Innholdsfortegnelse for 07-Jun-2017 i Shooting Times & Country

I distinctly remember waking up one morning and quite reasonably saying to myself, “I will never be a terrific shot.” I must have been about 16; it actually hurt. Since then, I’ve started to care rather a lot less and shoot rather a lot better. I will never be George Digweed, but on a good day I can add my fair share of birds to the bag and wipe a few eyes. And then, of course, every once in a while, the wheels come off. On the first drive of a simulated day in Powys a few weeks ago, the wheels came off quite spectacularly. While stuck in traffic that night, I thought a bit about the height of the clays, some 50 or 60 yards at times, and wondered…

8-10 JUNE SOUTH OF ENGLAND SHOW South of England Showground, Ardingly, West Sussex Tel 01444 892700 10 JUNE THE KENILWORTH SHOW Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire Website: www.kenilworthshow.co.uk 14 JUNE GWCT FARM WALK AND BARBECUE Corsehope, Heriot, Midlothian Tel 07719 634141 30 JUNE-2 JULY SCOTTISH GAME FAIR 2017 Scone Palace, Perthshire Tel 01738 554826 11-13 JULY THE GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW 2017 Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate, North Yorkshire Tel 01423 541222 19 JULY FESTIVAL OF HUNTING East of England Showground, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Tel 01733 234451…

New website shares “risks” of rural life Lyme Disease UK and Caudwell LymeCo have teamed up to launch a website —www.enjoythecountryside.com — to raise public awareness of how to deal with the hidden risks of the British countryside — from Lyme disease-spreading ticks to adder bites. Veronica Hughes, CEO of Caudwell LymeCo, explained: “Our aim is to encourage people to go out into nature and enjoy all its beauty through walks, sports and healthy activities while raising awareness of how to stay safe.” Gundog man Jack Davey passes away The gundog world recently lost a great character with the death of Jack Davey, founder member of the Westward Gundog Society, at the age of 85. Brought up in Norfolk, Mr Davey won a Certificate of Merit in his very first…

Dog walking is a relatively modern concept. There was a time, before our towns and villages became so busy, that people would simply let their dogs out in the morning and welcome them home again in the evening. The dogs, no doubt, had a lovely time, doing what dogs do, most of which begins with the letter “S” (socialising, sniffing, scavenging and sleeping). I was reminded of this during a recent visit to Greece. The village in which I was staying was sufficiently quiet for dogs to slumber in the middle of the road without any risk of getting run over. Over the course of a few days I began to recognise individual dogs, despite the fact they might well be several hundred yards from where I last saw them.…

“Gamekeeping is a way of life, not a job” GAMEKEEPING IS something you need to learn by doing, and from watching others. I learnt the job from my father and grandfather, who were both keepers. Whenever they went out, I went with them. You can learn a lot from books and watching tutors, but at the end of the day it is all about the hands-on experience. It is about seeing something in front of you and understanding what is happening and why, and asking yourself if you can make it better. Can you eliminate the predator? Has a fox done it? That kind of thing is difficult to teach in a classroom. Being able to put a course on your CV is no guarantee that you can do the…

Latin name: Milium effusum Common name: Wood millet Other names: Millet grass, American milletgrass How to spot it and where to find it: If you see this tall, graceful grass the chances are that you are standing in an ancient woodland. Wood millet is a perennial herb that prefers winter-wet, chalky to mildly acidic clay and loam soils, where it can grow up to 1.2m high. The plant forms a dense mound of chartreuse-yellow foliage in the spring and flowers from May to July. The flowers grow in loose whorls out from the stem and are quite distinctive, with the branches some way apart and pale green spikelets that seem to shimmer in the breeze. Interesting facts: Though it prefers damp woodland, wood millet is able to colonise open sites…

REGISTER The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has reported that house martins have been slow to return to breeding sites this May, which is bad news for a species already in strong decline in England. The BTO is calling on members of the public to record the nesting activity of these birds to help understand why it is in trouble and then submit this information to them. Visit po.st/BTOsurvey to register for the study and for more information. ENTER The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) is holding its 2017 Grand Grouse Draw, giving eight lucky Guns the opportunity to shoot driven red grouse on the Mar estate in the heart of Royal Deeside during the 2018 season. If you want to be in with a chance to win this…

1 Laksen leather cartridge bag 75-cartridge capacity: £199 125-cartridge capacity: £219 www.farlows.co.uk A stylish cartridge bag available in two sizes, tanned through a natural process ensuring that the leather retains its flexibility. The bag is made with solid brass hinges and a front buckle, and has an adjustable shoulder strap, allowing for easy cartridge access. 2 Aigle Parcours 2 Outlast wellington boots £175 www.farlows.co.uk Boasting an Outlast lining, these boots will regulate the temperature of your feet by holding on to the heat until you need it most, while the tri-density rubber soles and cushioned heels will keep you comfortable, allowing you to walk farther without tiring. 3 Hamilton Shooting extra-long shotgun slip stand RRP £119.95 www.hamiltonshooting.com This slip stand is ideal for those days when you want to keep…

“No good shooting man wants to see a complete clean-out of other animals in his countryside” A number of years ago I wrote an article for Shooting Times about the increasing number of pheasants being shot in a day. Since then, shooting has moved ever onwards, with larger and larger bags being shot, leading to increased expenditure and increased profit. This has occurred because shooting is being marketed on a far wider basis than ever before, and whereas in the olden days the landlords and farmers kept shooting mainly for their private enjoyment, today they have opened it up to those people who do not own shoots, for those living in the cities and for visitors coming from abroad. While my concern relates to shoots all over the UK, some…

“Pulling off those muddy boots after a good day in the field would be a pleasure with a Purdey folding bootjack” The auction market may be booming, but that does not mean there are neither bargains to be had nor interesting items to be found for little money. In this series, I am going to be looking at things that have recently gone under the hammer that caught my eye. I have been set the notional budget of £500 by the Editor. That includes the auctioneer’s premium (many call it the auctioneer’s curse), which effectively adds another 25 per cent on to the hammer price. Being slick at arithmetic, I can tell you that gives me a maximum of £375 to spend on either a single item or multiple lots…

ONE OF THE most challenging retrieves any gundog will have to perform is retrieving from open ground into cover, be that woodland or even a covercrop. Remy will eventually be part of my picking-up team and I know this is a situation he will be faced with on a regular basis. The handler must have complete faith in the dog, as for a period of time he may not be able to see him, so it is well worth putting in the training under controlled conditions. STAGE 1 When I initially tried this exercise with Remy, he did exactly what I thought he would do — he went out after a thrown dummy really well, but then stopped and started to hunt the rough grass at the edge of the…

“The old girl would be heartbroken to be left behind on a shoot day” At this time of the year I confess to being rather more than a trifle envious of the equine side of the household. Early April sees my wife’s hunter, an eight-year-old warmblood, turned out for his summer holidays in an adjacent paddock, with more exercising or mucking out until he is brought up from grass in July. Admittedly he quickly adopts a barrel grass belly but that is soon reduced with regular work. Not so the gundogs. The elderly yellow Labrador, now in her 13th year, is still reasonably fit and enjoys a stroll round the paddock, but her son, aged seven, packs on the pounds as soon as the shooting and picking-up season is over.…

Almost all that was left was the gate, standing there with nothing but fresh air on either side of it. There were also two or three stubborn posts that had refused to surrender their contact with the earth. I was looking at the remnants of a pheasant pen, at that seemingly purposeless gate and at those posts without any obvious function. I was looking at rolls of rusty wire and feeling sad. I wondered whether perhaps I should leave the gate where it was as a reminder of the structure to which it had once belonged. I was feeling sad because, in dismantling the old pen, it had seemed that I was also mutilating a long succession of memories stretching back more than 25 years, right to the beginning of…

Our reedbeds are alive with insects at this time of year and sedge warblers travel 3,000 miles from African countries such as Ghana to make the most of this bounty. The first birds arrive in early April, but the last ones are not here until mid-May, when the reeds have greened up. Sedge warblers are more closely associated with the fringe between reed and scrub, building their nests in the scaffolding provided by the previous year’s reed stalks or in small saplings. The female lays a clutch of about five eggs, which are incubated for a fortnight. Once the youngsters have hatched, the parents take advantage of the long days of summer, ferrying food to the nest for the next two weeks. Occasionally, a pair will manage to raise a…

Traditional rivals Oxford and Cambridge universities recently put their reputations on the line in a varsity clay-shooting competition. Three teams from each university took part in the competition at Cambridge Gun Club, with individuals facing 100 clays over a Sporting layout. As you would expect, the competition was fierce, with Oxford leading by 13 targets to win the Men’s 1st before also claiming the Men’s 2nd, while the Cambridge ladies team won by six targets. Simon Reinhold, assistant director for BASC, which sponsored the shoot, said: “A varsity match in any sport is always keenly contested and we witnessed a high level of competition at one of the best shooting grounds in the east of England. The conditions were challenging, to say the least, and the weather ranged from bright…

Collectors will have the chance to get their hands on a piece of royal shooting history later this month when a rifle built for King George IV goes up for auction. The Tanner 18-bore percussion single-shot rifle is expected to fetch between £3,500 and £5,000 at the next Holts auction in London on 22 June. Holts Auctioneers’ Robert Morgan explained the gun’s provenance: “The royal rifle was part of [the] Schloss Marienburg collection, originally housed at Marienburg Castle, some 20km south of Hanover in Germany. This castle was the 19th-century summer residence of the Guelph family, one of Europe’s oldest royal houses. Many items from this collection were sold privately and through auction around 12 years ago. The rifle built for a king is exquisite and the quality speaks for…

‘‘The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please. We have it in trust. We must account for it to those who come after.’’ King George VI A GREAT COUNTRYMAN I was pleased to read your article (The stirring elixir of literature, 24 May) concerning Roger Patrick’s experience when he read the literary classic Brendon Chase, by Denys Watkins-Pitchford, known universally to your readers as the late columnist BB. Your readers may be interested to know that BB produced a large number of books, articles and artwork about rural Britain, the countryside and shooting, and his writing inspired many people. BB was indeed a great countryman, and we shall not see his like again. David Osborne, secretary to the BB Society, Northamptonshire STRIKING A…

“You will be taught by qualified teachers who are fully up to date with latest developments and best practice” WHY COMMIT yourself to one or two years at gamekeeping college when you could be gaining experience on an apprenticeship? Both routes are excellent choices, but it depends very much on what you want to achieve. Let’s consider the benefits that college offers. Gamekeeping is a broad industry, and tying yourself to one estate may limit your horizons. If you are absolutely set on one aspect, such as a commercial shoot based on bought-in poults, an apprenticeship may suit you well, but college will show you the full range of options. Have you considered wild bird shoots, grouse or deer as alternatives? Through lessons, visits, practical sessions and perhaps longer study…

This month’s training for Remy, Dolly and Logan has been progressing nicely. I am starting to see all the individual training come together, and now it is time to start to stretch the dogs mentally and physically in preparation for the coming season. For both breeds of gundog, Labrador and springer, it is at this stage of their training programme that I really start to concentrate on what will eventually be their individual tasks in the shooting field. Remy the Labrador will be expected to make retrieves over long distances, so I have been working on increasing this part of his training. I have also been teaching him to cross open areas of ground and to enter cover or woodland to make his retrieve. With the spaniels, Dolly and Logan,…

“Early indications bode well for the hatching season, with good clutches and clean hatches” It matters not whether you are a high- or low-ground wild bird keeper, the hatching period is by far the most critical time of the year. If things contrive against you, a disastrous hatching period equals no chicks, no shoot days or, at best, a very light season. For the majority of grouse keepers in England it has been an extraordinary period for weather. Though it has now relented,for almost six weeks there was hardly a drop of water deposited on the moors. The majority of drain blocks and many of the other water sources have simply dried up, leaving many species of birds having to travel to find a drink. On the lower slopes the…

1 BARREL In 7.92mm (aka 8x57mm), this is a capable sporting arm. 2 SIGHTS It’s all about the excellent scope turret-mounting system and superb Zeiss Zielvier 4x scope. 3 ACTION A classic Mauser bolt action that has been the father of many designs and rifles. 4 STOCK A no-frills laminated stock that was quite new in those days and provides a strong weather-resistant design still used today. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Barrel: 8x57mm is a fantastic hunting calibre, but check for wear in the chamber, throat and muzzle areas that will affect accuracy. Action: This is bombproof, but check the turret mounts are secured correctly and the quick-detachable mechanism works correctly and secures tightly. Weight: 10.5lb Overall length: 43.75in Features: Using hunting…

The experts THE ULTIMATE SHOOTING QUIZ TEAM 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 Protected mandarins BIRD LIFE Q…

The Wensleydale is reputedly the producer of the finest longwool in the world. It is famous for its lustrous, curling fleece that makes this large, tall sheep so distinctive and recognisable. The breed was first named in 1876, taking its name from the valley in North Yorkshire in which it originated. It was a dominant ram called Bluecap – claimed to be the finest ram in northern England – that set the type, for Bluecap had a very dark blue face and was covered in fine, luxuriant wool. He consistently sired lambs similar to himself. The breed’s popularity declined in the 20th century, reaching its low point in 1967 when there were just 18 registered flocks. It was put on the critical list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in…

“Collies are highly intelligent and like to please humans. But they are dogs, and as such they are domesticated wolves” I am as sentimental as anybody when it comes to my own pets, so I shouldn’t criticise those who attribute human emotions to animals. But anthropomorphism, as it is known, doesn’t do animals — or fieldsports — much good. Let’s consider the story about the collie and the lamb who ran away together. No, this isn’t a nursery rhyme; it was all over the papers, a news editor’s dream of a soppy animal story. The unlikely friendship started when Bella the orphan lamb was brought home and Blake the border collie took it under its wing. As one report put it: “Soon the pair were inseparable, playing together and taking…