Innholdsfortegnelse for 13-Jun-2018 i Shooting Times & Country

In association with Orvis For all things dog, Shooting Times recommends Orvis.co.uk  Outdoor outfitters, instructors and apparel makers since 1856.…

Cosmetics retailer Lush has been criticised for its recent “anti-spy cops” campaign and branded as hypocritical for condemning covert surveillance while supporting secret filming of legal hunting activities. The campaign has been widely condemned as “disgusting” on social media, with claims that it is an attack on the police. Lush says it is drawing attention to “the ongoing undercover policing scandal, where officers have infiltrated the lives, homes and beds of activists”. It said it wanted to highlight a “secretive subset of undercover policing” that undermined democracy. This is a highly hypocritical stance, as Lush has itself funded undercover surveillance through its support of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “The issue with Lush is not raising the matter of…

ISSF vice-president banned and fined Luciano Rossi, vice-president of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), has been fined and banned for three years by the governing body’s Ethics Committee. The current ISSP president claimed Rossi schemed to hold an Extraordinary General Assembly, to discuss alterations to the sport’s programme at Tokyo 2020, so he could lobby the membership. It was alleged that Rossi opposed the changes as he had a conflict of interest; a company in which he reportedly has a large stake owns nearly 20 per cent of Eurotarget, makers of clay targets used in double trap shooting. This discipline was dropped from the Olympic programme. Birthday honours June 2018 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Henry, the inventor of “Henry rifling”, which greatly improved the…

Last year my then six-year-old Labrador went out on a pigeon shoot. He worked well, retrieved perhaps 60 birds, drank dirty water and next day was sick. We took him to the vet, he had a course of antibiotics and all seemed well. That weekend we went to shoot again. This time, in his determination to be first out of the jeep, he fell out on to the draw bar, gave a yelp but looked fine and he retrieved 40 birds or so that day. The next morning we saw a lump on his chest so it was off to the vet again. They drained off blood and washed out and stitched, and gave him another course of antibiotics. Over the weekend, the cavity filled again and he did not…

“Not only can pigeons see colour, but they can see more colours than we can” Pigeons are not my preferred quarry, partly because I am hopeless with a shotgun, but also because I live deep in livestock farming country where pigeons are relatively scarce and almost entirely harmless. The thing I shoot most often is the ground near rabbits, closely followed by rabbits themselves, and it was rabbits that brought me to investigate the issue of pigeon vision. Sneaking down a hedge one evening I was closing in on a small band of them and feeling quite chuffed with my fieldcraft and stealth. I had a particular fence post in mind to shoot off and with only a few metres to go the bunnies were totally ignorant of my presence.…

The other day my puppy Emma flushed her first game bird: the fact that it was a cock grey partridge was a good omen. This spring I’ve been seeing a pair of greys in my field almost every day and I’m pretty sure that they are nesting. The field is 3.5 acres of grass and rough cover, with paths cut through it. For a puppy that is only 8in tall, walking those paths is the equivalent for us of walking through a wood. Emma simply came round a corner and there was the partridge in front of her. He took off instantly, calling harshly, and Emma spent the next minute sniffing around, wondering where he had gone. With wild game it is difficult to arrange a meeting between a puppy…

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…

This is a domestic duck easily recognised by its black-and-white plumage, the white feathers contrasting with a distinctive black cap, back and tail. Other colours are also recognised, including chocolate, blue and silver. The breed is almost 100 years old, as the first mention of it dates from the end of World War I. It originates from Wales, where Oliver Drake and M.C. Gower-Williams first bred it. The shape and posture of the magpie suggests that both khaki Campbells and Indian runners were used in its development, along with the Belgian Huttegem. The magpie is a good layer, with a duck producing anything from 200 to 280 eggs a year. They are typically a docile breed and can be easily handled. They also make good table birds.…

“A basic kit can be carried in the car, the beaters’ wagon or on the game cart” No matter how careful we are when working our dogs, accidents will happen — so be prepared, have a first-aid kit available and know how to use it. My basic kit is shown on page 10. It is easiest to have everything packed into a plastic sandwich box that can be carried either in the car, the beaters’ wagon or on the game cart. It is a good idea to seal the lid with tape, to help keep the contents clean and deter people from using these items for other than the intended purpose. My kit comprises a selection of bandages — plain cotton bandages or dressings, adhesive bandages, Elastoplast or Vetrap (a…

Cuts and lacerations are probably the most common type of injuries that we have to deal with in the field and typically a dog that has been cut returns with blood on its coat, or is seen to be limping or holding up one foot. Blood on a dog’s coat will often make the injury appear much worse than it actually is, especially if it has injured its tail or cut its ear when, after shaking its head or wagging its tail, a small wound can make the dog look like it is covered in blood. With good shoot management, injuries from barbed wire are relatively uncommon, but when they do occur the wounds can be quite extensive and more severe — barbed wire tends to tear as well as…

Skinner’s products are formulated to meet the nutrient profiles of specific life stages, and energy requirements of any sporting dog. They use only the finest natural ingredients and pride themselves in each aspect of quality. Ingredients Carbohydrate The grains found in Skinner’s Field & Trial range are of exceptional quality, with many sourced from the fields surrounding their Mill in Suffolk. Grains such as wheat, barley and maize provide complex carbohydrates which offer a much slower-burning source of energy. This is ideal for dogs working out in the field for several hours at a time. Brown rice is also an extremely popular source of carbohydrate found in the Skinner’s diet. This has been found to provide a fast release of energy, making it ideal for active and working dogs. Proteins…

Bandaging a foot Though it may be only a small wound affecting one pad, bandage further up the leg as well as the foot; this will prevent the bandage slipping off (see illustration, right). Start by placing small pieces of cotton wool between each of the pads — this can be omitted in an emergency. Trap the end of a cotton bandage between your finger and under the leg. Bring the bandage underneath the foot, over the foot and then up the leg, under your thumb. Then take the bandage back down, under the foot and up under the leg to where you started. Make a half twist in the bandage and then wrap the bandage around the leg, while removing your finger and thumb. Holding the leg at the…

Occasionally a dog will collapse during or immediately after strenuous exercise, particularly an excitable dog “given its head” in the beating line. Signs vary from looking a little wobbly and “spaced out” to becoming weak and falling over. Make sure the dog is able to breathe easily; extend the head and pull out the tongue if necessary to maintain a good airway. Give the dog glucose or something equally sugary; either sprinkle glucose powder or smear glucose syrup or honey on the lips, gums and under the tongue. Keep the dog warm, particularly if it has collapsed and is lying on its side. If on cold ground, put something under the dog to keep it from losing heat and cover it with a warm coat. Once the dog has recovered,…

Alabama rot was first recognised in the UK in 2012 and cases are on the rise. In 2017, 40 cases were recorded — twice as many as the previous year. The disease affects blood vessels, the skin and kidneys and there is no known cure. However, antibiotics can be used to treat lesions, which should be covered. The disease is thought to be caught in muddy and wooded areas and owners are advised to wash their dogs as soon as they return from a walk. Initial symptoms include sores on the legs, chest and abdomen. Cases this year, at the time of writing, have been recorded in: Greater Manchester Devon Tooting and Dulwich Lincolnshire West Sussex Cornwall…

RODENT BAIT Usually contains substances that are anticoagulants — warfarin, for example — which act by preventing blood from clotting and thereby lead to bleeding both internally as well as superficially, for example, in the lips and gums. The effects are not immediate and usually progress slowly depending on the amount ingested. Signs include lethargy, exercise intolerance, pale lips and gums, bleeding (both internal and external), and ultimately shock due to blood loss. If you see that the dog has consumed rodent bait or rat poison try to make it sick by giving it salt or mustard and seek veterinary attention. SLUG PELLETS The active, toxic, ingredient is metaldehyde, which is extremely poisonous in dogs, causing twitching, tremors, muscle spasms, panting, and distressful breathing within 30 minutes. The lips, gums…

A dog that has collapsed through heat stroke requires immediate emergency treatment. Remove the dog from the hot environment. Take it indoors to a cool room — preferably one with a tiled floor — or outdoors into fresh air and shade. Emergency measures to cool the dog must begin at once. If you can, take the dog’s rectal temperature. Mild cases may be resolved by simply moving the dog into a cool environment, wetting the coat, and providing cool drinking water. If the rectal temperature is above 103°F-104°F, begin rapid cooling by immersing the dog in cold, but not iced, water or spraying the dog with a hose. Place the wet dog in front of an electric fan. Cool packs applied to the groin area may be helpful, as well…

Last week I stood in a bougie London hotel surrounded by hip young people. There were haircuts I’ve never seen before and I don’t care to see them again. It was the British Society of Magazine Editors awards and I was on the shortlist for new editor of the year. Sadly, I did not win but when the nominees were announced and my ratting cover (3 May 2017) — terrier with great whiskered beast in its mouth — flashed up on the screen, I felt rather proud. Needless to say the room didn’t erupt into applause. It seems ratting is not desperately popular among media types but I didn’t care — I was representing Shooting Times, a magazine I migrated to from the Beano aged seven and have loved ever…

1 Automatic game feeder: 6v & 12v RRP £74.99  www.a1decoy.co.uk If you are looking to build up your flightpond for the coming season this automatic feeder is for you. Mounted to any feed container, it turns a simple feeder into a reliable dispenser and ensures that your birds are being fed even if you are not there to do it. Contains a timer, motor and spinner plate. 2 Indie suede cap RRP £155  www.lockhatters.co.uk The Indie eight piece is crafted from luxurious goatskin that has been treated to give a suede finish. Effortlessly stylish, it will be a standout winner on a shoot day or a day out on the river. The cap is available in a variety of sizes to fit any head. 3 Finn fly wallet RRP £59.99…

Latin name: Chamaenerion angustifolium Common name: Rosebay willowherb Other names: Fireweed, bombweed How to spot it and where to find it: The tall spikes of rosebay willowherb can be seen on waste ground, railway embankments, rocky spaces, mountain scree and forest clearings throughout the UK. The plant has reddish, stiff woody stems with alternate willow-like leaves. The stems are topped by an elongated cluster of bright pink to lilac-purple outward-facing flowers. From June to September, the four-petalled flowers bloom on each central stem, which can simultaneously have seed pods at the bottom, open flowers in the middle and unopened flower buds at the top. The pods produce abundant fluffy seeds that are readily carried on the wind. Interesting facts: The plant’s nickname comes from its ability to spread in areas…

“Feeding your flightpond with barley over wheat helps to keep the costs down” Wild duck flighting can be one of the most rewarding forms of wildfowling. During my long career as a gamekeeper I have restored and fed many flightponds. Shooting more than a dozen birds is usually rare, with an average flight of four to six duck shot being the norm. Before the ducks begin to appear, a whole host of other wildlife can be seen; barn owls and bats usually make an appearance over the water. Most of the other bird species have reached their roosting grounds, with jackdaws and rooks being the last to roost before the ducks come in. Feeding a bucket of barley into the margins from August can give you many flights during the…

1 Restrain the dog so it doesn’t run away or, if in pain or in fear, try to bite either yourself or another person. Put the dog on a lead, apply a comfortable muzzle if necessary (see below), and allow the dog to adopt the position in which it feels most at ease. HOW TO APPLY A COMFORTABLE MUZZLE 1) Take a smooth rope lead and make a loop with a single knot and pass over the dog’s nose. 2) Pull the knot tight. 3) Cross the ends under the lower jaw. 4) Take the ends back under the ears and tie behind the head using a simple bow to allow the muzzle to be removed quickly in an emergency. 2 Ensure that the dog is…

In England and Wales docking is allowed for certified working dogs. Once a dog has been legally docked, the puppy must be microchipped by the time it is three months old and provided with a certificate signed by the vet who undertook the docking. In Northern Ireland, docking undertaken by a vet is also legal. In Scotland, the law changed in 2017, from an outright ban to allow the tails of HPRs and spaniels to be docked. Only the final third of the tail may be docked.…

Eyes Check your dog’s eyes regularly as they can be prone to injury, particularly when dogs are worked in dense cover and exercised in the summer and early autumn through long grass, heather and in dry dusty conditions. Examine around the dog’s eyelids for small wounds. Look for the presence of any excessive discharge or pus in the conjunctival sac — the area exposed when you pull back the eyelid. Check that the cornea — the front of the eyeball — is clear and not cloudy. An excessive, watery, discharge in one eye may indicate that the dog has something in its eye, particularly if the eye appears to irritate the dog. Stop the dog scratching or pawing its eye. Pull back the eyelid and look for any obvious cause.…

Vetrap bandage adheres to itself and can be unwrapped; other types of bandage, such as Elastoplast, may have to be cut off. Always use scissors with at least one “blunt”, round-ended, blade; use your forefinger to “control” the scissors as you open and close the blades using your thumb and another finger. Slide the scissors, blades closed, under the bandage. Open the blades as far as you can and withdraw the scissors. This creates a “canal” between the bandage and the underlying skin. Slide the blunt blade into the “canal” you have created and cut the bandage. Repeat as necessary until the bandage can be gently removed.…

DOFF YOUR CAP Graham Cattermole was asked to leave a Tesco Express in the West Midlands after a security guard said the flat cap he was wearing contravened policy. Mr Cattermole said: “We went into the Tesco Express then a security guard came up to us and said, ‘Sorry, you’re going to have to take your hat off or you can’t come in’. If I had a crash helmet on or I was wearing a hoodie and looked like a hooligan, I could understand, but I’m nearly 65 and I use a walking stick — it’s not like I’m going to hold the place up.” Mr Cattermole phoned Tesco to complain and eventually received an apology from staff at his local store. It turns out Tesco is not in fact…

BULLYING Oh what a crying shame. Our very own Editor allows himself to be bullied by those he describes as “fundamentalists” and then sees fit to complain about the event (Editor’s letter, 30 May). Surely he of all people should be capable of not only standing up for his right to do what is legal and necessary, but also to do so in a polite and erudite manner. “It wasn’t an argument worth having,” he states, but I say it most definitely was. It did not even need to be an argument. The situation required a statement of facts: “We are going to be shooting pigeons on the field. This is being done to prevent crop damage and the shot pigeons will later be eaten.” From what we read I…

NO FERRET SELFIES ON FACEBOOK PLEASE Ferrets have now had their litters and hopefully their owners will resist the urge to get a Facebook “selfie” with their day-old kits and let the nursing jill do her job in peace. Ferrets are great natural mothers, but they don’t put up with too much interference too early on. They are fiercely protective and deserve to be treated with respect. No matter how many times you look at the kits, they are not going to change sex but they could be in danger of being killed by their protective mother. Once mine are old enough to be handled — at around five weeks — I will play with them. Handling, larking around with them in the garden, getting them used to being stood…

The opening chapter of one of my favourite books, Woodcock and Snipe by J. W. Seigne and E. C. Keith, published in 1936, provides a marvellous account of Seigne’s lengthy observations of a woodcock nest and the secret rituals of the parent pair that tended it. The chapter is simply entitled “A Woodcock’s Nest” and since reading it, I’ve always been eager to see an incubating woodcock myself, accepting that relatively few people ever get the chance to do so. After discovering the nest, and taking care not to get too close, Seigne visited the site every day just before sunset, until the four eggs hatched and the woodcock chicks departed. His field notes are charming, but his description of how the woodcock pair greeted each other at the nest…

“The dog depends on the carnassials for crushing bones and shearing tough food” AS THE OWNER OF a teething puppy I’ve had rather more encounters with canine teeth in recent weeks than I have had for many years. Biting anything, from plants to people, is all part of being a puppy. Dogs have rather more teeth than us, but like humans they have two sets: baby teeth, which are soon lost, followed by the final set that should last for the rest of the dog’s life. The baby teeth are termed deciduous, as like leaves of a deciduous tree they fall, and a puppy should have 28 of them. They start to be lost from 12 weeks and by four months most of the deciduous teeth will have been shed…

History of pheasants in Britain WILD BIRDS Q When was the pheasant first introduced to Britain, and when did it become established here in the wild? A Pheasant bones have been found among Roman remains. However, whether the birds were captive or feral is impossible to say. The first documentary evidence for the pheasant in Britain occurs in details of rations specified in 1058-1059 by the Earl of East Anglia and Wessex for the Canons’ household at the monastery of Waltham Abbey, where one pheasant was held to provide as much food as a dozen blackbirds. References to pheasants increase from the 12th century onward. The species is mentioned in William Langland’s Piers Plowman, in about 1377, while the feast at the enthronement of the Archbishop of York in 1464…

The first yellow wagtails will soon be on the move, as youngsters from early broods make their way south towards their ultimate winter destinations in west Africa. Traditionally thought of as water meadow birds feeding on insects disturbed by grazing cattle, this is a species that I now look for in potato fields. Numbers plummeted in the 1980s and 1990s, leaving just a quarter of the number that were breeding 50 years ago. This decline may well be associated with the dryness of our farming landscapes, where irrigation of crops is a boon for insectivorous birds. Our yellow wagtail is a specific subspecies; across Europe, males have black, grey or blue caps, according to breeding area. Youngsters are pale brown birds with wagging tails and only a hint of the…

“If you launch strident campaigns, don’t be surprised if you provoke a reaction” Imagine you are strimming some long grass in the garden. Suddenly, thwock! You hit dog poo — a big, gooey one. Your predicament is not dissimilar to what has just happened to Lush, the antis’ favourite cosmetics company. For a business that profits from promises to improve a person’s scent and appearance, Lush has not exactly come up smelling of roses in its latest marketing campaign. Instead, it has managed to slather itself in malodorous ordure. The Poole-based company has caused a big stink with its current “Police Spies Out of Lives” campaign. This PR wheeze was supposed to milk concern about historical police undercover operations against green activists, a matter that is the subject of an…

Aas a dog owner, i have found reading through this booklet, written by Shooting Times contributing expert tony Buckwell, in association with skinner’s, very useful. i plan to keep a copy in my first-aid kit in the glove box of my car. anything can happen when we are out in the field, often miles from the nearest town, so it is vital to know what to do straight away in the event that something goes wrong. some years ago, my terrier had an altercation with a large fox when i was out wildfowling. she ended up with a badly injured jaw and i ended up in a real panic. if only i’d had this insightful booklet with me then.…

There is always a chance of an accident when shoot vehicles are about or you are working your dog in the beating line or picking-up near a road. Being involved in or witnessing a road accident involving a dog is very frightening and upsetting, but if you can stay calm and remember a few basic points, you may well save a dog’s life or prevent it from further serious injury. Stay calm — not only for your own sake but for the sake of your dog. The actions you take in the first few minutes can make all the difference. Prevent the situation deteriorating by ensuring you, the dog and other people are safe. Have someone stop any traffic and have it remain stationary until the dog is safely restrained.…

Dense-coated dogs with pendulous ears are prone to getting foreign material in their ears causing irritation and infection. Prevention is always better than cure; albeit not always totally effective. Clipping the hair from under the ear helps, as does regular cleansing, and your vet or a veterinary nurse will usually be willing to show you how best to do this. Grass awns — the spiky seeds found especially in long grass during the summer months — slide easily down the ear canal but aren’t easy to remove. The seeds have long, backward-projecting “hairs” attached to the seed case and the canine ear canal descends vertically before turning in at right angles and continuing horizontally towards the ear drum. Furthermore, grass seeds are sharply pointed and can penetrate skin, the lining…

“Bites on the face can lead to swelling and breathing difficul t ies” Nettles and insect bites These can cause significant irritation, particularly where the dog’s skin is less protected by hair — on the muzzle, abdomen and between the legs. If a dog becomes severely distressed, use one of the many proprietary human skin creams that contain an antihistamine — Anthisan, for example. The cream is most effective when applied as soon as possible to the affected area, so if you have a sensitive dog and you are working in an area where nettles are common or there are likely to be insects about, it may be wise to carry a tube of antihistamine cream. Ticks and fleas Ticks can be problematic in certain areas, particularly where there are…

Sandringham disease, otherwise known as Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI), was first identified in 2009 in dogs that had been walked on the Sandringham estate. Cases are usually seen between August and November. We do not know the cause of SCI, but there is a suggestion that harvest mites could play a role as many affected dogs have been found to have mites. SCI symptoms include sudden gut upset, vomiting and diarrhoea within 72 hours of walking in wooded areas. Dogs may also have a high temperature, episodes of shaking or a rash. If your dog has any of these symptoms, contact your vet immediately.…

Dogs do not sweat like humans; they don’t have sweat glands, except for a few on the foot pads and on their noses. When they become warm dogs pant, exhaling overheated air, breathing in fresh, cool air and lowering their core body temperature. When a dog is confined to a small space in high temperatures and humidity, the dog will begin to acquire heat quicker than it is able to dissipate heat by panting. The core temperature rises and if it continues to increase, beyond 106°F (41°C), internal organ damage can occur. The causes of heat stroke include: Being left in a car in hot weather. Exercising hard in hot, humid weather. Being confined without shade and fresh water in hot weather, especially on concrete or asphalt surfaces. The progressive…