Innholdsfortegnelse for 26-Jul-2017 i Shooting Times & Country

It is oh so fashionable to tut disdainfully whenever anyone mentions ducks of the driven variety. At first glance it seems this is due to all those low-flying fat quackers that are often used to make up the bag and save the keeper’s bacon. In the past few years, in response to this criticism, there has been a concerted effort across the country to improve the quality of driven duck. Yet the tutting continues. Ever since I commissioned Graham Downing to write a piece on the topic (p.16), I have been thinking hard about whether driven ducks are really any less sporting than driven birds of other varieties. Yes, they fly round and round, but as lots of you will have seen, pheasants and partridges can be presented just as…

Appeal for help to count butterflies Members of the public are being urged to take part in this year’s Big Butterfly Count, which runs until 6 August. Butterflies in the south-west face a critical summer after numbers of many common species declined rapidly after a string of poor years. Last year was the fourth worst on record and it is hoped that this year’s count will reveal whether widespread species can mount a comeback. “So far, the warm weather has given some species, such as the meadow brown, red admiral and ringlet, a good start but butterflies really need this to continue,” said chairman of Butterfly Conservation, Sir David Attenborough. More than three-quarters of the UK’s butterflies have declined in the past 40 years with some, such as the small…

The safe conduct of shooting must meet the standards described in this code, show respect for the countryside, due regard to health and safety and consideration for others. Shoot managers must endeavour to enhance wildlife conservation and the countryside. Respect for quarry is paramount. It is fundamental to mark and retrieve all shot game, which is food, and it must be treated in accordance with the Guide to Good Game Handling. If birds are released, shoots must take steps to comply with the relevant sections set out in this code. Birds must never be released to replenish or replace any birds already released and shot in that season.…

“I steadied my breath; silence had fallen. I could almost hear the rabbits cropping the grass” The thing about being the “guy who shoots rabbits” is that you must shoot the rabbits. Not staying on top of them is the quickest route to losing your permission. The last thing any bunny hunter wants to hear is the farmer saying, in a slightly apologetic tone, “Aye, the rabbits were getting a wee bit out of hand so I asked my son’s pal to have a look.” Then adding, in a brighter tone: “He shot 20 on his first look round”, as if you might chip in with “well done him, that’s great!” Bearing that in mind — and with a warm, dry evening on the cards — I got out the…

“Poults with something wrong with them will stop eating before they stop drinking” Prevention has always been better than cure and with government guidelines and industry-led targets set to reduce the use of antibiotics in gamebirds, there has never been a more important time to focus on the biosecurity of our pens. We must take a fresh look at what we can do to reduce the causes of stress-related illnesses and improve the general health of our birds, without having to rely on antibiotics. Quality control Where you buy your poults will be especially important this year. Well-grown, well-feathered birds will do better than those that are less than perfect. No birds can be guaranteed against illness but the better the poult, the stronger and less likely it will be…

Latin name: Taraxacum officinale Common name: Dandelion Other names: Devil’s milk pail, heart fever grass, pissabed How to spot it and where to find it: We’ve probably all tried to blow the seeds off a dandelion “clock” as children, and now curse its ubiquity when we’ve failed to banish it completely from our gardens. But there are more than 250 micro-species of dandelion and the plant is often confused with others. An easy way to spot it is to break the stem; true dandelions have hollow stems that, when snapped, ooze a milky liquid. Its dark green jagged leaves give it the common name, from the French dent de lion, meaning “lion’s tooth”. Interesting facts: The theory was that you could tell the time by blowing the seeds off the…

Gamekeeper Welfare, A History by David S. D. Jones. Written as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust, this booklet looks at the hardships faced by gamekeepers and those working in the countryside from the 18th century to the present day and how support has evolved. Available online, priced £5 including p&p. Visit www.thegamekeeperswelfaretrust.com. Wester Spirit Co. spiced rum: this new rum takes its name from the Wester Sugar House Company, which was established in Glasgow’s Candleriggs in 1667. Craft distilled using copper pots to impart a rich flavour, the rum is then infused with spices, citrus zest and vanilla to create a complex drink; perfect for enjoying in a cocktail between drives on the Twelfth or over ice by the fire at the end of…

1 John Deere XUV 590i Gator From £ 10,650 www.johndeere.co.uk With a 586cc petrol engine, variable transmission and independent four-wheel suspension, John Deere’s XUV 590i two-seater Gator can accelerate quickly to a top speed of 45mph. It has a range of customisation options and a ground clearance of 267mm plus load/towing capacities of 363 and 499kg. It is available to view at John Deere dealer P. Tuckwell Ltd’s stand (M1600) at this weekend’s Game Fair. 2 Delta Optical Forest II binoculars £143.99 www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk Made by Delta Optical, the Forest II binoculars feature high-quality, coated roof BaK4 prisms, which provide a natural, sharp image. They are both water- and fog-proof and come with a five-year warranty. 3 Nightforce SHV 3-12x56 rifle scope £677.99 www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk High quality at an affordable price, this…

“The cocker’s exuberance may test novice handlers, but there are springers that are equally challenging” SPRINGER OR cocker? Choosing between our two most popular breeds of spaniel has never been more difficult. According to the Kennel Club’s (KC) figures, cockers are the most popular of the two, with 21,845 registered last year, compared with just 9,837 English springers. However, the KC figures are misleading, as they fail to distinguish between working and show strains of the two breeds, while there are certainly far more pet cockers than springers. And to confuse things, there are a lot of pure-bred working English springers that are not registered either. My own reckoning, based on the shoots I’ve been on in recent years, is that springers still outnumber cockers, but it seems likely that…

Shooting behaviour: individuals must observe safety, the law and respect for quarry and other wildlife. Responsible shooting: Guns must shoot within their capabilities; shoots must ensure all shot game is retrieved and that shooting stops in severe weather. Consideration for others: taking account of local residents and other land users; following the law and best practice when shooting near rights of way, walkers or horses. Game is food: shoots must ensure that all shot game is handled as meat for the food chain. Shoot management: shoots must be managed to maximise the conservation benefits of shooting. Rearing game: game husbandry must be undertaken with all due consideration to health and welfare, and those sourcing birds must be mindful of exactly where their stock comes from. Releasing game: birds should be…

Like most people can remember where they were when Princess Diana or JFK died, I remember where I was when I cooked and ate my first rabbit. Trauma has a way of etching a little permanency to a memory. It was a hot summer day in rural Perthshire, mid-afternoon on a Wednesday. We assembled on the parade ground for Royal Marine cadets training and were told that today we’d be doing survival cooking: building a campfire and cooking some rabbits. One of the boys was an apprentice gamekeeper and had brought in some rabbits he’d plugged with his .410. He’d brought them in a large black bin bag. Judging by the smell, they’d been dead for a few days and certainly hadn’t been in the fridge. We were shown how…

“They squared off against each other and their antlers clicked together in furious combat” I missed my best chance of the evening shortly after midnight. In the thick, swampy darkness of the riverside, I felt a sharp, jarring pull, which became a stiff tug. The water swirled noisily in the moonlight and ripples washed out to lap in the banks by my feet. The rod bent steadily over and I reached for the line, but then there was nothing else. Encounters like these define my relationship with sea trout, which rarely do more than offer a brief chance in the hot, stuffy nights of July. I have succeeded once or twice with these mysterious fish on other rivers, but I can never resist the chance of a silvery finnock on…

Wild deer in the garden STALKING Q I live in rural Wiltshire and have an issue with wild roe deer entering my garden and causing significant damage. I have a licensed .243 rifle and some stalking experience, but would I be breaking the law by shooting them? And if not, then are there any special precautions I should take? I have neighbours, but we are talking hundreds of metres rather than several between where the deer are and their land. A Deer and gardens can be a difficult combination, so is your rifle really the answer? First, what does your firearms certificate say about restrictions on usage? Have you indicated to your firearms enquiry officer that your garden could or indeed should be part of the authorisation on your certificate?…

Early blackberries provide fuel for garden warblers as they lay down the fat they need for their migratory journeys to the other side of the Sahara. They’ll have plenty of company in bramble patches, with tits, finches, robins and thrushes all making use of the seasonal bounty. If it’s a warbler and there’s no black or brown cap (blackcap), GARDEN WARBLER no russet in the wing (whitethroat) and no dark patch around the eye (lesser whitethroat) then you’re probably looking at a garden warbler. The species’ Latin name is Sylvia borin — which is easy to remember because this is the Sylvia warbler with a borin(g) appearance. One thing that’s not boring is the male’s spring song — similar to the more “shouty” blackcap but more mellow and often delivered…

“Perhaps we hill farmers should take note of what the public wants for its money…” I expect many of you will be pretty horrified by the plan to reintroduce lynx to the UK. Let me horrify you a tad more; I reckon the project is feasible. Yes, I do have some concerns and a healthy degree of scepticism about some of the purported benefits. But I think the scheme might be worth a punt. You might retort that I won’t be one of the poor sods who have to live with the uber-moggies. Well, yes — but my home is a sheep farm close to the boundary of Kielder Forest, the proposed release site. I am not convinced there will be a big problem. Let’s face it, hill farming depends…

28-30 JULY THE GAME FAIR Hatfield House, Hertfordshire Tel 01707 252707 4 AUGUST HOLTS CHARITY CLAY SHOOT AND AUCTION Sandringham Estate, Norfolk Tel 01485 542822 5 AUGUST FEMMES FATALES CHARITY CLAY SHOOT Oxfordshire Shooting School, Oxfordshire Tel 07876 033665 13 AUGUST RIPLEY AGRICULTURAL SHOW Ripley Castle Park, Harrogate, North Yorkshire www.ripleyshow.co.uk 24 AUGUST GWCT SCOTLAND YOUNG SHOOTERS DAY Haddington, East Lothian Tel 01738 551511 28 AUGUST GAVIN GARDINER AUCTION OF MODERN & VINTAGE SPORTING GUNS Gleanagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Perthshire Tel 01798 875300…

FOXES WITH CUBS I was very surprised when watching a Chris Packham one-off documentary — The British Garden — Life and Death on Your Lawn — on BBC4 recently. His so-called mammal expert said it was very unusual for dog fox to bring up a litter of cubs up by himself when the vixen had been killed. The cubs had been weaned. Most books that I have read say this is very common in foxes and is one of the reasons why the species does so well. I would be interested to hear what your team has to say on the matter. G. Betts, Nottinghamshire David Tomlinson responds: The Handbook of British Mammals, which I consult on such matters, has nothing to say on this subject. It is known that…

Why do most people remain with their favourite breed? Some years ago I sent a proposal for a gundog book, looking at all our sporting breeds, to a publisher. He liked the idea, but said the book would be unlikely to sell well enough to be commercial, saying: “People only like to read about their favourite breeds.” I’m sure he was right, and my book remains unwritten, which is probably no bad thing. However, it’s a fact that people generally remain faithful to their favourite breed. Perhaps the exceptions are in the HPR world, where I’ve known a number of people switch from one breed to another, always in search of that elusive perfect dog. It’s rare to find anyone who switches from Labradors to golden retrievers or flatcoats —…

“The dedication of those who help is an aspect of shooting I admire” The alarm went off at 4.45am. A quick glance out of the window confirmed that the television forecaster last night was spot on. It was a bright, clear morning — perfect conditions for the poults, which were being delivered in a few hours’ time. My season effectively started on this day, and the next few weeks will dictate how it unfolds. It can be a stressful time for a keeper, though this is tempered somewhat by optimism for the winter to come. But now was not the moment to worry. There was just time for a large cup of coffee and to walk the dogs before heading to the beaters’ cabin to meet Jos, the headkeeper, and…

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,…

Despite its formidable appearance, the water buffalo is among the most docile of domesticated animals — a reflection of the fact that its ancestor, the wild water buffalo of south-east Asia, was fi rst domesticated at least 4,000 years ago. Today numerous different breeds are recognised, all based on two types: the river buffalo and the swamp buffalo. The buffalo found in Europe are from the former group, and are thought to have been present for well over 1,000 years. More people depend on the water buffalo than any other domestic animal; the world population of the animal is estimated at around 130million. In Europe they are kept widely in Italy and Greece, as well as Romania, Bulgaria and Macedonia, while there is a small but growing number of commercial…