Innholdsfortegnelse for 17-Feb-2016 i Shooting Times & Country

SIGNS OF COMMON ground being reached between conservation and shooting groups have emerged in Scotland, with the launch of a report into the effect of predation on our declining waders (p.6). Contributors to the paper were as diverse as the Scottish Gamekeepers Association and the RSPB. Hopefully this heralds a new spirit of co-operation. Given the desperate declines in our bird life, anything else is fiddling while Rome burns. We reported last week on threats to shooting presented by amendments to the European Firearms Directive (News, 10 February). BASC is now rightly encouraging shooters to lobby their MEPs, but any message to the politicians needs to be measured. There’s nothing more likely to turn otherwise reasonable MEPs against shooting than an aggressive approach. Better to point out that honourable intentions…

Chernobyl deer “not affected” New survey data shows that the nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine in 1986 has not affected deer numbers in the area. Long-term wildlife census data has shown no evidence of a negative impact on mammal abundance due to radiation exposure. Red deer, roe deer and elk populations within the Chernobyl exclusion zone are similar to those in nearby uncontaminated nature reserves. Farmers sell British air for £80 Farmers are selling bottles of British air online for £80 each. The relatively new business, called AETHAER, claims to provide “immaculate” air” that has been “harvested” in the “pristine areas of countryside”, far away from motorways and impurities.” While this might sound like a scam, the business’s website clarifies that it was set up…

What does your role involve? I relaunched the company in 2012, with a complete redesign of the range, taking into account the latest developments in technical fabrics as well as giving it a style update. I also look after sampling, production, customer services, marketing and business development. What does a typical week look like for you? It depends on the season. It can vary from attending shows and events and visiting clients and stockists, to product development in our factory in Tielt, Belgium, production follow-up and customer relationship management, plus securing marketing and building the brand. What would you say is the greatest issue in shooting and conservation at the moment? Respect of quarry: shooting has to be a fair chase and should be challenging for the shooter. What are…

As part of its Programme for Scotland, the Scottish Government has undertaken to review the 2002 Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act. Lord Bonomy has been tasked with leading the review with a brief to “ascertain whether it is providing a sufficient level of protection for wild mammals, while at the same time allowing effective and humane control of mammals, such as foxes, where necessary”. This review is a calculated attack on what Scottish ministers regard to be “nobs on horses” but it is not just a chance for Holyrood to attack hunts in the borders, this review will affect everyone who uses a dog in Scotland to flush pest species to Guns. The hill shepherd who uses a terrier to flush a fox that is taking his lambs from…

STAND UP To undertake flightlight shooting, you must put yourself under a flightline. Make sure you are standing up, because you will need to move around a lot to adjust for different angles of the birds as they come in. If you are in a hide, it should be more than head-height tall so that you can stand in comfort without being seen at distance. The floor should be level so that you can move your feet easily.…

 Lindsay Waddell is headkeeper on the Raby estate in County Durham, managing 30,000 acres of grouse moor “There are now at least double the gamekeepers there were a generation ago” Another season has come and gone and, for many keepers, 1 February brought a sigh of relief. It did for us, as our last day on our wild pheasants was more or less blown into the North Sea by the remains of something nasty that made its way over the Atlantic from the US. The pressure on gamekeepers has never been greater, with the need for the vast majority to balance the books; a far cry from the days when estates were simply run for the benefit of the owner. There is little doubt that life for many a low-ground…

SOME YEARS AGO I was a member of a shooting syndicate in Sussex that was arguably run for the benefit of the dogs rather than the Guns. Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but there’s no doubt that the dogs all had a terrific time. The shoot covered a mere 200 acres, but included streams running through small but deep valleys, woods and pasture. One of the rules of the shoot was that every Gun had to have a dog, and we regularly had a dozen or more spaniels out, plus the odd Labrador and German pointer. Needless to say, some of the dogs were rather better trained than others, but there was sufficient thick cover to slow down the most enthusiastic springer, and without the dogs we…

W IGEO N It may only be mid-February, but wigeon are paired off and moving back towards their breeding grounds. For many of these spring migrants, there is a long way to go, with the farthest recorded movements of British Trust for Ornithology-ringed bird as far east as Mongolia or Vietnam. That’s nearly two-thirds of the way to the other side of the world. Other birds will travel less far, with plenty of summer records in Denmark and Finland, and others in Scandinavia. As well as Continental wigeon, there are lots of Icelandic birds in the north and west, with the biggest proportion in Scotland, followed by Ireland, with Wales and then England much farther behind. You’re more than six times as likely to find that a foreign-ringed wigeon has…

“I call upon all those who shoot to contact MEPS and express their concerns” FACE UK is calling on shooters to make their voices heard by contacting their MEPs to register their opinions on proposed changes to the European Firearms Directive. Plans to tighten European gun laws were brought forward by the European Commission following two separate terrorist attacks in Paris last year (News, 25 November). Fears are growing among the fieldsports organisations represented by FACE UK that new restrictions will harm legitimate shooting in the UK, without doing anything to tackle terrorism or the illegal trafficking of firearms. The partnership has launched a new website to help interested parties lobby EU ministers, who are currently considering the European Commission’s proposals. In a joint statement, they said: “Shooting and country…

APPLY Newton Rigg College, in conjunction with BASC, is holding two free gamekeeping experience weekends for 14-16-year-olds on the weekends of 8-10 April and 3-5 June. Applicants must write a short essay on why they want to come on the weekend and send it to malcolm.riding@newtonrigg.ac.uk or post to Malcolm Riding, Gamekeeping Experience, Newton Rigg College, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0AH. Applications should include address, telephone number and, if possible, an email contact. COMPETE The Royal Berkshire Shooting School’s Handicap Classic is back for its 16th year, giving average club clay shooters the chance to compete on a par with high-level competitors. Prizes include a Browning Heritage Hunter shotgun worth £5,700 and a Laporte clay trap worth £1,800. The competition started on 8 February and will take place over 11 weeks,…

Ludivine, a bloodhound in Elkmont, Alabama, escaped from his owner’s yard one morning last month and proceeded to take part in a nearby half marathon, running all 13.1 miles. Ludivine came (unofficially) seventh place and accidentally helped to raise money for a local school. The Scottish Wildlife Trust has been awarded £37,800 by the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels’ Developing Community Action project. This development funding will help it progress its plans to apply for a full grant of £2.46million at a later date. As many as 200 dead pheasants were recently found dumped and left to rot by the side of a public footpath in Ashburnham, Sussex. They were discovered by a dog walker, who said he believed they had been there for a few…

SOLIDARITY IS VITAL Simon Hart ties together hunting and shooting, and their commonalities of interest (Have your say, 13 January). Whichever country sport one pursues, many a livelihood will revolve around it, including its services and suppliers. The proposed land reforms and abolition of the time-honoured tax exemptions on shoot estates (News, 1 July 2015) are highly retrograde steps in Scotland, and can only jeopardise the livelihoods of estate workers and the viability of rural communities and economies. Few people buy a shoot estate from a point of view of making money. Therefore, whatever meagre amount is raised in revenue will soon be more than offset in unemployment benefits and the social tragedy it represents. In short, the antis, whether it be the masked hunt saboteur or the suited and…

“The doe woke up and scratched her chin with a shiny black hoof, then closed her eyes again, stretched out like a cat” These words come right off the hill. Since I started writing almost 10 years ago, I made a point of taking a notebook and pencil with me on every trip. I’ve lost count of how many times this simple habit has come in handy, and the mound of spiral-bound notebooks in the corner of my office grows higher with every passing month. Sometimes I make notes on livestock or birds, recording numbers and attitudes with a few little comments and half a sketch. At other times I draw long, elaborate doodles of the deer and the hills. I was pleased to have my notebook with me recently…

Shooting roosting or pigeon flighting over woodland to roost brings with it its own challenges to the shooter. Following all of these guidelines regarding bird selection and being positive and committed to the shot will help, but there are some added problems to consider, such as trees and limited “windows” to shoot from. POSITION YOURSELF PROPERLY It is important that you position yourself where you can maximise your shooting without being seen by approaching birds. Many shooters simply put themselves in the wrong place, which makes shooting difficult. You cannot shoot pigeon roosting if you are having to snap-shoot all the time. If conditions are windy, it will make your task even more difficult. Find a position that gives you the best opportunity to see and select a bird. Make…

“It was slightly surreal trotting the dogs along The Strand in London” As a country bumpkin I rarely travel by train, but last month I travelled from Rome to a town called Albinia on the Rome-Pisa express. After half an hour’s travel the compartment I was in had virtually emptied, and only a single woman remained. I was fascinated to see her extricate a Pomeranian from her bag, and then proceed to feed the tiny dog with broken biscuits. I’m not sure whether lapdogs need their own ticket on Italian trains, but I noticed that the dog only appeared after the ticket inspector had passed through the compartment. In 35 years of dog ownership, my dogs have only travelled by train once. The occasion was one of the demonstrations against…

BILL HARRIMAN BASC’s head of firearms and global authority on guns MAT MANNING Airgunner and journalist from the West Country BRUCE POTTS Shooting Timesrifle reviewer and stalker DAVID TOMLINSON Highly regarded writer and ornithologist LIAM BELL Shropshire gamekeeper and keen wildfowler GRAHAM DOWNING Shooting consultant and sporting author PAUL RAWLINGS Gundog expert and A-panel spaniel judge CHRIS DE CANI Riverkeeper, with specialist knowledge of chalkstreams TONY BUCKWELL Veterinary surgeon with a special interest in gundogs TONY JACKSON A game Shot, keen stalker and former editor of Shooting Times TOM PAYNE Professional shooting instructor and avid pigeon shooter SIMON WHITEHEAD Author, professional ferreter and rabbit controller IAIN WATSON Keen stalker and senior CIC international trophy judge Contact the team Email: stanswers@timeinc.com By post: Shooting Times, Blue Fin Building,…

Many people are surprised to discover that there is no species of spruce tree that is native to Britain. Worldwide, there are some 40 different species, and many of them widely planted in the British Isles. Most familiar is the Norway spruce, our traditional Christmas tree, which occurs naturally in southern Scandinavia, along with the Alps. However, the dominant forestry tree in Britain is the Sitka spruce. Found in the wild from Alaska to California, the Sitka likes rain — and lots of it. First planted in the British Isles in 1831, today it’s the dominant tree in the extensive plantations that cover the uplands of Wales and Scotland. It’s not a handsome tree: its sparse foliage is a dull blue-grey, and even vigorous trees can look half dead. But…

5 -2 3 MARCH WILDLIFE AND SPORTING ART EXHIBITION The Jerram Gallery, Sherborne, Dorset Tel 01935 815261 1 2 MARCH BASC 2016 WILDFOWLING CONFERENCE Ramada Hotel, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, West Midlands Tel 01244 573007 4 APRIL RIVER COTTAGE GARDEN OPEN DAY River Cottage HQ, Axminster, Devon Tel 01297 630300 1 3 APRIL GAVIN GARDINER MODERN AND VINTAGE SPORTING GUN AUCTION Sotheby’s, London Tel 01798 875300 2 1-2 2 APRIL LEICA EXPERIENCE RANGE DAYS Diggle Ranges, Oldham, Greater Manchester Tel 01457 872074 2 3 APRIL GWCT ANNUAL DINNER AND AUCTION The Walled Garden, Beeston Fields, Nottingham Tel 07976 207113…

BASC has strengthened ties with Lancashire Constabulary’s firearms licensing team, after officers visited the organisation’s head office this month. They were given the chance to test their shooting skills on the ST-2 simulator, before discussions with BASC’s firearms team about issues including delays in applications and renewals and how to work together to improve the service for shooters. Gary Ashton, BASC’s director of firearms operations, said: “With 43 police forces in England and Wales, it is inevitable that there are varying approaches to firearms licensing matters. “The important thing for our members is that we at least have a cordial working relationship with each firearms licensing department so that we can have a professional conversation on behalf of individual members when the need arises to seek a mutually agreeable resolution.”…

Having trained on the Game and Fishery Management course at Hartpury College, I left gamekeeping after a year or so to pursue a different career. I never forgot nor lost my love of the countryside, and last year secured my shotgun licence. I realised what I had been missing in the intervening years. I started spending a couple of mornings at my local clay ground and reintroduced myself to a few of the locals. I have been invited to join a syndicate on a prominent local shoot, have a day or two on another shoot and the best part is, after offering assistance where I can, I have been asked to help with the feeding and preparation for next season. With my eight-month-old dog Indie (pictured) by my side and…

Last week, I explained how to assess the prospects for roost shooting and described how to find the flightline (The right line for roost shooting, 10 February). In this piece, I will explain some of the techniques needed to shoot pigeon that are flighting and roosting. Flighting pigeon and roost shooting are challenging sports. The angles, speed and distances that the woodpigeon fly outmatch any other form of quarry we shoot in this country. It can also be difficult to find the ideal conditions for flighting and roosting. This can make building a bag-to-shot ratio humbling. Flightline shooting is when you place yourself directly under a flightline of birds going from a roosting wood to their chosen food source, or from their chosen food source back to their roosting wood.…

Flightline shooting requires you to be in the perfect spot to maximise shooting possibilities. If you are not under the flightline you will end up shooting at birds too far away. During the winter, you need windy days to break up the flocks. Spring and summer flighting doesn’t require strong winds. To shoot successfully you must have a correct and comfortable shooting position. Foot work is so important in order for you to adjust to the various shots that will be on offer. A high hide and level standing are also key factors. The high hide will allow you to move correctly without being seen and a level standing will allow you to move your feet accordingly. Bird selection is important and you must focus on what the bird is…

1 BARREL 26½in, 2 x 16-bore with full choke, 1 x 8mm rifle barrel 2 DECORATION Extensive deep-cut decoration incorporating roses, oak leaves and animals 3 ACTION Top-lever opening, trigger-plate lock work, cocking indicators 4 STOCK Short-stocked with more drop than a conventional shotgun This week’s Classic Gun is a drilling, manufactured circa 1920. It is a combination gun I know well because I once owned it, having bought it from a local farmer friend at the end of the 1970s for £40. When I had it on my firearms certificate, there was a condition added that “only the shotgun barrels to be used when game (pheasant) shooting”. A typical example It is a typical example of this sort of combination gun…

“Shiver” might be something you do when you’re out in the beating line with the rain coming down and the cold seeping into your bones, but spell it with an extra “v” and it becomes something else entirely: the sharp fragments of slate that accumulate under slate cliffs. This “shivver” can be difficult — and dangerous — to walk on, because the fragments of slate slide over one another like broken porcelain and their pointy edges can do nasty damage to ankles. “Shivver” is actually Cumbrian dialect for “fragment” or “chip” and has been in use since the Middle Ages. According to Dominick Tyler’s Uncommon Ground, the word derives from the Germanic scivero, which means splinter, hence the expression “shiver me timbers”.…

“Couldn’t Jamie Oliver have led schoolchildren to the beach for hands-on biology lessons and barbecued burgers?” The stranding of a number of whales on the beaches of eastern England have caused a predictable outpouring of grief. No, I am not being sarcastic. Even I, shoot-my-own carnivore that I am, think the sight of huge mammals dying slowly is ineffably sad. It is disquieting that there was nothing anybody could do to ease the plight of the poor leviathans. At the time of writing, there have been six strandings over the past couple of weeks — all of male sperm whales weighing an estimated 25 to 40 tons. There have been three in Norfolk and three near Skegness, Lincolnshire. In total, about 30 whales have stranded themselves along the coasts of…