Its location was a deliberate choice by Thomas Boss as the proximity of the clubs guaranteed regular customers and it is common…

You may have read that Jaguar Land Rover is shedding 10% of its 43,000 workforce in order to save £2.5bn over the next couple of years. Unfortunately, the company has been caught in a perfect storm of a sliding Chinese market, too much reliance on diesel engines and Jaguar models that have either not sold as well as hoped or have robbed sales off their showroom sisters rather than their competitors. But there is still room for optimism, with the new Defender not so far off and Jaguar’s electric I-Pace selling strongly.…

The market for Scottish sporting estates remains unchanged from the past few years. Like its residential and agricultural counterparts, it continues to function well, albeit with small levels of activity and buyers. The protracted periods of marketing that can take from 12 to 18 months have not put off buyers, and although the numbers are small their enthusiasm for the right property remains. The allure of a good sporting estate continues to attract buyers from all over the world, and this includes opportunities to rent. The recent sale of South Logiealmond (5,500 acres in Perthshire) illustrates the depth of demand for an estate that offers a bit of everything (residential, sporting, forestry planting potential). Although the sale appeared slow to gather momentum there was a competitive closing date in late…

In late December, we had the most glorious walked-up shoot day I can remember. The weather was so good and the ground so challenging, we were in shirtsleeves. The moor was thick with heather, white grass and bracken. The game was wild and the rule on our walked-up shoot days is what you shoot you carry and eat. We had spaniels working the line and I had my young dog at my side. These are the days when our young dogs learn their trade and as one of the Guns said: “If your dog can cope with this ground, it can cope anywhere.” This is the real deal — nothing simulated, just natural ground, good Guns, wild birds and good dog work. When it’s time to take another piece we…