Innholdsfortegnelse for 20-Jun-2018 i Shooting Times & Country

One rainy afternoon last week, the phone rang just as I was sitting down to a scone. I half thought about not answering. After all, I’ve never had PPI and that seems to be all callers want to talk about nowadays. But on the basis that every once in a while a reader rings up with an amusing anecdote, I chanced my luck. The forthcoming anecdote wasn’t amusing at all. An 84-year-old, who has been reading Shooting Times since he was 14, had called to tell me he was fed up with crows and cats eating his ducklings. “Seven nests I had,” he said in frustration. “By this morning I couldn’t find a single bird left.” I had a deadline to meet but work paled into insignificance and we spent…

BOOK The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) is once again running its popular three-day course for part-time gamekeepers at the Allerton Project in Leicestershire from 14 to 16 September. The course — which has been running for more than 40 years — covers just about every aspect of running a part-time keepered shoot. Topics include rearing and releasing pheasants and partridges, growing game crops, predation control, woodland management and game shoot economics. For more details and to book visit po.st/keeperscourse. COOK Learn some new ways to cook pigeon, rabbit and venison on Tim Maddams’s game cookery course, which takes place on 29 June at the Catton Hall estate in Derbyshire. You will learn how to prepare and cook game meat properly and get plenty of expert tips along the…

Claims by anti-shooting group Ban Bloodsports on Yorkshire’s Moors that a landowner has ordered an end to snaring have been found to be false. The group, which campaigned to bring an end to grouse shooting on Ilkley Moor, has recently rebranded itself and has turned to lobbying Yorkshire Water. Ban Bloodsports on Yorkshire’s Moors has been seeking to have all snares removed from land belonging to the utility company. In a flurry of social media activity at the beginning of the month, the group claimed that “Yorkshire Water has ordered the removal of fox snares and a stink pit from moorland leased for grouse shooting”, and that a ban on snaring had been put in place. A spokesman for Yorkshire Water denied there was a snaring ban, saying: “Where our…

1 Jack Pyke lightweight mesh balaclava in camouflage pattern RRP £14.95 www.bushwear.co.uk This balaclava is ideal for summer stalking and will blend into most landscapes. It has a fine inner mesh lining that folds down to cover your eyes when required. Elasticated to fit most head sizes. 2 Brattonsound gun safe www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk £245.99 Keep your shotguns and rifles safe and secure in this cabinet. It is designed to fit up to seven rifles and features a high-security seven-lever double-bitted key lock. It comes highly recommended by the police and Ministry of Defence. 3 Leatherman Charge TTi+ multitool www.farlows.co.uk £229.95 The Leatherman Charge TTi+ multitool is made of premium materials including titanium handle scales and an S30V knife blade to keep your tool lightweight, ultra-sharp and free from corrosion. 4 Schöffel…

Will Martin says Simon Hart MP warned about the use of shot birds at the British Game Alliance (BGA) launch at Westminster Kingsway College (This could be a game-changer, 6 June). I wish BGA founder Tom Adams all the best with the new business. I think he will soon realise that it will be an uphill struggle due to hygiene, antibiotics, traceability, lead shot, transport and so on. In the same piece, Lord Percy makes a point about the overseas market, which won’t take our game because it contains antibiotics. They have made their own game market. We are simply overproducing and the market can’t stand it. You only have to look at how many game birds are being reared, released and imported to be shot. J. Pinder, by email…

I read with interest, but a degree of scepticism, the article by Dave Carrie dealing with the ethics of shooting high pheasants (Is it ever ethical to shoot high birds?, 6 June). While Mr Carrie quite rightly lauds and promotes game shooting, his reference to extreme high bird shooting when he was accompanied by the late John Humphreys does not justify a trend that is undermining the sport and the future of shooting. John explained that high bird shooting was “a different slant on the game shooting scene, but not for the average Shot”. This is very true, but the problem is that while few Guns are capable of dealing efficiently with sky-high pheasants, there will always be a coterie of less than skilful Shots who fancy “having a go”.…

Idon’t know if everyone who shoots appreciates it but they are fortunate to have, both north and south of the border, gamekeeping organisations battling on their behalf on a day-to-day basis. Recent examples include the comments of Alex Hogg of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association on the latest round of meetings to raise awareness of the dire plight of the curlew (News, 2 May). In Shooting Times a few weeks ago, there were plenty of fine words from Bradford City Council on how it was going to manage Ilkley Moor following its decision to revoke the shooting licence (News, 24 January). It should have listened to Alex — all those words will do nothing; indeed, having read the list of partners, my guess is that not one of them will have…

June is the month when Canada geese become flightless — which means that they stay in the same place for nearly a month, eating local grass and depositing about 5oz of droppings a day. This can make them unpopular with farmers in the countryside and parents in local parks. Moulting all of the main flight feathers at once may seem like a risky strategy but the whole process is a lot quicker than it would be were geese to moult just a few feathers at a time, as birds such as lapwing or blackbird do. There is a short period of vulnerability but, when they can fly again, they are able to do so properly. For parents looking after flightless goslings, and therefore unable to leave them, moulting at the…

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@ti-media.com By post: Shooting Times,…

The Cleveland Bay is England’s oldest breed of horse, its history stretching back to the Middle Ages. The bay horses from North Yorkshire were noted for their strength and endurance, and were ideally suited to pulling the heavy coaches that first became popular during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was HM Queen Elizabeth II who did much to rescue the breed from extinction when she purchased a pure Cleveland Bay colt, called Mulgrave Supreme. Born in 1961, he stood at public stud, leading to a resurgence of interest in the breed. The Cleveland Bay was at its most numerous during the 19th century. Sadly, huge numbers died in France during World War I, for the Cleveland was the perfect warhorse. Today this versatile breed is on the Rare…

“The minister understood our concerns and committed to consulting with shooters” Disgruntled shooters who have received extortionate invoices from GPs when attempting to apply for and renew their firearms licences are to have the opportunity to voice their concerns to the Government. A meeting was organised between Home Office minister Nick Hurd MP and the Countryside Alliance to discuss the failure of firearms licensing medical procedures agreed in April 2016. Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner and head of shooting Liam Stokes briefed the minister on the current system, the need for immediate action and a strategy for reform. The increasingly disparate approaches being adopted by police forces across the country were highlighted to the minister and this was an issue he was keen to address. Home Office officials are…

The restoration of fish stocks has been discussed at high levels over the past month, during events organised by the Angling Trust and attended by water company chiefs, MPs, the environment secretary Michael Gove and HRH the Prince of Wales. At a catchment management summit last week, Prince Charles threw out a challenge to the water and business sector as part of his wider concern for environmental issues. He said: “Our rivers and wetlands provide a wide range of ecosystem services; they are the preeminent wildlife corridors, places of great beauty, important for many varieties of recreation and tourism and the source of water for human consumption, agriculture and business. Yet, if we are honest, they are neither in good shape for most of these activities, nor are they resilient…

Nearly 1,000 women took part in National Ladies’ Shooting Day, an event which took place at more than 20 shooting grounds across the UK. In four years, National Ladies’ Shooting Day, marked on 9 June, has introduced thousands of women to the sport, some of whom are making waves on the registered circuit and in the field. Evidence shows women are increasingly taking up the sport. BASC had just 1,212 female members in 2011, but now welcomes more than 10,000. Home Office figures in 2016 revealed that 5.5 per cent of shotgun certificate holders were women, equating to 32,412 female Guns. Charity clays More than £15,000 has been raised at the Peters & May annual charity clay shoot. The money will support the ground-breaking work done at the Princess Alexandra…

SUCCESS IS VITAL I want to thank Mr Blackman (Letters, 6 June) for his comments and take the opportunity to address some of his concerns. The British Game Alliance (BGA) exists precisely to combat the lethargy of our community, as well as aid and encourage those who realise that now is the time to improve and self-regulate or face losing the sport we love. We should be careful not to make the same mistake fox hunting made. Legislation and bureaucracy are major issues for the game industry, both for shoots and game dealers. We are working with our allies in Parliament to ensure we fall in line with other agricultural food sectors and that we can offer a credible vehicle for self-regulation. I agree that the rate of game dealers…

SOME YEARS AGO I was picking-up in early January on a local shoot where the typical bag was between 200 and 250 birds. It was a good morning and after the first drive the shoot owner decided to go for a record day. Six hours later it was so dark — January days are short — that you could see flames coming from the gun barrels. The shooting should have stopped an hour before but the boss was determined to get his 500 birds, which he duly did. However, shortly before the final whistle was blown, a Gun peppered a fellow picker-up; he hadn’t seen him in the dark. “There are dog handlers who have no background in shooting and may not realise they are supporting bad practice” It was…

Latin name: Typha latifolia Common name: Bulrush Other names: Great reedmace, asparagus of the Cossacks, blackcap, bull segg, candlewick, marsh beetle, mat reed, nailrod, water torch. How to spot it and where to find it: Robust and tall, the bulrush is instantly recognisable by its distinctive dark-brown flowering head, called a spadix, which appears in June and July. It is a perennial species, spread by the wind when the seed heads break up in the autumn. Its linear leaves are a pale greyish-green, slightly longer than the flower stems. It is widespread in Britain, most commonly found on mud or in shallow water at the margins of lakes, ponds and canals, as well as beside streams and rivers. Interesting facts: The flowering heads are formed of tiny individual flowers closely…

“It should be a club rule that you pick up spent cartridges; if not, make it one” You could be forgiven for thinking that pretty much every last little scrap of advice to the wildfowling newcomer had been thoroughly investigated. Since Gervase Markham wrote Hungers Prevention: or the Whole Art of Fowling by Water and Land in 1655 right up until today’s YouTube offerings, surely there can’t be much left unsaid? I would argue that the sport is constantly evolving, so here are a few tips that might help you during your first season. You’ll need to decide whether you prefer to lug your personal kit to the marsh in a capacious shoulder bag or in a rucksack. I prefer a large purpose-made shoulder bag, tailored to carry up to…

The word venison frustrates me. Each of our six deer species has a distinct flavour and texture. Indeed, Chinese water deer and red deer are almost as different as lamb and beef. If you have never tried muntjac, I would urge you to ask your local butcher or a stalking friend for some. It is the sweetest, most tender and exquisite of all British deer. Like most wild meat, it is lean and best cooked rare. Simply frying a back strap or roasting a haunch of muntjac makes for a wonderful meal, but eating it completely raw, as carpaccio, is my favourite starter. This conveys the purity of flavour and texture and may test the culinary boundaries of your guests. I chose muntjac carpaccio as the starter at my wedding.…

I love shooting for the pot and though the primary purpose of most airgun hunting is pest control, an outing with the air rifle is even more rewarding if it brings some tasty meat for the table. The abundance of free-range fare tends to peak during the summer months, and you’ll usually find rabbit, pigeon and grey squirrel on the Manning family barbecue menu. Rabbits in particular tend to fill the game bag and the freezer throughout the warmer months, and I’m pleased to say that the part of Somerset where I live doesn’t appear to have been hit by rabbit haemorrhagic disease, which is decimating populations of the humble bunny in other parts of the country. “The contortions had left my pulse thumping and I needed a moment to…

It is not exactly first-rate dinner party chat but, as we all know, safety has to be at the forefront of everything to do with shooting. Whether it is a local syndicate shoot, a simulated clay day or a major shooting school, one minor mistake could result in someone’s life being lived very differently or, tragically, not at all. Clearly, gun safety is a pretty broad topic but in this instance, I’m going to focus on the seat belt of the shooting field — the humble safety catch. There is a variety of safety catches available but the two main types, used by the majority of shooters, are the manual safety and automatic safety. That sinking feeling Manual safety catches must be engaged and disengaged by the gun handler; they…

My recent writings about stray dogs in Greece and Cyprus (Viewpoint, 18 April) prompted a delightful response from reader Nigel Jones. His daughter Eve, then aged 16, was on holiday with her mother on the Greek island of Paxos in July 2016 when she found a crate dumped by the side of the road, containing six small puppies. Eve took them to a local rescue centre, but had already fallen in love with one of them, whom she was determined to bring home. According to Nigel, Eve pleaded with him by every modern form of communication to be allowed to bring her puppy, now called Spyros, back to the UK. Despite his misgivings, Nigel relented, only to be disappointed to discover that the puppy was too young to fly. Eventually,…

Seeking out good hide sites AIRGUNNING Q I am struggling to find the right places to position hides in a 20-acre block of woodland where I have been granted permission to control pests with my air rifle. I have built a couple of semi-permanent hides from fallen branches but I’m not sure if they are in the right place because I’ve not shot very much from them. How can I make sure that my hides are located in productive areas? A Semi-permanent hides can be effective because leaving them in situ means that woodland pests will eventually take them for granted and stop treating them with suspicion. The only downside, as you have discovered, is that these hides are not easy to reposition if they are not constructed in the…

If you have not had the chance to visit an upland oak wood to see three special migrants — the wood warbler, pied flycatcher and redstart — you’ll need to hurry. Summer will soon be over and these birds will head back to Africa. June is still a good month to encounter a redstart, as a few males will still be singing, especially if partners have lost first clutches, and the rest will be busy collecting food for their chicks, alongside the females. The first thing to look out for is the flash of a red tail — and listen out for alarm calls if you are too close to their youngsters. Redstarts nest in holes in trees or walls, perhaps recycling an old great spotted woodpecker nesting cavity, for…

“Fishing doesn’t reek of privilege in the public mind in the same way as driven shooting” There is a protected predatory bird, numbering about 9,000 breeding pairs in the UK, which is being culled under licence. This is largely for the purpose of protecting an alien game species that is reared and then released into our countryside, in huge numbers, to provide sport. Most years, licences are granted to cull about 2,000 of these particular birds. The predatory bird in question is the cormorant. And the alien species is the rainbow trout, whose natural habitat is western North America. Hard-fighting on the line, fast-growing, greedier and therefore easier to catch than our native brown trout, the rainbow is the mainstay of put-and-take recreational trout fishing. Sometimes the fish are caught…