Innholdsfortegnelse for 02-Aug-2017 i Shooting Times & Country

We have just entered that stage of summer when the faintest traces of autumn begin to appear. Last Thursday, the barley that I had spent the three previous evenings scattering around the edge of my pond started to go. On Friday morning I found four feathers floating in the reeds and the following day at dusk I watched six teal drop on to the water. It was a perfect moment of reflective tranquillity before the madness of the week leading up to the Game Fair. As I sat between two beech trees, listening to the whistling ducks, I thought about the evolution of the “countryside’s Glastonbury”. Not that long ago, game fairs thrived because they were places that shooting types could go and barter for whatever jacket, pair of wellies,…

More than 170 children from six primary schools got a lesson in gamekeeping on Millichope Park estate in Shropshire recently, thanks to the Countryside Learning charity. The children, aged between seven and 11, came from rural and urban schools, and were given the chance to learn about keepering, livestock husbandry, gundog training, woodland management and fishing. The Countryside Learning charity connects children, families and teachers with the countryside. Liam Bell, chairman of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO), is headkeeper on the estate. “We are proud of what we do here at Millichope and it’s great to share this with both the children and the teachers,” he said. “I would definitely encourage other estates to do the same.” Delivering the talk on gamekeeping, Brian Hayes, administrator of the NGO Educational Trust,…

Prince wrote to PM over hunting ban HRH the Prince of Wales (right) sent then Prime Minister Tony Blair a series of confidential letters in 2002 opposing the hunting ban, according to the Mail on Sunday. Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, told the newspaper: “Prince Charles has always been clear about his concern for the countryside and rural communities so it would be no surprise if he had raised this issue with the Government of the day.” Are Brits losing touch with nature? Thirteen per cent of Britons say they haven’t visited the countryside for more than two years, while 69 per cent feel they are losing touch with nature, according to a new survey commissioned by Jordans Cereal. Other surprising findings included that 37 per cent…

 FEW SPORTING dogs have had such a chequered history as the Clumber spaniel. It is something of a mystery, for though it takes its name from Clumber Park, the Nottinghamshire estate of the Dukes of Newcastle, nobody knows for sure where the 2nd Duke of Newcastle got his dogs. There are suggestions that they may have been a gift to him from France, or that they were a cross between a French basset hound and an old English spaniel. What is a fact is that the Clumber was a popular sporting spaniel in the 19th century, as we are reminded by a series of wonderful paintings by the Victorian sporting artist John Emms. “The showing fraternity rescued the Clumber but increased its size, which led to a decline in health”…

“A red deer cull will damage the long-term future of the keepers who look after them” Following a far too long absence, I visited the Uists for a family holiday. I managed an outing or two with the rod, and on one at least the trout obliged. On the other, as a seasoned gillie commented, the weather was the sort you would expect while angling for bonefish in the Bahamas. On these outings you chat with a good number of people and it was interesting to hear that the deer-tick debate is rather hot out there. The iconic Scottish stag is being blamed for the rise in Lyme disease, and some are seeking a mass cull to, they hope, stop the spread. This comes on the back of an article…

Bale hide etiquette PIGEON SHOOTING I do a bit of pigeon shooting but have never shot from a bale hide. What is the etiquette when it comes to putting bales back in the field afterwards? It depends on the situation and the bales. If you are making a bale hide from round bales on a straw stubble of some kind, small or large bales out in the middle of the field can be left. The question you must always ask yourself is: can the machinery pick the bales up easily? You will normally be out in the middle of a field, but don’t push them into a position where they cannot be picked up — too close to a hedge or the base of a tree, for example. If you…

As the first winter ducks start to put in an appearance, our only summer migrant duck — the smart little garganey — is about to depart. It is estimated that there are fewer than 100 breeding pairs of garganey in the UK but spring sightings seem to be more numerous than this would suggest. Pairs form when the birds are still in their African wintering grounds and it is assumed that they move around together in the spring months until they find suitable breeding sites. Garganey are adventurous migrants, with small numbers turning up as far north as Iceland. That is a long way from Mali, where two birds wearing British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) rings have been found. A cluster of BTO ringing recoveries in northern Italy suggest that…

START SAVING Sold at £78.15s apiece in 1911, these consecutively numbered, magnificently presented and individually cased 8-bore hammerless sidelock non-ejectors by London gunmaker Joseph Lang & Son (pictured below) are up for sale for an estimated £40,000-£50,000. The shotguns are being auctioned at the next Holts auction in London on 21 September. Chris Beaumont of Holts said: “To find a single 8-bore sidelock is rare, to find one in this condition is both unexpected and very rare, yet here we have two — consecutively numbered, each in equally remarkable condition. Now that’s unheard of.” BOOK A PLACE Top chef Paul Wedgwood and expert forager Mark Williams are taking guests on an outdoor culinary adventure around Edinburgh. The one-day Wild Foraging Experience on 14 October will help you to identify edible…

Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones raised £127,000 for the Peter Jones Foundation at his ninth annual charity shoot, held at Royal Berkshire Shooting School (RBSS) last month. The foundation aims to educate, encourage and support the young people of Britain in achieving their entrepreneurial goals. The event was attended by 125 people shooting clays over 10 stands, with several famous names among them, including This Morning presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. It ended with a champagne reception and lunch, followed by an auction run by Jonny Gould, the renowned auctioneer. Mr Jones said: “I am thrilled that our annual charity shoot day at the RBSS has continued to grow in scale and popularity, allowing us to support the UK’s budding young entrepreneurs to achieve their business dreams. The financial…

1 Vorn Deer 42l backpack in Realtree Xtra RRP £339  eu.vornequipment.com Lightweight, comfortable to carry and spacious, this gun pack is ideal for any hunter who needs to lug a lot of kit around. The padded gun compartment fits all conventional hunting shotguns and rifles, with space for scopes and bipods too. 2 Alan Paine Berwick men’s waterproof shooting waistcoat RRP £124.95  www.alanpaine.co.uk This waterproof waistcoat has a cotton blend outer with two generously sized cartridge pockets and mock suede outer collar and shoulder patches. An adjustable waist cord helps to keep it snug and it is available in sizes S-5XL. 3 Schöffel York quilted gilet £149.95  www.farlows.co.uk This multifunctional vest, with a flattering tailored fit, is ideal for layering or providing warmth without too much extra weight. It comes…

“We are starting to believe the crows are becoming wise to the traditional decoy layout” For years I have shot the vermin on Underley estate, which is keepered by Shooting Times’s columnist Jude Ward (Underkeeper, 26 July). During that time I have built up a knowledge of what will and won’t work when decoying crows but I still have to think outside the box, deploying old and new techniques to catch out the pesky corvids. This year has been a little bit slow, as I have struggled to get to grips with any large bags of crows to keep the farmers and keepers happy. We are starting to believe the crows are becoming wise to the traditional decoy layout and avoiding areas such as hedges and walls where typical ambushes…

Dogs, as a rule, don’t like cats, so it is hardly surprising that the Kennel Club isn’t very keen on them either. I was amused but not surprised by the Club’s reaction to the proposal to release lynx into Kielder Forest. “The Kennel Club, as landowner of the Emblehope and Burngrange estate in Northumberland, supports the views of the National Farmers’ Union and National Sheep Association and has serious concerns over proposals to reintroduce Eurasian lynx, a species extinct for more than 1,000 years in England, into the wild at neighbouring Kielder Forest.” The Club’s statement goes on to say: “Our main concern is for the protection of the livestock, particularly sheep, on the estate, which are grazed primarily to maintain the ecosystem of the land, which is a Site…

“Looking now at the waving riot of bushes and long grass, I felt certain pheasants would be happy there” It may not have been midsummer’s day but it was near enough. The sun was shining and so, once the traps had been checked, I decided to take my annual midsummer ramble round High Park and see what I thought of our changes to the shoot. At the same time I could make note of what still remained to be done and what, if anything, the summer fields and woods had to tell me about the prospects for next season’s sport. The first thing that struck me, as I leaned on my stick and looked round and about, was how beautiful it all was. The yellow blaze of the gorse had…

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,…

There are three main breeds of sled dogs: the Alaskan malamute, the eskimo dog and the Siberian husky. The largest of the trio is the malamute, named after an Inuit settlement. Originally bred for pulling heavy loads in sub-zero temperatures, the malamute was prized for its strength and endurance. The weight of dogs ranges from 85lb to a massive 100lb, while the height can go up to 28in. Malamutes are not the quickest sled dogs, so are not generally used for racing, but they do have terrific pulling power. Most large dogs have short lives, but the malamute appears to be an exception, with many living to 14 or 15.…

“The action is all steel and after almost 90 years still operates like a Swiss clock” 1 BARREL 29in and usually very accurate with precision six-groove rifling, this one has been Sporterised, shortened and threaded for a sound moderator. 2 SIGHTS Open sights were fitted and provision made for an aperture sight but this Sporter conversion has a modern B-square scope base. 3 MAGAZINE Single shot only but the addition of the Quick Loader allows a quick second or third shot. 4 ACTION Strong, reliable and positive ejection of spent case; cocking indicator is handy as no safety. 5 STOCK Plain and simple but actually very comfortable and suits the era that the rifle was made; no worries about scratching…

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 THE 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 THE AYLSHAM SHOW Blickling estate, Norwich Tel 07717 860 756 28 AUGUST GAVIN GARDINER AUCTION OF MODERN & VINTAGE SPORTING GUNS Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Perthshire Tel 01798 875300…

BEAVER DAMAGE I read with interest the piece about Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and its attitude to deer control (Sharpshooter, 19 July). Having moved to Perthshire last year, I have encountered the attitude of SNH in relation to the control of beavers in the Tayside area. I am a keen Shot and trout fisherman. I walk my dogs by a loch and have noticed the gradual destruction of mature trees alongside it. Each day the damage is worse or another tree has come under attack. Several years ago a family in the area illegally released a number of captive beavers which had been imported as pets. Beavers are prolific breeders and have spread along the rivers, burns and water courses over the past few years, chewing their way through trees…

“The standard at the Festival is higher than ever — hunting has a bright future” They say you should never go back. But having been to the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show some years ago in a previous incarnation as hunting editor of Horse & Hound, returning to the East of England Showground on 19 July felt a little like coming home. The foxhound show — of which this was the 129th running — is now part of a much bigger whole. Since 2006 it has been absorbed, along with classes from the now defunct East of England Horse Show, into the Festival of Hunting. It is to the hunting world what the Game Fair is to the shooting fraternity and has backing from insurance and financial services group Lycetts. I…

“Even if a fox is ‘returned home’ it is unlikely to recover its rank in that territory” Over the years, several gamekeepers have told me of instances when they have shot three-legged foxes. It was their belief that the limb had been amputated, on account of surgical scarring over the stump of the missing leg. I have studied the carcase of a three-legged fox shot by a keeper and the repair job looked extremely neat and tidy, pointing towards the work of someone proficient with knife, needle and thread. I can only speculate, but it seems likely that these were all foxes that had undergone treatment in wildlife hospitals before being released back into the countryside. I read on the website of one charity, based in southern England, which is…

Latin name: Sparganium erectum Common name: Branched bur reed Other name: Simplestem bur reed How to spot it and where to find it: This tall native bur reed is widespread throughout Great Britain, growing in a narrow fringe along the margins of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, canals and even ditches. It is palatable to cattle, so may be absent where they graze. As its name suggests, its flowering stem is branched unlike other bur reeds. Its leaf spikes can be distinguished from other similar plants, such as bulrush and yellow flag, by the brown tips, particularly later in the season. It flowers from June to August. Interesting facts: Each branch has one or two flower heads at the base, which are female; the male heads grow further up the stalk.…

“Welsh farmers are feisty bunch but they depend on public money for their livelihoods” Enhanced public access to the Welsh countryside is on the political agenda again, with yet another public “consultation”. This repetitive effort reminds me of the EU’s attitude to referenda, as we have seen over the years in countries such as Denmark and Ireland: “Keep on putting it to the public until they get it right.” In Wales, the public access consultation is being run by Natural Resources Wales (NRW). I served for years on a Natural England-sponsored working group looking at aspects of public access. Representatives of the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) attended as observers. CCW ceased to exist in 2013, when it was superseded by NRW. Did most of the people who staffed CCW…