Innholdsfortegnelse for 10-May-2017 i Shooting Times & Country

While sitting in a London pub an old friend whose opinion I much respect said something a little uncomfortable: “The likes of BASC and the GWCT do a lot to promote the good shooting does, but how much does your average shooting man actually do?” This probably doesn’t apply to you. Most Shooting Times readers cannot be filed under “average shooting men”. Male and female, you are the ones who spend your Saturdays toiling tirelessly on the moors, desperately willing small grouse populations to flourish, and your Sundays on the foreshore, lovingly building duck nesting tubes. But I think my friend has a point. More than half a million people in this country have shotgun certificates, but what percentage of them do anything to secure the future of the sport…

13 MAY 2017 COUNTRYSIDE CLAY SHOOT Six Mile Bottom Estate, Cambridgeshire Tel 01283 810910 21 MAY BENELLI SP’AUTO CHAMPIONSHIPS Southdown Gun Club and Shooting School Tel 01903 877555 24 MAY BASC & GWCT SHOOTING FOR THE FUTURE COURSE Allerton Project Visitor Centre, Loddington, Leicestershire Tel 01425 651013 26-28 MAY NRA ARMS FAIR AT THE 2017 PHOENIX National Shooting Centre, Bisley, Surrey Tel 01483 797777 28-29 MAY HIGHCLERE COUNTRY SHOW Highclere Castle, Newbury, Berkshire Tel 01889 563232 31 MAY NGO GAME MEAT HANDLING COURSE The Shoot Room, Ox House Farm, Combrook, Warwickshire Tel 01833 660869…

Record numbers for Glad Rags shoot Scottish ladies shooting club Glad Rags & Cartridge Bags welcomed a record number of shooters to its latest event. Forty women took to the stands at Saplinbrae House Hotel in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, at the end of last month, for an afternoon of clayshooting, with some impressive scores entered into the Ardmoor Glad Rags Challenge. Karen Milne won the experienced category, shooting 23 out of 30, while Hayley Thomson topped the improvers with 23 out of 30 and Julie Gall (pictured) was the best beginners Shot with 19 out of 30. Club founder Mhairi Morriss said: “We could not have asked for a more superb setting in which to enjoy a clay shoot. The Saplinbrae House Hotel is a wonderful venue for such an event,…

I have had the Shooting Times for more years than I care to remember and Wednesday morning would not be the same without it. Perhaps like many Shooting Times readers, my first port of call is to Eric Linden’s weekly crossword (right), which I find thoroughly enjoyable and equally challenging. I notice that we are almost on 1,300 editions of the crossword, which means that Eric has been teasing and pleasing us for 25 years. May I congratulate him on his tremendous service? B. Dutton, by email Turn to p.51for the 1,300th edition of the crossword. IN ASSOCIATION WITH JACK PYKE OF ENGLAND The winner of Letter of the Week will receive a Jack Pyke Countryman Fleece Gilet. Made from 300g thermal fleece with nubuck piping, it is available in…

“You need to get healthcare professionals on side to articulate the nutritional benefits of eating game” Sir Nicholas Soames reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box of matches. I wait for the cigar to follow. It would suit him, sitting there, statesmanlike in a dark blue double-breasted suit. Instead, he lights a scented candle on the table, leans back in his chair and says: “I have fond memories of hunting on a donkey.” Those, the Tory grandee muses, are possibly his earliest recollections of time spent in the field. Though he does recall standing in a grouse butt with his father “somewhere in Scotland” when he was very small. During our conversation, we return to the topic of grouse again and again. Each time the word is mentioned,…

“The gander took great exception and the owl was knocked to the ground. It was lucky to be alive” Like the vast majority of our breeding birds in the hills, the short-eared owl is a fine-weather visitor. It only comes for the summer and just how many come to any area is driven by their main food supply: the common or garden vole. That is not its name, by the way — only a term for the fact that it is the most common vole in the countryside. I can only presume that as they travel inland from the lowlands and the coast, where they have spent the winter, the short-eared owls are aware of just how easy it is to catch their next meal. Though we may not see…

“Keepering is a demanding job. But I am so glad that I persevered” ACornish girl born and bred, I have always had a passion for the outdoor life and animals. My early years were spent helping on the family farm, charging around on my Dartmoor pony, Sherbie. I am one of that rare breed, a lady keeper, and have been keepering for almost 14 years — just entering my fifth season as the underkeeper at the Underley estate in Cumbria. I first came to Underley at the age of 12. My mother and I had moved to a cottage on the estate and I signed myself up on hearing that there was a shortage of beaters. It was my first insight into the shooting world and little did I know…

Finding the high seat STALKING Q I have a problem with finding high seats in the dark. I’m lucky enough to be invited by friends to get involved in shooting some deer with a group of stalkers. Usually all the shooting is from high seats and all of them have numbers painted on them. The woods are big and I often can’t remember where the seats are, and sometimes I walk past them. It is bad enough in the daylight but worse in the mornings when we have to walk in before it is properly light. A I sympathise, it must be a problem for you when your host and your friends know where they have been sent while you are left uncertain. One tree can look much like the…

As the evenings are hopefully showing signs of warming up this is a good time to try to catch up with a roding woodcock. There is something magical about standing at the edge of a forest clearing in the gathering gloom, waiting for the last robin to fall silent and for the first woodcock to make itself heard. It is a strange noise — an odd mixture of grunts and squeaks, delivered in flight by males. Finding a woodcock is nowhere as easy as it once was; the breeding range has shrunk to half that of the 1960s and this is a rare bird in areas such as southwest England and much of Wales. The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) runs annual surveys at several sites, which involves counting…

Famed for establishing the Nobel Prize, the Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) was determined to invent a propellant that would be more efficient than blackpowder. His initial experiments with nitroglycerine proved to be unsuccessful but he discovered that by introducing a fulminate-based detonator, the previous ignition problems were solved. This evolved as a shotgun cartridge powder, followed by cordite for rifles and explosive sticks that became known as dynamite. In 1887 he patented his Ballistite smokeless powder. It was a vast improvement on blackpowder but, as it took up less room in a cartridge case, a cone had to be inserted in the base to fill the gap. In good company Nobel opened a factory near Turin, Italy, followed by the British Dynamite Company at Strathclyde in 1871; in 1877…

AID RESEARCH The British Deer Society (BDS) is seeking DNA samples from both wild and farmed deer to help in the fight against chronic wasting disease. The disease is highly infectious and has devastating effects on deer. While it has mainly been found in North America, cases were reported in Norway last year. Donated samples will be used in research by the Roslin Institute, part of Edinburgh University, which seeks to map out a likely prognosis in the event that the UK deer population becomes infected. The DNA will be analysed to see whether all deer are susceptible to the disease and to identify potentially resistant groups or species. The BDS is asking for samples of deer species from specific areas, including farmed or captive deer (Chital and Père David),…

British competitive shooters are preparing to change disciplines ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as it becomes increasingly likely that the 50m rifle, double trap shotgun and 50m pistol events will be dropped from the Games. Athletes on the World Class Programme are receiving support from British Shooting to help ensure that they can continue to compete at an international level. “All athletes on the programme have already demonstrated the behaviours and performance levels of world-class athletes and that means we believe they can show those attributes in other Olympic disciplines,” commented British Shooting. “We are extremely aware of athlete welfare and have been in close conversations with all our athletes to ensure we are providing support.” Rio 2016 double trap bronze medallist Steve Scott said that his training in…

1 Savage B-Series From £699 www.edgarbrothers.com US gunmaker Savage Arms has launched the B-Series of bolt-action rimfires, available in.17HMR, .22LR and .22WMR calibres. There are four models — Sporter barrel, heavy barrel, heavy threaded and heavy stainless — and features include the AccuTrigger and a 10-round rotary magazine. 2 Browning B725 Sporter II £2,100 www.browning.eu Part of the new B725 range, the Sporter II is a revamped version of an already popular gun with a couple of subtle changes. One is the ability to add counterweight to the stock to improve balance, while the tulip fore-end is expected to be a popular addition. 3 Laksen Balfour tweed shooting vest £259 www.farlows.co.uk This 100 per cent pure new wool vest is hard-wearing and long-lasting with a Teflon coating to protect against…

IS 20 AS GOOD AS 12? Tom Payne steps out of his comfort zone to try for pigeons with different calibres of guns. THE JOLLY JACK Where would we be without our faithful Jack Russell, which many consider the ultimate working terrier? DISMAY AND DESPAIR That sinking feeling when you can’t find a deer you are sure you have hit is why stalkers take a dog. TROUBLE AHEAD? What are the implications of Brexit for shooters, farmers and those who manage our land? ... AND MUCH MORE!…

OVER THE YEARS I’ve interviewed many gundog enthusiasts for this column, but as far as I am aware none had enjoyed an earlier career as a stuntman. This is one of Steve Ford’s claims to fame; another is that he was the first person to set up a gundog training school in which the dogs are already trained, but the humans have never handled a gundog before. It was a novel idea when Steve and his wife Emma launched the school, 10 years ago, and there were many who believed that it wouldn’t succeed. The fact that several thousand people have enjoyed lessons and it is still popular today says everything. Steve wasn’t an ordinary stuntman but a medieval specialist, taking part in competitive jousting: he lost count of the…

Venison steaks are from the haunch muscles of the animal — namely, the topside, silverside and the thick flank. The topside and silverside muscles are solid pieces of meat but the thick flank has a small amount of sinew running through it. These are all juicy, tender steaks that need only minimal cooking. Red, sika and fallow deer are the best options for steaks. Ingredients SHERRY AND CREAM SAUCE STEAKS 4 X 150G VENISON HAUNCH STEAKS FROM THE SILVERSIDE OR TOPSIDE OIL 25G BUTTER 1 SHALLOT 1 GLASS OF CREAM SHERRY 50ML VENISON OR DARK CHICKEN STOCK SALT AND PEPPER BLUE CHEESE MELT STEAKS 4 X 150G VENISON HAUNCH STEAKS FROM THE SILVERSIDE OR TOPSIDE 20G GORGONZOLA PICCANTE CHEESE 100ML DOUBLE CREAM SALT AND PEPPER TERIYAKI GLAZE STEAKS 4 X…

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,…

This breed has its origins on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. Here, according to the Domesday Book, there were 900 sheep in 1299. Isolation from the mainland allowed this small sheep to retain its type: it is a primitive breed, sharing many of its characteristics with similar animals from the Mediterranean. The last Portland sheep left the island in the 1920s, but the breed’s survival was ensured by the flock at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire, which had been established in 1770. Portlands have now been returned to the island from which they take their name. Both ewes and rams are horned, but the most distinctive feature is the tan face and legs of the adult sheep — the lambs are born russet-coloured. Because the lambs are small, Portlands are…

“Gerald Durrell was full of remorse for having reduced a female hippo to crocodile fodder” A friend of mine was interviewed for a media job at the RSPB. One of the interviewers was the then RSPB president, the distinguished journalist and broadcaster Julian Pettifer. My friend was asked if he was a shooter. He stutteringly admitted that he was. Then Mr Pettifer leaned forward and said with a grin: “That makes two of us in this room who have shotgun certificates.” It seems shooting folk turn up in the most unexpected places. Noting the success of the ITV drama The Durrells, set in Corfu, I wrote how Gerald Durrell used to accompany his brother, Leslie, on shooting expeditions (Sharpshooter, 27 April 2016). But that wasn’t the half of it. Reading…

Clayshooter Ben Llewellin recently won the UK Championship in Men’s Skeet, held at Bisley Shooting Ground in Surrey, beating 58 competitors to take the top spot. It was a personal best for Mr Llewellin, who was one shot shy of a perfect score, hitting 124 out of 125, with his nearest competitors, Jack Fairclough and Freddie Killander, both scoring 121. Mr Llewellin, who has been a brand ambassador for Zoli and Nobel Sport Italia for four years, said: “I’m really delighted. To not only win the championship, but also to achieve a personal best is a fantastic feeling. “The conditions were perfect, which helped; it was sunny and there was very little wind, so you could see the targets very well. It all clicked for me. “My concentration was at…

RAISING FUNDS, HAVING FUN Following last year’s fundraising success, the beaters at the Worlaby estate shoot in Lincolnshire again introduced a fines system for minor misdemeanours and held a raffle at the end of the season. Assisted by the pickers-up and Guns the total raised this year was £2,300. A cheque was presented to the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance at a small ceremony. The photograph (below) shows Judy Notman, one of the beaters and main organiser of the fundraising, handing over the cheque. C. Milburn, Lincolnshire YOUNG TRAINER This is my five-year-old daughter Rose Carney helping me train our first gundog, a two-year-old English springer spaniel called Copper (above). C. Carney, County Durham HEDGEHOGS AND CRUELTY My wife and I have been getting Shooting Times for a number of…

“A count can’t tell you that you will have lots of grouse to shoot, but it can warn you that you probably won’t” The pointer is galloping easily across the heather, ranging well out to the sides of the beat then swinging back across the breeze a few yards farther on. He slows, raises his head to sniff the air, steps carefully forward for a couple of paces then freezes on to point. You walk up to him and as you reach him you hear the “beck, beck, beck” of a cock grouse just a few yards ahead. Sure enough, a head appears, the scarlet wattles standing out bright against the dull brown of the heather. The cock grouse struts forward a yard or two, calling and inviting the dog…

On a cool dry day at the end of April I went to the East Anglian Game and Country Fair, held for the first time at Euston Hall. As Euston is within walking distance of home I decided to go on foot, taking my spaniel Rowan with me. It was a five-mile hike. The fair was remarkably popular: the rows of parked cars and the thronged avenues between the trade stands made it look much like the old CLA game fairs. Curiously, throughout its long history the CLA fair was only held in East Anglia once, and that was the very first, at Stetchworth in 1959. Stetchworth is in Cambridge, but the fair never came to Norfolk or Suffolk. I threaded my way through the trade stands down to the…

“No wonder the Victorians trapped the delightful goldfinches for the caged-bird trade” My morning routine is the same virtually every day at the moment. I swing out of bed in the dark, ready to check fox snares as soon as it is light enough to see. Most fox captures occur overnight and on the premise that the longer a fox is held in a snare the more likely it is to escape, I like to deal with captives as soon as I can. Once snares have been checked, it’s back home to walk the dogs, down a mug of tea and grab a bite to eat, before I’m off to work again. My tea-drinking ritual is the same every morning — in our conservatory, so I can watch the birds…

Latin name: Quercus robur Common name: English oak How to spot it and where to find it: The English oak has become a national emblem and is the most common tree in our woodlands. It prefers heavy clay soils and can be found in southern and central deciduous woods. Its leaves are about 10cm long with four or five lobes and its bark is silvery-brown and deeply fissured. Its yellowish-green flowers are borne on the end of new growth in May, while the fruit, the acorn, ripens in the autumn. Interesting facts: Its precious fruit is the most recognisable aspect of the English oak, but the tree will be 40 years old before it produces acorns, which are a rich food source for woodland creatures. In years past, humans processed…