Innholdsfortegnelse for 20-Apr-2016 i Shooting Times & Country

GOOD NEWS on the shoot! It seems we may have another pair of barn owls nesting. We have three boxes in total and the latest one to be occupied was a kind of dormer that the shoot captain had specially built into his barn roof. Last week he noticed the telltale white droppings and, on closer inspection, saw a pair of owls perched at the entrance. It just goes to show that, if you enjoy having wildlife around, you only have to create a bit of space and it will come. The latest rooms to go up are dormouse boxes in a little deciduous plantation that will hopefully have the food and protection that these rare creatures need. We have started with temporary boxes made from tree guards. If they…

Police chiefs have called for the RSPCA to stop prosecuting animal cruelty cases. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) believes that a new government agency should be formed, which would be better suited to take on the role and would operate with greater accountability. Currently, the RSPCA prosecutes around 80 per cent of animal cruelty cases in England and Wales. The NPCC’s comments were revealed by the Telegraph newspaper as having been made in a submission to the Parliamentary committee on Environmental Food and Rural Affairs, which is in the process of reviewing the Animal Cruelty Act. The submission stated: “For some considerable time the RSPCA has assumed the default role of prosecutor for offences under the Act and has done so outside of a statutory framework with no powers.…

28 APRIL NGO GOLDEN PHEASANT CLAY SHOOT Rhug Estate, Corwen, Denbighshire Tel 01833 660869 30 APRIL THE 2016 FEMMES FATALES CLAYSHOOTING CUP Royal Berkshire Shooting School, Pangbourne, Berkshire Tel 01491 672900 2 MAY THE NORTH SOMERSET SHOW North Somerset Showground, Bathing Pond Fields, Wraxall, Somerset Tel 08456 342464 6-7 MAY GWCT/BASC SHOOTING FOR THE FUTURE COURSE Allerton Project Visitor Centre, Loddington, Leicestershire Tel 01425 651013 7 MAY THE NORTHERN SHOOTING SHOW Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire Tel 01472 809727 14-15 MAY WHITFIELD ANNUAL CLAY SHOOT Whitfield estate, near Hexham, Northumberland Tel 07925 597676…

The British Deer Society has warned about the dangers of using deer urine lures and urged good hygiene while stalking, following confirmation that a reindeer died after contracting a spongiform encephalopathy in Norway last month. The progressive conditions, also known as prion or chronic wasting diseases (CWD), affect the brain and nervous condition of many animals, including humans. The bovine form is known colloquially as “mad cow disease” while it manifests in humans as the incurable and invariably fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. It was diagnosed in a free-ranging reindeer by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, which is monitoring the herd. John Bruce, Scottish director for the British Deer Society, recommended that as urine can transport CWD prions, the use of deer urine lures “should be limited to synthetic lures”. He further noted:…

Rural organisations have warned that unless the Welsh Government’s fox snaring code is followed “to the letter” it will be banned completely. The Government published its 10-page booklet Code of best practice on the use of snares in fox controllast September. It seeks to guide farmers, gamekeepers and other land managers in using fox snares efficiently and humanely in the Welsh countryside. In a joint statement last month, groups including the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO), the Countryside Alliance, the Farmers’ Union of Wales, and NFU Cymru, backed the code and set out a simple message: “use the code or lose the fox snare”. Dr Mike Swan, GWCT head of education, said: “The new Welsh snaring code provides a practical and effective way forward…

The article about shooting pigeon from a high tower (Getting high on treetop sport, 23 March) took me back 60-odd years. At that time, my friend and I built a platform of cut branches in the crown of a tall, old yew growing in a wood of various kinds of trees on a slope of the South Downs. We used no ladders, but climbed up to the platform, which gave us a 360° arc from which we could shoot at the pigeon in whatever direction they were flying. We no longer use our high tower as we find that the climb up is not so easy now that we are both in our 90s. We do, however, still have memories of those happy times and of 75 years of friendship…

“Local venison is healthy and fat-free. It ticks all the boxes and food miles would be non-existent” When conservation bodies and animal welfare activists are asked about our mountain hare management, why do they crawl out from under their stones to insist vehemently that the last pregnant mountain hare in Scotland is being shot, yet not one of them would raise an eyebrow if this had been a deer? The white hare population has thrived on our managed uplands for the past 150 years and has done very well, thanks mainly to the hard work and long hours that have been put in by gamekeepers over the past decades. The media reporting on these issues, especially the BBC, seems to be completely blind to our way of life on the…

It was just after midnight, so we decided to head back to Paul’s. Tony and I then headed to another bit of ground that was right next to my house — it’s always worth a look on the way home from a night’s foxing. We arrived at Brody’s Farm and set up, with me driving this time and Tony spotting. After about 400 yards, on my right at the bottom of the field I could see a heat source through the scope — the way it was lying it could have been a deer or the farm dog. We got out of the vehicle and set up on the bonnet to identify the heat source. In that situation, the best thing to do is wait it out until it moves,…

The history of shooting in Britain is punctuated by those who stand out from the crowd through their achievements and legacies. There was Stanley Duncan, a railway engineer from Hull whose vision for protecting the sport gave us the Wildfowlers’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland, which became BASC. Then there was Lord Ripon, perhaps the greatest game Shot ever, who could have four birds dead in the air at once. Nearer our time, Sir Joseph “Partridge Joe” Nickerson excelled at partridge shooting while promoting active conservation and unity among fieldsports. They have all played their parts in making shooting the vibrant, inclusive sport that it is today. However, there is one man who stands above all others in this pageant of history: Colonel Peter Hawker. Not just a sportsman,…

Ticks are a menace that frequently gain a mention on this page. If you live in an area where there are sheep or deer, and most of us do, ticks are certain to be a problem. Though we usually talk about ticks in general, there are numerous different species, most of which are host-specific. This means that they only parasitise certain species of animals or birds. The short-legged bat tick, for example, specialises in bats, though it has occasionally been recorded on birds. It’s never been known to bite a human. In contrast, Ixodes ricinus, better known as the sheep or deer tick, isn’t too fussy about who or what it bites, and has been recorded on everything from red deer to frogs, and rats to grass snakes. It’s both…

The naming of the months relates closely to the effects of the weather. April comes from the Latin aperire, which means “to open”, while May is named after Maia, the Roman goddess of growth. At this time of year, there are plenty of sayings associated with the months of spring. For example: A windy March and a rainy April make a beautiful May. Cloudy April, dewy May. After a wet April, a dry June. Whatever March does not want, April brings along. A thunderstorm in April is the end of hoar frost. Bewixt April and May if there be rain, ’tis worth more than oxen and wain [a wagon]. Ne’er cast a clout till May be out. And finally, a good leak in June sets all in tune. If you…

The first St George’s mushrooms typically appear on St George’s Day, 23 April. Typical mushrooms with thick, white flesh, they grow on scrub and grassland, favouring chalky soils, and often form large fairy rings. Opinions are sharply divided on their culinary appeal, as some people like the chunky texture and mealy smell, while others find it less appealing. They are best collected when young and after rain, while cooking reduces the distinctive smell. As usual with mushrooms, pickers should be aware of similar-looking species. The similar red-staining inocybe is deadly poisonous, and grows in spring on chalky soil. However, the flesh reddens when cut, and has a fetid smell. The other possible confusion species is the livid entoloma, an uncommon fungus that forms fairy rings, but is poisonous, causing severe…

“In law, the landowner owns the airspace above his property to a height of about 500ft” The last person I know of who bagged a manned aircraft with a shotgun was the 17th Viscount Mountgarret. In 1982, he loosed off both barrels at a hot-air balloon as it was looming low over his grouse moor in Yorkshire. He was duly fined £1,800 by Skipton Magistrates. Mind you, his gamebook must have made interesting reading. I was reminded of the late lord (he died in 2004) when a gyrocopter flew over my lambing meadows at an altitude of perhaps 50ft on Sunday, 10 April. Lambing time is always fraught. In my locality, we don’t start until April. Three or four weeks earlier, when we finally had a dry spell, I began…

“The proposals will have no effect on terrorists, but a significant effect on the legal shooting community” Shooting organisations have expressed concern that further “draconian” amendments to the EU Firearms Directive have been tabled by the European Council, despite a number of MEPs already agreeing that existing proposals are “rushed” and “irrelevant”. Plans to tighten European gun laws were brought forward by the European Commission following the terrorist attacks in Paris last year (News, 25 November 2015). While some of the proposals, such as improved traceability of firearms, have been welcomed, other suggestions concerning medical tests and age limitations have been criticised by shooting groups and MEPs. They believe that the suggestions restrict legitimate shooters and do nothing to combat terrorism, which was the main objective of the proposed amendments…

A few simple changes in the early lives of young pheasants can help them to flourish once they are released into the wild, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. A study, done in collaboration with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), has found that if poults are given access to raised perches in pens they tend to grow bigger and stronger leg bones, are able to fly higher and can grasp a branch, giving them the chance to roost in trees away from predators. Birds who have not learned to use a perch at an early age are much more vulnerable. A quarter of the pheasants released into the wild die at the hands of predators, probably because they have not had the opportunity to develop survival…

BASC boss blasts Packham article BASC has criticised the BBC after the spring issue of its Wildlife magazine included an article in which Springwatch presenter Chris Packham commented on the use of lead shot. The article relayed a conversation between Mr Packham and former RSPB conservation director Mark Avery on the topic and included the assertion that “everyone knows lead is poisonous”. In a letter of complaint to the broadcaster, BASC chief executive Richard Ali described the original source of the data, the 2015 Oxford Lead Symposium, as “shadowy” and said Mr Packham’s “emotive claims would not bear scrutiny” and that if the presenter had revealed the original source then the readers “would be credited the good grace of being allowed to think for themselves”. NFU criticises DEFRA farming code…

You hold regular game masterclasses at your restaurant. What is your number-one tip for cooking with game? I would say sometimes people hang their game too long, which destroys its flavour. I have cooked game for people who didn’t like it before and they were stunned to find they could taste the meat with a little wilderness behind it. You have a new hunting game book coming out. What can you tell us about that? It is called Proyart: Hunting and Cookingand is the story of my passion for hunting and cooking, captured by my daughter Camille, the editor and photographer, who I took hunting for a year. How popular are game dishes at your restaurants? And what is on offer? During the full hunting season, I serve in the…

“Our sport should be for all — not just for those who are able to afford the accompanying fees” On 1 April, new application forms for certificates came into force. These mark an important step forward in BASC’s campaign to secure 10-year shotgun and firearm certificates, and our constant fight to preserve the private ownership of firearms. No one has a greater interest in ensuring that firearms do not get into the wrong hands than certificate holders. Each tragedy is not only appalling for those involved, but hands the antis ammunition in their fight to ban firearms ownership. As a result, all of us have an interest in improving public safety and in ensuring that those who might, through illness, misuse a lawfully held firearm receive proper care. The previous…

A good shooting seat in the hide is crucial. Not only will it reduce aches and pains after a long day it will aid in controlled movement when you shoot. This allows you to stay focused without making any sudden movements that would cause birds to flare on approach. I am a strong believer in shooting from standing in a hide and a good comfortable seat, set at the right height, allows you to stand correctly. If the seat is wrong you will find that any movement you make will be rushed and uncontrolled, leading to an inevitable miss. The more comfortable you feel the better you will shoot; your shooting will be adversely affected if you feel restricted, unable to move your feet correctly or the ground is uneven.…

“We have won every argument on animal welfare, conservation, and the vital place of hunting in the rural community, which is why no reasonable person believes the hunting ban was anything other than a prejudiced and political attack on a rural minority.” Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner looks back on 11 years of the Hunting Act. 30 Of the 600,000 shooters in the UK, 30 per cent say they would be a “great deal” less active if they could not shoot and 40 per cent would be “somewhat less” active. Turn to p.7 for the full story.…

DRINK Glendalough, Ireland’s first craft distillery, this month released the spring impression of its seasonal gins. These beverages contain ingredients picked and distilled on the same day to give the liquid a fuller flavour. All ingredients are sourced locally, and the changing array of botanicals, berries and fruit creates gins with a differing taste and style each season. Prices vary, visit www.glendaloughdistillery.com for further information. WATCH This Farming Lifetakes a look at the work of modern farmers in Scotland. In the 12th and final episode of the documentary series, all the farmers who have previously appeared in the series reflect on what each season means to them. This episode originally aired on BBC2 in March, and is now available on BBC iPlayer until Friday, 29 April. READ The Ghosts of…

The health benefits gained by people heading outdoors to shoot could save lives, said BASC, following the publication of a study by Natural England (NE). Using the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Health Economic Assessment Tool, the new NE study has estimated that decreases in physical activity, caused by a decline in greenspace quality, and access to it, could lead to 374 deaths per year. BASC’s scientific adviser Dr Matt Ellis has linked the same methodology to statistics from the organisation’s Personal Value of Shooting Study conducted last year to quantify the benefit of shooting to personal health. Dr Ellis said: “There are 600,000 shooters in the UK. If people could not shoot, 30 per cent of shooters would be a great deal less active and 40 per cent would be…

Derbyshire-based gunsmith Simon Howarth (pictured) took the top prize at last month’s World Hunter Field Target Championship, at Kelmarsh Country Show in Northamptonshire. A team of student gamekeepers from Warwickshire College won the top prize of Gamekeeping College Challenge Shield at BASC’s annual Gamekeeping College Clay Shoot held at Park Farm Shooting Ground in Worcestershire last month. New research by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has revealed that only one in five lost dogs has up-to-date microchips. Data suggests that either the dogs have not been chipped or that chip details are not current. As of 6 April it is against the law not to chip dogs more than eight weeks old. The emerald ash borer beetle will likely wipe out all the ash trees in the UK and Europe,…

FORCES AND STATS I read with interest the piece about firearms licensing and the use some Forces make of temporary permits (“Forces vary between excellent and inefficient”, 6 April). Though this does not allow you certain items, it is better than the false accounting tricks that some Forces utilise to fiddle their stats. If, as is common, they cannot renew your shotgun (SGC) or firearm certificate in time, they “issue” you with one and then refuse to give a temp certificate. By “issue”, what they mean is print one off, and put on the Police National Computer (PNC) and the firearms intelligence system that it has been issued. They will even advise you to stock up with ammunition before the renewal date, if you query it. However, though this makes…

“The boy went down on all fours to see if he could smell anything and found himself millimetres from a bundle of decapitated adders ” The last few warm days have brought the adders back out of hibernation. I always keep an eye on their usual haunts at the start of April when a good Easterly wind dries out the hill ground and the sun shows its face. One little tussock is often strewn with a dozen or more sunbathers, and it’s a pleasure to spy on them from a few feet away as the curlews begin to sound off uphill. They will occasionally climb onto the low-lying gorse branches where they can enjoy the warmth amongst the sprays of gorgeous yellow flowers, and I have seen photographs taken elsewhere…

To shoot consistently big bags necessitates being able to despatch at least 75 per cent of what you shoot at in a hide in normal conditions. The fitter you are, the easier you will find it to keep focused and keep going. I am increasingly focusing on nutrition. Years ago I would only take a sandwich and a small drink for the day but began to note advice from sports nutritionists. The key is to keep your energy level up and constant so that you can stay on the ball. Energy gels of the sort used by athletes and fresh or dried fruit that release energy slowly are excellent. You should also reduce simple carbohydrates such as white bread, which can make you sluggish, and increase your protein intake. Staying…

After leaving Wellwood without getting a shot at the fox (Heat of the moment, 16 March), Tony Jones and I decided it was time to head home for a well-deserved bite to eat and a cup of something hot. When the sun goes down at this time of the year, the temperature can drop dramatically and we were freezing. We had set off earlier in the day wearing lightweight clothing due to the beautiful sunny conditions. Once we were fed and watered, we put on all the appropriate gear and headed out to meet our friend and respected shooter Paul Murphy. Paul has a lot of ground, so Tony and I often join him for what usually turns out to be a good night’s foxing. We arrived at Paul’s house…

COMPLETE HUMILIATION. That’s how a friend described his only attempt at running his cocker in a novice gundog test. The spaniel in question was a competent enough worker, but the test — a friendly affair, not run under Kennel Club rules — proved far too exciting for the young dog. It all went badly wrong when the spaniel abandoned his first retrieve and set off to investigate the adjoining test, half a field away. Here he managed to beat the competing dog to the retrieve, and then galloped back to his master with his prize, which he refused to give up. Once caught — and he took some catching — he was retired from the competition, and he hasn’t been entered into a test since. The secret of success in…

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, Pinehurst 2, Farnborough…

The picture in a field guide might make a coot look pretty boring – just black with a white beak and cap – but these are feisty, globe-trotting birds. By mid-April, up to 100,000 of our wintering coot will have left for breeding territories as far east as Russia and we will be left with about 30,000 nesting pairs. The first eggs will hatch at the end of April, to reveal red-headed balls of fluff. On bigger lakes there are many spring and summer battles, as coots fiercely set up then maintain the boundaries of their breeding territories. If an intruder is not deterred by obvious threat behaviour then a full-blown battle can ensue, with birds lashing out with beaks and feet. It is not unusual to see two males…

1 BARREL 36in, laminette rubans Damascus 2 DECORATION None apart from a simple pattern on the trigger-guard bow 3 ACTION Percussion muzzle-loader with Miquelet lock work 4 STOCK Straight-hand stock, long forearm, ramrod hole goes through into butt For those who still inhabit the world of muzzle-loading, there is always a keen interest in something different. The stranger it is, the more interest it generates and the Miquelet 8-Bore Percussion Muzzle-Loader does sport some unusual features. A noteworthy lock Its lock work follows an early and truly classic layout and is of the Miquelet type that originated in Spain in flintlock days, circa 1620, though this example is adapted for a percussion gun. This type of lock is also known as the…