Innholdsfortegnelse for 14-Sep-2016 i Shooting Times & Country

THE LATEST ISSUE of the RSPB magazine, which goes to all its members, carries a very short piece by yours truly on what I like about autumn. It was good of the editor to include it, especially given that I chose as my favourite seasonal spectacle the sight of songbirds feeding at hoppers and gamecrops on shoots. But really it shouldn’t seem strange, because the RSPB has acknowledged the benefits of game management to wildlife conservation on several occasions. This natural synergy is why I sincerely hope that the organisation isn’t being pushed too hard to align itself with those seeking to ban shooting. If such factions were allowed to succeed, it would be catastrophic for British wildlife. Back on our own little shoot, a syndicate member recently lost his…

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has called for urgent action from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) after revealing that many of the union’s members had lost confidence that outstanding issues would be resolved. With less than three months to go until the 2016 window opens, the NFU is concerned that there are still a number of problems with 2015 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments managed by the RPA, including outstanding claims, mapping and dealing with any appeals, and that this would cause further delays to 2016 payments. NFU vice-president Guy Smith said: “Travelling round the country talking to farmers and agents, it is staggering just how many feel that BPS 2015 is far from complete or resolved. “Fifteen months on from when these claims were submitted and just three months…

Stickmaker takes Best in Show Lowther title Ian Blinkworth (pictured) from Suffolk was crowned Best in Show at the 22nd annual British & UK National Stickmaking Competition at the recent Lowther Show. The four-times English Champion of Champions stickmaker beat 350 other participants to take the accolade, making him eligible for a fifth shot at the Champion of Champions title when it is held at Chatsworth later this year. Ian’s winning stick was hazel, topped with a ram’s horn carved into a traditional Scottish scroll and thistle. It took around three weeks to make and has been placed at several other competitions. Norway lightning strike kills 323 deer A lightning strike in southern Norway has killed 323 reindeer in what is said to be the deadliest lightning strike on record.…

“We cannot afford a few bad apples to allow our opponents to tar us all with the same brush” It is absolutely crucial that all shooters use non-lead ammunition when shooting wildfowl in England and Wales or when shooting over wetland in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The shooting community is a law-abiding group responsible for huge amounts of conservation, and we simply cannot afford a few bad apples to allow our opponents to tar us all with the brush of “non-compliance” with lead shot restrictions. We seem to be living in an age in which the immediate reaction to controversy is to call for the Government to ban things. This is doubly true when the issue at hand is shooting. RSPB Cymru described its “bitter disappointment” at the Welsh Government’s…

“Alphamax became one of the firm’s flagship brands and is still available in the current era” Prior to the 1930s, the Gastight brand was Eley’s only type of wildfowling cartridge. The company used this name since it introduced this water-resisting system in 1869 and it was continued for the following century. Kynoch launched its Gastight Waterproof in 1897 to compete with Eley’s Pegamoid, which had come on to the market a couple of years earlier. In those days, wildfowling was almost exclusively the sport of locals trying to bag birds for the table. Those who were shooting for a livelihood and sending their birds to market were mostly punt-gunners seeking large bags. Hence, Gastight cartridges were the mainstay of shoulder gunners while, elsewhere in the UK, gameshooting was flourishing. Yet…

The stubble fields of central Scotland are starting to echo with the delightful “ank ank” of pink-footed geese, newly arrived from Iceland in large skeins and smaller family parties. Some birds will stay in the north for a large part of the autumn, gleaning spilt barley grain from stubble fields and nibbling at the sweet, fresh growth of winter cereal crops, but others will soon be on their way south. Different birds have their own preferred schedules and diets — perhaps some will look for carrots in Lancashire, while others will head straight for the sugar beet fields of Norfolk. Many pinkfeet know these areas well, having been visiting them for 10 or even 20 years, according to ringing information from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Wildfowl…

“Prospects on the Northumbrian coast seem good. We’ve seen quite a few mallard and teal around ponds” Wildfowlers can expect a mixed start to the season, with many early broods hit by the poor weather, but second clutches likely offering strong sport. Taking a view of the national picture in late August, BASC reported that bird numbers were lower than would normally be expected at that time of year and noted that Canada and greylag geese were seen at inland sites and on coastal marshes and estuaries across the UK. Mallard were present in reasonable numbers, teal were appearing in high numbers in the east of England and small numbers of pink-footed geese were present in northern Scotland. BASC’s wildfowling officer Mark Greenhough commented: “I am not expecting a spectacular…

SUPPORT The UK farming industry is coming together in support of Red Tractor Week, which is currently under way and runs from 12-18 September. This autumn campaign is dedicated to promoting great British food. Farmers will be taking part in events at major supermarkets across the country to talk to the public about how British food is produced, while industry bodies will be spreading the message online. Visit po.st/ redtractorweek for more information. BUY Now that we are entering the game season, you might want to pick up BASC’s new gundog first-aid kit. It includes antiseptic solution, bandages and dressings, scissors and a tick remover so that minor injuries can be treated in the field. It is available for £10 online at po.st/ bascfirstaidkit and can also be bought from…

Forest Enterprise Scotland has received the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management’s Corporate Achievement Award in recognition of its successful 15-year effort to integrate timber production and recreation with capercaillie conservation in the National Forest Estate in Strathspey, Scotland. Hillersdon House in Devon has raised £1,025 for the Royal Marines Charity after hosting a charity clay shoot. Sixteen teams competed on a challenging course on the house grounds. Mushroom picking has been completely banned in the New Forest National Park in Hampshire. The Forestry Commission says it made the decision to protect the “fragile ecosystem” after some commercial pickers ignored existing restrictions. BASC, the Gun Trade Guild Northern Ireland and the Ulster Farmers’ Union have raised concerns with the Northern Ireland Policing Board over the Police Service of Northern…

“Even at weekends, when you might expect to see queues of neon jackets and trekking poles, the Galloway hills are stunningly silent” Having written about the difference between wild boar and feral pigs last month, it’s hard to ignore another species that has also struggled with PR in recent years. The Galloway hills have been occupied by a standing army of goats for centuries and, while none of these have descended from truly wild stock, their escape from medieval farms and homesteads means that many can claim to have lived without human support since the days of Robert the Bruce. In my book, this gives them a level of kudos far and above that implied by the term “feral”. Despite having wiped out thousands of these animals when the hills…

VIGILANCE IS VITAL WITH GROWING FERRETS The young ferrets are growing daily. The surplus kits have all now been homed so that I can focus on those that remain as they grow and work. The ones left at home are as mad as a box of frogs. I have them separated into trios, making my daily handling a lot easier but also minimising the likelihood of rucks and riots between so many juvenile hobs. Even though they are young, they can inflict great damage on one another, as they are stronger than they realise and this can be a problem. The young male ferrets are now feeling their way in life — biting each other, scrapping and mounting. This can tear the skin between the front shoulders if you are…

EVER HEARD OF AN Alvis TD21 drophead coupé? Despite an interest in classic cars, I had to admit this was one I didn’t know. Within seconds my interviewee, Professor Dick White, produced a 1958 brochure featuring not just any Alvis TD21, but his very own car. “It was Alvis’s demonstration car, and it appeared in all the publicity photographs,” he explained. “It was exported to the US and we found it in the Napa Valley in California, brought it back, and its restoration is almost complete. I’m hoping to pick it up next week.” Dick is the founder of what is today the largest specialist small animal hospital in Europe, called Dick White Referrals (DWR). I tell the story of the Alvis because it reflects the fact that Dick is…

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 rifl e 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@timeinc.com By post: Shooting…

Though probably the best known and the most recognisable of our nine breeds of native pony, the Exmoor remains a rare breed. At the end of World War II there were just 50 ponies left on Exmoor, the rugged area of exposed moorland and deep wooded coombes that lies on the Somerset-Devon border. Today, there are 20 herds running on the moor, where the Exmoor Pony Society carefully monitors the population. Small and sturdy, an Exmoor stallion can be up to 12.3 hands high, but tough enough to carry a grown man for a day’s staghunting. The ponies range in colour from dark dun through bay to brown, but all have a distinctive mealy (oatmeal-coloured) muzzle and ring around the eye (below). In recent years they have become increasingly popular…

“The antis have their teeth into driven grouse shooting, sensing it to be the soft underbelly of our sport” The current campaign against driven grouse shooting is a call to arms for the shooting community. “An attack on one is an attack on all” is the cry. However, some wonder whether the mainstream shooting community should be used as poor bloody infantry to defend the “privileged” minority who participate in driven grouse shooting. Unfortunately, some of this sort of debate takes place online, for all to see. Such postings provide ammunition for a wider attack on all gameshooting. I cannot see how this sort of internecine strife, conducted in public, helps anybody — except the antis, of course. Our opponents have chosen their target carefully. Driven grouse shooting rings all…

“The Government needs to explore the alternatives — including stricter controls on the movement of cattle, increased levels of cattle testing over a wider area, improved biosecurity and vaccination of both badgers and cattle. Dogmatic killing of badgers is not helping anyone.” RSPCA head of wildlife Adam Grogan renews calls to scrap the badger cull. 530 As many as 530 key infrastructure sites throughout England are vulnerable to flooding, according to the Government’s new National Flood Resilience Review. The report commits £12.5million towards temporary flood defences across the country. The review was commissioned following the flooding of 16,000 homes in December last year.…

16 -17 SEPTEMBER LONDON SHOOTING SHOW London Shooting Club Tel 07737 744950 22 SEPTEMBER SIMULATED GAME DAY Oakedge Shooting Ground, Staffordshire Tel 07891 276810 24 SEPTEMBER THE FESTIVAL OF SHOOTING The Oxford Gun Company, Oakley, Buckinghamshire Tel 01844 238308 25 SEPTEMBER GWCT 200-BIRD TEAM FLUSH CLAY SHOOT Middle Ellick Farm, Somerset Tel 01373 836339 25 SEPTEMBER GLAD RAGS & CARTRIDGE BAGS CLAY SHOOT Findrack Sporting estate, Aberdeenshire Tel 07841 393155 11 OCTOBER SCOTTISH LAND & ESTATES BRACKEN CONTROL DEMONSTRATION Atholl estates, Pitlochry, Perthshire Tel 01316 535400…

“Hare coursers and lampers follow the combines as surely as night follows day” The news of the death of the Duke of Westminster in early August (News, 24 August) came as a bit of a shock to all of us. A keen and accurate Shot and a generous supporter of country sports, he was always very supportive of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) and totally understood our objectives and what we stand for. He said on a number of occasions that if he hadn’t been in line to inherit the title and take on the responsibilities of overseeing the Grosvenor estates he would have loved to have been a gamekeeper. This is undoubtedly where his affinity for the NGO and gamekeepers in general came from. The shooting world is poorer…

“They were all devoted fowlers, practically living on the marsh when the tides were high” The Twelfth may be glorious, but for those with thinner wallets, the shooting season has a muddier opening on 1 September. Some of my keener fowling friends used to celebrate its eve on the foreshore, camping out in sleeping bags huddled round a driftwood fire, drinking malt whisky, reliving those charmed forays that ended in heavy goose bags and forgetting those many days when the only reward was frosted fingers and the Labrador covered in stinking goo. Selective memory, though, is essential to fowling and, indeed, any pursuit of wild quarry. How many times do we swing the salmon fly or chuck our line for a sea trout sploshing in the darkness without an offer?…

When I lived in Kent, I had a delightful neighbour called Patience. The widow of a solicitor, she had been in India before the war where she had met my childhood hero, Jim Corbett. However, the reason I mention her here has nothing to do with the legendary big-game hunter, but because her constant companions were a series of miniature dachshunds. Her ambition was to get one of these dogs to double figures, but sadly they all died before the age of 10. Thus I know that she would have been deeply impressed that my senior springer, Fleur, has just passed her 15th birthday. As she was home-bred we kept in touch with several of her siblings, so we are reasonably sure that she is the last survivor of a…

Plant: Greater burdock Latin name: Arctium lappa Common names: Beggar’s buttons, burr, kiss-me-quick, stick-button How to spot it and where to find it: A tall and robust perennial, greater burdock can reach up to 2m high and has purple flowerheads that appear in clusters on the leafy main branches from July to September, before turning into brown burr-like fruiting heads that easily stick to anything, particularly dogs and other animals. Its fleshy tap root can grow up to 1m deep and it particularly favours soil that is rich in nitrogen, often growing by waysides, fences, walls and on waste ground. Interesting facts: The “bur” of burdock is thought to derive from a contraction of the French bourre, from the Latin burra, meaning a lock of wool, such is often found…

 “A bloke stood in front of me and told me how he caught 480 mackerel in two days,” said Dave in the tackle shop. “I couldn’t think of anything to say back. Tell the truth, I wanted to punch him.” “Mackerel is the best, the bomb, the bees’ knees of all ingredients in the world and space” During a couple of weeks in early August, the shoals of mackerel passing Chesil Beach across the mouth of West Bay harbour were of biblical proportions. The sea was boiling with mackerel and the shoals of whitebait that they were chasing. After a slow and sporadic start to the season’s run, they suddenly arrived in droves, chasing thick sprays of tiny fish up on to the shingle and bending the rods of gleeful…