Innholdsfortegnelse for 22-Jun-2016 i Shooting Times & Country

I wasn’t alone in enjoying the Field & Country Fair more than I have the CLA in recent years. The stunning setting was simple to get to and the scale of the show made it personal. It was easy to stop and chat making for a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Other pluses were that all the stands were relevant; there were none of the usual double-glazing or saucepans. The food and drink were first-class with plenty of game and none of the grim burger vans. In short, this was a pure fieldsports and country fair and the resulting atmosphere was one of community. I was also struck by the great goodwill and loyalty on the part of standholders and visitors to Shooting Times and our sister titles. A shared love…

29 -30 JUNE ROYAL NORFOLK SHOW The Showground, Dereham Road, Norwich. Tel 01603 748931 30 JUNE GREY PARTRIDGE SHOOT WALK AND TALK Arundel estate, Arundel, Sussex Tel 01306 631378 1 JULY BUCKINGHAMSHIRE FERRET RACING EVENING Church Farm, Aldbury, Bucks Tel 07715 003277 1-3 JULY THE GWCT SCOTTISH GAME FAIR Scone Palace, Perthshire Tel 01738 554826 5-7 JULY BASIS COURSE IN CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT Allerton Project, Loddington, Leicestershire Tel 01572 717220 8-10 JULY KENT COUNTY SHOW Detling, Maidstone, Kent Tel 01622 630975…

The National Trust (NT) will end shooting leases at Hope Woodlands and Park Hall in Derbyshire in April 2018. The charity said that it “no longer had confidence that the tenants were committed to the delivery of its vision. The NT has now exercised the leases’s break clause to end the relationship four years early. Andy Beer, National Trust’s director for the Midlands, said the charity will start looking for a replacement in 2017 from partners who can demonstrate how moorland management and shooting can deliver great nature conservation. He said: “We have a clear vision for land management and wildlife restoration on the High Peak Moors. “However, we have decided, after a meeting with the tenant, that we should revoke the lease four years early as it became clear…

CHOKE: HELP OR HINDRANCE? The piece about the “hard-shooting gun” (Pump and circumstance, 4 May) brought back some fond memories of my youth. In our area, the old boys prided themselves on having a “good killer”, which was basically a 12-bore with a fair bit of choke. After I left school, I obtained a choke gauge and found that most of the “good killers” were approaching full-choke, which would give an experienced Shot a denser pattern at longer ranges. My grandfather, who was a better Shot than most, was of this opinion, and the remnants of his old gun’s barrels were both almost full-choke, after a lot of hard use. Grandfather never owned a cleaning kit; a pair of my grandmother’s old tights, smothered in oil and tied to a…

“The nightjar began to call again — a jarring groan that changed pitch as if it was shifting gears in a car” Summer is complete when the nightjars come. After weeks of marking down the new arrivals from the first chiffchaff in March to the first swifts in May, the sound of the nightjar brings an end to the summer migrants. The bracken is rising, the midges are out with a vengeance and these birds slip almost unnoticed into their deep, luscious niche beneath the pines. Dumfries and Galloway is home to some of the most northerly breeding birds in Britain. A handful breed in Argyllshire and some turn up as far north as Mull, but the Galloway birds effectively represent the species’ main stronghold in Scotland. In many ways,…

Spring sees a renewal and a period of great change for deer. While our larger species of red, sika and fallow are off limits, casting and beginning the period of regrowth, roebucks provide the main stalking focus. To a lesser extent, muntjac remain on the menu as a staple quarry for many. May is a significant month. Its long days accelerate cover and the hopefully improving weather sees a sustained stalking effort as bucks are sought out, last year’s young adapt to independence and the first kids of the year make their appearance in the spinnies and fields. With roe kids reported from various parts of the country during the second week of May, the milestones of the year look to being met. On the open ground of the highlands…

Accuracy I am always nervous with short 20in .243 Win barrels because velocities/energies hover around the legal deer limit, but this T3x shot very nice velocities. It shows that you need to shoot it to prove it. Barrels vary internally and that can make a big difference to the velocities achieved, as can new and worn barrels. The Tikka T3x came with a new Steiner Ranger scope of 4-16 x 56mm, which was rather good with very clear optics, illuminated reticule and parallax adjustment. Other than the light 55-gr Ballistic Silver Tip factory ammunition, which is fine for foxes, all the other factory loads achieved very respectable velocities. The Tikka states minute of angle (MOA) groups, so is capable of grouping at 1in at 100 yards with proper loads. The…

“For all I knew it could have been a World War I Luger or tat from an Afghan bazaar” I was sitting at the supper table in my club last month, discussing experiences at the races with various members of my party and their wives, when our excellent steward, Mike, sidled up to me and announced: “Sorry to disturb you; Mr H. Gun behind the bar for you, Sir.” You might be forgiven for thinking that such an announcement might have caused alarm, but people are used to such eccentricities where I am concerned and nobody batted an eyelid. I picked up an anonymous-looking carrier bag in which reposed some sort of pistol, wrapped in an old shirt. I refrained from looking at it on the bus and waited until…

One of the questions I always ask vets is whether they recommend that we should insure our dogs. The answer is usually yes, and Roger Bannock (see main story) wasn’t an exception, though he did point out that one of the problems with pet insurance is that it often excludes the typical injuries that working gundogs suffer. If you do insure your dog, make sure that you read the fine print carefully to ensure that you are covered for the almost inevitable accidents on shooting days. Over the years, my spaniels have suffered their share of injuries on shoots, three of which required immediate emergency visits to the nearest vet. On two of those occasions I was a long way from home, so I used veterinary practices I’d never been…

The summer solstice has been and gone, marking the longest day of the year. The word comes from the Latin sol stitium meaning “sun-stopping” and refers to the point on the horizon where the sun appears to rise and set, stops and then reverses direction after this day. On the solstice the sun does not rise precisely in the east, but instead to the north of east and it sets to the north of west. This means it is visible for a longer period of time. Within the Arctic circle, the solstice is the only day of the year when all locations experience 24 hours of daylight. In the UK, the summer solstice is famously celebrated by some at Stonehenge. Built around 5,000 years ago, it is aligned with the…

Until a couple of decades ago, strawberries were an exclusive summer treat, available for just a few short weeks of the year. Today, imports are available in our shops all the year round, but rarely do the imports have anything like the flavour of our homegrown fruit. On the Continent, strawberries are generally grown using what is unattractively called plasticulture, with the plants protected from weeds and pests by a blanket of plastic, and fed by artificial fertilisers. Such techniques are less common in the north. However, what is standard practice everywhere is harvesting the delicate fruit by hand. The commercial strawberry is a hybrid whose ancestors come from North America, but wild strawberries are both a common and widespread perennial in the British Isles. They grow in woods and…

The hotly contested Editors’ Gundog Challenge saw three renowned magazine faces and their dogs going head-to-head. Shooting Timeswas represented by columnist Simon Whitehead and his lurcher Tawny, and he faced tough opposition against Shooting GazetteEditor Will Hetherington, with his Labrador, Ella, and Country Life’sPaula Lester and her old Lab, Sock. Howard Kirby of Lains Shooting School and Mullenscote Gundogs gave the participants five challenges, each of which was marked out of 20, giving a maximum score of 100 points. “Each handler was asked to demonstrate a sit-stay, heel work, recall, a formal retrieve and then a trick of their choice,” said Howard. All started well, but it was the final “trick” challenge that got the crowd’s seal of approval. Paula and Sock performed a high five and Simon Whitehead wowed…

Edgar Brothers to distribute Diana airgun Firearms distributor Edgar Brothers has reintroduced iconic German airgun brand Diana to the UK. Diana was on the brink of closure before German Sport Guns (GSG) bought the company. The GSG was keen for Edgar Brothers to add it to its list of suppliers. Managing director Derek Edgar said: “The future of Diana wasn’t looking too bright a couple of years ago but there are some excellent people behind the brand now, new designs are being produced and it’s got a great future. “The UK market is so different to the German market in terms of design; they want long barrels whereas we want short barrels, so there’s been a lot of design work going on behind the scenes and adjusting the pricing to…

Having read Turnstone’s original article on big cat sightings (Country Diary, 25 May), and reader H. Wheeldon’s somewhat sceptical response (Letters, 8 June), I can confirm a clear sighting some 15 years ago at Ketton, a village in Lincolnshire. It was mid-afternoon and I was standing by my desk in my first-floor office, looking out over the car park, when I saw a black feline, the size of a large leopard, stalk down the track along the far side. Having lived in central Africa with my husband, I have visited any number of game parks over the years and recognise a big cat when I see one. Having finished my call, I rushed down to the track and, though the animal had vanished, I found a number of large pug…

“If the previous keeper was managing to return between 50 and 60 per cent, I take my hat off to him” Over the past few years I have noticed a change in the jobs market. Not only are keepers’ jobs being advertised later, but more are coming with all sorts of unrealistic expectations and conditions attached. Earlier this year a friend of mine, who is a beat keeper on a very nice shoot, went for an interview for a single-handed position. The shoot captain told him that the previous keeper had always had returns of between 50 and 60 per cent. A 50 per cent return anywhere is pretty good going, never mind 60 per cent, and for most of us it is probably unachievable. I’m not saying it can’t…

The CIC has linked up with the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) in England and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) to offer evaluation and advice at the game fairs both organisations will be attending. NGO and SGA members will receive a discount on the first trophy they have evaluated while trophies that fail to achieve a medal will not be charged. The CIC also evaluates trophies from outside the UK. To help us in this we need accurate information on where and when the trophy was stalked, to help us determine its subspecies. GWCT SCOTTISH GAME FAIR, 1-3 JULY Scone Palace, Perth www.scottishfair.com HIGHLAND FIELD SPORTS FAIR, 5 & 6 AUGUST MoyEstate,Moy www.moyfieldsportsfair.co.uk…

COUNTRYWIDE WORKING DOG A new line of five dry complete foods for working dogs has been launched by Countrywide in partnership with Grove Pet Foods. The products have a fixed list of ingredients based around meat, fish, rice and vegetables to suit all canine needs. The salmon, chicken and duck and rice recipes have been developed to sustain dogs during times of work, while the muesli and chicken and vegetable products are designed for periods of lower activity. All come in large 15kg bags. • Price: from £10.99 • www.countrywidefamers.co.uk VETSPEC VetSpec Calm & Focused is a supplement that can be added to your dog’s normal feed to help improve its concentration and obedience, reduce nervousness and fear of loud noises, strangers, travelling, and separation anxiety. It is formulated with…

Boar shooting in the UK WILD BOAR STALKING Q I stalk deer and have a .30-06 rifle. I would like to shoot wild boar but can’t afford to go to Europe. I have been offered some boar shooting in Savernake Forest. Is it legal for me to accept? A Wild boar are now establishing themselves in viable populations in several parts of southern England, so providing you are shooting with the permission of the landowner, it is quite legal. Boar do not have any close season but should be treated with the same respect that you would any quarry. Do not shoot one with young. BASC recommends that rifles chambered for the .270 cartridge are the minimum that should be used for hunting boar. Also, proper hunting ammunition loaded with…

“We are the most law-abiding section of society, with much to lose if we transgress. Those of us with guns are vulnerable” Areader took me to task for my piece about Cyprus (Sharpshooter, 18 May). They seemed to interpret my observation on some ex-pat attitudes to legal gamebird hunting on that lovely island as being tantamount to support for all manner of illegal activities, such as shooting protected species and bird liming (using a sticky substance to trap birds on tree branches). People do have a natural tendency to jump to conclusions based on the “tone” of what they are reading, as opposed to its actuality. I should have known this. In the same way, in a different context, anybody who raises concerns about, say, uncontrolled immigration must stand ready…

“It’s the first show so I was unsure of what to expect, but I’m very impressed. There’s a nice bunch of people about and everyone has a smile on their face. A lot of people asked relevant questions. There are people communicating and talking and that’s the countryside – that’s fieldsports.” The world’s greatest Shot and 26-times world champion George Digweed gave his account of the “proper” country fair, where he was on The Fieldstand. 359 The number of days to go to next year’s Field & Country Fair, which is already booked and will be held from Friday, 16 June, to Sunday, 18 June 2017.…

CIC trophy highlights The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) chose the show as the only Game Fair it will attend this summer. The stand hosted the UK Trophy Evaluation Board (CIC) who were kept busy measuring around 30 heads across the three-day event. Highlights included an attractive gold medal roe trophy that had been taken some years ago on the Cornbury estate, scoring well above the level required for a gold at just over 140 CIC points, and an exceptional muntjac that bested the 70-point level. Judges commented on the relaxed atmosphere at the Fair and were enthusiastic about the venue. The CIC will next be at the Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace, from 1 to 3 July, on the Scottish Gamekeepers Association stand, where they will be joined on…

A Local Medical Committee (LMC) has issued a template letter for practices to turn down police requests for information on firearms licence applicants, pointing out that most GPs are not suitably qualified. The template, from Devon LMC, states that GPs do not have the expertise to diagnose a personality disorder. Changes to the application process were brought in on 1 April, meaning the police will contact the applicant’s GP as soon as they receive the application. Dr Mark Sanford-Wood, who drafted the letter, told www.pulse today.com : “I understand that if the letter is used in any kind of widespread way across the country that this system that was introduced on 1 April will collapse… but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.” However, BASC director of firearms Bill Harriman…

Ross Murray, CLA president "Failing to make swift commitments will put jobs at risk,, Whether family-run or commercial, shooting is worth around £2billion to the UK economy. It is therefore vital that shoot providers and shooters themselves understand what must happen to sustain the industry should the UK vote to leave the European Union tomorrow (23 June). Ever since we joined the EU, the rural economy and the way we manage our countryside has been shaped by agricultural and environmental policies drawn up in Brussels. Just as we expect ministers to have robust strategies for the rural economy for a UK within the EU, so they must be ready if the UK votes to leave. Failing to make swift commitments on key issues that are vital to the continued health…

“There was a massive roar, a huge cloud of rolling smoke and the barrel flipped up” On a warm humid day, the Bridgwater Bay Wildfowlers’ Association brought the boom and sulphurous smell of blackpowder to the open day held by Rifleman Firearms Ltd at its headquarters on the Somerset Levels. More of the open day in a moment, but first a nostalgic dip into the world of muzzle-loading percussion and flintlock guns, of clouds of blue smoke and colourful characters. Muzzle-loading memorabilia The display of ancient guns and the opportunity to fire blackpowder had been organised by Richard Hussey, the black eye-patched event organiser for the Bridgwater Bay WA, and a fine fist he made of it, too. There was an impressive collection of antique weapons, displayed by their owner…

In the 1980s the GWCT carried out some pioneering work investigating how butterflies respond to woodland management. This showed that cutting coppice to promote ground cover increased both species diversity and numbers. The ultimate example was wide rides cut for winter gun stands — these had 10 times the number of species, and 20 times as many individuals compared with unmanaged hazel coppice.…

The precise origins of the Scotch egg are not known, and several different places lay claim to its invention. Luxury department store Fortnum & Mason claims it invented the portable snack for rich coach travellers in 1738. Another explanation holds that the Scotch egg was a northern variant of the Cornish pasty produced by Scottish smallholders, who would have kept chickens and pigs. Scotch eggs may even have originated from the Whitby area of Yorkshire in the late 19th century, where they were covered not with sausage meat but a creamy fish paste. Whatever its beginning, this tasty snack has enjoyed a resurgence on restaurant menus and in the supermarket aisle in recent years. Many local variations exist, including the Manchester egg, which uses a pickled egg wrapped in a…

YOU MAY NOT HAVE noticed, but recent years have seen a subtle change in the veterinary world. Instead of the small, private practices that most of us have used for years, creeping corporatisation has led to an increasing number of practices being taken over by big chains. This has advantages: centralised buying keeps down drug prices, for example. However, there are many in the business, such as Roger Bannock, who are worried about this trend. Roger started his own veterinary practice in Norfolk 22 years ago. “I was a one-man band. My sister was the manager, and I employed a single practice nurse,” he recalled. “The same nurse is with me today, but the business now has 38 staff and 11 vets, and we offer a day-and-night service throughout the…

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…