Innholdsfortegnelse for 03-Jan-2018 i Shooting Times & Country

Last night I sat on an upturned bucket. As the last of the gloaming faded into darkness, Portsmouth started to glow brighter across the water. In between blowing long notes on his mallard call, Nick Horten — a big name in the local wildfowling scene — apologised for the aesthetics of the marsh: “Not exactly the romantic landscape most people associate with goose shooting .” In a simple sense, I disagreed: there’s something pleasingly uncanny about little oases of wildlife on the fringes of suburbia but there is a much greater beauty at Langstone, too. The land the club shoots over is owned by the RSPB and is a remarkable example of how fieldsports interests and those of the birdwatching public can coexist in perfect harmony. I’m told the RSPB…

Thousands shoot in BASC simulator More than 5,000 people were introduced to shooting last year through BASC’s ST-2 shooting simulator. BASC took the simulator to more than 47 events in 2017, including game fairs, county shows, courses, schools, political party conferences and a series of national sports roadshows. It was also made available for private hire—such as weddings, for example — as well as for corporate events. Peter Marshall, BASC’s sporting services officer, commented: “For many, this was the first time they had experienced shotgun shooting. Hopefully this will be the first step on a long shooting career.” Holts Auctioneers moves to new home After more than a decade of holding its auctions at Princess Louise House in Hammersmith, London, Holts Auctioneers will be moving to a new London-based saleroom…

I have recently found a copy of Shooting Times from January 1987. I kept this particular issue because my photo is on page 13 as one of four Guns invited by Pop Bailey to shoot on his field trial day. The first thing I notice is I’m the only one with an over-and-under. Today I guess everyone in such a photo would have over-and-unders. The adverts make interesting reading. John Norris is advertising a Barbour Game Fair jacket priced £66.95 (ah, the good old wax jacket); it may be the jacket I’m wearing in the photo along with wax leggings. It’s good to see that the company is still thriving. Jonathan Young was Editor at the time; Mike Swan and Tony Jackson are the only contributors still to be found…

LAURENCE CATLOW, A PASSIONATE SHOOTER AND ANGLER FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, HAS WRITTEN FIVE BOOKS ABOUT SPORT WITH ROD AND GUN. HIS NOTEBOOK RUNS IN THE FIRST ISSUE OF EVERY MONTH “At Low Park Pond more than 50 mallard had splashed down on to the water” Sometimes I find it difficult to decide what sort of shooting I like best. I love my High Park days, of course. I used to think of them as semi-organised days, when chaos and confusion were never too far away. That was when I was in charge, but headkeeper Tony Smith has brought order to my little shoot and it is all the better for it. I think our guests enjoyed themselves at our second shoot (Days of deep pleasure, 13 December); I…

“Modest shoots, many run on a DIY basis, can find outlets for any surplus game” As I write, I have four pheasants hanging in my game shed. They will be supplemented by a further two birds in a day or so and, in the light of the current spell of Arctic weather, plucking will be extended over the next fortnight or so. As readers will know, if they have been paying attention, I dislike the easy option of breasting. It may be a swift, cop-out solution but you end up with two lumps of raw meat in lieu of a neatly dressed and prepared bird fit to grace the oven. Yes, each bird takes me 45 minutes to pluck, but it is time well spent, sitting on a bale of…

“The birds are flying well; they are sharp and are flushing freely from heavy cover” Our season has gone well to date and, while we still have January to go, we are feeling quietly confident. The birds have held well and despite it being fairly mild early on we have now had our first frosts, and what I would call proper winter days, for several years. The cold weather and winds have definitely tightened the birds up and moved them off the fields into the drives. They are flying well — which wasn’t the case last year when we had some substandard wheat — they are sharp and they are flushing freely even from heavy cover. The distribution of the birds is different. We have some drives that are stronger…

Q With the recent addition of twin babies into the home it is now not practical or sensible for my three gundogs to live inside. We have a good-sized barn and were wondering if they would be all right out there day and night until the children are older. Would dog beds and some straw be sufficient? A Though your dogs have been used to the comforts of the family home they should soon acclimatise to life outdoors, even if this time of year is not the ideal time to start the acclimatisation process. Most dogs that are kept in a social group enjoy snuggling up together but others prefer to be on their own; you should know what your dogs do at present and provide for them accordingly. A…

Q Our birds are still very spread out and we are struggling to get them into the drives. I appreciate that it is quite late in the season, but is there anything we can do to bring them in off the edges and into the drives where we want them, or have we left it too late? A I suspect your birds are finding plenty to eat where they are and don’t really need to pull into the drives to feed. If it is because there is still a lot of natural food about, there isn’t a lot you can do about it. It may, on the other hand, be because your feeders are in the wrong places and because you are trail feeding and scattering food everywhere, instead of…

The fastest dogs on the planet have a long history, for dogs resembling the modern breed are depicted in carvings on ancient Egyptian tombs, dating back some 4,000 years. The greyhound is the classic sight hound, hunting by sight rather than scent. They can achieve speeds of up to 45mph, but their fierce acceleration is extraordinary — they can achieve this speed within six strides. The only animal that is quicker is the cheetah. Despite being capable of such extraordinary speeds, they are the classic couch potato and retired greyhounds are renowned for their laid-back nature, requiring little in the way of exercise. They are also noted for their soft, easy-going temperaments. Around 8,000 retire from racing every year; the Greyhound Trust strives to rehome as many as it can.…

Q I have an old Zeiss 6x42mm scope, which is not as clear as it once was and seems a bit misty inside. What’s the problem and can it be fixed? A It sounds to me like the scope has “fogged”, which is quite common if the scope seals have become damaged. Nearly all scopes these days, especially a high-end one, are hermetically sealed at manufacture then the whole interior of the scope is purged with nitrogen to remove any oxygen. This stops moisture accumulating and water vapour causing the problem you have of fogging. It is exacerbated by temperature fluctuations. This shouldn’t be confused with condensation on the outer surface of the scope; fogging is an internal problem. It could be a simple change of one seal in the…

IN THE GARDEN If you haven’t done so already, you’ll soon be thinking about taking down and disposing of your Christmas tree. But don’t let it go to waste — instead, shred it for mulch or use the evergreen branches as an excellent base for a new compost pile. Alternatively, place the tree outside to provide shelter for birds or, if you turn it on its side, small mammals. WIN The Countryside Alliance (CA) is giving participants the chance to win a pair of hand-crafted William Evans Connaught Premiums worth close to £25,000 in its spring raffle. The winner will be able to choose the specifications of the guns and they will also receive a two-hour fitting session at Bisley Shooting Ground. Tickets are £25 each, with all proceeds going…

The Countryside Alliance (CA) has cautioned that a new animal welfare bill must not be misused to restrict the work of farmers and other land managers. Environment secretary Michael Gove recently published a draft bill to increase the maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty from six months to five years in England and Wales. This bill also states the Government “must have regard to the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings in formulating and implementing Government policy”. Tim Bonner, chief executive of the CA, commented: “The Countryside Alliance welcomes increased sentences for those guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to animals. But we are unsure about why the Government feels it necessary to legislate that animals are sentient when the existing law already recognises this. “While the bill has been…

“Six birds in the bag for a total of 20 shots between us but each was worth its weight in gold” We Brits can be a little condescending about our American cousins. Who hasn’t stared open-mouthed while they use a knife and fork, attempt to spell “colour” or elect a President? We chuckle at their use of the word “hunting”, when those who wield cutlery correctly know that they mean “shooting”. However, thanks to a morning with the Thetford Rod and Gun Club, I think our “special relations” may have got it right; this is hunting, not merely shooting. The club is a small walked-up syndicate just outside Brandon, situated on the border of Suffolk and Norfolk within the region known as the Brecks. Breckland is poor farming country, a…

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,…

Q I have been running a modest shoot for several years, and have always sold shot game to a local dealer. However, the price I get for it has gone down, while at the same time several local people, as well as my local pub, have expressed interest in buying birds from me. Am I allowed to sell game directly to them? A It is good to hear that you are looking to develop the market for game in your local area. There are many people who will pay a fair price for well-presented birds, if they are given the chance to do so. If you wish to sell to the final consumer as opposed to a game dealer — for example, to local members of the public or to…

Walking along a rocky beach in the winter is a great way to lift the spirits. As the waves break on the rocks and the water slides off, you may be lucky enough to see purple sandpipers dash into the edge of the water, hoping to find a stunned shrimp or other morsel. Purple sandpipers are small grey waders with yellowish legs. They often feed with more brightly coloured turnstone, but seem even better at living life on the edge — in the breaking waves on the rockiest of beaches. The “purple” of the name may seem odd until you see a bird in fresh plumage on a sunny spring day when the feathers shine with an iridescent purplish sheen. It is estimated that 13,000 purple sandpipers join us for…

Q When I have been ferreting recently I have been getting a few erratic readings on my ferret finder. Almost every time I dig I seem to be a good 6in wide of the mark. Why is this? A I doubt that this is just down to your experience and proficiency in finding your errant ferret. A lot of this has to do with the warren’s design, how the ferret finder collar is fitted on your ferret and, most importantly, how your ferret positions itself when trying to turn a rabbit away from a stop-end. The signal from a ferret finder emits in an almost egg-shaped wavelength upwards. The calibration of these devices is such that they are only a guide. Soil, metallic objects and wireless interference also affect the…

“Charlie was sent out. We waited. He galloped out of the blizzard, carrying a stone-dead goose” Somebody once said: “If you can’t remember every bird you shot during a driven day, then you shot too many.” Yet there will always be certain shots that stand out. Sometimes it just takes something to trigger the memory. I kept a very simple sort of game book when I was at school. The entries are very brief, but I have only to glance at them to recall the day in question. Today, at the start of 2018, I regret that I didn’t keep up my shooting diary as well as I could have done. Nonetheless, those shots stick in the mind — even when it wasn’t me who was pulling the trigger. I…

11 JANUARY BASC GREY SQUIRREL CONTROL COURSE Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, Betws Bledrws, Ceredigion Tel 01283 810910 14 JANUARY THE BARRIE MURDOCH MEMORIAL TRIAL Wickenby Airfield and Woods, Lincolnshire Tel 07974 234883 17-18 JANUARY LAMMA East of England Showground, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Tel 01754 890001 23 JANUARY GWCT FARMLAND BIRD ID DAY Fawley Court Farm, Herefordshire Tel 01572 718730 16-18 FEBRUARY THE GREAT BRITISH SHOOTING SHOW National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham Tel 08443 380338 25 FEBRUARY THE SAVILLS COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE POINT TO POINT Badbury Rings, Dorset Tel 07974 141933…

Recently, mornings have been a bit of a struggle. In part, it is down to the Christmas parties. Flopping on to my bed on a Monday at quarter to midnight, after an evening of drinking Glühwein while being earbashed about big bags, makes for a wearisome Tuesday. But actually, I suspect my exhaustion is the result of a sleepless and rather stressful romp up the country for an engagement with Hebridean grouse (Wild grouse in Eden, 27 December 2017). Don’t get me wrong — one day, when I am old, recollecting the morning I nobbled my first ever right-and-left over a setter will warm my feeble heart, but such grand voyages really do take some time to recover from. The weekend prior to that trip, I was invited on a…

Someone asked me the other day when I classed my gundogs as being “fully trained”. It is a difficult question to answer because I don’t think you can ever class any dog as being fully trained. You only have to look at some of the most successful gundog trainers in the country, those who frequently qualify their dogs for such prestigious events as the championships of the various gundog breeds. Those leading trainers will be constantly honing and polishing their dogs’ performance; they will be continually looking at how to put those dogs into situations that develop their “real field experience” and endeavouring to correct any little issues that may manifest themselves. IN DETAIL MY LABRADOR REMY and Dolly the springer spaniel have been working at least a couple of…

You might have seen a rather pleasing story that appeared in the papers last November. According to a study of 3.4million Swedes, dog owners have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who don’t have a canine companion. Even more significant, ownership of a hunting breed gave the greatest benefit. Curiously, none of the reports of this study that I read seemed to consider that owning a hunting breed was only part of the reason why these people live longer. It is obvious that simply patting your setter isn’t going to do you a lot of good. It is what you do with your hunting dog that counts. Hunting (shooting) in Sweden is a very different pursuit from ours. The quarry is invariably wild and its pursuit usually involves…

Q The gamekeeper on one of my woodland shoots has asked if I can help to keep crows in check while I’m out controlling other pests with my air rifle, and suggested that I should target them at their roost. I’ve located the roost, where splashes of white droppings confirm that the crows are present, but I’ve hardly seen any birds there. I guess my timing is right as I’ve seen the odd woodpigeon coming in to roost, so where are the crows? A I think you probably need to stay later. Crows usually return to the roost quite some time after the pigeons have finished flighting — often when the light has all but gone. The gloomy conditions can make for tricky shooting but crows are usually a lot…

Latin name: Primula vulgaris Common name: Primrose Other names: Butter rose, jack in box, jack-in-the-green, King-Charles-in-the-oak, lady’s frills, milk maid, primorole, St Peter’s wort, summeren, may spink, summerlocks How to spot it and where to find it: Amid the bleak winter forests, you may spy a tiny wink of colour, a sign that spring is not too far away. The primrose is most common in damp conditions and its presence can indicate ancient woodland, though it is also seen in hedgerows, banks and on mountains. It is one of the first spring flowers to bloom, appearing as early as late December if the weather is mild. Its flowers, which range from pale to deep yellow with darker orange centres, grow in clusters and form on the ends of upright woolly…

Q My dog has suddenly started sneezing. Can dogs get colds and flu like humans? Over the past few days there have been persistent bouts of sneezing, runny nose and she snores when asleep as if her nose is blocked. A Dogs don’t get colds and flu in the same way that we do and upper respiratory tract infections in dogs are commonly characterised by coughing rather than sneezing. The signs you describe suggest she most likely has some form of rhinitis, an inflammation or infection of the nasal passages. There are numerous causes of rhinitis in dogs and the condition can be either acute (short duration followed by complete recovery) or chronic (longer-lasting with symptoms that persist). Acute rhinitis is most commonly caused by viral and/or bacterial infections. Chronic…