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

It was wonderful to meet so many of you at the Midland Game Fair. I was particularly pleased to hear that lots of readers’ September wildfowling trips have been successful. At about 3pm on Saturday, though, my happiness was shattered when a friend came to tell me that my roebuck head, which had been in the back of his truck, had been stolen. Quite why anybody would steal a roebuck head is a mystery and the fact that a spaniel was also taken puts my loss into perspective, but even so, I was irritated. That evening, after the Shooting Times stand had quietened down, I drove to the Wirral for some teal flighting with friends who had been shooting partridges. Just as dusk was descending, I pulled into the courtyard…

The Calmsden estate has won a top GWCT award for grey partridge conservation for the second time. The Cotswold Grey Partridge Trophy is awarded annually to the person or estate that has done the most for grey partridge conservation and was first presented to the Calmsden estate in 2008. In 2014 a new gamekeeper, Will Pratt, joined the estate, inheriting just seven pairs of grey partridges. Since then Will has overseen an increase in the spring pair count to 40, and this year’s autumn count has found 257 young — a 5:4 young-to-hen ratio – making a total of 348 greys on Calmsden. GWCT biodiversity adviser Peter Thompson commented: “Will’s enthusiasm for the little grey bird is nothing short of infectious. He is also a stickler for getting everything just…

Charity clay shoots raise £30million The Royal Berkshire Shooting School (RBSS) has raised £30million for various charities over the past 27 years through its charity clay shoots. “Clay shoots form an ideal day for charities to entertain and inspire their supporters,” said RBSS’s Dylan Williams. “Our first charity shoot, held in 1991, was in aid of the Douglas Bader Foundation. Never did I think those 27 years ago that we would help so many charities to reach this momentous milestone.” A new perspective on cull protesters Police in Devon and Cornwall are considering the use of drones to monitor protesters in badger cull zones. A spokesman said: “Unfortunately, some areas within the cull zone have been subject to a high degree of criminality... Where areas have been subject to repeated…

What an excellent article by Jeremy Hunt about Labradors (Trials and trepidation, 26 September). For some years I have been saying the writing was on the wall regarding what I called the old-fashioned Lab; solid, thick set and not to be mixed up with today’s show Labs. They were dogs that you could take anywhere and work on any quarry without the fear of spoiling the drive. On many occasions my old Lab was the dog sent in at the flushing point to flush a few birds at a time. Heaven help us asking that of many of today’s Labradors — as a keeper I see this so many times throughout the season. Since losing my old bitch, Willow, I have moved away from Labs but they are my first…

Perhaps you were one of the lucky few to go out on the grouse this year, but if you are like me, you will have to settle for the partridges. A lot of pheasant shoots don’t get going until well into October. The excitement in our house is palpable. The dogs are now well over dummies and seeing the pheasant poults about has confirmed to them it is nearly time. This is the time of year I hope that I can remember where I carefully stored my game carriers, priest, waterproof overtrousers and hip flask; a few essentials that I need for a successful day. But what about my team? They are the most important ingredient I need to be successful. So are they ready? The first big consideration is…

You will be reading this just after the end of what is almost certainly my favourite of all the year’s 12 months, though every spring tries to persuade me, given sunshine and kind weather, that May is incomparable. And it is but perhaps perversely I prefer September, which undoubtedly has a lot going for it. It speaks to me more affectingly than all those darling buds of May with the birds shouting their heads off among them. It may be that September appeals to the part of me that so often finds itself contemplating the transience and fragility of life; the part of me that acknowledges that I cannot fish my rivers for ever, that sooner or later the day is coming when I shall shoot — or, indeed, miss…

The first shoot day on my new estate is looming and there is a mountain of preparation to do before the season starts. There are plenty of other jobs in addition to the usual tasks of filling up the feeders and drinkers, dogging-in, culling deer and lamping foxes. Understanding how to drive the birds correctly from the woods and game covers takes a great deal of thought. Talking to others on the estate can give you some idea of how it has been done in the past, but you need to have your own ideas on how best to drive the birds. The areas where the birds roost can determine the way they want to fly, given the right conditions. The pheasants on the estate have chosen a variety of…

The rules of engagement SHOOTING ETIQUETTE Q On a walk one, stand one shoot is there a rule about shooting when it is your turn to beat? I have recently joined a syndicate and am too embarrassed to ask. I don’t want to upset anyone or get sent home on my first day. Can you offer any guidance? A Different shoots have different rules, so it is hard to give a definitive answer to your question. On some the walking/beating Guns are allowed to shoot at birds going back or out the sides. On others, when it is your turn to beat, you have to leave your gun in its slip. To further complicate matters, there will be some drives where the beaters are allowed to shoot forward until a…

Latin name: Colchicum autumnale Common name: Meadow saffron Other names: Autumn crocus, naked ladies, upstart, fog crocus, Michaelmas crocus How to spot it and where to find it: The word “saffron” conjures images of spice markets and tiny plastic boxes containing golden strands. But meadow saffron is a fake, belonging to the Colchicaceae family rather than the Iridaceae. It produces long, slender leaves in the spring that die back in the summer, followed by the flower appearing on its own in the autumn — hence its common name “naked ladies”. Interesting facts: Meadow saffron is as beautiful as it is deadly. It has been responsible for several deaths, having apparently been eaten in mistake for wild garlic. However, though every part of the plant is poisonous, the drug colchicine derived…

I have been having greedy thoughts. I mean, I have been thinking about the issue of greed — specifically, in the context of the debate within the shooting community about big bags. Some object even to having such an internal debate, saying it does shooting no favours. Yet, the moment that we stop scrutinising our sport and holding it to the highest standards, we lose our moral case for self-regulation. Either we keep our house in order, or others will do it for us. Some of the red-trouser brigade say: “The antis hate all shooting and drawing a line at 500 birds a day as opposed to 475 is arbitrary and won’t matter a jot to our opponents.” But this misunderstands the nature of the underlying issue. Nobody is saying…

GET YOUR CARDS Support conservation and get organised for Christmas by buying your Christmas cards in plenty of time from the GWCT. There are five new illustrations to choose from, all featuring a country theme. Prices start at £2 for 10 cards. HELP Penrith & District Red Squirrel Group and Glenkens Red Squirrel Group in Scotland are looking for local volunteers to help with grey squirrel control. Vast numbers of greys are removed every year by red squirrel rangers, supported by their unpaid volunteers. If you live in the area and could be of assistance email info@penrithredsquirrels.org.uk.…

1 Bisley Scotch shaker duck call RRP £49.99 www.bushwear.co.uk With this hardwood, bellows-type duck call you can learn the feeding call in just minutes — all you have to do is shake it. With no blowing required, this call will work well in any weather conditions. 2 Anderson shirt RRP £59.95 www.baleno.be Baleno’s Anderson is a classic men’s long-sleeved checked shirt with a chest pocket, button-down collar and front placket, making it smart and versatile. This shirt is ideal for both formal and informal occasions. It is available in sizes S-XXXXL in red/navy check and green/navy check. 3 Wooden priest RRP £23.50 www.sportingsaint.co.uk Extremely handy for any shooter, gamekeeper or picker-up, this priest is the perfect size to slip into your pocket while out this season. It is handmade in…

Gustav Mahler may not seem an obvious inspiration for a day’s shooting. However, when I was asked to join antique gun collector and dealer Geoff Walker for a driven partridge day, it was his words, not his music, that chimed with me. When not composing sweeping orchestral works, Mahler could knock out a mean quote. My favourite is: “Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” It was to sum up this most perfect of timeless days. Geoff is an aficionado of muzzle-loading sporting firearms. With his charming wife Thea, he had assembled a team of eight Guns, whom he described as “wonderful eccentrics”. They all share his passion, or obsession, for antique muzzle-loaders. He was first to arrive as I waited at our rendezvous point…

MY OLDER BITCH doesn’t often compete in tests. She hates the warmer weather and can go very flat on dummies if overused. This isn’t uncommon so I have to come up with a different way to keep her fit and interested over the summer months. The worst thing for any working dog is to become overweight and in bad condition during the summer, so I train and compete her in agility. This is fantastic fitness and the majority of dogs absolutely love it. Some handlers feel it could upset or even ruin their gundog training but I have never found this; she clearly knows the difference between walking on to a drive and walking into an agility arena. The commands and training are also totally different, so it is easy…

“I shoot several areas in west Wales that are preserved for woodcock. We shoot them lightly from mid-December and consistently see good numbers of birds. I am also excited to be asked on a woodcock day in November.” Tim Bonner, CEO, Countryside Alliance “I will follow the GWCT guidelines of not shooting till there are decent numbers of winter migrants. I am too fond of a roast woodcock on a slice of fried bread not to shoot one or two.” Mike Swan, GWCT adviser “We have enough pheasants and partridges to eat so will be leaving the woodcock this year.” Tom Adams, managing director, BGA “There’s no finer feeling than shooting a woodcock on the foreshore. On driven days, though, I like to doff my hat at them as they…

ANYONE WHO HAS ever spectated at the International Gundog League (IGL) Retriever Championship will know that it is an interesting place to be, as there can be few sporting crowds more knowledgeable about what they are watching. It is not the sort of event that attracts people just because they want to see what’s going on: almost all the spectators have dogs themselves and are very well informed. If you are not sure what is going on, then ask the person next to you, as they are likely to know, and will enjoy telling you. Because most European countries regard Britain as the spiritual home of the working retriever, the championship always attracts many spectators from overseas. At the last one I attended, at Ampton in Suffolk two years ago,…

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…

A starving young barn owl has been rehabilitated by concerned gamekeepers and is now thriving back in the wilds of Angus, Scotland. The owlet was discovered in a poor state by keepers who rescued the vulnerable bird they then named Otto. On the advice of a professional falconer, they fed Otto on a diet of rabbit and rat in between carrying out their work on the local grouse moor. When he was fully recovered, Otto was released. “It is good to see Otto doing well and returning to the place where he was released,” said Lianne MacLennan, co-ordinator of Angus Glens Moorland Group, whose members nursed the owl back to health. “There have been quite a number of sightings of him now.” Barn owls are a Schedule 1 protected species…

7 OCTOBER BRECKENBROUGH CHARITY CLAY SHOOT Breckenbrough, North Yorkshire Tel 01845 587207 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 Email events@boisdale-cw.co.uk 20-21 OCTOBER NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION FAIR Bisley, Surrey www.nra.org.uk 31 OCTOBER YOUNG SHOTS’ ACTIVITY DAY Grousemoor Country House, Llandegla www.basc.org.uk/events/young-shots-activity-day-thegrousemoor-llandegla/…

AS BAD AS MINK It was interesting to read T. Todd-Smith’s account of tawny owl predation (Letters, 19 September). This is identical to what we have experienced in our release pens over the years and it ceases a few days after the pheasant poults are released. It may be a territorial reaction to the newcomers in its patch, rather than an appetite for poult heads. Our recent experience of a raptor that does leave its kills was a goshawk with a bell and a blue ring on its legs, which has caused mayhem in our release pens. It killed eight on one occasion and six on another, leaving them behind. Apart from causing mayhem in the pen, spooking poults into a premature release, it was causing serious stress and welfare…

There was something wrong with the dawn. The orange glow on the horizon had to be the dawn, but the light flickered more than the dawn should. Finally it came to me; the sun seemed to be trying to rise in the west. I live on Scotland’s west coast and we know that things are not right on the east coast; they put brown sauce on chips over there and call their children bairns. We west-coasters serve chips with vinegar and give them to our weans. But even on the wrong side of Scotland the sun rises in the east. Eventually I found some sense in it; that pulsing glow was not the sun at all. It was the gas flare of the Grangemouth oil refinery in the far distance.…

Patrick has a mixed day on partridge and duck coming up, as well as an evening flight at his family home in Scotland. Duck flighting is close to Patrick’s heart and so shooting to the best of his ability when it comes to his beloved ponds is incredibly important to him. It is possible to shoot clays in pairs or from multiple traps, but there is nothing like shooting the real thing to help develop the ability to make the right selection and shoot well without getting flustered or losing concentration. I decided to get Patrick in the pigeon hide to help him begin to overcome this problem, which most Guns have at some point — including me. I remember a couple of seasons ago being completely bewildered by a…

“The e-collar saved her life as a local farmer had threatened to shoot her” I am writing this entry while waiting for the vet to arrive and bring to an end the life of Ruby, my little black Fell terrier crossed with a bearded collie. Now over 14, the years have crept up on her so swiftly it seems. Fortunately, she has suffered no pain and up to a few days ago was still able to walk round the horse paddock with the yellow Labrador. Sadly his mother had to be put down two months ago, so I am reduced to one dog, who is, thank goodness, fit, healthy and ready for a season’s picking-up. This is the very devil of dogs. Their lives are so short and they become…

Mention of the Retriever Championship is a reminder that though the shooting season is only just getting started, the field trial season is already well under way. It has to start early in order to give time for dogs to qualify for the various championships, the first of which is that HPRs, which returns to the Swinton estate, at Masham in Yorkshire, on 14-15 November. Swinton has become the default home of the HPR Championship: it was held there in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Last year’s event, at Elveden in Suffolk, was not a great success as there was a distinct shortage of game. In contrast, Swinton is well suited to hosting the continental pointing breeds, as it offers everything from pheasants to grouse. It is also only a short…

Best known as the smallest breed of dog in the world, the Chihuahua’s origins are shrouded in mystery. One theory is that the breed evolved in Egypt, reached the Mediterranean and was taken to Mexico during the Spanish conquest in the late 16th century. In contrast, it is claimed that the Aztecs domesticated these tiny dogs long before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. What we do know is that the modern breed’s ancestors were taken to the US from Mexico in the 19th century, where they soon became popular. What is indisputable is the breed’s tiny size, with some individuals weighing as little as a kilogram, and even the largest individuals only double that. An adult English springer weighs about 20kg. Both smooth and longhaired Chihuahuas are permitted. The…

HOUSE MARTIN The house martin is one of the last migrants to leave the country — the final chicks are still being fed in nests at the start of October. If the weather deteriorates their parents will have to give up on this late family and make their way south to equatorial Africa. Not everyone is pleased to have house martins nesting under the eaves; in their last week in the nest, chicks pop their bottoms over the nest edge and make unwelcome deposits on windows, patios and parked cars. Rather than knocking a nest down during the winter, it is kinder to think of a way of putting up a poop-catcher a few feet below the nest. When a pair has to build a completely new nest in the…