Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2020 i Shooting Gazette

A government report has recommended that rotational burning of heather on peat soils should be brought to an end. The recommendation was published in Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK from the Committee on Climate Change, a report that states the focus should be on restoring peat, which is a very effective carbon sink. According to the report, burning heather on peat soils “is highly damaging to the peat and to the range of environmental benefits that well-functioning peat can deliver (for example, water quality, biodiversity and carbon sequestration)”. It states that “a voluntary cessation of this activity by landowners has not produced the desired outcome so the practice should be banned across the UK with immediate effect”. The report goes on to recommend an end to peat…

In response to Paul Fievez’s article on firearms licensing in the January issue, as a serving police officer and shotgun certificate holder, I would take issue with only one small element. Chief police officers, despite their personal opinions, do not influence the policies or procedures of their firearms licensing departments. I can say this with confidence, having worked alongside firearms licensing officers. It is against the police code of ethics for any officer to let personal opinions influence policy, however senior they are in rank. The chief officers are duty bound to obey the various governing legislation concerning licences and would not be allowed (nor wish to) influence their licensing departments to the detriment of shotgun owners. However, I do agree with everything Mr Fievez says about having a separate,…

Dear Uncle Giles, I’ve been asked to give a talk to some teenagers at an urban school about the role shooting and conservation play in the management of the countryside. What points should I aim to include as a priority, and what’s the most appropriate way to react should one of the students be firmly against game shooting? Uncle Giles writes I venture that you will only have a limited amount of time to discuss the issues you mention so I suggest that you arm yourself – if that is the right way to put it – with some solid facts and salient numbers. Why not choose a handful of species at risk and focus your initial comments upon them. Perhaps consider the grey partridge, curlew and lapwing, hedgehog and…

At the time of writing in January, DEFRA has just extended its consultation on trophy hunting; veganism is in the media spotlight, UK farming is under attack for contributing to global warming and Wild Justice has sent, via its lawyers, a second pre-action protocol letter to DEFRA, arguing it needs to evaluate the environmental impact of the release of ‘non-native’ game birds. The latter led Caroline Bedell, BASC’s executive director of conservation, to comment: “The Code of Good Shooting Practice, which sets out the framework for sustainable shooting, includes reference to GWCT research that sets out figures for sustainable game bird releasing that do not damage the environment.” Exactly. So now is the time to start talking more about the benefits game shooting has for conservation. The points to get…

PICTURE OF THE MONTH…

We are all very familiar with the progression of ignition systems in firearms – the flintlock, various percussion systems, primarily the tubelock, then the familiar copper cap that appeared in the early 1820s. The percussion system had such advantages over the flintlock that flintlocks died out almost immediately when the new detonators came into general use in the early 1820s. Such was the superiority of the percussion gun that many flintlocks were converted to copper-cap ignition and even many tubelocks were converted to the simple copper cap in the same period. But a percussion gun converted back the other way to flintlock in the 19th century (a regressive conversion) is something I had never come across until recently. Today, a great many 19th century flintlock guns that have been converted…

Joseph Manton is always quite rightly known as the ‘king of the gunmakers’ for designing and building the style and form of the British sporting gun we all know today, and for establishing the quality by which such guns are revered throughout the world. He perfected the flintlock and designed the successful tubelock but he did have one notable failure – his pelletlock of 1816. On 29 February 1816, Joseph Manton took out patent no 3985 for his pelletlock. A detachable plug fitted into the hammer. A hole drilled the length of the plug contained a pellet of detonating powder and a firing pin to detonate the fulminate. When the hammer fell it hit a vent connected to the charge and the detonating powder exploded. The system was not a…

The Kennel Club’s 90th Cocker Spaniel Championship was held on the Faccombe Estate, Hampshire, in early January by kind permission of Faccombe Estates Ltd. The 4,250-acre estate is situated in the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. On the first morning we were welcomed to the estate by director Alastair Brooks on behalf of the Landon family, who stated how delighted they were to be hosting the championship on the estate for the first time. The estate includes 1,350 acres of woodland that is managed for timber production as well as a commercial shooting enterprise, providing pheasant and partridge shooting for family and let days. Headkeeper Bob Heaver, beatkeeper Jonny Macey and their team had put an enormous amount of work into preparing for the championship by dedicating…

Q Is using the 'sit' whistle command completely necessary when training your dog? A The 'sit' whistle command is useful in your repertoire of commands. It allows you to control the dog more effectively and get it where you want it to be. It also provides a 'stop' in the hunting pattern and gets your dog's attention both in the field and when out on walks. The command needs to be introduced early and success is usually directly proportional to effort, consistency and regularity of use. There is a tendency to start a whistle stop command, see success and then let it drift over time (as it can be infuriating depending on the dog and your patience levels) and it takes a lot of time to rebuild. It is one…

The East Anglian Game & Country Fair returns to Euston Estate in Thetford, Norfolk, for the fourth time on 25 to 26 April – and Shooting Gazette has 10 sets of family general admission tickets to give away. The fair, which was first held in 2004, has long attracted people of all ages interested in a variety of fieldsports. Whether your bag is clay shooting, gundogs, country clothing or gunmaking, there’ll be something for everyone across 350 shopping stands and numerous arenas. “Events of this nature are always the result of the indefatigable efforts of many people and I would like to extend both my thanks and a warm welcome to everyone who has contributed to creating this truly memorable weekend. The loyal support of thousands of visitors every year…

The editor asked what readers made of December’s The Great Debate, regarding where to look when stuffers are stuffing. Giles Catchpole spent maybe 70% of his space on double-gun loading but at the end agreed with my thinking that the Gun should look up while the stuffer is stuffing. Meanwhile, Ben Samuelson, while bemoaning his seldom having to face the issue, seems more concerned about his chum’s apparently inevitable ineptitude. And, that’s probably best for the pair of them. Horses for courses, it seems. Lou Browning, by email…

Have a hook: Your story must be interesting in order to grab the audience’s attention and to keep them with you to the end. We are adept at spotting the news angles in the stories we deal with and tailoring our message for our different audiences – whether that is through the pages of a shooting magazine or behind the scenes when you hear one of our experts on the radio. Keep it simple and concise: Although we have a range of communication channels through which we can hone and tailor our messages to appeal to particular audiences, as a collective our audience is a broad entity. In order to produce something where ‘one-size-fits-all’, we have to drill right down to the crux of an issue, strip it back and…

My dream team would assemble on a late October day around the moor edge of Swinton Estate. Here there is everything from grouse to pheasant and wildfowl, plus I would allow ground game, so plenty of rabbits. If I could go back 20 years there would also be wild grey partridge on the hill. The Guns can be a mixture of young and old, which creates a wonderful rapport. The day would start with a bunch of walking Guns and dogs being dropped off at the bottom of the gill and walking-up one side with standing Guns in tactical positions. Lunch would be served in one of the huts. In the afternoon, we would come back down the other side, with a duck flight in the evening and finish with…

A.C. and I met with optimism at a farm where we had enjoyed a good day earlier in the week shooting on a large field of drilled barley. Another two fields had been drilled about a mile away behind farmer Rob’s house. The contractor who had drilled these two fields had a problem with his equipment, causing the seed to be spread all over the surface rather than buried in the ground. It had to be a hot prospect as there were many pigeons in the area and this situation must attract them to feed. We judged it right for that day, and I watched both fields while A.C. kept an eye on the big field we had shot earlier to see if any birds were back on it. But,…

The inventor of the percussion copper cap is lost in the mists of time – suffice to say that it came into general usage in the 1820s. As anybody who has shot with a percussion gun on a cold day will know, the tiny caps are difficult to locate on the nipples and misfires are not unheard of. Samuel Smith, the well-known London gunmaker, took out a patent for a different type of percussion cap in patent no 5978 of 7 August 1830 that created Smith’s Patent Imperial Cap. The Imperial Cap was much wider and flatter that a normal percussion cap and was used in conjunction with a short flat nipple to concentrate the priming in a small area in direct contact with the charge. Smith claimed his cap…

As we rumbled across the 1,000-acre shoot in Wiltshire of which Dr Mike Swan is custodian, it was obvious the undulating arable land had been rehabilitated with new woodland, planted by the estate owner in collaboration with the GCWT. The woods have been designed with shrubs, clearings and areas that are ideal for rearing game. We headed into his main wood, running alongside which was a strip of cereal for brood-rearing cover, then a strip of Bright’s Pheasant & Finch mixture, then a strip of canary grass and finally, mid-height sorghum with phacelia thrown in. Much of the original planting harks back to the old days of set-aside. Coming out of the wood we flush some mallard off a pond. “We decided to put a pond in but being on…

MOORLAND BOOTS BY DEDITO £189.95 deditoshootingwear.com You know a pair of boots can cut the mustard on a shoot when you see umpteen gamekeepers across the land wearing them in all weathers. This boot, an updated version of the one which impressed judges at the 2016 Shooting Awards (it won Gold in the footwear category) will show its worth in tough conditions, keeping the wearer warm and dry, thanks in part to its WIND-TEX internal lining. A safe bet for your feet in many ways. ANTI-CORROSIVE GUN SLEEVE BY FUR FEATHER AND FIN £38 furfeatherandfin.com Available in the UK exclusively through Fur Feather and Fin, this sleeve will be of interest to anyone who cares for their guns or has a family heirloom in their cabinet. Why? Put simply, this…

Q I’m going partridge shooting in Spain and was wondering how best to prepare. Any advice? A The first thing to try to understand is exactly what type of partridges you are going to be shooting in Spain. The most common type is the traditional Spanish partridge. These birds will be presented from varying slopes and will explode in all directions, which can offer anything from an almost grouse-style shot to a high partridge. However, the majority of birds will come in fast, curling coveys 100-250 strong and will be anywhere from 25yds to 40yds in height. The second type is what I would refer to as English-style high partridges. These will be driven across steep-sloped valleys and presented as very high and even extreme partridges. I am going to…

Organisations representing the game bird rearing sector have called for further reductions in the use of antibiotics. The Countryside Alliance, Game Farmers Association (GFA), NGO and the GWCT have called for reductions in antibiotic treatments used in the rearing of pheasants and partridges to bring them in line with the falls seen across all farm animal sectors in the UK. According to figures collated by the GFA in collaboration with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, prescriptions for antibiotics written by game bird vets increased by seven per cent in 2019. This is said to be associated with very wet weather during the rearing season and birds being struck down by mycoplasma. In the two years prior, antibiotic use had reduced by 51%, with antibiotics incorporated in feed reduced by 70%. Organisations…

SHARE YOUR VIEWS Email: martin.puddifer@ti-media.com What of older guns in a lead-free world? I detect a convergence between recent articles in Shooting Gazette about lead vs lead-free shot and comments about how older guns, which are not steel-proof, either are not selling or their prices are in decline. Are shotgun shooters futureproofing their acquisitions and giving up on older guns? Is the move from side-by-sides to over-unders independent of what may happen to the material used as shot? What is the future for older guns that are not steel-proof? Could you persuade Donald Dallas to analyse the trends and possible scenarios, and then draw some conclusions? On a personal note, my annual bag for the table is modest, so I could use bismuth pellets on all live game shot with…

The Hunter GTX Evo Extreme from Lowa is the boot of choice for Guns and keepers who demand strength and comfort when out in the field. Handcrafted in Germany using the finest leather, SPS midsole technology and Vibram outsoles, these boots will look stylish and your feet will be well supported, while the Primaloft insulation and Gore-Tex waterproof lining will keep them warm and dry. For more information, visit lowa.co.uk. To win a pair, find the 11 words listed and send the completed entry form to: Wordsearch, Shooting Gazette, TI Media Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough GU14 7BF. Entries to arrive no later than 31 March. The first correct entry to be drawn will win. January's winner was K. McGoverne from Luddington, Lincolnshire. • Shooting Gazette, published by TI…

What are the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of a game bird vet? “Traditionally, game bird vets would receive a box of birds to assess and would identify the problems that were there. In today’s practice, we move toward proactively visiting a shoot or game farm to get ahead of these problems. Once the birds are ill or diseased, it’s very difficult to treat them. “To avoid this, we use surveillance and preventative measures in and out of the shooting season to assess game bird health and planning. “Out of the season, our day-to-day duties include working with shoots and game farms to see how they can improve for next year, assessing last year’s performance. We also have a strong focus on reducing stocking densities and, therefore, reducing the likelihood of…

Curlews are in real trouble across the UK. Declines over the past few decades have led to a perfect storm for these beautiful birds, and they have now become a flagship species to represent the loss of all kinds of farmland nature, from waders and wild game to mammals and wildflowers. The countryside seems to be in deep trouble, and curlews have become a rallying point for action. I have put lots of work into protecting curlews on my own farm in Galloway, but much of this is against the grain in a landscape where the birds are rapidly declining. On a national scale, it’s depressing to find my problems are just part of a much bigger picture. The birds which breed on our hill farm have only fledged a…

Enjoy these great subscriber benefits: • Never miss an issue with convenient home delivery• Save money on the shop price every month• No risk subscriptions with our Money Back Guarantee Choose from 3 simple ways to subscribe: ONLINE AT: www.shootinggazettesubs.co.uk/mar20 PHONE: 0330 333 1113 Quote code: 60AM Monday–Saturday from 8am–6pm (UK time) POST: Complete the FREEPOST coupon opposite THE DIRECT DEBIT GUARANTEE · This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits. · If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit, Magazines Direct will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. · If you request Magazines Direct to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and…

Members of the game shooting community have long suffered from terrible misconceptions about their activities in the field. Many a stereotype has even been conceived by those deep within the community itself, puzzlingly keen, as they are, to take potshots at those on the other side of the line to them. I’ve heard such whoppers as “all Guns from the City are just trigger-happy narcissists who don’t care about conservation”. Nonsense. Then there was “don’t get me started on pickers-up, all any of them do is just swan about with an air of superiority while their ill-behaved canines run riot”. Balderdash. And my personal favourite, “all gamekeepers are dull and dour…” The gamekeeper is one of the first people I look for whenever I arrive on a shoot. They’ve come…

To feature your event on Gundog Update, email: martin.puddifer@ti-media.com After years pursuing woodcock in Cornwall, I came “hum” to Suffolk. I fell under the spell of a cocker breeder with silver on his mantle piece – a guy who “liked his dogs to go through bushes rather than round them”. I bought a pretty tricolour pup named Burleigh. I don’t think he was still from birth unless he was asleep. When he sat on my lap, he entertained himself by nibbling my earlobes till they bled. As a teenager, every corner of every room had to be checked for unsuspecting arachnids. And he didn’t go round the furniture. One day, in an effort to wear him out, we set off on a walk across the marshes. What could go wrong?…