Innholdsfortegnelse for 10-Jan-2018 i Shooting Times & Country

I put the gun into my shoulder, pulled the trigger and then lay on the ground with my ear against the cold earth. Somewhere deep within the rabbit warren I could hear a frantic scratching. Over the years I’ve learned that the only way to coax my errant terrier from pursuing anything subterranean is to trick her into believing that you have just pricked a bird that needs to be despatched. On Boxing Day the ruse worked perfectly and she came flying up out of the darkness. But some 10 minutes later, nose to the ground and deaf to my calls, she tore off again. That morning she put up every last pheasant well out of range and we returned to our cars empty-handed. I had kindly been invited by…

Bright Seeds donates to NGO Cover crop specialist Bright Seeds has presented the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) with a cheque for £3,853 to help fund the continued promotion of gamekeeping. The money was raised by donating £1 for every kilo sold of its cover crop Utopia — a cross between black mustard and wild Ethiopian kale. NGO chairman Liam Bell said the “generous sponsorship” will greatly support the organisation’s efforts “to secure the future of gamekeeping” and added that “the money raised will be put to good use”. Clifton-Brown MP receives knighthood Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP for the Cotswolds and chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Shooting and Conservation, received his knighthood in the New Year’s Honours List. Christopher Graffius, BASC’s acting chief executive, commented: “All at BASC congratulate…

In recent issues there have been some comments about moderating the size of the day’s bag and adhering to the dress code in the shooting field. However, some of your more traditional readers may be shocked to learn that the Guns at the Copse shoot in Herefordshire entered into the spirit of Christmas by wearing red trousers — or anything red, or pink, or burgundy — plus cravats. Our shoot captain wore a red hat with a large crab sewn on to it, claiming that he thought we were to wear a crab hat instead of a cravat. It certainly provided a different image of Santa Claws. The bag was a little less than usual that day, probably due to the sight of the wrong trousers and Jingle Bells being…

“The unity of the group was shattered and we were left with a single pair” I produced some grey partridge poults in the summer. The eggs came from England and were hatched beneath broody hens in the back garden. The young birds grew into fine adult ones, but the wild winds of October flattened their pen and released them to the world. I worried that all my work had been wasted, but the “covey” remained around the farmyard for months. They ranged around the rushes on the hill, but always returned to feeding greedily on shreds of wheat and barley from the straw in the cattle shed. They became extremely tame, and one or two could even be fed by hand. My first instinct was to catch some of these…

NOVICES AND A CHANGE OF SCENE I am starting to work the ferrets that I bred last year. Working young ferrets is frustrating. There are some naturals but others just don’t have a clue, no matter how well bred. It requires a lot of patience as bad habits started now will be hard to eradicate later. Working them with my experienced team helps but it is down to the ferret itself. Now it is not only nature but nurture to get them right. Put yourself in a ferret’s shoes. You have been in a run for six months with tubes, pools and food. You have been fighting, playing and chasing each other to pass the time. Then one day life changes. I open the run, put you in a box,…

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 see that CCI now produces a segmented .22 rimfire round that is meant to be safe because it splits into three pieces. Does it work and how good is it? A True, one of the problems with all the rimfire .22-calibre loads is that they are made from lead and thus have a tendency to ricochet. Hollow points help the lead to expand and deliver greater energy to the game, but CCI has a new approach. Each round has an overall length of 0.9790in and the CCI has its own copper-clad or washed finish and dry lube. The CCI weighs 40-gr and has only 0.8 grains of silver flake powder in the case. Compared with a conventional Eley Subsonic round that has a larger hollow point, the CCI’s…

Ravens can breed very early and the first pairs could well have eggs next month. The species was driven from much of England by 18th- and 19th-century gamekeepers but has spread back into many areas over the past 50 years. These are sedentary birds so it is not surprising that the recovery has been slow, with youngsters setting up territories short distances from where they were raised and only when three or more years old. Ravens can live up to 18 years and pairs remain together in traditional territories. Listen out for the unmistakable “cronk” call and look out for their aerobatic displays at this time of year. There are estimated to be about 7,400 pairs of ravens in the UK, but there must be a lot of immature birds…

Q I will be acquiring an eight-week-old springer puppy in January and would appreciate some advice on house training. A In order to avoid accidents in the house it is essential to understand the puppy’s signals when he needs to pass urine or defecate. Immediately take the little dog into the garden and remain with him until the business is done. Don’t just put him out, shut the door and hope for the best. When he has performed, give lots of praise and a small reward and make sure, on each occasion, he goes back to the same spot in the garden. If he does make a mistake in the house don’t threaten or be angry with him, but make sure you clean up thoroughly as any trace of urine…

“Good behaviour is not a luxury for us — it is a political necessity, now more than ever” Many pundits believe the political situation for shooting could be turbulent in 2018. Battle lines are being drawn. Just before the turn of the year, the Daily Telegraph ran a story titled “War on fieldsports feared as No.10 adviser suggests curbs on firearms”. The gist of the story was that the Prime Minister’s recently appointed environment adviser, Sir John Randall, had given what is being interpreted as words of comfort to anti-shooting campaigners during a private meeting. He allegedly said that he had raised their concerns personally with Michael Gove, the environment secretary. It just so happens that Sir John, a former Tory MP, is a keen birder and a former trustee…

SHOOT If your New Year’s resolution was to improve your shooting this year look no further than a masterclass with international clay shooter Mark Winser at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School. Held throughout the year and beginning with a session on 3 March, each masterclass runs from 9.30am until 5pm and is limited to six people, who will receive individual instruction alongside demonstrations, Q&A sessions and a fun competition. The cost is £250 plus VAT per person and includes everything except cartridges. To book, tel 01491 672900 or email amber@rbss.org.uk. BOOK We are pleased to invite Woodcock Club members to the 34th annual Shooting Times Woodcock Club dinner, at the Old Palace at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, on 24 March. Members and guests will enjoy an evening drinks reception, a three-course…

1 Hatsan Proxima air rifle RRP £580.35 www.edgarbrothers.com This Vortex gas piston-powered repeater air rifle is available in three calibres: .177, .22 and .25, with capacity for 14, 12 and 10 shots respectively. Ideal for both target shooting and pest control, the Proxima features a Quattro trigger as standard, along with two detachable clip magazines and the proprietary vibration-reducing shock absorber system. 2 Snowbee steel smoker RRP £52.99 www.farlows.co.uk A generously sized smoker/cooker, large enough to fit four or five small trout, or two large fish, heads and tails removed. Includes a stand, two fuel pans with heat adjustment, cooking pan, lid with adjustable smoke vent, drip tray and grill. Handily, the smoker packs away inside its own stand for storage. 3 Ridgeline Typhoon jacket RRP £149.99 www.ridgelineclothing.co.uk Utilising the…

“The beaters struggled to get the well-fed birds to a sufficient height in the drizzle” Derbyshire is a peaceful place at the liveliest of times but the county was positively soporific as I pulled my wellies on next to the weir and moss-covered bridge. Giles Bramwell, the shoot captain and full-time vet, had assured me that smoke would be visible out of the chimney upon arrival and I could see a ruddy glow through the lead-lined windows of the mill house. The fantastic pinks of the freezing winter dawn had barely subsided as the Guns stomped up the wooden steps. Mugs of coffee passed hand to hand throughout the roof space — soon followed by the numbered stirrup cups, received with crossed fingers hoping for a favourable spot on the…

“Peter Horn shot five sky-high pheasants and made the shot of the day with a cloud-climbing pigeon” •GAME CARD• Name: Hele Barton shoot, Jacobstow, Cornwall Date: 13 December Terrain: Deep valleys, ample woodland, no cover crops and no vehicle access Weather: Driving rain and wind Guns: Titus Brimacombe, Peter Horn, Peter Pinno, Brian Smith, Johnny Gifford, Dennis Stepney Bag: 90 pheasants, 3 ducks, 4 pigeons, 1 woodcock Contact: Steve McDonald, tel 07973 835117, email steven.mac@btconnect. com  or visit www.steviemacsfishingandshooting.co.uk For the rain it raineth every day. Shakespeare must have been thinking of the West Country when he wrote that line in Twelfth Night. Shortly before Christmas I was in Cornwall with a team of six Guns on a day…

“Veteran classes are great for keeping an older dog fit, supple and interested in life” ONE OF THE most frustrating things about good gundogs is that their working lives are so short. A dog is typically three or four years old when it matures into the best you have ever had, but five or six years later you realise that his working life is approaching its end. I’ve met dogs that have worked until they were 12 or 13, but at this age it is seldom more than a retirement job, picking-up on a couple of drives or perhaps managing half-an-hour’s hedgerow hunting. I’m sure it is possible to prolong a dog’s working life by keeping it keen and active during the close season, perhaps giving it a variety of…

Q I have been trying to move the training forward quite sensibly with my 10-month-old Labrador bitch, but now the hours of daylight do not give me time for any training in the week because of work commitments. Do you think taking her out on the shoot on a Saturday would be all right or is she still too young to take shooting? She is really easy to handle and walks to heel, retrieves to hand dummies and will handle using the whistle, but has not been on game yet. A My advice is to be patient. If you take her out on the shoot before she has been carefully introduced to cold game and subsequently live game under training conditions first, you may ruin all the hard work you…

Latin name: Lepista saeva Common name: Field blewit Other names: Pied bleu, blue leg How to spot it and where to find it: Like the wood blewit, to which it is related, the field version is common throughout the UK. Its cap is greyish brown to beige rather than the violet of the former. Its stem is off-white with a blue or lilac covering, short and chunky and often wider at the base. The gills are tightly packed and off-white, developing a flesh-coloured or pink tinge as the fruit body ages. The field blewit gives off a strong scent and has a pleasantly perfumed mushroomy flavour. Interesting facts: The prefix Lepista is Latin for wine pitcher or goblet, and when fully mature the caps of the blewit mushroom become concave…

Q I have heard that it is no longer safe to give dogs antler chews. What is your advice on this? A As far as I can ascertain this relates to concerns raised a few years ago by a number of veterinary dental specialists who reported on increasing numbers of dogs being presented with broken teeth associated with chewing on antlers. The injury reported is of “slab” fractures to dogs’ carnassial and canine teeth and the particular concern is that these fractures will result in exposure of the “pulp” inside the tooth; an injury that is painful and requires veterinary treatment, either extraction or specialist repair. The problem is not solely related to chewing on antlers but indeed to providing dogs with anything that is particularly hard and unyielding on…

Q The winters aren’t what they used to be and I am experiencing more and more undergrowth over and around the warrens. I do not want to wait until it dies back to start ferreting as it never really does. How do you deal with this problem? A The undergrowth is the scourge of us ferreters in the 21st century. When I was young, the winters were hard, with plenty of frosts and snow. This not only curtailed the spread of the undergrowth, but knocked it down quicker. This then leaves the warrens uncovered and easier to find and work sensibly. This isn’t the case any more — the winters are warming up and the green undergrowth can grow 12 months of the year. What I use is a simple…

Q When ring-necked parakeets first started appearing around my home in Surrey I was assured that the first really cold winter would kill them. That was 25 years ago, and we have had sufficient cold winters since then for this to be proven wrong. Are they tougher than everyone thought? A It appears that many people underestimated the ring-necked parakeet, forgetting that in its extensive natural range it is hugely adaptable. In Africa, it is found naturally south of the tropic of Cancer and north of the Equator, but on the Indian subcontinent it ranges as high as 4,000ft in the Himalayas, in areas where the winters can be very cold. It is a bird that is able to withstand freezing temperatures, especially when it can raid bird tables for…

14 JANUARY THE BARRIE MURDOCH MEMORIAL TRIAL Wickenby Airfield and Woods, Lincoln, Lincolnshire Tel 07974 234883 17-18 JANUARY LAMMA East of England Showground, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Tel 01754 890001 21 JANUARY “GAME ON” TASTE OF GAME EVENT Food Sorcery, Waterside Hotel & Leisure Club, Didsbury, Manchester Tel 01619 717000 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…

“The pheasants are now exceedingly streetwise and know every escape route in the book” Keepers and beaters — and perhaps the dogs, too — are beginning to wind down because, with only a handful of days left to go, the end of the season is in sight. One final push and shooting will be over for another year, with just a final few last hurrahs left to test our mettle. Quality January pheasants are much sought after and they pose a challenge, both to the Guns and keepers. It can be tricky to put these birds over the Guns, not only because they are much thinner on the ground, but also because they have been educated at the finishing school of life. So there is little room for error when…

I view their arrival with as much anticipation as geese, as they both herald harder times. They note the passing of the seasons as markedly as the leaves dropping from the trees or the beginning of another game or angling season. The millions of assorted members of the thrush family that come here for the winter are as much a part of our birdlife as the robin in your garden. These sometimes noisy chattering masses may spend half their lives with us, but relatively speaking few of them nest here. I have lumped the members of the thrush family together for the simple reason it is hard to consider one without thinking of them all, as they are so often found together. Observed in groups of scores to hundreds, foraging…

I was delighted to hear that David Lisett, one of the most charming and unassuming men you could wish to meet, won the International Gundog League Retriever Championship last month (Xena’s retriever royalty, 27 December), handling the Duke of Buccleuch’s FTCh Buccleuch Xena (Daisy). I interviewed David in 2004, not long after the Earl of Dalkeith had appointed him as gundog manager for Buccleuch Gundogs. It was a brave move for David, a gifted amateur spaniel handler, to turn his hobby into his Job, but it has clearly been a great success. When the Earl (now the 10th Duke of Buccleuch) appointed David, his intention was to re-establish the Buccleuch Labrador kennel. If you delve into the history of the Labrador retriever you will find that this Scottish kennel played…

Q The number of magpies in my garden has grown considerably over the past couple of years and I am concerned that they will take a terrible toll on the local songbirds next spring. I live in a rural area, but in the middle of a village and my garden is surrounded by other houses. How would you advise controlling them? A A general licence permits the taking of magpies to prevent serious damage or disease, to preserve public health or public safety, or to conserve flora and fauna (including wild birds). It is the last of these three purposes that would enable you to kill or take magpies to protect the nests and young of songbirds in your garden. It would be lawful to shoot magpies with a suitable…

Q I know that roebucks get called during the rut. As someone who is new to stalking, is it possible to call muntjac and if so when is the best time of the year to try to do this? A Muntjac can be called and a lot of stalkers make use of this technique with success. Unlike roe, however, muntjac do not have a specific rut period, as the species breeds all year round. With this in mind, the animals can in theory be called at any time of the year. The use of a call that makes a squeaking noise is best so a roe call will often work, as will a squeezable call like a Buttalo. As with roe calling, less is often more and like roe the…

Despite their terrier-like appearance, schnauzers share little in the way of similarities with British terriers. They have been known in Germany for at least 600 years and their name translates as “whiskered snout” — this is one of the breed’s most distinctive features. The early schnauzers were bred for herding, guarding and ratting: they have a reputation for being intelligent and easy to train. Today there are three types of schnauzer. The giant lives up to its name by being up to 27in tall. These imposing dogs are popular with the police in the US, and they also make serious guard dogs. At 19in the standard schnauzer, the original variety, looks like a smaller version of its giant cousin. It is the miniature schnauzer that is most popular as a…

Will reducing the number of feeders we have put out help to concentrate our remaining birds in the drives? It may, but it does depend on how many you have got in the first place and which ones you take away. I’d be tempted to only feed the drives you intend to do between now and the end of the season. Remove the feeders from the outlying areas, but make sure there are enough to service the birds you have in the drives. Birds don’t want to have to compete for food nor will they hang about if the hoppers run out of it. If you have a minimum of two hoppers per drive and somewhere close to one hopper for every 30 or so birds, you won’t go far…