Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2016 i Shooting Gazette

Shooting bodies have welcomed plans announced by the Scottish Government's Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham to alter legislation to allow the tail docking of spaniels and HPR puppies. The plans aim to permit the docking of tails where a vet believes the puppy will eventually be used as a working dog and will therefore be a risk of a tail injury later in life. Colin Shedden, BASC Scotland director, said: “We are delighted that this important welfare issue for working HPR and spaniel breeds in Scotland is finally being addressed. This is a simple, minor procedure soon after birth that will help to prevent a lifetime of misery and serious veterinary interventions. Working gundogs are an essential part of shooting sports and their welfare is a paramount concern to their owners…

November 4th Closing date for 2016 Rural Oscars nominations (Countryside Alliance) 2 number of new gunsmiths taken on at John Rigby & Co. following a “substantial increase” in orders (Tweed Media) 44 years length of a study by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology which concluded that heather burning is good for bioversity (BASC) November 24th Date for the Game Gourmet Dinner at Swinton Park, Masham (GWCT) 5th birthday The Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club is celebrating this year (SCBC) £1,775 price of the new Apollo and Artemis shotguns developed by J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Fausti Stefano (Tweed Media)…

A good shoot day is all about pace and timing – it can’t be crash, bang wallop all day long. And the elevenses break comes as the perfect opportunity to stop and reflect on the privilege of spending a day in the field. So in recognition of this most excellent of sporting traditions we have teamed up with Foxdenton, makers of traditional drinks for the perfect elevenses and famous for their Goliath bottle, to select one shoot to feature in excellent elevenses each month. And our winner this month is Salperton in the Cotswolds. This popular commercial shoot benefits from the services of Salperton Park house manager Rachael Giggal and her team’s innate knowledge of what shoot teams need and when they need it. As you can see from the…

In past times, autumn was a time to celebrate harvest home and confess sins. And I have a confession to make. Despite what police records might say, I am not and never have been a stalker. Many of my friends are, but while I understand and support the need to cull, something about big brown eyes and long eyelashes has kept us apart. But neither do my stalking friends take unreasonable pleasure in publicising their accomplishments on social media with selfies of the fallen beast. So what possesses an apparently sane American dentist to trumpet the demise of Cecil the lion, or a group of his compatriots to allow filming of the legal if unacceptable canned lion hunting and then brag to camera is beyond comprehension. Cull, yes, brag, no,…

Things get quieter around mid-October for you what with the end of the eventing season - presumably you chose this career to fit in with the shooting season? “Ha ha... quite right. Optimistically, we think of eventing as a summer sport but realistically we start training again in December and then we get busier the further through January and February we get; then we start competing again in early March. It’s nice to have a break and a change of scene, and staying with friends to shoot is as good as a holiday.” Do you hunt a bit too? “I do, I hunt one or two days a week with the Beaufort between October and mid January. That's against, say, half a dozen days' shooting all season. After that I…

 Some of the nation’s best chefs gathered at West London Shooting School to compete in the Balvenie Great British Game Restaurant Shooting Cup, hosted by Boisdale Restaurant. Competitors included Daniel Kent from Wiltons, Peter Fiori from Coutts Bank, Greg Marchand from Frenchie, Dan Doherty from Duck & Waffle and Neil Rankin from soon-to-open Temper restaurant. Following the shooting, the chefs enjoyed Mike Robinson’s barbecued wild boar and muntjac sausages washed down with Aspall’s Cuvée Chevallier Cider. They were then whisked away to Boisdale of Belgravia on an open-top double-decker bus, where a lavish four-course game lunch included Boisdale’s famous traditional grouse dish. After the feast, guests enjoyed a Balvenie whisky experience, led by David Grant of William Grant & Sons.…

TRAVEL Salperton Park is in the heart of the Cotswolds in the triangle between the M4, M5 and M40, and it lies between the A436 to the north and the A40 to the south. It’s less than one hour from Oxford by car and it is possible to drive here from London on the morning of the shoot, straight up the M40 and then the A40, but far from advisable. It’s only a 20-minute drive from the M5 and Cheltenham to the west so it’s easily accessible from that direction. STAY If you are not staying in the grand surroundings of Salperton Park itself then the Wheatsheaf at Northleach (cotswoldswheatsheaf.com) is a superb option for game shooters. The private dining room is perfect for a team of guns and this…

TRAVEL Danby sits near the northernmost section of the North York Moors and is a short but by no means straightforward drive to the A171, which heads east to Whitby or west towards Guisborough. Your 4x4 will certainly earn its money if heading towards said road, but if you prefer the scenic route then Pickering, Helmsley and Wykeham and other market towns sit along the A170 around an hour to the south. Though relatively isolated, Danby does have its own railway station, so if an invite presents itself at the last moment and you’re struggling for transport in or out, this provides a solid Plan B. STAY We booked in to the White Swan Inn at Pickering during this two-day trip, and while there is an early start ahead should…

I have visited other shoot rooms that ticked most of my boxes. Anyone who has shot at Wrackleford will remember their lodge and the marvellous shoot room with its huge circular table. The estate run by Oliver Pope is a big shoot and requires the space that this room provides. There is lots of wood, an impressive chandelier made from stag antlers and an enormous stone fireplace. This room has presence. At the Tarrant Shoot Club not far from Wrackleford they too have a purpose-built shoot lodge, with the beaters using the ground floor and the guns the one above. There is ample space for the shooting party, a wood burner for those chilly days and a tremendous view across the main valley of the estate. The shoot room at…

“Houses rocked as if about to fall, while glass clattered and burst from every window.” Forget about the big names from London and Birmingham – what do you know about the myriad provincial gunmakers? What comes to mind when you hear the name Edwinson Green of Cheltenham? Answer: early overunders. Thomas Horsley of York? Answer: stylish hammer guns. William Pape of Newcastle? Choke boring. Joseph Smythe of Darlington? Well, nothing really. Joseph Smythe owned a large provincial gunshop but he had no patents or inventions to his name and, like most shops, retailed the products of Birmingham. And yet Joseph Smythe of Darlington has the dubious distinction of demolishing a large part of Darlington when his gunmaker’s shop blew up in spectacular style in 1894, causing severe damage and killing…

Black powder is composed of saltpeter, charcoal and sulphur, and explodes at temperatures of between 500 and 600°F. In a powder factory, the saltpeter was cleaned, then melted into cakes and ground into a fine powder. The charcoal was made out of woods like alder or willow, burned in an iron retort and then likewise ground into fine powder. Lastly the sulphur was first refined by distillation and then also finely ground. The three materials in their correct proportions were mixed in a drum with a central revolving shaft. It was then transferred to an incorporating mill where it was further ground with a small quantity of water. The resulting pulp was pressed into a hard cake and dried. When thoroughly brittle, the cake was broken up and the fragments…

In terms of exotic exports of luxury goods, it would be fair to say Italy has something of a stranglehold on the global consciousness. From the ultimate in sports cars from the likes of Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini to the fashion houses of Milan, Italian products have an unshakable air of desirability. This is no different in the world of shooting, with wonderful sporting shotguns bearing such names as Perugini & Visini, Perazzi, Rizzini, Benelli, Zoli and of course Beretta dominating much of the shelving space dedicated to over-under shotguns. A perhaps slightly less familiar name in the UK is that of Fausti, which has seen great success the world over, but failed to grab a solid foothold on our islands. Established in 1948 by Cavalier Stefano Fausti, the manufacturer…

Q How can I improve my cartridge-to-kill ratio on high birds? I’m not a bad shot but I really don’t seem to hit many of these really high birds. Do I need to give them more lead, have longer barrels, heavier loads or is it more about reading the line better? A If there is one question I get asked time again, this is it. The first thing is to know your range; I often see people shooting at things that are out of range. We have a duty to only shoot at what we think is killable. The second thing is to be realistic about your ratio. I spend 100-plus days per season teaching people on live game at many of the UK’s top shoots and as a result…

SPECIFICATIONS 2.2 TDCi Double Cab 4x4 XL 160PS Price: £21,176 Combined: 43.5mpg CO2 emission: 184g/km After an utterly outstanding day’s shooting at Salperton, and a glass or two of equally outstanding Margaux, the charming American sitting next to me invited me shooting in Pennsylvania with him. It was a generous invitation from a lovely chap, and I hope to take him up on it next February. But, if I understood him right, we all stand round the bottom of a tower while pheasants are hoofed off the top of it. It has to be said there are some differences in the way things are done in shooting circles on opposite sides of the Atlantic. And an awful lot of Americans drive pick-up trucks, the most popular of which are the…

The diversity of assets on our rural estates result in many opportunities for income generation. This is a key factor in how these properties perform when brought to market. The results from our 2016 Estate Benchmarking Survey for England show a considerable shift away from the proportion of gross income generated from agriculture towards other income streams during the past 16 years. Today, most estates have a number of other income sources beyond agriculture and residential, including woodland, shooting, minerals and in many cases leisure and commercial trading enterprises. Commercial and leisure average incomes as a proportion of the estate total have increased since 2000 from 7.6 per cent and 1.9 per cent to 9.4 per cent and 5.6 per cent respectively. Inevitably, these averages mask some regional variations: in…

A William Evans 12 bore boxlock ejector ordered by Sir Alec Guinness for his son Matthew in 1959 will go on sale at Holt’s on December 8. The lot has an estimate of £1,000-£1,500. For more information, visit holtsauctioneers.com Auction diary dates DEC 1 Bonhams, Modern Sporting Guns, Knightsbridge, London (bonhams.com) DEC 8 Southams, Modern Sporting Guns & Antique Arms, Bedford Auction Centre, Beds (guns.southams.com) DEC 14 Gavin Gardiner, Fine Modern & Vintage Sporting Guns, Sotheby’s London (gavingardiner.com)…

THE KENNEL Club has announced the winners of three annual field trial awards – the Routledge-Rank Retriever Perpetual Challenge Cup, the Hanlye Trophy and the Gavosie Gundog Trophy. Field trial competitors were encouraged to submit points gained through wins at Kennel Club field trials throughout the 2015/2016 season for the chance to win these awards. Competitors could claim points for first, second or third places at field trial championships and one-day or two-day stakes. The Gavosie Gundog Trophy, for the lady gundog handler who has gained the most points in field trials from the preceding season, was won by Jackie Hay from Blackford in Perthshire, with Monkey Business at Moorrunner, a German wirehaired pointer, who gained 136 points. Awards from certificates of merit to making up a field trial champion…

THE NORTH Midland Area of the United Retriever Club held a cold-game test at Strines Moor in Yorkshire by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Hunt, writes Phil Wagland. The judges were Steve Crookes, Anne Crookes and Paul Birkbeck, and the tests were based on natural shooting situations with retrieves on pigeons. There were five veterans running and 26 in the intermediate/ novice section, with three breeds of retriever competing. In the morning Steve judged a long marked retrieve across sheep pasture, with the bird falling well beyond a low wall, which deceived some handlers and their dogs. Meanwhile Anne and Steve judged a walk-up across moorland, with swathes of tall rushes providing heavy cover. There were four dogs in line, changing sides to go under both judges. A mark…

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How were you introduced to shooting? By my paternal grandfather shooting fir cones in his garden. I really can’t remember what it felt like and I don’t think that I hit anything! At that time it really didn’t make that much of a conscious impression. Where was your first shoot day and do you remember your first bird? It was with my father at Well Barn in Berkshire and I was standing with him when he let me have the gun for part of the drive. It was all a bit rushed as I don’t think he wanted to share - I shot a partridge and then he took the gun back! Who has been the biggest influence on your shooting? My family and friends, and those that I continue…

SERVES FOUR PEOPLE Ingredients • 1kg game mince• 400g minced pork• 20g chopped thyme• 30g chopped garlic• Natural sausage casings• Cornish sea salt• Milled black pepper Method Place the game mince and pork mince into a bowl. Add the thyme, garlic and season well and mix thoroughly. Soak the casings in fresh water. Place the seasoned mix into a piping bag and pipe into the natural casings. Twist the sausage into equal lengths to make 12 sausages. Separate each sausage by cutting through the twisted casing. Poach in simmering water for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and pat dry on paper towel. Place into a hot pan and fry in a little rapeseed oil. Place into a hot oven for five minutes at 220˚. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for five minutes. Place…

Dear Uncle Giles I have had the good fortune to be invited up to Scotland for a weekend’s grouse shooting in November (much to my father’s disgruntlement). I am now finding myself mulling over the time-old question ‘what to wear?’, as there is very little advice out there for women. I have been out on shoots many a time so I am familiar with the daywear. However, it is the issue of the formal dinner that is causing the problem – men have been asked to wear black tie. Should a woman wear a cocktail dress or just a smart skirt and blouse? I am a girl who normally lives in jeans and a thick jumper on visits up to Scotland, but suspect this may not fit the bill… AS…

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: will.hetherington@timeinc.com. The guns, keepers and the whole team from the day at Danby Moor, which is featured on pages 36-40 of this issue. The guns from the day at Salperton in Gloucestershire, which is featured on pages 26-32 of this issue. A record 28 teams competed for the Kent Game Bird Challenge clay shoot at Godmersham Park, Kent, organised by BTF Partnership. Over £10,000 was raised for the GWCT and the winning team was Penshurst Place…

“One reason is that old English sidelocks do not withstand some of the heavier loads we use for high bird shooting today.” On a shoot day in October I had a fascinating conversation with a fellow gun about his switch from a side-by-side to an over-under. After more than 30 extremely successful years of game shooting with the former, he decided the time had come to seek out even greater consistency, particularly on the high birds, and make the switch. But why make the change? I have shot with this man before and he is an excellent game shot; most birds he raises his gun to fall stone dead within a 40-yard radius of his peg, so it’s not as if he was struggling before. One clear and obvious reason…

“I have shot hundreds of grouse over pointers but this was a new level of excitement.” Having enjoyed flying a goshawk at blue hares in the Lammermuirs several years ago, I reckoned my understanding of falconry was reasonably well rounded. Those hares had almost been too easy, and the hawk flew from its master’s glove like a well-aimed crossbow bolt. In a few hours, we caught seven or eight hares and only two had escaped unscathed. It was exciting (if a little straightforward), but it turns out that these days gave no indication of what possibilities were waiting. I was totally unprepared for a falcon. I bought a day’s falconry as part of a charity auction in April – the opportunity was pitched as a casual afternoon on a moor…

CAST Cast off: This is the degree to which the shotgun’s stock is offset from its centre point and to the right. The aim is to allow the right-handed user’s line of site to be directly down the centre of the rib from the breech to the bead at the muzzle end. It should also feel comfortable in the right shoulder pocket. For a left-handed shot, the reverse is known as ‘cast on’. TOE, CENTRE AND HEEL Toe: This refers to the bottom rear section of the gunstock, and is at the opposite end to the “heel” with the “centre” in between. A trick for remembering which is which is to set an unloaded shotgun on its butt alongside your feet with the trigger guard facing away – the toe…

DON’T MISS THE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EDITION PLUS FREE 2017 CALENDAR! DEALING WITH DECEMBER Expert advice on shooting during the shortest days CAN YOU SHOOT 28 CLAYS IN ONE MINUTE? Enter the Ripon Challenge for the ultimate test PLUS FESTIVE FEASTING Fantastic food and drink for the season of goodwill FAIRY TALE SHOOTING We visit a Scottish castle for the perfect yuletide experience THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS Tales from a gap-year beater THE DECEMBER ISSUE IS ON SALE FROM THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24…

Since Thomas Hind and Thomas Howe were loading cartridges in the cartridge room, suspicion immediately fell upon them. However, since Howe died, only Thomas Hind could give evidence to the inquiry, which was held in the Chestnut Street police station. Hind stated that Howe had cried out just before the explosion as if he had done something wrong. The coroner concluded that: “The cry of distress was that Howe had done something and realised what was about to happen.” Captain Thompson, the government inspector, said that he believed the explosion was caused either by “some boyish experiment” or by Howe’s hobnail boots sparking against a nail. He also stated that there was 65lbs of black powder stored in the confined space of the cartridge-loading room and when this exploded within…

“Soon they arrived confidently as pairs or small groups, making it possible to shoot doubles.” Recently I have made a new friend through my writing for this magazine, a Scottish pigeon shooting enthusiast named Simon McGillivray, who lives just north of Glasgow. He had read of my annual migration to Aberdeenshire for my father-and-son Scottish safari with Henry and he kindly invited me to stay with him on my way north for a couple of days’ pigeon shooting in his area. What a bonus. We made it happen and I duly arrived to meet Simon and his wife Rani somewhere north of Glasgow that only a satnav could find. It was a happy evening with a delicious meal prepared by Rani, though it will come as no surprise that much…

Fausti guns have been around for a long time but have never found a consistent place in the minds of British shooters. This has manifested itself in the regular changing of importers, meaning the brand has struggled to make a mark. This is a real shame as Fausti makes some lovely guns. Due to the firm’s longevity there should be no concern over reliability and, given Fausti’s continuing success in the USA, one must imagine customer service is pretty good. Though the importers have changed a lot in the UK, currently Fausti is being handled by Tony Laughton of STAG Country Sports. He really knows his stuff, so you should be well looked after. The wood on display on this gun really is exceptional, and the chequering is about as…

The A303 had done its usual thing so by the time I got to Taunton for a day at the Miltons Shoot, I was considerably later and more frazzled than I should have been. Then the clouds began to lift and so did my spirits; the sun came out and the west Somerset hills were given the gilding they deserved. By the time I turned off the A396 and followed the River Exe upstream through its deep valley I was tired but happy, and I arrived at the Royal Oak in Winsford just in time to add to its tally as the most photographed inn in England. Like all old West Country thatched buildings, this hotel seems to have grown out of the land, but then as the core dates…

The new Land Rover Discovery was launched at the Paris Motor Show, ready for the first customer deliveries to start next spring. It is much lighter than the outgoing model – up to half a tonne – and will be available with an economical four-cylinder diesel as well as the current six pot. Prices range from £43,495 to £65,695. While its styling is a bit more slick than the outgoing model, my sources inside Land Rover (the kind who don’t just flog the corporate PR line) assure me it is their most capable off-road vehicle ever and is unbelievably good as a tow car.…

The Edmundsbury from Scotcher of Bury St. Edmunds (1900); the Invincible from Scotcher of Bury St. Edmunds (1900); the Special, also from Scotcher of Bury St. Edmunds (1900); and the Deadcert from F. Turvey of Bury St. Edmunds (1910). The Invincible from G. Edward Bond of Thetford (1900); the New Club loaded by Bond & Son of Thetford (1910); the Rex from Hobbs Bros. of Newmarket (1919); and the Johnson’s Celebrated Plus Ultra from Thos. Johnson & Son of Swaffham (1900). The Anglian from E. Aldridge of Ipswich (1910); the Green Special from S.W. Berry of Woodbridge (1900); the Creast from D. Wales of Great Yarmouth (1900); and the Lightning from Bussens & Parkin of Mildenhall (1926) 25 GEMS FROM THE FAMOUS CARTRIDGE BROTHERS A box of .410 No.6 shot…

Countryman’s carbolic soap by Fur Feather & Fin £6.50 furfeatherandfin.com Crieff gaiters by Seeland £39.99 seeland.com Alondra jacket by Paramo £270 gundoggear.co.uk Springer spaniel egg cup by Fur Feather & Fin £13.50 furfeatherandfin.com Suffolk fedora hat by Hicks & Brown £59 hicksandbrown.com Rigby gunmakers’ apron by John Rigby & Co. £29 johnrigbyandco.com The Winner gundog training pack by Sporting Saint £100 sportingsaint.co.uk Mavin socks by Barbour £9.95 (each) barbour.com Chauffeuring and loading gift vouchers by The Shooting Chauffeur From £200 theshootingchauffeur.co.uk Tote bag by Alan Paine £99.99 alanpaine.co.uk Matchbox cover by Wingfield Digby £26 wingfielddigby.co.uk The LightGun by Wardfield Sporting £239 wardfield.co.uk 12 gauge cartridge clock by Woodwithatwist POA woodwithatwist@gmail.com Norfolk jacket by Oliver Brown £425 oliverbrown.org.uk The Country Sportsman’s Record Book & Journal by John Humphreys £34 harperanglingbooks.co.uk St.…

THE BUCKS Area of the URC held a special puppy test and novice dog/novice handler working test at Sunninghill Park by kind permission of The Crown Estate Commissioners, writes Lorne Kentish. The judges were Joy Venturi Rose, Chris Rose and Marilyn Squires. The tests were generously sponsored by Skinner’s. Results SPECIAL PUPPY 1 John Wellings with lab.b. Endacott Wren 2 Pat Bell with lab.d. Artistryn York 3 Collette Urquhart with lab.d. Fyrish Canasta 4 Chrissie Thomas with goldie.d. Roughbeat Melchior CoM Jane Trowell with lab.b. Janfran Makarova CoM Angie Townsend with lab.b. Kinagar Dolly of Elmertown CoM Mary Morrison with goldie.d. Polihale Bruichladdich NOVICE DOG/NOVICE HANDLER 1 Amanda Cotterell with lab.b. Bellaroyal Razinhel 2 Kate Green with lab.b. Wildcopse Quizz 3 Steve Potter with lab.d. Kenquartz Phlox 4 Julia Reardon…

SOCIAL MEDIA and field trialling were made for each other. With the season underway and competitors travelling all over the country, there’s no better way to communicate what is going on. Sometimes it can be brutal – seeing you’re out only minutes after you get back to the gallery is crushing. But on the other hand, clicking on and seeing yourself holding the winner’s cup is fabulous. It used to take a few phone calls or even days to find out what was happening but with Facebook it is instant. Along with all the broadcasts about results, there are also a lot of great ‘live’ discussions from people in the field trial community all over the country, and a huge plus is that field trial secretaries can now reach competitors…

THE UGS OPEN sugar beet test was held at Stoke by Nayland by kind permission of Mrs Holden, writes Julia Reed. Phil Askew and Doug Laflin judged 24 dogs that competed in the sugar beet on a warm day tempered by a good wind. After the walk-up and two long blinds, one with shot and one without, there were a good number of dogs on very similar marks. However, the memory mark and blind behind and across the line after lunch sorted the men from the boys and gave a final result. Thanks must go to all the helpers, judges, Sarah for the food, Sporting Saint and Skinner’s for their sponsorship. Results 1 (& Best Marking Dog) Liz Ingram with Garrethall Ouka 2 Jacqui Crew with Echobrook Dexster 3 Verity…

THIS YEAR we were very privileged to hold our open and novice working test on the beautiful Badminton estate, writes Ian Wilson, by kind invitation of the Duke of Beaufort and with the permission of Mr P. Barrett and Mr S. Williams. The judges were Barbara Kuen and Mary-Jane Opie with Jennie Dimmock acting as third judge for the novice due to the number of dogs entered. Skinner’s kindly sponsored the event. The exceptional ground offered the opportunity to set a variety of interesting tests to challenge our competitors. There were 30 dogs for the novice working test and 19 for the open working test and four tests for both classes. To start there was a mark and a blind out at an angle to the mark. For the novice…

BASC has appointed chef Mike Robinson as its first-ever food ambassador. Mr Robinson, a former BASC council member and current owner of the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in Fulham and the Pot Kiln restaurant in Yattendon, Berkshire, will promote the consumption of wild food to the public. Mr Robinson said: “I want to help take wild food to a wider audience. BASC is uniquely placed to sell the benefits of game meat to its members and others who shoot, but I see the opportunities for taking wild food to places it may not have gone before. “The consumption of traditional game, such as pheasant and grouse, already makes a marvellous statement about a desire to eat what we shoot and is to be applauded. Beyond that, I am passionate about promoting…

This compendium is packed with snippets about shooting. The author is a lecturer in Game and Wildlife Management at Sparsholt College in Hampshire, so you might justifiably expect him to have a decent grip on the basics of our sport, and so he does, but thankfully this book is more for casual entertainment than text-book studying. It’s absolutely crammed with chapters on a variety of different topics. There is an A-Z section on quarry species with descriptions, unusual information and advice on shooting each one. Other sections of the book include: wild tales from the Officer’s Mess of the fictional ‘Glamorgan Fusiliers’, a sporting regiment with a treasure trove of adventure stories; equally fantasic tales from Glen Garron, a hotbed of sporting activity; advice on choosing and maintaining equipment; keeper’s…

Back in September The Guardian posted the news that MPs would debate a ban on grouse shooting following a 120,000-strong petition tabled by the former head of the RSPB, Mark Avery. We set the matter before our Facebook followers and these are our three favourites… Dom Goutorbe wrote: “I'm amazed that it's getting this far but we all need to be level headed about it. We need to see the positives and see it as an opportunity to put an end to the lies being said by the antis. I just pray that the people in charge of the pro shooting groups put the right people in front of the cameras, as PR is everything. Let the keepers and gillies speak and allow their stories to be told. If only…

Dugald Macintyre is one of the forgotten heroes of sporting writing in the 20th century, and his once formidable reputation has fallen away to obscurity over a few brief generations. Still a well-known figure amongst book collectors and sporting historians, his writing no longer commands the respect and attention it once drew from across the shooting world. This is no fault of Macintyre’s, but is more the result of scientific progress overtaking many of his original theories and ideas. However, one thing that has not changed is the behaviour of wild animals – and no amount of technological progress or scientific development can overshadow good old-fashioned observation. Dugald’s first book, Round the Seasons on a Grouse Moor (1925), won him considerable acclaim and success for its down-to-earth authenticity. At a…

Q: Is it legal for me and my friends to swap guns on shoot day if we fancy having a shot or two with something different? do as you ask. The law allows a certificate holder to borrow a shotgun from another certificate holder for up to 72 hours without needing to enter the borrowed gun on either the lender or borrower’s certificate. If you notify the police you can extend the loan period for as long as your tickets are valid. A: In short, yes absolutely. Assuming you both have valid shotgun certificates there is no reason at all why you shouldn’t There are some common sense precautions, of course. I have shot for the last couple of seasons with a rounded action 20 bore. I often shoot…

Richard Petch sent us these pictures and he said: “Three very happy individuals achieved their first driven grouse at Yad Moss Moor (north Pennines – near Garrigill) in late August as part of a splendid day that concluded with a bag of 55.5 brace. Yad Moss Moor is between Langdon Beck and Garrigill and is the first moor in Cumbria (travelling east to west). Over the past two decades a great deal of investment and hard work has taken place and the moor is now producing consistent results. My daughter Jenny, 13, is pictured at the end of the drive, having picked up her grouse with her black lab Tiggy. She only received her 20 bore in June this year and this was her first outing with it.” The other…

Human So we have chosen our new spaniel and it is without any shadow of a doubt the most beautiful spaniel in the world, in space, in the universe. It also has the potential to be a superb dog in every aspect of its life. Hunter, retriever, peg dog, beater, pet, guard dog, companion and more besides. All we have to do is see that it is trained properly. After all, we now have experience in the area. Now you might very well suggest that having experience in the area would suggest immediately that the best way to train the spaniel would be to send it away forthwith to someone who really knows what they are doing and pick it up in several months when it is a paragon of…

Although black powder is relatively stable, any spark or light can easily set it off. There were frequent explosions in gunpowder mills due to build-ups of dust set off by a spark or static electricity. All gunmakers in the 19th century loaded their own cartridges by hand, buying in the powder, empty cases, shot and wads from suppliers. In this way they could sell their own brands in distinctive cases to individual requirements. Alexander Henry, the famous rifle maker, had premises at 12 South St Andrew Street, Edinburgh, just off Princes Street. In 1887 he had acquired a large number of obsolete rifle cartridges and he gave the task of dismantling them to a young apprentice, William Howell. Howell pulled out the bullets and tipped the black powder into a…

“The man who says he never gets it wrong is either a liar, deluded or has done little real stalking.” On YouTube’s Fieldsports Channel, I recently watched Andy Crow recommend the head shooting of wild fallow bucks. “Go for the back of the head, or between the eye and ear,” he said. His explanation of “when you have shot as many deer as I have, you can read a deer and what it is going to do”, apparently makes it acceptable to advocate the head shooting of wild deer. I disagree wholeheartedly. Having worked professionally as a stalker with five species of deer for 38 years, I suggest I have shot as many deer as Mr Crow, possibly more. My experience includes the 32-year management of one of Britain’s largest…

Weighing in at just a shade under 7lb 14oz, I was somewhat concerned this Fausti would be rather unwieldy. However, instructor Bruce Marks and I were pleased to find this was far from the case. Although perhaps just a touch short for me (though given this is a bespoke gun, this clearly would not be a concern for any new buyer), the Fausti came up to the shoulder very well and swung in a supremely satisfying manner. The balance was excellent and it was very easy to keep on line. I also found the gun was simple to adjust mid-swing; I had to make a few quick adjustments thanks to some challenging targets laid on by Bruce and found any changes to be clean and precise, without any wild movement…

The Hartnoll Hotel is on the north edge of Tiverton and is popular with shooters visiting Exmoor and the surrounding area. As our very own John Walker said in a review last year: “If you are shooting near Exmoor then this hotel should be on your radar.” Just seven miles from the M5, the hotel is easy to find on arrival in the West Country but also offers quick access to the high birds at the likes of Molland, West Molland and Chargot. The Hartnoll is comfortable, stylish, dog friendly and every bedroom has a gun cabinet. Private dining is available exclusively for shoot parties in both the Garden and River rooms. Boasting an extensive cellar, there is never a shortage of fine wine to go with the excellent food.…

“I’ve seen a pug lugging a partridge across the sward. The mutts keep us grounded.” I’ll tell you what I want to see behind me when I am standing in a line of guns outside a likely looking covert. I want to see a bunch of pickers-up with sundry teams of likely looking dogs. I want them a good gunshot distant and where I can see them. I don’t want to see them lurking in bushes. I can’t see them lurking in bushes. That’s the point. I need to know where they are. I don’t need them in orange DayGlo jackets but I need to know where they are. For two reasons: firstly so that I don’t discombobulate anyone should the need to shoot behind me arise – this is…

Q After doing some training on my own, I am looking to do some extra work so that, hopefully, my dog can go on my local shoot at some point. But I am not sure where to start. Should I work with a trainer or in a group? Where do I begin? AI AM not sure how old your dog is or what your ambitions are. It is quite a good idea to get a clear view on what you would like to do in order to get the right help, support and direction. You may want to pick-up, beat or shoot over your dog, or a variation of these, and each one will require a slightly different approach. Assuming you have socialised the dog and followed basic obedience, steadiness…