Innholdsfortegnelse for 19-Dec-2018 i Shooting Times & Country

Some months ago, while having lunch with a reader, an interesting point was raised. “When I was a boy,” he said wistfully, “shooting was rather less political.” In many ways we agreed that the politicisation of shooting is a sign of the times and yet we wondered if we sometimes go a bit overboard. Certainly, plastic wads are an issue, the state of the game market is depressing, and the urbanisation of the countryside is gloomy, but I’m not sure doom-mongering on the Gun bus is the answer. Do we want people getting into shooting to see our cherished sport as a fraught political battlefield or a supportive community, drawn together by what we love? There are things I take issue with that I will write about in the future,…

Join in with a Boxing Day tradition Attending a Boxing Day meet is a key part of the countryside Christmas tradition and an excellent way to get some fresh air and exercise after all those Christmas Day indulgences. The Countryside Alliance has published its guide to Boxing Day meets for 2018 so that you can find out where your local hunt is gathering — visit po.st/BoxingDay18. Grouse moors are in a “good place” Extreme weather conditions in the past year resulted in a lack of grouse and shooting day cancellations on the moors over the season. However, experienced sporting agent Robert Rattray says he remains optimistic about the future of grouse shooting, despite criticism from campaigners such as BBC presenter Chris Packham saying the shoots leave the countryside “dead, burned…

I really must take Tom Payne to task over his one-sided, negative article on the use of the .410 for game shooting (Can you kill cleanly with small-bore guns?, 28 November). To assess any gun’s suitability for use as an effective gun on a driven day, particularly a .410, isn’t going to be sorted in one day with a pattern test and potting at a couple of pheasants. In the right hands, with suitable cartridges and chokes, the .410 is more than capable of holding its own on any pheasant or partridge out to 35 yards, but you cannot simply pick up a .410, grab any old box of cartridges and expect to shoot well, never mind trying to compare it with a 12-bore. To shoot well with a .410…

Eagle-eyed readers will recall a small piece I wrote back in the summer about my plans to turn our very small rough shoot into a marginally larger driven shoot (A little slice of Devon, 11 July). The stage was set for potential success or failure; these things are delicate and the shoot worked as it was, so were we wrong or right to tinker with things and create a small driven shoot? Perched on the edge of the Blackdown hills in my beloved east Devon, right on the Somerset border, we are blessed with a wooded coombe or two, a few vertiginous slopes, a couple of small belts of woodland and the odd goyle (ravine). Last season it was decided among the Guns that if we added a Gun or…

Just before November’s full moon, I heard from a hunter friend living in central Norway that winter had finally enveloped her northern world. Though she lives nearly 2,500km away, my friend’s news excited me because a frozen Scandinavian landscape drives migratory snipe to milder climes like ours. They will be joined by other snipe from Iceland and the Faroe Islands, the Baltic and continental Europe. Our own predominantly upland breeding snipe population will disperse towards soft pastureland, marshland areas and the coast. The common snipe is the quarry species that I treasure most on our Wiltshire rough shoot, and we are fortunate to have a long corridor of wet meadows that are managed with snipe in mind. Some snipe-shooting aficionados will tell you that it is their erratic flight pattern…

Value versus price of birds GAME MEAT Q I notice from a recent trip to the butchers that pheasants are never sold by weight whereas everything else on the counter is. Is that a historical thing and would a shrewd purchaser pick the biggest birds on offer to get maximum value? A You are correct in saying that game birds are not sold by weight but by the bird — this has been the way since time immemorial because the butcher buys them from a game dealer who buys them from a shoot. Shoots have traditionally sold birds by the brace for a set fee. The reasons for this are many and varied. The total number of fully usable birds will be lower than the number of birds bought by…

Could you ever be friends with an anti? I ask because, despite this being the season of peace and goodwill, there seems to be a lack of civility. Certain Corbynista politicians have publicly boasted that they could never be friends with a Tory. And what about Brexit? According to one newspaper columnist, a clothing tycoon held separate shooting weekends for his Brexiteer and Remainer friends. There will always be issues that provoke heated debate. And there is a natural tendency to descend into slagging off your opponent instead of their policies. But custom and practice don’t make it right. I have dished out a few rough words in my time — and I’ve had plenty hurled at me. If you expound your views and opinions in a column, what do…

SIGN Most Guns start their shooting career with an air rifle. But now the Government is considering imposing a ban on all under-18s using an airgun on private land. This legislation would prevent any adult from supervising and teaching youngsters how to use an air rifle correctly. Shooting organisations are warning that this will be the first step towards banning guns in the UK. Sign the petition to prevent the prohibition of air weapons on private land for those under 18 at po.st/airgunpetition CHECK Every week Shooting Times receives letters from readers complaining about how long their shotgun licence renewal is taking. You don’t want to miss out on any shooting days so check the expiry date of yours today. Don’t wait for the police reminder letter — you may…

Our weekly round-up of the best and latest must-have kit on the shelf 1 Brocklehursts leather end braces RRP £31.95 www.brocklehursts.com Add some flair to your country attire with these braces, available in red or yellow. They are fully adjustable with a leather end button fastening to ensure your breeks stay comfortable while you are shooting. They are sure to create some chatter among the Guns at elevenses. 2 Combrook tweed flat cap RRP £44.95 www.alanpaine.co.uk An absolute must when you are out in the field. With its classic peak front and luxurious lining, the Combrook cap will keep you warm and your head dry when it counts. It is available in four different tweed designs in a wide range of sizes from small to XXXL. 3 Amber pheasant clip…

While collecting the Christmas tree from our usual local grower, I noticed in their Christmas shop the emergence of festive wreaths decorated with feathers. One was adorned entirely with pheasant tail feathers, another had some guinea fowl plumage and a little bird. Obviously a lot of work had gone into making these and the price reflected this. I decided to personalise a ready-made wreath last year and with a bit of fuse wire, a staple gun, the addition of some appropriately coloured empty cartridge cases, pheasant tail feathers and other embellishments, we have a rather distinctive door decoration. The idea is obviously catching on. And the champagne corks? Well, it is the pheastive season Sue Jackson, by email…

A quiet nervousness always shows through my father’s usually impeccably calm exterior before a day’s shooting. It is amazing how differently people act the night before. I am the opposite; my gun has been cleaned twice, the family dog, Dennis, has had double rations and my conversation falls into an excited babble. My father first took me shooting in a papoose on his back as he beat through the line on the family shoot and since then it has been very much our thing. My childhood Saturdays were spent shooting together. I was in charge of retrieving his pheasants and, most importantly, carrying them. My record aged nine was 19 — not all shot by my father. This Saturday we were shooting at Little Yeo, a syndicate of 15 members,…

If you have an interest in pointing breeds, the entries for the World Championship make fascinating reading. Of the continental breeds, German shorthaired pointers (braco Alemán) were by far the most popular breed, closely followed by Brittanies (epagneul Breton). The Germans were running a couple of vizslas (braco Húngaro): perhaps surprisingly, there wasn’t a Hungarian team. There were four Portuguese pointers running, all of which came from Portugal. There were no spinoni, wirehaired vizslas, Munsterlanders or Weimeraners, but the French entry included a couple of griffon d’arrêt à poil dur, better known on this side of the Channel as Korthal’s griffon. German longhaired pointer entries came from Denmark, Holland, Norway and of course Britain, while the Danes also ran an antiguo perro de muestra Danés, which I’d never heard of.…

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…

21 JANUARY JOHN RIGBY & CO RIFLE RANGE OPENING West London Shooting School, Northolt www.shootingschool.co.uk 2 FEBRUARY END OF SEASON GAME CHANGER BBQ Upstairs at the Palmerston Dulwich, London po.st/gamechangerbbq 9 FEBRUARY GWCT MASTERCHEF WINNERS DINNER Llanrhaeadr, Denbigh Tel 07803 218453 18-20 FEBRUARY GUNDOG TRAINING FOR PET DOG TRAINERS Oxfordshire/ Gloucestershire www.gundogtrainersacademy.co.uk 20 FEBRUARY STAG COURSE Swincoe, Derbyshire enquiries@thegamekeeperswelfaretrust.com…

Numbers of capercaillie have dropped by two per cent in the past year, according to a survey by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). In 2004, a study estimated there were fewer than 2,000 of the world’s largest grouse left. The capercaillie became extinct in Scotland in 1785 but in 1837 Swedish stock was reintroduced to Perthshire. Shooting of the species was banned in 2001. When asked what action SNH was taking to reverse the decline, a spokesman said: “A Heritage Lottery Fund project to protect and boost capercaillie numbers is currently in development…. As part of the project Scottish Natural Heritage will continue to work with land managers and gamekeepers to reduce the impact of predation on the species.” The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) said: “The SGA understands that, despite the…

WAS THIS A TRUE TEST OF A .410? I was dismayed by Tom Payne’s article on the use of the .410 in pursuit of game (Can you kill cleanly with small-bore guns?, 28 November) on a number of levels. I would contend that the approach adopted by the author in his review constituted less than a “fair experiment”, looking objectively at the capabilities of the calibre on its own terms, rather than seeking a direct, inappropriate, comparison with its larger cousins. I have not shot a .410 less than fully choked and would not regard 18g of No.5 as a “good game load” for the gun. I find No.6 and No.7 far more effective on the pattern plate, clays and game. In practical terms, if the combination of gun, load…

This summer Suffolk forgot the feeling of rain. Combine harvesters combusted, all creatures craved shade. During this sweltering time, I visited the Hazell shoot; a place of cooling ancient woodland and rich alluvial soils, situated a few miles inland from picturesque Southwold, the home of my family for generations. While there I met three memorable countrymen. Irrepressible landowner John Holmes, shoot manager and game farmer of the old school Stephen Tonks and “Wise” Rod Hazell, the keeper. This league of extraordinary gentlemen left a huge impression upon both me and photographer Steve Taylor. As we packed up our kit to go home after being treated to a tour of the place, Steve said to me: “This may well be the best shoot we have visited.” I replied: “This may well…

1 Mix all the meat and fat together in a large bowl then pass it through your mincer twice. If using a food processor, pulse until a regular consistency is reached without it becoming too fine. 2 Tip the mixture on to a clean surface. Spread it out evenly and scatter the herbs, seasoning and breadcrumbs across it, then knead these in with your hands. 3 Add the water slowly, continuing to knead until it is all absorbed and the mix has an even texture. 4 Slide the soaked casing on to the filler nozzle, leaving a few inches hanging over the end to tie a knot in later. 5 Put the mix inside the stuffer and crank the handle. You may need to moisten the casing with a little…

If my reading of the political tea leaves is correct, the next generation of sportsmen and women is really going to have to step up to the plate and be proactive, if they are to continue to enjoy their chosen fieldsport. There is a concerted effort on behalf of what I would call the dark forces to try to ensure that the management which produces so much diversity in our countryside is banned. False news and misinformation are rife and, worse, are being used by the media, both social and state, without any checks and balances. Shooting Times has highlighted the problem of politicians not paying heed to science but it is perhaps more worrying that bodies which would consider themselves science-based are not paying any attention either. The list…

Last year I put in four bale hides over two farms, both in small, singular rape fields. One field did not shoot at all as the rape got away and was too tall for the pigeons to comfortably feed. But for the second farm I could not have made a better decision. I chose to use a permanent hide on this farm for three reasons — one, the size of the field was crying out for it; two, it has always been a consistent area, and three, it was in a sensitive area regarding housing and there was only one place where a hide could be built. It gave me the right angle to make sure I wasn’t shooting towards the houses, allowed me to shoot from safe distances and…

As part of their ringing studies of waterfowl, WWT scientists take blood samples from birds that are caught on their reserves. Elevated lead levels were found in one-third of waterfowl tested in Britain during 2010-11, despite changes to the types of shot used for wildfowling, suggesting that ducks, geese and swans are still picking up a lot of lead while feeding. The figure for Bewick’s swan was 12.8 per cent, high enough to affect survival and breeding success. The samples were obtained in mid-winter, ensuring that the effects being measured related to local lead consumption. As all shooters know, it is illegal to shoot wildfowl with lead shot or to use similar cartridges over wetlands, though the definition of a wetland depends upon which part of the UK you shoot…

Latin name: Fomes fomentarius Common name: Horse’s hoof fungus Other names: Hoof fungus, tinder bracket, false tinder fungus How to spot it and where to find it: This is hard to miss; a large — and, it has to be said, ugly — grayish-brown mass formed on silver birch and beech, less often on sycamore and poplar. Trees can live for a long time with the fungus attached but are gradually weakened until they can no longer survive. Soon after a tree dies the brackets of hoof fungus cease growing, but they can remain attached to the dead trunk intact for a year or more. The fungus can be found all year round. Interesting facts: Horse’s hoof fungus isn’t edible and is of little use medicinally — though it has…

Wild turkeys are native to North America and can be found in the wild from Mexico to southern Canada. They were first imported into Britain as long ago as the 1500s, and were called turkeys in the mistaken belief that they came from Turkey, due to the fact they were imported on boats that came from the Levant via Spain. Selective breeding has produced three distinctive breeds of turkey: white, black and bronze. Most commercially produced turkeys are white, while the bronze is more popular with traditional breeders, and these birds are often reared free range. The name comes from the feathers, which appear metallic bronze in sunlight. Many believe that the meat of the bronze is moister and has a gamier flavour, but this may simply reflect the way…