Innholdsfortegnelse for 07-Oct-2020 i Shooting Times & Country

To call it a plan would be overdoing it. The whole thing, from the leaky boat to the makeshift oars, to the apprentice joiner we recruited at the eleventh hour to try to flag ducks off the opposite end of the reservoir, was improvised on the hoof. I suppose you could call it duck flighting but it was really just hiding out in the reeds, with a good selection of biscuits and a flask of tea, in the vague hope that something might fly by. As it happened, something did and the fingers I’m typing this with are still covered in feathers from the young greylag I’ve just plucked in my garden. At the pub, after our one-goose evening, my friend Jamie asked me which sort of days I’d most…

12 OCTOBER INTRODUCTION TO GAME SHOOTING Woodbridge, Suffolk basc.org/events 14 OCTOBER SCOTTISH SUSTAINABLE AMMUNITION EVENT National Shooting Centre, Falkirk Contact Carol at BASC Scotland on 07857 972619 22 OCTOBER WILD GAME MEAT HYGIENE COURSE Leicestershire bit.ly/NGOtraining 6 NOVEMBER SHOTGUN & CHELSEA BUN CLUB (LADIES) CLAY SHOOT West Kent Shooting School, Paddock Wood, Kent bit.ly/SCBCshoot 10 NOVEMBER BASIS CERTIFICATE IN GAME MANAGEMENT — LOWLAND Allerton Project, Main Street, Leicester gwct.org.uk/events 22-24 NOVEMBER DEERSTALKING CERTIFICATE LEVEL 1 COURSE Royston, Hertfordshire bit.ly/DSC1Royston…

Vulture takes break on Norfolk coast A lammergeier whose departure from the Peak District grouse moors we reported last week (News, 30 September) has shown up again amid the game shoots of Norfolk. The bird (below) is believed to be heading home to the Alps or the Pyrenees, but it has taken a break on the Norfolk coast where it was spotted by local bird enthusiasts. Game on for Britain’s curry celebration The British Game Alliance (BGA) is marking National Curry Week with a virtual cooking event hosted by Braehead Foods. Tickets for the event are available from the Cook School Scotland website, and include a box of ingredients to create a hot and sour mallard duck salad followed by Thai red pheasant curry and chilled kaffir lime leaf rice…

I wonder if, like me, you feel the spirit of place most powerfully by the rivers that you fish and in the woods and fields where you find sport with your gun. And do you join me in feeling this spirit most intensely in the sad and very beautiful month of September, especially on the evenings when the wind has died away and a patchwork of shadow and sunlight slants over the land? There have been several such evenings and one of them found me at High Park. I was later than usual. I had come to give my birds their tea, which on this occasion was more like supper because I had spent the day flanking on the local moor. It had been one of those days when to…

NEVER HAVE I approached a new season with less confidence than this one. It’s impossible to know or predict what is going to happen, if it happens at all. It’s a bit like starting a season of hunting on a new horse you have never ridden before, and which might well buck you off before you get to the first meet. I’m writing this in late September, when the new rule of six appears poised to dominate our lives for the foreseeable future. Of course, just to add to the confusion, different rules apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. I was unsure of the legality of the new laws, most of which have been introduced without any reference to Parliament. However, all the new laws have been introduced through…

Latin name: Helminthotheca echioides Common name: Bristly oxtongue Other names: Oxtongue, Milton Keynes weed, Langley-beef How to spot it and where to find it: Amid the abundance of wildflowers, bristly oxtongue’s bright yellow flowers can often be overlooked. If, however, that bloom is still evident in October and even November, it is likely to be Helminthotheca echioides. Its most distinctive feature is the large blister-like glands, or mesas, on its long, narrow leaves, from which the bristles that give the plant its name emerge. There are pale hairs on the stems, but no pimply glands. The seeds look like miniature carrots. Interesting facts: Those bristles gave rise to the name oxtongue. Thought to have developed by the plant to deter grazing animals, they give a roughness to the leaves like…

The grouse days have more or less spluttered to their conclusion now, with only the fortunate few to the west of the centre of the country some still to go. Though the moorland community may feel it’s been a disappointing season, given COVID-19, most will, or should, be grateful they were allowed to harvest their surplus. Not surprisingly, the decision to allow shooting has been condemned by those who would like it stopped, and any excuse to have a go at it cannot be passed up. In an odd way, the fact the grouse bred badly on the east, and some chose to shoot a few, may end up being something of a blessing in disguise. I gather the young-to-old ratio from the majority of moors on the east has…

BEWARE Beware the temptations of the beating line. There are very few gundogs that don’t love a day’s beating. But the temptation to riot can be too much for some young dogs and weeks of careful training can be undone in a few hours. Resist pressure to let your dog go, keep it close and put it on a lead immediately if it looks like it is going to become out of control. STALKING Enjoy the red stag rut. Rutting season offers fabulous deerstalking opportunities, but it is also wonderful to be anywhere red deer are found when the stags are roaring. Even Richmond Park can provide an unforgettable experience. Just remember to keep your distance.…

A leading ornithologist has called for shoots to hold off shooting woodcock until December to protect our fragile breeding population. Shooting Times contributor Graham Appleton, who writes the WaderTales blog, made the appeal as the season for woodcock opens. Mr Appleton said: “Up to a million woodcock will cross the North Sea by the end of November but, for the moment, the only birds that are available to shoot are red-listed home-grown birds. There is no suggestion that Scandinavian numbers are in decline so it makes sense to wait until 1 December, as GWCT scientists have advised, before shooting woodcock.” Reports from observatories, birdwatchers and shoots around the country, as well as evidence from tagged birds, suggest that very few migratory woodcock have yet reached the UK. This means that…

GETTING GOGGLES FOR OUR DOGS I’ve been reading a number of articles on your website written by David Tomlinson for Shooting Times. I really appreciate his enlightened approach to the general welfare of working dogs across a wide variety of subjects, from neoprene coats to comfortable beds. A subject I’ve researched extensively, as well as talking to fellow gundog owners and gamekeepers, is the subject of eye protection for working dogs. The common responses have ranged from mild derision to ‘why?’. Having always had labradors for picking-up, I’ve recently taken on a springer, which has all the usual drive, enthusiasm and complete lack of regard for personal safety. Noticing how uncomfortable her eyes get with debris and scratching, I read various blogs on how this is an occupational hazard. The…

The stillness of a late September day is seasonless, neither hot nor cold, dry but with a hint of damp. Just plain vanilla weather. There is still the odd swallow but, every now and then, I hear curlew calling on the foreshore and geese honking overhead, small reconnaissance patrols feeling their way south from the Arctic Circle. I have just seen a wheatear flitting between the stobs along a cowtrack. And one morning a pair of egrets fed alongside the cattle as if they were beside water buffalo in the Nile Valley. Birds are on the move. Yet it’s hard to be enthusiastic about the countryside right now. Neither summer nor fully autumn, the leaves are tired without showing much colour and the land grows grass grudgingly or sits in…

There are no rules to what can be done to inject energy into friends, family or clients at this unusual time of day, though in the time of a pandemic it will be necessary to take precautions for safety’s sake. For foods that are passed one person to another — a box containing hot sausages, pastries or biscuits, for instance — ask guests if they can bring their own fork in a pocket so fingers stay away from the food. Soup — very hot, so presumably safe — can also be served from the flask directly to a Gun’s own disposable picnic cup, as well as other drinks. Bring along a bag for safe rubbish disposal and perhaps a canister of water with a tap to rinse non-disposable items on…

A suitable shooting companion should be many things. They should be hard hunting, patient on peg, calm to heel and have reliable recall. These are only a few of the key skills and attributes. The basics in training will pay dividends in the long run and are so often overlooked. The ability simply to heel consistently and reliably on a shoot is one of the most common obvious skills lacking. A vast majority will opt for using a lead rather than risk the embarrassment of the dog being out of control. In association with Chudleys: over forty years of highly nutritious food for working dogs This is a waste because, though slightly mundane, having the basics instilled makes for a greatly improved and more enjoyable experience with any gundog. One…

I’ve always enjoyed foraging, as it pairs so naturally with shooting. I’d often come home with a game bag stuffed with mushrooms, and I still think there are few better accompaniments to game than wild mushrooms. One of the disadvantages of living in the driest part of the country — the Suffolk Brecks — is that low rainfall doesn’t encourage the growth of fungi, so I rarely manage to gather mushrooms. In contrast, when I lived in Kent I would pick more mushrooms than I could eat, so mushroom soup became an option. The finding of a perfect field mushroom prompted this chain of thought. I found it, during a walk with the spaniels, growing in the long grass at the side of a footpath. I took it home and,…

BILL HARRIMAN BASC’s head of firearms and global authority on guns MAT MANNING Airgunner and journalist from the West Country DIGGORY HADOKE Vintage gun expert, firearms dealer, author and journalist BRUCE POTTS Shooting Timesrifle 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 TONY BUCKWELL Veterinary surgeon with a special interest in gundogs 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 CIC international trophy judge…

1 House check tweed plus twos shooting breeks RRP: £195 cordings.co.uk A functional, stylish classic still much favoured in the field. Comfort being of the utmost importance, these plus twos are fully adjustable at the side and calf, offering Guns plenty of movement, too. 2 Wapiti jacket RRP: £443 swazi.co.nz The Wapiti is a jacket you can rely on for optimum performance. Waterproof, windproof and breathable, every feature has been designed to battle the elements, including the detachable hood and the two generous bellow pockets. It is easy to stow away when you don’t need it. 3 Flat Creek Tech flannels RRP: £89 orvis.co.uk Give the planet a helping hand with this ecofriendly tech flannel shirt. Recycled oyster shells and plastic bottles are blended with cotton and…

Boris says he wants to see the amount of protected land in the UK increased from 26% to 30% by 2030. That ambition will be welcomed by the usual suspects. But it may cause consternation among many land managers, including some pioneers of the rewilding movement, as I shall explain. I have just read a book about the Burrell family’s Knepp Castle estate, in West Sussex. Written by the estate owner’s wife, Isabella Tree, it is called Wilding. She explains they settled on that term rather than ‘rewilding’ because, in truth, the landscape had not been properly wild for hundreds of years. By leaving the landscape alone since 2001, the Burrells have turned what was 3,500 acres of intensively farmed land into a haven for wildlife. The entire perimeter has…

I am a head of department at a lively pupil referral unit, an educational establishment that teaches pupils with behavioural problems — usually stemming from deprived backgrounds and poor life choices around drugs, drink and general lifestyle. As a keen shooter I thought what a wonderful opportunity it would be to educate these urban children, who largely survive on a diet of cigarettes, sugary drinks and fast food, in some real organic meat and remind them of where our food ultimately comes from. I approached our hospitality teacher, someone who is always looking for new ways to get our pupils to interact with food, and offered to bring in some fresh pigeon, in the feather, and butcher them with help from the children. She was keen so I then approached…

Venison is the perfect ingredient for making this field snack from South Africa. The lean, long grain strands of haunch lend themselves to the cured, bendy brittleness of biltong but, after a couple of challenging chews, it will start to soften, giving off a peppery and herbal tang. “Dry curing reduces moisture levels in fresh meat, which then acts as a preservative” Dry curing reduces the moisture levels in fresh meat, which then acts as a preservative. By allowing it to dry so that it has lost at least 30% of its original raw weight it makes the product inhospitable to bad bacteria. This often takes weeks, particularly if it is done traditionally, but venison biltong can be ready to eat within a few days, especially if you help to…

The quest to produce the most effective slug for use in a smooth-bored gun resulted in scores of options for Victorian and Edwardian sportsman. They were especially relevant for those in India, where encounters with deer, leopard, bear and tiger were entirely possible during a hunt for jungle fowl or ducks. Rodda, based in Calcutta, used local knowledge to devise a bullet to be encased in a shotgun cartridge and fired through a gun with or without choked muzzles. It was available in 12-, 16- or 20-bore options.  Ads of the time said it had “Flat Trajectory”, “Absolute Accuracy” and “Great Smashing Power”. They cost 35 shillings per hundred in the 1920s, about a third more expensive than best standard shotgun cartridges. Bullet weights are not provided but 750-gr would…