Innholdsfortegnelse for 09-Aug-2017 i Shooting Times & Country

Thunder came half-heartedly all afternoon. Then at about eight o’clock, when I was wandering back to the bar from the Portaloo, fat drops of rain began to fall. I spent the next few hours in a clammy marquee, talking wildfowling with some of BASC’s finest, all of us buoyed up by beer and pork scratchings. It was my second favourite moment of the Game Fair at Hatfield House, beaten only by standing on the Shooting Times stand on Saturday morning, chatting to lots of you about what the magazine means to you and how many years you have been reading it for. I was delighted to hear quite a number of you saying that the content is livelier, fresher and more interesting than it has been for some time. For…

Ten-year-old Alex Marsh won the horn-blowing competition at the Game Fair at Hatfield House last month. The youngster impressed the audience and judges in the Carter Jones theatre. His mother Clare explained that Alex, a keen shooter whose father Paul is a fourth-generation gamekeeper on the Minterne estate in Dorset, was diagnosed with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder at the age of six: “He lacked confidence and suffered from anxiety, ritual following and very poor sleep,” she said. “But through hunting and shooting, and with the support of those who participate in these sports, he has found a passion and outlet for his relentless energy.” Alex was also awarded his hunt buttons with the Purbeck and Bovington Beagles at the end of last season and is a whipper-in for the Courtenay…

12-13 AUGUST THE LOWTHER SHOW Lowther Castle, Penrith, Cumbria Tel 01889 563232 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 27-28 AUGUST POWDERHAM COUNTRY SHOW Powderham Castle, Exeter, Devon Tel 01889 563232 www.powderhamcountry show.co.uk 28 AUGUST GAVIN GARDINER AUCTION OF MODERN & VINTAGE SPORTING GUNS Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Perthshire Tel 01798 875300 28 AUGUST THE AYLSHAM SHOW Blickling Park, Blickling, Norfolk Tel 07717 860756 www.theaylsham show.co.uk…

Anglers oppose illegal fishing The fight against illegal fishing has received a massive boost with the recruitment of an additional 150 anglers to the Angling Trust’s Voluntary Bailiff Service — with a total of 474 now acting as “eyes and ears” on the riverbank. Sparsholt College student awarded SparsholtCollege game and wildlife management student Ryan Loughran (pictured) was recently awarded the Butler Trophy for the best overall performance on his Level 2 course. Norfolk estate gains conservation role Natural England has announced that the privately owned Holkham estate — where some have suggested that driven shooting first originated — has been approved to manage the Holkham National Nature Reserve, one of the UK’s most important sites for nature conservation on the Norfolk coast.…

ALMOST READY FOR THE NEW SEASON The stubbles are fast replacing the lush golden fields of crops, meaning rabbiting is once again just around the corner. As the new season approaches, my equipment will require a quick check, replacement nets made, existing ones repaired and, of course, the animals need to get fit. With the Game Fair out of the way, I can start to get my dogs fit. Living by a beach helps as they can run on the shingle and sand and through the sea. High temperatures will dictate when and where I can walk the dogs seriously, but in general, this is the time when their holiday stops. The ferret kits are just about full grown and the daily handling they get will start to pay dividends…

Was this the most compact Game Fair for many years? I suspect it was, as it was remarkably easy to walk around. There was a rather inconvenient wood in the middle that was a major irritation — perhaps it could be felled before the fair returns to Hatfield in 2019? — but otherwise full marks to the organisers for a well-planned layout. Unlike some past fairs where a grand house makes a splendid backdrop, Hatfield House was nowhere to be seen, suggesting that I ought to go back to see what I missed. What I didn’t miss at this year’s fair were some of the stands that, in the past, seemed totally out of place. I didn’t see a single Ferrari or Lamborghini, but I did have a little chuckle…

“What about that for an old gun, an old man and blackpowder cartridges?” I am looking at a full-page black-and-white photograph of a hammergun, in Gough Thomas’s Gun Book, first published in 1969 with numerous reprints thereafter. Gough was Shooting Times’s gun editor in the 1960s and 1970s, commanding through his extensive knowledge of guns and the shooting world a wide and appreciative audience. The photograph is with a chapter dealing with hammerguns and, as the caption relates, it is: “A beautiful old hammergun of 1878 by Cogswell & Harrison, London. Note the Damascus barrels, graceful hammers and shell fences. This gun makes splendid patterns, and despite its lack of choke is a wonderful game-getter.” I can confirm every detail of that caption, for the lovely old gun has now…

Latin name: Nymphaea alba Common name: White water lily Other names: Bobbins, cambie leaf, can dock, flutterdock, platter dock How to spot it and where to find it: A vigorous aquatic perennial, the white water lily is common across the UK in still or slow-moving water. It is found in ponds, lakes, canals, streams and ditches, rooting in mud at the bottom. It has large lily-pad leaves — dark green above and reddish below — that grow up to 30cm across and float on the water. It flowers from June to August. The cup-shaped flowers are white, though they can be tinged with pink. The bright yellow stamens can be clearly seen. Interesting facts: The white water lily produces Britain’s largest flower, growing up to 20cm wide. It is pleasantly…

With its green-glossed black plumage, crimson-red comb, face and wattles and extraordinary large white ear lobes, the Menorcan is a striking chicken. As its name suggests, the breed originated on the Balearic island of Menorca, where it can still be found today thanks to a major conservation project, though Menorcan hens first reached Britain 200 years ago. Their true origins are unknown, but it is widely believed that these distinctive birds came to Spain from North Africa with the Moors. They were originally known as the red-faced Spanish. Today the Menorcan is widely kept as an ornamental and exhibition bird, doing best when they are kept free range. They seldom go broody, laying around 150 eggs a year. These are white-shelled and large compared with the size of the bird.…

Cricket legend and countryman Sir Ian Botham has come under fire after pledging to donate 10,000 game birds from his shooting estates to those in need. The pheasants and partridges will be sent to the Country Food Trust between October and February, along with a £40,000 donation to turn the meat into casseroles and curries. The Trust will then distribute the meals through charities including Veterans Aid and the Salvation Army. The hope is that 500,000 free meals can be provided each year. Sir Ian, who expected hostility to the charitable scheme from those opposed to fieldsports, told The Sunday Times: “I fail to understand how there is an argument against it. If everybody out there was a vegetarian or a vegan, well fine, but they are not. So smell…

HELP WRITE A BOOK Author and former Shooting Times team member Brian Philip Martin is currently working on the third edition of his book The Great Shoots — Britain’s Best Past and Present and is looking for a little help from readers. “The book has been in print since 1987 and was revised in 2007, but 10 seasons further on another revise is necessary and I am looking to include more pheasant, partridge and grouse shoots in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland,” explained Mr Martin. “Therefore if any reader would like to propose any game shoot — past and present — which they regard as having been consistently outstanding for its sport, atmosphere, management, surroundings, or anything unusual or exceptional, then I would be pleased to hear from them…

1 Snowbee Travel flyfishing vest £84.99  www.farlows.co.uk Lightweight and durable, this vest has quilted shoulders and a padded collar, which makes it comfortable to wear even when fully laden. It features shoulder tabs and stud epaulettes to hold bags securely. Available in sizes S-XXL. 2 Seeland Kappa knife £29.99  www.seeland.com This stylish yet functional hunting knife has a root wood and aluminium handle, providing an excellent grip and distinctive appearance. The blade measures 7cm in length and the knife is 16.5cm in total. It features a side lock and belt clip. 3 Schöffel Ptarmigan tweed coat £599.95  www.schoffel.co.uk The classic Schöffel coat is getting a new and updated look with Sandringham (pictured) and Windsor tweed versions. Made from 100 per cent lambs wool with the Gore-Tex Z-liner, it is waterproof…

At last year’s Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Scottish Auction, held on 4 May 2016 at Prestonfield House hotel in Edinburgh, Holts Auctioneers’ Nick Holt won the bid for one of the most coveted lots — a day’s walked-up grouse shooting for five Guns on an estate on the Lammermuir Hills in the Scottish Borders. Some enthusiastic pre-auction bidding had got things going before more than 400 people arrived for the event itself, where guests enjoyed a champagne reception and a talk from the GWCT’s chief executive Teresa Dent about the Trust’s activities in Scotland. There was then some fast and furious bidding in the silent auction throughout dinner before the live auction began. The two auctions and a raffle between them raised a healthy total of more than…

On the right lines for success? GUNDOG TRAINING I have been thinking about buying a Labrador puppy, with the aim of training it myself for field trials. I have only owned dogs for rough shooting before and none have cost a lot of money to buy. However, anything that I have enquired about that contains lots of field trial champions in its pedigree are expensive — even at eight weeks old they are £800-plus. Do I have to buy one from this type of stock, or would a cheaper puppy from ordinary shooting stock be good enough to train for trials? It is impossible to guarantee how an eight-week-old puppy will turn out, but one from good field trial lines should always give you the best chance of success if…

“I had to face cold reality. I was no Steve McQueen on a stolen German motorcycle” Game fairs are wonderful for bringing people down to earth. I was helping to unfurl the sides of the BASC stand at Hatfield House one morning when I was approached by a family led by a well-spoken chap. “You look like just the person to give us the specialist advice we need,” he said. I straightened up. “Well, I shall try,” I said, attempting to appear modest. “What do you need to know?” “Where is the best place to get breakfast around here?” he asked. I kept my composure and gave him directions to a fine purveyor of artery-clogging calories. Then I vowed to go on a diet. I am good at diets —…

LIVING WITH LYME I enjoyed the piece on Lyme disease though my experience of it is a little different (A tick in time saves from Lyme, 12 July). I suffer from Lyme disease and have persistent infection. With no UK specialist I’ve been forced to pay privately to see a world expert in the US. The treatment is intense and lasts for several years. I have nerve damage from which I may never recover. Most GPs dismiss Lyme as being rare and “not in the UK”, the tests often show false negatives and you won’t get any antibiotics from your GP without a positive result. They also stand firmly by the misconception that you are “cured” after a few weeks of tablets. This often isn’t the case; I am still…

“In its heyday, ferreting was seen as an earthy, working-class sport and the ‘nursery’ of country pursuits” Summer can mean only one thing — show time! Country shows are a cracking way for many to enjoy a day out with family and friends. They are a hub of activity, a place to catch up with like-minded people and hold court, spin a yarn and, of course, buy some gear. For the past two decades I have demonstrated at these events and I view them as a barometer for ferreting. I have seen the evolution of not only the events but also society and technology. The present trend is for everything to change quickly and constantly. The evolving internet, marketplace and the growth in social media have eaten away at some…

“Raiders were now to be shot and the small pellets would do less damage to a fruit crop” Eley is the most famous name in shotgun cartridge manufacture. However, its beginnings were small — just a shop in Birmingham trading in gunmakers’ accessories, primarily percussion caps for muzzle-loaders. William and Charles Eley were partners, later joined by another brother, Henry. The company’s rise to fame began with the production of the Patent Wire cartridge, which it advertised as “the greatest improvement ever produced in gunnery”, and in 1837 it launched its first waterproof detonating cap. Eley encountered financial problems but was rescued by Purdeys, which averted its collapse by donating £100. Sadly, William was killed by an explosion caused by this product four years later. Eley was the pioneer of…

IT WAS 8AM on the last Friday in July. I was stuck in a traffic jam on the A1M. Accident at junction 7, said the traffic report on my car radio. As I crawled slowly towards the Game Fair I had an idea. I would count all the cockers and springers I saw during my day at the fair to see which was the most popular. Forty minutes later, having abandoned the gridlocked motorway, I was at the fair and counting. The springers built up an early lead, but then a couple with six cockers boosted the rival total. However, that was the moment I gave up. Were they really cockers, or could they have been sprockers? I can report that until I stopped counting, the springers were clearly in…

“I would now say that badgers are a much bigger problem than foxes” Over the past three weeks we have been busy preparing all the pens for the pheasant poults coming in the first week of August. Usually we have our pheasants in the third week of June, but we are trying a different strategy this year to see if we hold on to our birds for longer. The shoot sits at 1,000ft to 2,000ft, and if the weather becomes cold early in November, we soon lose the pheasants down to lower, warmer climes. There is nothing that can be done to prevent this from happening, so the plan is to shoot them hard before Christmas. We now have four different release pens, which have plenty of sunlight and hard…

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,…

Great tits have been having more poor breeding seasons than good ones in the past few years but the population seems to have remained stable, presumably because winters are generally more benign and it is easy to find food at feeders. Nesting success in 2016 was particularly bad, so it is to be hoped that this year was better. British Trust for Ornithology scientists will soon be collating records from volunteers who counted eggs and chicks in nests and from bird ringers, who will have counts of chicks caught after fledging. These two schemes provide great data on breeding success for a range of species, allowing scientists to identify the possible causes of population change. While the numbers are being crunched, this year’s crop of young great tits will be…