Innholdsfortegnelse for 26-Sep-2018 i Shooting Times & Country

If you turn to page 26 of this issue you will find a wildfowling feature in which Richard Negus goes home empty-handed. There will be some readers, I’m sure, who find the fruitless tale of chasing teal a little anticlimactic, but to me it gets to the very heart of what makes that particular sport so special. If you went pigeon shooting and drove home with nothing in the bag, you’d be very frustrated; if you bought a driven day and didn’t see a single pheasant, you’d want your money back; and if you went duck flighting and saw zip, a sense of disappointment would be inevitable. The wildfowler, though, is a different sort. So often you find yourself in conversation with someone who reports, joyously, on a recent gooseless…

An 18-month-old springer spaniel bitch was lost at the Midland Game Fair on Saturday, 15 September. Ammo was securely tied to a lorry parked at the back of the A1 Decoys stand on Gunmakers’ Row, along with an eight-year-old Labrador. “The moral is to never let your dog out of sight at a public event” A1 spokesman Amy Collins said: “We don’t know whether she was stolen or whether she managed to slip her lead and run off. But we haven’t heard any news of her since.” The dog is thought to have disappeared between 3pm and 4pm on the Saturday afternoon when the fair was said to be “heaving”. The incident was reported to the Midland Game Fair’s police and dog wardens immediately. A1 Decoys has issued the following…

Scotland vehicle track concern Sporting estates in Scotland may require planning permission to create new vehicle tracks after a report called for the withdrawal of permitted development rights for agricultural tracks. Agricultural tracks currently don’t require planning permission, but the Changing Track report, published by Scottish Environmental LINK’s Hilltracks group, claims that some tracks being built under this exemption are there to support fieldsports, which aren’t classed as agriculture and therefore should not qualify for the exemption. The report coincides with an amendment to the new Planning Bill — currently going through the Scottish Parliament — that would remove the exemption for land where fieldsports take place. Two-mile rifle range opens The first two-mile rifle range available to the public in the UK has been opened at Eskdalemuir, in Dumfries…

Nature abhors a vacuum. So why should we even be considering rewilding (Can shooting and rewilding coexist?, 12 September)? There is a reason why some apex predators have become extinct in this country; we should surely be concentrating on ensuring that our existing fauna survive and thrive before we try to reintroduce wolves or lynxes or whatever else is fashionable this week. The Scottish wildcat is the UK’s largest surviving predator and only remaining true wildcat. Clever and resourceful, the cat survived 500 more years of human persecution than the lynx or the bear. There are thought to be only 35 pure Scottish wildcats left in Scotland; breeding with domestic cats has diluted the gene pool. Feral cats in the country outnumber the wild version by 3,000 to one. In…

There is a long, straight front drive on to my shoot, with well-kept hedges on both sides. Halfway along, a strip of scrubby woodland branches away to the south, with a track on either side. I was parked in the gap, surveying the fields for roe, when a movement in the drive caught my eye. It was a musket sparrowhawk powering towards me about a foot off the ground. Realising that I was there, at the last minute, it flipped up over the car and as I looked in the mirror, I saw it drop back down and bank hard right to continue its regular attack run down the side of the bushes. Every time I see a sparrowhawk in the partridge ground I curse, though a musket is no…

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 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 JEREMY HUNT Runs Fenway Labradors and a professional gundog trainer TIM MADDAMS Former head chef at River Cottage and runs a shoot in Devon SIMON WHITEHEAD Author, professional ferreter and rabbit controller IAIN WATSON Keen stalker and senior…

The large black lives up to its name, for it is one of the largest of our native pigs, and is the only one that is all black. Though renowned for its succulent and tasty meat and its ability to thrive on low-quality feed, this breed fell from fashion after reaching peak popularity at the end of the 19th century. It was close to extinction by the mid-20th century. Today, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust classifies the large black as a breed of concern. According to the Large Black Pig Breeders Club, which was formed in 1996, most of the herds in the UK are small, with the pigs kept outside. They thrive best in simple outdoor systems. Because of their easy-going temperament they are easily contained by a single-strand…

ACTION Trout will start spawning in early November and need loose gravel in which to dig a redd and a good flow of oxygenated water across the shingle. Gravel can become compacted so lightly loosen the stones on your stretch of water with a rake — you may need to use a pressure washer if the pebbles are firmly set. Doing this will help to ensure a successful trout spawning season, which lasts until mid-January. BE ALERT Take a close look around your garden for slugs and snails, which are now emerging in high numbers. They carry lungworm larvae, which can be fatal to dogs. Dogs can, for example, accidentally eat small infected slugs if they are on a toy left outside. Be extra vigilant when out exercising your dog…

The tidal and non-tidal sections of the river Itchen meet at the Woodmill pool at Swaythling in Southampton. This pool pre-dates the Magna Carta and there is a long history of salmon being caught here, with annual catches from the 13th to early 16th century reported in the pipe rolls of the Bishopric of Winchester. So prolific was the Itchen’s salmon run that local people were recorded as neglecting their jobs to steal the bishop’s fish. The Woodmill Fishery is managed by Southampton City Council. The decline in Atlantic salmon numbers is worrying but the pool remains one of the best places on the south coast to land a sea trout, and a big one at that. I was lucky to be invited to fish during the big tides of…

I sometimes wonder when something new will turn up to remind me that, no matter how much we have witnessed during our working lives, we never know it all. These past few weeks have been a case in point as I saw a small stoat — in relation to its chosen prey item — trying to kill one of my rather large hens. I have only known one other case of stoats killing hens in my life, though I am aware of a few instances when they have been the end of quite a few domestic ducks. The only mistake the most recent one made was it tried to do the deed when I was close to hand so will not get another chance. My hen is recovering well; but…

I’m not sure about autumn being the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness; it tends to be more of a case of feeding, dogging-in and trying to keep up with all the other jobs that can so easily fall by the wayside as the days shorten and the shooting season gets ever closer. It is important to prioritise. If you can divide the jobs up into important, fairly important and “I’ll fit them in as soon as things quieten down”, it will be a lot easier. For me the three most pressing are dogging-in, moving the feeders and foxing. Dogging-in There are very few shoots where birds don’t wander; they will wander more if the habitat is wrong, if they are hungry or if they are being disturbed. Their autumnal…

“The US version inspired Scheel and Gregersen; there is a similarity between the actions of both rifles” Many people are terrified of bidding at an auction because they think that some involuntary movement will be taken as a bid and render them liable to pay for an item they did not want. Trust me — an auctioneer can tell the difference between someone scratching his nose and someone who really wants that tasty Purdey. In any case, the paddle bidding system completely eradicates any possibility of IBS (or Involuntary Bidder Syndrome, as we doctors call it). The other very real danger is getting carried away at an auction and paying more than you intended. That is easily avoided by leaving a commission bid, which is what I did on a…

WRYNECK There was a time when my former colleagues at the British Trust for Ornithology would shake their heads knowingly when a Garden BirdWatcher reported a wryneck on the lawn because they considered this species too rare to be found in a garden. But it is now clear that quite a few birds pass through the country every autumn, as they travel between Scandinavia and sub-Saharan Africa. With their penchant for ants, it is not surprising that they quite like gardens, as demonstrated by Garden BirdWatchers who can back up their observations with photographic evidence. The wryneck is a strange-looking bird that can turn its head to look over its back. It is a patterned brown relative of the woodpeckers. The wryneck is not much bigger than a robin and…

Barbed wire: stuff from hell, or an essential tool for livestock management? National Trust members are to vote at the charity’s AGM on 20 October on a resolution to bring in a phased ban on barbed wire on Trust properties. The resolution has been instigated by people horrified at the sight of a deer that had been caught on the top strand of a fence on a Trust property and suffered a nasty death. The board of trustees of the charity has urged members to reject the resolution, saying that such incidents are rare. They point out that barbed wire is necessary to control farm livestock, especially cattle. The Countryside Alliance supports the trustees’ position. So is this yet another row between well-meaning but ignorant townies and those who are…

An 18-year-old with ambitions to become a headkeeper on a grouse moor has won this year’s National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) Frank Jenkins Memorial Trophy. Connah Baker was presented with the trophy by Liam Bell, chairman of the NGO. Mr Baker said: “I’ve been coming to the Midland Game Fair since I was 10 and always watched the awards being handed over. I never dreamed that one day it would be me in the arena. “I’ve gained a great foundation for my career at Reaseheath College and gaining this award will stand me in good stead during my hunt for employment.” Mr Bell commented: “Connah is a credit to the gamekeeping staff at Reaseheath College, who have obviously prepared him well for entry into the gamekeeping and shooting world.” The Frank…

29-30 SEPT SOUTH YORKSHIRE SHOOTING SHOW & GAME FAIR Doncaster Exhibition Centre, www.southyorkshireshootingshow.com 1 OCTOBER HPR GUNDOG SHOT-OVER DAY GWCT Rotherfield, Hampshireffillingham@gwct.org.uk 6-7 OCTOBER AUTUMN SHOW & GAME FAIR South of England Show Ground, Ardingly, West Sussex www.seas.org.uk/autumn-show 9 OCTOBER EAT GAME AWARDS Boisdale, London E14 events@boisdale-cw.co.uk 31 OCTOBER YOUNG SHOTS ACTIVITY DAY (for eight- to 16-year-olds) Grousemoor Country House, Llandegla po.st/youngshotsgrouse…

If the intention of this piece was to gain the support of the gamekeeping profession, the authors have failed. I had hoped to read an interesting piece on pheasant behaviour and instead read what I consider to be a poorly put-together piece that was full of inaccurate, sweeping statements and grossly misleading “facts”, all written in rather contentious language. Research is only good research if it is truly scientific. The results are not decided beforehand and, to be credible, the research must deal in facts not speculation and stay on topic. Quite where children raised by other species fits in escapes me. One example of the article’s bias is in the opening paragraph where it states that only 35 per cent of released pheasants are harvested. You are led to…

When it comes to making decisions, politicians can usually be relied upon to opt for the one that will prove to be the most popular. Thus environment secretary Michael Gove’s decision to ban electric training collars was predictable. It ignored the fact that 65 per cent of people who responded to the consultation on the impending ban said no. However, they were far outnumbered by those with little or no interest in the subject, but who will side with Gove’s comment that “we are a nation of animal lovers and the use of punitive shock collars cause harm and suffering to our pets”. Those in favour of these devices always refer to them as e-collars, while those who want a ban, such as Gove, call them cruel electronic shock collars.…

Tips for calling stags in the rut STALKING Q I am going to be stalking stags in early October on my own for the first time. As this will be in the rut, I am hoping to call up some stags. Can you give any tips on how I might go about calling, and is there a best time of day to do this? A Practice and confidence are key. Your starting point is to make sure you know what a roaring stag sounds like. If you don’t, do some research on YouTube. If you buy a commercial caller you will have to learn how to use it. I have heard commercial callers used to great effect by some people, while in the hands of others they were awful. Some…

Latin name: Vaccinium myrtillus Common name: Bilberry Other names: Blaeberry, whortleberry, whinberry, windberry, blackheart, huckleberry How to spot it and where to find it: This low shrub is found on well-drained heathland and moorland, particularly in upland areas, and as understorey in acid woodland of birch, pine and oak. It has bright green stems and oval glossy leaves that sometimes flush red in the autumn. The urn-shaped flowers, usually pink, appear in late spring to early summer, followed by blue-black round berries in September to October. Interesting facts: Considered the European blueberry, the bilberry’s fruits are sweet, sharp and deliciously intense. They are great in pies and tarts, and make wonderful jam. They contain a potent type of antioxidant flavonoid known as anthocyanoside, which is believed to support vision and…