Innholdsfortegnelse for September 30, 2015 i Shooting Times & Country

IT’S A SHAME that The Game Fair couldn’t continue with the CLA (p.6), which has done so much to support it over the past 58 years. However, no doubt someone will step in to continue the wonderful institution, albeit in a different form. Whoever takes on the challenge deserves the shooting community’s support. As Alasdair Mitchell rightly says (p.58), it is time to stop the naysaying and get behind such an important part of the shooting calender. It may be that people prefer shopping on the Internet now, but the appetite for outdoor events and the draw of catching up with old friends in a like-minded crowd are as strong as ever. For these reasons, if the new organisers get it right, there is a bright future for the Game…

of times former RSPB conservation director Mark Avery managed to plug his new book in an open letter on to DEFRA under-secretary Rory Stewart. The letter protests the Government’s rubbishing of Mr Avery’s calls to ban driven grouse shooting ( News , 23 September). “Wildlife crime is down 75 per cent because we care and we catch them. Badger offences down, poisonings down, convictions up!” Sgt Rob Taylor champions the work of the North Wales Police Rural Crime Team to keep our countryside crime-free.…

For the first time, two gamekeeping students have been tied for top place in the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation Frank Jenkins Memorial Trophy. The accolade is awarded to the best gamekeeping student or apprentice of the academic year. This year it was jointly presented to 21-year-old Ryan Mort (pictured left) of Askham Bryan College, North Yorkshire, and Tom Hesmondhalgh, 19, (pictured right) who went to Newton Rigg College, Cumbria. The pair received the award at the Midland Game Fair earlier this month.…

GOOD TIMES Keeper Matthew Sharples has won a Mitsubishi Barbarian following his team’s success in the Mitsubishi Motors Estate Challenge at The CLA Game Fair. Hedgehogs in the Uttoxeter area will receive a helping hand from local wildlife trusts. They have united for a new campaign showing people how to help hedgehogs in their garden. BADTIMES Chris, the cuckoo named after Chris Packham, that was recently reported missing ( News , 26 August) is believed to be dead, said the British Trust for Ornithology last week. Importing North American deer urine lures increases the risk of spreading chronic wasting disease in the UK, according to a new survey by the British Deer Society.…

IN ASSOCIATIONWITH Crossing the border for Permis de Chasse Congratulations to Nigel Henzell-Thomas on gaining his French hunting permit (Jumping through French hoops, 9 September) — his account of the process was a good read. Swiss laws prohibit fieldsports, so for more than 25 years I have pursued my passion across the border in France. I have found that — as in most like-minded groups — guns, clubs, landowners and even the “guards des chasse” are most welcoming and friendly. I have been received warmly by the French Retriever Club, which runs a packed programme of field trials each season. I encourage more to follow Nigel’s good example and apply for the Permis de Chasse in order to enjoy the sport, camaraderie and, perhaps, extend one’s French vocabulary.…

Willow — flexible, versatile and species-rich — has served mankind for thousands of years and still fulfils both practical and ornamental demands. Fast-growing, it can be cut to the ground each year and will, in 12 months, produce extensive growth. The traditional willow used for basket-making will produce a withy — or rod — growth of around 8ft to 9ft a year, though several recently produced faster-growing willow types may grow rods up to 15ft in a year. There are hundreds of varieties of willow, some more flexible than others. In England the most popular willow variety, in demand for weaving, is Salix trianda and the specific variety is black maul. It is eminently suited to the Somerset wetlands, the main area where it is now grown. There were, however,…

Pigeon shooting Shooting over beans On a farm I shoot over, the farmer has grown beans again after a couple of years without the crop. He has harvested them now but I’ve never had any real success shooting pigeon over them. Could you offer a few pointers to make things easier for me next time? D. Washington, by email TOM PAYNE SAYS: Beans can provide fantastic sport towards the end of the harvest. They are always the last crop to come off the field and, if you are in the right area with good pigeon numbers, can provide some superb shooting. When decoying over beans, remember that it is a dark crop, almost browny black, and the stubble can be fairly tall. Try to give your arriving birds plenty to…

TONY BUCKWELL is a retired veterinary surgeon, who now acts as an advisor on animal welfare, breeding and husbandry. If you are concerned about your dog’s health, always seek veterinary advice. Bottom dragger My dog keeps dragging his bottom along the ground. Someone told me this behaviour could indicate that he has worms, though I wormed him recently. What is your opinion? H. Holt, by email TONY BUCKWELL SAYS: People often mistake this behaviour as a sign of worms. However, it is much more likely that the dog’s anal glands need emptying. Dogs have two glands, one each side of the rectum, that secrete a foul-smelling liquid that coats the stool as it is passed; this is believed to play some part in territorial scent-marking. If the dog’s stools are…

The Liberal Democrats voiced their support for shooting at the party’s conference in Bournemouth last week. Baroness Parminter, deputy leader in the Lords, said: “We as a party support all those involved in responsible shooting, and I personally endorse this position.” She added: “I recognise the contribution shooting makes to our countryside and the rural economy. We in Parliament will continue to work with [those] involved in the management of our countryside.”…

BASC has challenged the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) on whether its conduct meets the standards expected of a charity, following the publication of a new infographic, Inglorious Menu. The new LACS campaign attacks the shooting industry, claiming it is “responsible for the deaths of millions of animals every year”. Richard Ali, chief executive of BASC, wrote to Tom Quinn, director of campaigns at the charity, after LACS appeared to act outside of its remit. Mr Ali said: “While campaigns by charities may use emotive material, that material must be factually accurate and have a legitimate evidence base. We question whether many of the statements made in your Inglorious Menu graphic meet that test.” He highlighted the responsibility of charities to manage the risks of harm caused by their campaign…

A fishing event is being held in memory of the late John Humphreys (pictured), who was Shooting Times’ Country Gun for more than 40 years. The Countryside Alliance’s Fishing 4 Schools (F4S) programme is coming to the Lenwade Pike Club, near Norwich, on 6 October. It will give youngsters the chance to try a variety of fishing activities. John died, aged 72, in 2012. A service of celebration for him raised £1,500 for F4S to promote angling in England.…

The British Medical Association (BMA) has welcomed the recent report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). The review of firearms licensing (News, 23 September) proposes that certificates should not be issued without a current medical report from a GP, paid for by the applicant patient. BMA professional fees committee chair John Canning said: “It is vital that doctors play a role in ensuring gun licences are issued safely,” but cautioned that any new system must not place a strain on GP workloads. In a statement, BASC said that its proposed “encoded reminder” (News, 9 September) would be a better solution: “The adoption of an encoded reminder on patients’ records has been accepted as part of a way to improve public safety and help provide a decent service for shooters.…

NEWS IN THE US Matthew Alwine, host of cable television show Trophy State of Mind, lost his hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for two years, after being convicted of hunting violations. Earlier this month, Mr Alwine pleaded guilty in Park County Justice Court to charges including five counts of failing to obtain landowner permission while hunting game and unlawful possession of elk antlers. Butcher’s celebrates 500th birthday DORSET: A family-run butcher’s shop in Bridport that stocks game celebrated its 500th birthday this month. RJ Balson and Son began as a market stall in 1515, and has been handed down through 26 generations. The shop, Britain’s oldest family business, sells pheasant, duck and guinea fowl, as well as exotic meats such as kangaroo and ostrich. It is owned by Richard Balson,…

For Guns champing at the bit after the summer, many shoots are offering early-season partridge days, whether driven or walked-up. The Iford Downs shoot, not far from Lewes in East Sussex, is no exception and, with the grey in sad decline, the redleg has taken up the slack. It is a stunning haven and a team from the Walbrook Club, based in London and headed by Ian Holt, had come to sample the sport on offer. The day was booked through sporting agency Outside Days, run by Howard Day. The morning that had dawned wet and dull gave way to towering, chasing clouds and blue skies, the sea off Newhaven shimmering silver in the distance. What was immediately apparent was that the shoot looks after its clients well. The lodge…

For any wild bird keeper, trapping is one of the key elements of his working life; good habitat and good weather are the others. Those of us who practise predator control, both in the lowlands and the uplands, may well have a problem in the near future if some issues surrounding the use of the Fenn-type trap are not resolved soon. The problem we may face is that the Fenntype trap is unlikely to pass the critical test of rendering a stoat “dead”, for all intents and purposes, in around 45 seconds. This criterion was, I gather, set by the countries that trap animals for their fur. Because the stoat is the only animal in these islands that is fur-bearing and that can be legally trapped using a Fenn MK…

The oldest remnant of woven willow is a fish trap dated around 8,500 years ago and now residing in a museum in Dublin. Squashed flat, it was discovered in a peat bog, finely woven from willow and alder. There is even earlier evidence based on fragments of a clay pot, on the inside of which can be seen the impression of a basket weave. It is believed that when making a pot, a willow basket was first woven, then covered in clay and left to bake in the sun. That fragment of pot is around 9,000 years old, and it is thought that weaving with willow began at least 12,000 years ago.…

Hearing about the demise of the Game Fair was like learning of the death of an old friend. You look back to the days when she was young and beautiful and remember the great times you had together. Then she became middle-aged and rather overweight, and you suspected that she had lost her way in life, but you still enjoyed seeing her, even if once a year was enough. A couple of years ago, you heard rumours of her long-term illness, but you didn’t believe that it would be terminal. Then, this summer, you saw her for the last time: she looked so tired that the final announcement of her death wasn’t really a surprise. The Game Fair has been a constant throughout my adult life. I went to my…

PAUL RAWLINGS KCAI (WG*) Full-time gundog trainer and A-panel spaniel judge Rabbit check What is the correct way to check a retrieved rabbit for dog damage? V. Cummins, by email PAUL RAWLINGS SAYS: The principle is similar to feeling the ribs of a pheasant. Hold the dead rabbit by the head and let the body and hind legs dangle; now you can feel the ribcage with the tips of the fingers of your free hand. It should immediately be apparent if the ribs have been damaged. Only then can you judge whether it is the dog’s bite or shot that caused the damage. If you feel a line of cleanly broken ribs that is usually indicative of a pellet having snapped them off; dog damage is more likely to cause…

Midway through September, fishing was not quite what it should have been for the time of year, so I introduced a small underwater video camera — so beloved by skater boys and skiers — to one of the bends to take a closer look. By coincidence I did the same thing, almost to the day, a year ago, after a similarly fallow period of fishing. Last year’s film featured grayling of many different ages, minnows, stickleback, some large roach and, of course, brown trout, all of which were feeding hard on sub-surface offerings, and were in good condition. The grayling, in particular, were in fine form. This year’s movie was a little different. The water was nowhere near as clear, a problem that has plagued this stretch of the Dever…

On the home roughshoot, we started feeding our flightponds in August, and have good numbers of duck visiting. Mallard, gadwall and teal are tipping in nicely and hoovering up barley that our auto-feeders whirl around the shallows, just before dusk. For amateurs like us, operating on a tight schedule and thrifty budget, auto-feeders are a real boon. We simply don’t have time to hand-feed our ponds and splashes each day and, with the evenings drawing in, it won’t be long before it’s as black as your hat before I’ve even left the office. Aside from the labour-saving, using a programmable auto-feeder on a pond used for duck flighting has a number of advantages. Unless there is some mechanical problem, duck that visit the pond are guaranteed something to eat when…

MPs plan to launch an inquiry into whether the RSPCA should be allowed to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty cases. Following the election of two radical activists to the RSPCA ruling council (News, 8 July), Neil Parish, chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, said he planned to hold an inquiry into the charity and the way it is run. Last week, he told the BBC that: “Sometimes there are cases which we feel it shouldn’t have prosecuted on.”…

“[Feed] your conkers to a pig. The juices in its stomach will harden them nicely. Then you collect your conkers when the pig poos them out!” Two-times world conker champion Charlie Bray offers expert advice as we enter autumn — and horse chestnut season. “I really believe that meat should be treated in exactly the same way as tobacco, with public campaigns to stop people eating it.” Kerry McCarthy, vegan and recently appointed shadow environment secretary, compares meat eaters to smokers in an interview with Viva!life earlier this year.…

Continental approach Nigel Henzell-Thomas’s interesting piece on the French permit system (Jumping through French hoops, 9 September) points out that, in the UK’s political culture, state interference is greatly frowned upon. This means that shooting in the UK is self-regulated and governed by voluntary codes. There are downsides to this approach. In the UK application process for hunting rifles, the applicant has to show good reason, must be of sound mind and temperate nature, have no serious criminal convictions, and must be supported by referees of suitable standing. It is astonishing that at no point in the application process does the applicant have to show that he possesses the knowledge and skill set necessary for the intended use of the rifle. These should cover the following areas: the law relating…

CRAIG DENNIS, SHOOT OWNER Craig has keepered since leaving school 24 years ago and started Thorney Moss Game Farm about eight years ago. He made the break from being a keeper to shoot owner in 2009. “I buy in day-olds from Bettws Hall, in Powys, and like to see redlegs out a month before shooting starts,” he said. “They should be 18 weeks old before the season begins. When game is scarcer at the start of the season, you get better prices for it. I am also a gamedealer and have outlets for the birds. It isn’t easy but it’s part of my job.” PETER BALL, HEADKEEPER Headkeeper Peter Ball has keepered for 30 years, previously in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. It is his first season at Iford Downs and he…

In the first part of this series, I explained how to raise a rock-steady gundog from the start (26 August), while in part two, I showed you how to teach your dog confidence (16 September). In this final part, I highlight the importance of teaching your puppy good manners. From eight weeks to six months old, your puppy is too big to do nothing and too little to do anything much. At least that’s what we tend to think. However, puppies are able to learn and will remember what they learn to an amazing degree. They learn the “muzzle hold” from their mother. When she is displeased with a puppy or youngster, she will cover his muzzle with her mouth and grumble at him. This is to warn the puppy…

MUSHROOM DANGERS Compared with our continental neighbours, we have never been enthusiastic collectors and eaters of wild mushrooms, probably because many of us mistrust our ability to tell the tasty ones from the dangerous type. The destroying angel ( amanita virosa ), for example, looks rather like a field mushroom, even if it smells very different. It’s rare in England, though more common in Scotland. Unlike the field mushroom, it is generally found in association with broad-leaved trees and is highly poisonous.…

Training Two whistles? I have a three-year-old Labrador and have just got a puppy. We walk together in the mornings, then I train the dogs one at a time in the afternoon before walking again late in the evening. Now here is the problem: I use two whistles so each has its own tone to work to. When I am out with both dogs, I will need two whistles in my mouth simultaneously if I need to stop them at the same time or call them in. So what would you do: go with the one tone for the two dogs or not walk them together? A. Blackmore-Holden, by email PAUL RAWLINGS SAYS: Most top gundog trainers will work several dogs together, both when out shooting and during exercise. But…

JACKIE DRAKEFORD KCAI (CD) (WLSA*) Respected author on dog behaviour and training Toilet training I have bought a young dog to take over from my older one next year. At night they go out for toileting, but since the new dog arrived, the older one won’t toilet in the garden. If I take him round the block, he will, but I don’t want to start that. Do you have any advice? Yvonne Young, Kent JACKIE DRAKEFORD SAYS: To us it’s just waste, but to a dog it is information, the equivalent of putting his personal details up in lights. The new dog’s arrival has shaken his confidence and he wants to avoid conflict by leaving his “data” somewhere non-confrontational. It’s all about which dog is the stronger character. Though it’s…

So that’s the end of The CLA Game Fair — a part of the countryside calendar since 1958. There are plenty of smaller shows scattered across the country, but The CLA Game Fair was the big ’un, the showcase. Now it’s gone, and the UK fieldsports community no longer has a national focal event for the media and politicians. Before I start putting a bit of stick about, let me confess that I have moaned about CLA Game Fairs in the past. In fact, when I turned up at Harewood House earlier this year for a site recce, the organiser said: “You’re the one who writes in Shooting Times? You once called me a cretin!” “Oh, I am sure I didn’t say anything that nasty,” I replied. When I got…