Innholdsfortegnelse for 31-Oct-2018 i Shooting Times & Country

Last weekend, after breakfast, I walked out across the hill with my gun, stopped briefly for a sandwich at lunch and didn’t get back to the lodge I was staying in until darkness was descending and geese were in the air. In nine hours I shot a brace. Some days later, while heading south on the Caledonian Sleeper, it suddenly struck me that the birds wrapped in newspaper in my case represented the smallest bag I’d shot all season. As I fell asleep, I recalled every detail of that day on Lewis, right down to how the birds fell among the heather. This season I’ve been very lucky to stand on a peg on a number of occasions and, as a result of fantastic keepering and great landscapes, I’ve seen…

1 Härkila Pro GTX gaiters RRP: £59.99  www.harkila.com These gaiters are made of strong, hard-wearing canvas, which acts as a solid wall against spiky gorse or brambles. The main problem with gaiters is that the bottom strap breaks easily but, with the rubber strap improvement, these will stay in place. 2 Jack Pyke decoy bag RRP £34.95  www.ardmoor.co.uk A large capacity decoy bag designed to fill to the maximum, this is the perfect choice for any wildfowler or pigeon shooter who needs all their kit transported without bulk. It is made from tough fabric that ensures the kit is fully protected from wet and abrasion. Available in two different camo designs. 3 Laksen silk duck tie RRP £55  www.gboutfitters.co.uk This soft and vibrant silk tie is available in a great…

I’ve been building barn owl boxes for the past few years. We have some excellent habitats for barn owls across the open moors and rough field margins, but our main problem is suitable nesting sites. There is no shortage of trees in this part of Galloway but the huge majority is commercial softwood; trees like Sitka spruce and lodgepole pine. These vast plantations have little value for breeding barn owls and, while the birds sometimes roost in the deep thickets, they do not have much to offer nesting birds. The dark, swaying trees are much more useful to long-eared owls, which lay their eggs in the abandoned remains of crow nests. There are a few old ash trees out on the hill and I worked hard to get boxes up…

FEED “Now is the time to start feeding wild birds,” says Alan Edwards, headkeeper at the award-winning Bywell estate. Establish a thorough network of feed stations and specially planted wild bird crops. Wheat is a cost-effective way of filling hoppers but they need to be maintained and not allowed to run dry. Also scatter feed by hand, which catches birds that are not brave enough to join the feeding frenzy that can occur around a hopper. Unless you physically put some food out, the birds will move on until they find a viable food source or succumb to starvation. FREEZE Make sure you have room in your freezer for storing all the game you’re going to be shooting and ensure that every package is clearly labelled, for example, “8 pheasant…

BSE AND FIELDSPORTS The recent news that a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) had been diagnosed in a dead cow in Aberdeenshire didn’t make the headlines in the same way that it might have done a few years back. With politics taking precedence with the media, it is easy to sweep an individual case of BSE under the carpet, but there could yet be greater ramifications for the nation’s farmers. The effects of Brexit on farming are still an unknown quantity and the news about the BSE incident could well affect international confidence and potential new export markets for our beef industry. There is also an outbreak of African swine fever (News, p.6) affecting Bulgaria, Romania and Poland — apparently being spread by wild boar — and if this…

Anyone who has experienced the glory of the springtime moors and meadows of Britain will be well aware of the loss of breeding curlews, Numenius arquata, especially over the past 30 years. Our largest wading bird, with its beautiful, haunting call, is in serious trouble. In some places, the decline seems terminal. Northern Ireland has lost more than 90 per cent of its breeding birds, from 5,000 pairs in the 1980s to 250 pairs today. Wales is hardly faring any better, with a decline of more than 80 per cent, it is estimated there are fewer than 400 pairs left. On average, there has been a 60 per cent drop throughout England and Scotland, though averages can hide devastating figures for specific areas. If a line is drawn from the…

The moment finally arrived and I had my first shoot day on the new estate I am keepering. Thankfully, a few of the old beaters turned up to help out; the rest were new to me and the ground but they all did a fantastic job. Having a good team of regular beaters pays dividends and having steady, trained dogs is also a bonus. Unfortunately for me, my bitch Rose was in season and my dog Marcus was lame so I had to run the day dog-less. This makes beating feel very odd. Radios are vital in the beating line and, due to the topography and heavily wooded areas on the estate, they struggled, so perhaps we need to invest in some licensed radios. The wind was around 25kmh in…

I SUSPECT THERE ARE few experienced picker-ups who haven’t been peppered or encountered bad or even dangerous shooting. This was the one subject I didn’t consider when I discussed picking-up etiquette (Pick-up good habits, 24 October), because it deserves an article to itself. My guide states: “If there is a Gun out on the day who continually takes dangerous shots, putting you or your dog at risk, inform the keeper or shoot captain immediately.” As a picker-up you are invariably going to be in a vulnerable, if not dangerous, position standing behind a line of Guns. Experienced Shots are usually safe and wouldn’t dream of shooting low behind. Sadly, that is not always the case, as the excitement of the moment can lead to a momentary lapse of concentration. My…

Duck decoys of the past WILD DUCKS Q Is it true that Essex once had more duck decoys than any other county? A Yes. There are as many as 43 sites in Essex where it is thought that duck decoys once existed, most of which are close to the coastal marshes. Essex’s geography, with its numerous river estuaries, made it ideal for commercial duck decoys. Most were dug in the 18th century and were worked until the middle of the 19th century, when they were abandoned. The growth in the popularity of wildfowling contributed to their decline, along with enclosure, drainage and disturbance. It is thought that there were around 140 working duck decoys in eastern England at the peak of their popularity, sending great numbers of ducks to the…

Latin name: Populus tremula Common name: Aspen Other names: Quaking aspen, haps tree, trembling tree How to spot it and where to find it: With autumn, the shimmering foliage of our native aspen turns vivid yellow. In the spring its young leaves are bronze, making it attractive in all seasons. The leaves are round with large, irregular blunt “teeth” and on flat, flexible stalks, which are very mobile. The bark is grey with diamond-shaped pits called lenticels. Twigs are dark brown, slender and shiny, with old ones very knobbly. It is found widely through the northern hemisphere in ancient woods and heaths and on well-drained soil near waterways. Interesting facts: The leaves of the aspen shimmer and tremble in the slightest breeze, so that they are constantly moving and rustling,…

Not all spaniels are shooting dogs, as the pug-nosed Tibetan spaniel reminds us. The name is misleading, for there is nothing spaniel-like about this ancient breed, and it was only called a spaniel to differentiate it from the Tibetan terrier — which isn’t a proper terrier, either. The Tibetan spaniel’s history is a long one, originating in the Himalayas at least 2,500 years ago. Buddhist monks and lamas kept them in their monasteries both for company and as guard dogs. Traditionally, Tibetan spaniels were always given as gifts and never sold; many were given to leaders in China. They are certainly linked genetically to the Pekingese, though no one knows whether the latter is the forebear of the Tibetan spaniel, or whether it is the other way round. One thing…

Appetite grows for legal hunting The Countryside Alliance’s annual Hunting Newcomers Week (15-21 October) held events Fife to Devon and reported excellent support, with many new subscribers. Spokesman Henrietta Rutgers said: “It is clear to see that there is still a large market for hunting. It’s great to see so many packs, from foxhounds to hare hounds, taking part and giving everyone an opportunity to get involved, regardless of whether you own a horse or want to follow on foot. “ For a Boxing Day meet listing visit www.countryside-alliance.org Celebrity chefs back “sustainable” game Rick Stein, Brian Turner, Shaun Rankin and Nigel Haworth are just a few of the prominent chefs who have pledged support for Eat Wild, the campaign launched by the British Game Alliance to raise awareness of…

Being invited to a new shoot is always welcomed with delight in my house. I am filled with nervous excitement, so when I was recently invited to pickup at a new shoot in beautiful Newbury I was particularly enthralled. However, there was one caveat that stuck with me: “I am sorry that we cannot pay, I hope this isn’t a problem.” I paid no notice at the time and it wasn’t until I sat in my armchair that evening, tired and weary, that I found myself irked by this humble apology. I am a member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces so not especially well off. While £20 or £40 would have been a nice little addition to the household coffers, it doesn’t compensate for the effort that it has taken…

The Schöffel Oakham fleece gilet was once the uniform for a select few — mainly land agents and traders of fine wine. Today, however, the “Cirencester life jacket” — and other staples from the Bavarian brand’s range — have become de rigueur. Schöffel now graces the cloak and boot rooms of British rural types. I hesitatingly admit that I don’t own a “Royal Ag cardigan” and have remained immune to the lure of any garments made by the 214-year-old, family-owned company. What with my Schöffel-free closet, hedgelaying day job and muddy sporting life, I was surprised when the Editor asked me to review the latest Schöffel offering: the Ptarmigan Pro. With a hefty price tag of £599.95, it is billed as the “ultimate shooting coat”. I lifted the Ptarmigan Pro…

My recent article on Italian gundogs (Top three Italian jobs, 10 October) prompted a fascinating response from Shooting Times reader Håkan Schön, who lives in the Swedish town of Gävle, which is about 100 miles north of Stockholm. He wrote to tell me that he is successfully using two lagottos for rough shooting. His quarry species include blackgrouse, capercaillie, willow grouse and ptarmigan. He assures me that lagottos “are my best hunting buddies”, working in much the same way as a cocker spaniel. Lagottos are as rare in Sweden as they are here and Håkan’s acquisition of his first lagotto came about by coincidence. His older bitch, Sally, was bred by the Kennel Rowntree at Furuvik, a small town close to Gävle. Her original owners were separating, so they returned…

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…

Some people say “if you see a flock of crows, you’re probably looking at rooks”, but you might want to know about the exceptions, especially at this time of year. It’s not unusual to see 10 or more crows together in the autumn, and occasionally much bigger flocks. In October and November, pairs of carrion crows are setting up home for next spring, which involves evicting the last of their youngsters. These juveniles are likely to join flocks of non-breeding birds that roam the local area, avoiding breeding territories, which are fiercely defended. Non-breeding birds will gather together where there are rich pickings in the local countryside, in city streets or at rubbish tips, and will join with other groups of birds in the evening, before it is time to…

Most of us accept that we should not cause undue suffering to sentient animals. This leaves plenty of scope for arguing about animal welfare. But animal rights are another matter. Antis conflate animal welfare with animal rights when campaigning against fieldsports. Yet history shows that when animals are given rights, human rights are eroded. There has just been an illustration of the practical problems of animal rights in India, where monkeys stoned a man to death. The 72-year-old man was collecting firewood near his village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Monkeys in the trees began pelting him with sticks and stones, including more than 20 bricks from a derelict building. He later died in hospital. Relatives are demanding that action be taken against the monkeys. The victim’s brother…