Innholdsfortegnelse for 7 December 2016 i Shooting Times & Country

What is more important to you: shooting every good bird that comes within your range or “being there”? I guess it is a little of both for many, but I thought a bit more about this when I was on a driven shoot and I missed an absolute sitter. To make matters worse, it was the only bird to come my way on that drive. It was one of those moments when you feel that suddenly you are centre stage and everyone is looking at you. Everything goes silent and nothing moves — you feel caught like a thief with their hand in the till. I was a guest on a smart commercial shoot in the grounds of a splendid country house and the shoot owner’s wife was standing right…

BASC is reminding its members that they need to have appropriate arrangements in place for their airguns ahead of the introduction of new legislation in Scotland at the end of the month. From 31 December this year, it will be an offence to use, possess, purchase or acquire an airgun in Scotland without holding an airgun certificate. Existing firearm or shotgun certificate holders will still be able to use and possess airguns until their current certificate expires. Dr Colin Shedden, BASC director Scotland, said: “To date, Police Scotland have received 8,320 applications. “All of those received before 31 October will hopefully be processed before the legislation comes into force. But the most recent ones will not be processed in time, therefore people will have to make alternative storage arrangements. “The…

Cumbrian farmerChris Purdham has revealed thata pheasant has been helping him and his dog round up a 270-strong flock of sheep everymorning for the past 18 months. A video of the pheasant in action has gone viral and can be found at po.st/shepherd. Blaser Sporting, which exclusively distributes Blaser, Mauser and Sauer rifles and shotguns in the UK, is expanding. As well as moving its base of operations from London to Surrey, the company will take on new staff and carry more stock. The Scottish Salmon Company has reported an “unprecedented” level of death at its fish farms, which were hit by “exceptional mortalities” totalling around1,300tons — a fifth of its potential harvest in the third quarter. The firm blamed “biological challenges” such as sea lice for the losses. A…

GOOD INTENTIONS, NOT SO GOOD RESULT Having read the piece in which Tower-Bird described being shot in the hand as part of a bet in 1938 (Assault and peppered, 23 November), I recalled an incident recorded half a century earlier by Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey in his Letters to Young Shooters. Declaring that “foolish and boasting wagers are most reprehensible and unsportsmanlike” and too often indulged in by the young, he related a dispute between two youthful friends over the capabilities of their respective guns. One offered to stand behind a building and stick his hand out, betting the other a sovereign (£1.05) that his gun wouldn’t put a pellet in the hand at 50 yards. He handed over a cartridge ostensibly with loaded with No.5 shot, though he had previously…

“I go through the drives with my fingers crossed, hoping that the birds are fit and strong and fly well” Liam Bell is chairman of the NGO and headkeeper on a family-owned estate in South Shropshire Like many others, I have been waiting for the weather to change and been praying for a frost or two to bring the birds back on to the feed. We have had the frosts and the weather has become more autumnal, but the birds don’t appear to be playing ball just yet. We are seeing plenty but they are not quite where we want them. I am sure they will pull in because December and January are hungry months, and there will be precious little for them to eat other than in the drives,…

Keepering duties at Sproxton are shared by everyone on the three farms, but the job is largely carried out by Mark Wainwright, his sons Sam, Henry and Ted and farm workers. Much of the effort is channelled into pest control — specifically controlling carrion crows, foxes and magpies to protect not only the gamebirds but, more especially, endangered curlew and green plover, which breed on much of the grassland each springtime. The land over which the shoot takes place is a real mix, ranging from flat farmland on the outlying shoot to gently undulating land at Sproxton Hall, then quite steep valley sides edging the river Rye at the third farm, Low Woods, owned by next-door neighbour Wilson Lamont. On two of the farmland blocks covercrops comprise kale and quinoa…

As with partridges, good fieldcraft — knowing the behaviour of your pheasants in flight, understanding the conditions on the day and how they will affect the birds’ flight, understanding how the drive works and its topography and being able to tell whether a bird is gaining or losing height — will improve your shooting no end. If you have sound style and technique, it is the final piece in the jigsaw to being able to really shoot to the best of your ability. Knowing the distance of birds is so important. I have seen so many people beat themselves up because they are missing — or worse, pricking — birds that they think are in range but in fact are not, unless you get that lucky golden pellet straight on…

It was not the sort of day that you associate with pheasant shooting. First thing there was a sharp edge to the air, but once the sun had lifted itself into the late-October sky, the air softened and had soon turned warm. There was barely a breath of wind and the changing leaves were still; some were lemon-yellow and some were gold, some were copper-coloured and some were clinging stubbornly to green. It was all very beautiful; it was autumn at its most glorious, but it was not what Tony Smith and I wanted for the day of our first High Park shoot. We would have preferred the wind to stay in the east, where it had been for almost a week; we would have preferred an easterly but we…

BILL HARRIMAN BASC’s head of firearms and global authority on guns MAT MANNING Airgunner and journalist from the West Country BRUCE POTTS Shooting Times rifle reviewer and stalker DAVID TOMLINSON Highly regarded writer and ornithologist LIAM BELL NGO chairman, 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,…

Once England’s dominant breed of cattle, the longhorn has an intriguing history. In the 17th century longhorn-type cattle were to be found in both northern and western England and in Ireland. They were bred for milk and for beef and, most importantly of all, as draught animals. It was Robert Bakewell, a farmer from Dishley in Leicestershire, who was largely responsible for establishing the breed, which he did by in-breeding and ruthless culling of animals that didn’t make the grade. The animals he produced were quicker to mature, with shorter legs and a minimum of bone. For 100 years the breed was hugely popular, but by the 1880s it was almost extinct, only to be rescued in the early years of the 20th century. Today the longhorn cow remains rare,…

British clayshooters picked up a host of medals at the Malaga Grand Prix in Spain last month. Jack Collier, 16, from Surrey, won junior gold in the Olympic skeet at the two-day event, which was held at Club de Tiro Jarapalo, with 120 out of 125. Nathan Hales was also on top form, qualifying in first position in both the junior and senior classes with 121 out of 125. However, having entered as a junior, Nathan was not able to shoot in the final as a senior, so Ian Peel went ahead, winning the senior category after a gold medal match and shoot-off with Paul Owen. Olympic trap shooter Andrea Swatts won the senior ladies’ prize, and Georgina Roberts took the junior title. David Dale won silver in the senior…

8 DECEMBER FARLOWS CHRISTMAS OPEN DAY Farlows of Pall Mall, St James’s London Tel 020 7484 1000 12 DECEMBER BASC GREY SQUIRREL CONTROL TRAINING DAY Glynllifon College, Ffordd Clynnog, Caernarfon Tel 01244 573029 13 DECEMBER THE SPORTING AND COUNTRY LIFE ART AUCTION Dreweatts, Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire Tel 01635 553553 13 DECEMBER NGO CHRISTMAS QUIZ NIGHT Harlaxton Sports and Social Club, Grantham, Lincolnshire Tel 01476 590485 28 DECEMBER LONDON SHOOTING CLUB MEMBERS’ CHRISTMAS SHOOT The Ridgeway shoot, Oxfordshire Tel 07737 744950…

UK bluetongue risk officially decreased The risk of bluetongue (News, 9 November) reaching the UK has been downgraded. DEFRA decided to lower the level due to the dropping average temperatures in both the UK and northern France. The Met Office has also reported a predominant north-westerly wind, and the likelihood of the midges that spread the disease to cattle reaching local populations is now considered to be low. However, outbreaks in France continue to be reported, with more than 280 new cases last month, bringing the total to just over 900. BASC raises NI licensing concerns BASC met with the Northern Ireland Assembly’s minister for justice Claire Sugden (below, centre) earlier this month to discuss firearms licensing concerns. The meeting provided the opportunity to discuss concerns held by BASC and…

1 BARREL 18.5in long with BSA’s excellent rifled barrel finish available in both.177 and .22 calibre. 2 SIGHT Open sights were available but most were discarded for scope use, but the scope dovetails are very shallow so will not fit some thick scope mounts. 3 ACTION Typical break-barrel and spring-piston operated action with a reasonable trigger but no safety fitted. 4 STOCK This later stock version has a better finish and chequering, as well as a cheekpiece and ventilated recoil pad. In the 1970s, when I was a teenager and mad keen on air rifles, there were two camps you fell into. You were either a British BSA or Webley shooter or a German Weihrauch or Feinwerkbau user. I was definitely in…

“It is style and technique that kills the bird. Keep your feet still when mounting the gun” • It is style and technique that kills the bird. Keep your feet still when mounting your gun. If you don’t, you will automatically cause poor gun mount and moving your feet while mounting the gun will cause you to pull the muzzles of the gun away from the bird you are trying to connect with. • Being able to mount the gun and muzzles on to the bird consistently is paramount. If you can’t do this, then you will never pick the bird up properly and never read the all-important line, speed and distance. • Finish your shot properly. This is one of the hardest things to achieve. Many Guns will lift…

Plant: Artist’s bracket fungi Latin name: Ganoderma applanatum Other names: Artist’s conk How to spot it and where to find it: Bracket fungi are the fruiting structures of many different fungi that cause heartwood decay in trees, eventually causing them to become hollow. The hard “brackets” or “conks” appear in spring, summer and autumn, but weakened trees can topple at any time. Bracket fungi are often referred to as shelf fungi because of the way they stick out from the infected tree. They are called polypores, as instead of having spore-producing gills, they have many pores lined with spore-producing cells that form woody tubes through which billions of spores are released into the air, covering everything in the vicinity with rust-coloured dust. Artist’s bracket is one type of bracket fungi…

“Everyone was keen to try the dishes of all the game cooked, so lots of tasters were consumed. There were also lots of questions and interaction about how to cook it and for how long, which really gets the message of how versatile and easy game is out there.” Chef Richard Hunt discusses the success of the first Great British Game Food Festival. 10,000 The Scottish Government plans to create 10,000 hectares of new woodland each year. The Scottish forestry industry supports 25,000 jobs and is worth almost £1billion to the country’s economy.…

VISIT Farlows is holding a Christmas open day at its London Pall Mall store tomorrow (Thursday, 8 December), showcasing some special seasonal offers that will make ideal gifts for fish and field enthusiasts. As well as free mince pies and mulled wine, the Farlows team will be on hand to offer advice on shooting days and fishing tuition, while a range of goods will also be on offer. Tel 020 7484 1000 for more information. BID Gavin Gardiner is holding a limited December sale of modern and vintage sporting guns on Wednesday, 14 December, just in time to pick up a new piece for the Boxing Day shoot. Among the highlights of the auction is a pair of Keith Thomas engraved Exhibition-quality 28-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns (pictured) by Watson…

“Woodcock rushed by almost within an arm’s reach; snipe shrieked past at extreme height in the stillness” Even as I write, the Solway is filling with duck. The lazy gangs of early-season mallard are being bolstered by legions of wigeon and pintail from the distant north, and the last moments of daylight are now filled with rushing wings and frenzied excitement. Many of the wigeon are still bearing signs of their moult, with chestnut speckles on their breasts and flanks, but these will slough out into pristine smartness. It is hard to imagine a more dapper bird than a cock wigeon in the dank, ice-cold days of mid-winter, and his jolly attitude is welcome when the days are short and filled with driving rain. Wigeon hardly featured on my radar…

“Had the birds been more mature, the top end of the estimated bag would have been attained easily with half the day still to go” It was the sort of invitation that no Shot, aspiring or experienced, would be likely to refuse, particularly when it came from Raymond Holden, managing director of Lancashire’s Hy-Fly Game Hatcheries. However, Raymond, who has been organising driven gameshooting for most of his 70-plus years, explained that this was to be a “trial day on unfamiliar ground”. His three sons, Graham, Leroy and Trevor, were keen to lease the shoot where they could lay on more testing birds than those on their regular flat terrain next to Morecambe Bay. “There are two estates; St John’s Kirk and Carmichael, totalling 8,000 acres laid out with gamecovers,…

“An animal which shivers and shudders on a cold wet day between drives will not last long in a keeper’s kennel” SOME OF THE BEST gundog handlers I’ve met have been either gamekeepers or retired gamekeepers. This is hardly surprising when you consider that most keepers spend much of their working day in the company of their dogs, allowing them to build the sort of relationship that the rest of us can only dream about. John Cowan has been a gamekeeper for more than 40 years, in which time he has had all sorts of working dogs, qualifying him perfectly for writing The Gamekeeper’s Dog. It is a comprehensive and wide-ranging discussion of a fascinating subject, and though aimed at fellow keepers, it is the sort of book that anyone…

Retriever won’t pick pigeon GUNDOGS Q My two-year-old golden retriever has been good on pheasants and other game, but I shot a woodpigeon for him and when he got near it flapped and jumped in the air and he would not pick it. Even after I caught it, killed it and left it for a blind retrieve he still would not pick it up. I have since tried with cold pigeon but he refuses to lift them. What should I do? A It is not uncommon for a young dog to react when confronted with something unusual to retrieve. Woodpigeon and gamebirds smell completely different and the fact it was alive and flapped caused him to react adversely. The cure should not be too difficult but avoid taking him out…

Few people have any particular issues with the cormorants we see around our coasts, but when they fly inland and take fish that anglers have paid for that’s a different story. It must be frustrating to sit for hours on the bank, to catch nothing and to see a cormorant dive underwater and come up with its dinner. Some of these inland birds are present all year, nesting on trees around inland lakes and reservoirs, but they are joined by others in the autumn and winter. Many of these incomers are from freshwater colonies in countries such as Denmark, avoiding the worst of the freezing conditions in continental Europe. But coastal birds turn up inland as well. Cormorants can be shot, under special licence. Most of these will be from…

“Paul Flowers was as astonished as anybody when a £1.5bn black hole emerged in the Co-op’s balance sheet” Money is the root of all evil, they say. In the case of the Co-operative Bank, the adage appears to be borne out. Remember, this was the so-called “ethical bank”, favoured by animal rights groups, which boasted of its opposition to foxhunting at the time of the Hunting Act. It was proud of the fact that it had an animal welfare and environmental policy, and listed advisors including the League Against Cruel Sports, the RSPCA and the RSPB. The bank was favoured with business by upstanding bodies such as the Badger Trust and Animal Aid. As for the RSPB, it used a Co-op Bank affinity card to raise millions over the years.…