Innholdsfortegnelse for 05-May-2021 i Shooting Times & Country

Sporting estates are leading the way on wader conservation as the breeding season begins. In the Angus glens lapwings are enjoying a good start to the season, with the first chicks spotted in the last week of April. Further south in Yorkshire, keepers were busy marking out curlew nests to keep them safe from agricultural machinery. And figures have emerged showing that 90% of grouse moors hosted breeding pairs of curlew. In Kent, one of the UK’s most threatened birds is making a tentative comeback, thanks to a devoted gamekeepers’ programme of habitat improvement and predator control. Lapwings have suffered a 60% decline in the UK since 1970. But at Godmersham Park Estate in Kent, there are five pairs of the birds up from one pair in 2018. Manager Ben…

A planned mass trespass to protest against provisions criminalising trespass in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill appears to have flopped, with only a handful of protestors showing up. The event, which was organised by Extinction Rebellion (XR), which encouraged activists to “climb over no trespassing or private property signs; attach your own message to no trespassing signs; explore creative, peaceful and Covid-safe civil disobedience related to the land”. Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner was among those pointing out how ill-considered the idea was. He said: “There could not be a more irresponsible time of year to encourage unlawful access which is likely to disturb ground-nesting birds and other wildlife.” However, the event was so poorly supported it appears to have had almost no impact. Brocket Hall near…

As April rolled on, the persistent cold winds from the north and east seemed to stop the emergence of spring dead in its tracks. The grass stopped growing, the buds were reluctant to come out any further and those who braved the early planting in the vegetable garden were met with some sharp and unforgiving frosts. I have even heard stories of tagged migratory birds reaching our shores from Africa and turning back to Iberia to wait it out a little longer. Certainly, the osprey we often have on our lake hasn’t made it here yet. It feels a harsh contrast to this time last year, when the spring raced along. It was on one of these cold days recently that I made the mistake of leaving the garden gate…

You can walk into a branch of Walmart in the US and buy cartridges off the shelf, and not only one brand but myriad different makes of rifle and shotgun ammunition. The world’s biggest retailer, which takes such pride in its corporate ethics that it puts it front and centre on its website, has no problem supplying the hunting culture of the US. If Tesco decided to stock ounce load 7.5s for clay shooting, there would be howls of outrage from middle England. But it wasn’t always this way. Some of the great names of the past in retail sold guns and all that went with them. Delving into the subject gives an interesting glimpse into past attitudes that seem to have morphed over time into some sort of false…

I sipped the last of the coffee from my flask in an attempt to return some warmth to my fingers, as well as the rest of my body. I was sitting — and shivering — on the side of the steep bank that overlooked the lambing field. The sun was just beginning to rise and would soon take the chill out of the cold April morning. From where I sat, I could see the entire lambing field. For the past two hours, the ewes had lain close to their lambs in the corner nearest to me, tucked into the bottom of the bank out of any wind. All had remained calm until a pair of magpies began to chatter on the edge of a patch of thick gorse bushes below…

Though this column is titled David’s Viewpoint, it’s usually about dogs. This week, it has nothing to do with dogs, but it’s a subject that I feel compelled to write about. I’ve signed up to take part in the National Turtle Dove Survey, which is being organised by the RSPB. The rapid decline of the turtle dove in the UK is a subject of real concern. The population has declined by 95% in the past 25 years. I’m keen to do my bit, while it’s hardly the most onerous of tasks, requiring a couple of visits to my allotted square — one in May, one in July. As a veteran of many similar surveys, I have plenty of experience, so don’t really need to be reminded that I will need…

As I pottered around my pigeon shed, I was thinking what a joy it is to be managing pigeon numbers at this time of year. April and May can be tricky months in which to get a bag. There is plenty of food available for them, so it takes skill and thinking like a pigeon to have any chance of success. Trees budding at this time of year can put the brakes on birds heading to any crop but, a bit like last year, the buds came early and were over quickly. Loading my kit into the back of the Land Rover, I was feeling pretty excited about the afternoon’s shooting. Lucerne was the day’s crop of choice; it is not grown in many areas, but it can be a…

On a mid-April evening, when a cold wind had died away, I crept, doubled up, to a short hedge on the other side of which I knew that a flock of some 30 pigeons were feeding on clover. I peeped over it and there, sure enough, were the birds strutting about the grass. But they were a good 60 yards away and I had no chance of getting nearer. When I stood up suddenly, they were off like the clappers — and making the same sound — but I was able to give the nearest pigeon to me a very sound bit of ballistic advice before it fell with a thud to the ground. Then another pigeon came dipping out of the elms behind me. It passed directly over me,…

When spring arrives, most of us are equipped with clothing suited to the change in weather. The heavy-duty Gore-Tex coats and leggings that shrugged off sleet and gales now hang in the wardrobe, replaced by lightweight fleeces and cotton trousers. However, this yearly switch to summer order of dress rarely applies to footwear. It would be fairto say that trudging about to check on rat traps and feeders while sporting a pair of Lacoste sliders is hardly practical and winter wellies will leave you with tootsies like moist camembert in pretty short order. So what should we be pulling on to our feet when the temperatures rise and shadows shorten? 1 Härkila’s Grove GTX RRP £169.99 gb.harkila.com Härkila’s Grove GTX boots are extremely light at a mere 681g, but,…

Gamekeepers have warned that an alliance between the SNP and the Scottish Greens after the 6 May election could put “thousands of rural workers on the dole, with little prospect of redeployment, and affect the well-being and future… of their dependents”. The stark claim came in an open letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon from Scottish Gamekeepers Association chairman Alex Hogg. Mr Hogg drew Ms Sturgeon’s attention to a list of policies that he said would “effectively end all game management and angling in Scotland and destroy a significant part of Scotland’s cultural heritage”. Among the policies highlighted was a “commitment to end what the Greens term ‘bloodsports’” and “a full ban on fox control with dogs”. “Where does the fairness lie for those set to lose their jobs?” The…

CHECK If you live in an area that has adders, they are starting to be more active. Make sure you know what to do if your dog receives an adder bite. Swift veterinary treatment is essential, but proper first aid can make a life or death difference, too. BIRDS Put out water for birds, whether it is for gamebirds or other wild species. It would not usually be a problem for them to find water at this time of year, but with the prolonged spell of dry weather all birds will be struggling. Shallow drinkers can be an invaluable resource if kept clean and topped up.…

More than 80% of dog owners know of at least one dog theft in their area, according to a survey by BASC. The survey also found that, with the problem of dog theft growing rapidly, dog owners have not been idle — more than 75% of the survey’s 3,400 respondents had put in place extra measures to keep their dogs secure. They included varying the times and routes of walks, reducing social media postings and adding extra lighting and security cameras around kennels. Of those who had taken additional action, 5% had begun carrying alarms or wearing body cameras while walking their dogs. Among those responding to the survey, 111 had actually been the victim of a dog theft, and of those, 45 had managed to get their dog back.…

We have a resident cock pheasant in our garden, which we have christened Frank. A few days ago, I left my home in the Vale of Glamorgan for a business meeting near Cardiff about 25 miles away along the M4 motorway. The meeting lasted about four hours, after which I set off for another meeting about 30 miles away. When I arrived for the second meeting, my client said: “Did you know you have a passenger?” Intrigued, I looked about my car and saw nothing. I then looked in the front grille. There, wedged between the radiator and the grille was Frank, perfectly unharmed but completely stuck. I had not hit him on leaving my home. He must have crawled in during the night then couldn’t get out. I drove…

The wood was dark and still as I crept along the ride. Only the occasional hooting of a tawny owl broke the silence as I made my way between two thickets of young oak trees to the high seat beyond. It was the last weekend in March and this would be the final opportunity to make a significant contribution to the cull numbers, so I had already dropped off George, Luke and Ronnie, and directed them to their high seats. In a normal year I would have had anything up to 10 Rifles out for our group cull, but in view of COVID-19 restrictions on travelling and overnight stays, that had simply not been possible. However, even with only four of us out, I was pretty confident that at least…

In the early 1990s, when we had a voluntary phase-out of lead for shooting over wetlands, my old mate Charles Nodder and I had a little try with some steel cartridges out on the Medway mud. It was not very scientific, more a first dabble. Being young and keen, we hit the road from Dorset at about 2am, with a view to being out on the Kent shore for morning flight. In those days, with wigeon and teal the main quarry, I usually used 28g lead 7s and my first 14 shots at dawn put five birds in the bag. From then on, I changed to steel, following the conventional advice to go up two sizes, and ended up shooting another 10 ducks, including a single pintail, for 32 burned.…

Rabbit shooting in my part of the West Country took a serious nosedive towards the end of last summer. The simple fact was that the local population of bunnies seemed to disappear almost overnight, with the result that very few landowners had any need to keep their numbers in check. Not so long ago, myxomatosis — which has been around for decades (see Vintage Times, p54) — was the main culprit when it came to sudden plunges in rabbit populations. The disease took a heavy toll over some years, but there always seemed to be a few resistant rabbits that made it through. And given this mammal’s deserved reputation for rapid breeding, colonies quickly bounced back. Far more devastating over recent years has been the impact of rabbit haemorrhagic disease…

Since its introduction in 2007, the Tiguan has proven a popular vehicle for the modern 2.4-children family. Normally associated with the school run or a weekend trip to a National Trust property, the latest version could tick a few Shooting Times boxes. With the addition of all-wheel-drive, the new 4Motion Tiguan could be ideal for the modern family to handle town, country and a little more. So, without further ado, let’s delve into the all-new Tiguan 4Motion all-wheel-drive Elegance. The Tiguan is available in six trim levels. This version is the Elegance, which is a higher-spec model before you go off to the realms of sportiness with the R-Line and R versions. It looks relatively pleasing on the eye for an SUV. The overall silhouette is a bit more refined…

For almost 60 years, three generations of my family have quietly gone about their business running my restaurant, Il Portico, in Kensington. A small, family-run place, it is the very last of its kind in the capital. Thirty years prior, places like ours were found on every high street in the smoke. Invariably, each and every one would be run by an Italian gentleman aged between 50 and 70, who emigrated from the rural heartlands in search of streets paved with gold. Like my father, they grew up rough shooting in the Italian hills as a means to help support their family and, upon their move to England, continued to do so. In season, every Italian trattoria in town would sell pheasants, ducks, rabbits and hares in increasingly creative ways.…

A poacher has narrowly avoided jail after Northumbria Police’s rural crime team caught him with an array of weapons. Thirty-year-old Mark Mann was spotted by officers in a field near the town of Blyth accompanied by two dogs. When they detained him, they found a lamp, a thermal imager and three knives. Mann was prosecuted for Hunting Act offences and pleaded guilty to going equipped and possession of a bladed article. He was fined and sentenced to six months in prison suspended for one year. Sergeant Ian Pattison, from the Northumbria Police rural crime team, said: “Poaching isn’t just taking one for the pot, but is the use of dogs to indiscriminately kill wildlife, often for betting purposes, as well as on occasions damaging fields and fences with vehicles. “It…

Gamekeepers and farmers tackled a catastrophic moorland blaze alone after firefighters and National Trust staff were withdrawn due to health and safety issues. The fire is the latest in a series of serious wildfires to affect the Peak District and is reportedly the worst so far this year. It broke out on the National Trust owned and managed Marsden Moor. The National Trust does not use controlled burning to manage fuel load, relying on cutting and ‘rewetting’ instead. Due to the high fuel load and strong breezes, the fire spread rapidly, soon reaching neighbouring estates, and a helicopter had to be called in to support the 10 fire crews that were fighting the flames. “We worked alone to save hundreds of acres of habitat that would have been destroyed” At…

Man who stole 200 eggs avoids jail time An egg thief has avoided jail after his sentence was suspended. Terence Potter from Huddersfield pleaded guilty to wildlife offences connected to the taking of nearly 200 wild birds’ eggs. His crimes were detected after he was spotted by gamekeepers behaving suspiciously. They contacted the police, who searched Potter’s home, recovering eggs, equipment and an incubator in which he had hatched curlew and golden plover eggs. His 12-week sentence was suspended for 12 months. Rural groups: Scots deer welfare is key Fieldsports and rural organisations have called on the Scottish government to ensure the country’s deer are properly treated. The open letter came after the government announced significant changes to the law on deer, including the removal of the close season for…

I wish the muntjac would come back,” I said dreamily, gazing out of the window at the rose bed beyond. It had been almost a year since the original lockdown was imposed, and in that first stint an invasion of muntjac had arrived at the boundary of the garden and made several attempts to cross the border and graze on my mother’s prized roses (The buck stops here, 29 April 2020). They had lost five troops for the cause, including one with a stunning gold-medal head. One year on and I was back in the same scenario, except there were no muntjac. Hearing the longing in my voice, my mother looked at me sternly, “tsked” and left the room. It seemed the loss of last year’s roses was still a…

I WAS QUITE PLEASED AND IMPRESSED with the Tiguan, despite the tyres. It is an ideal family and country vehicle. You could certainly drop the kids off in the morning and go out for a day of shooting with relative ease and confidence. It’s fully loaded and there’s a certain quality about it. That quality and level of tech comes at a cost. The Elegance starts off at £35,900. With the added winter pack, tyre-pressure monitoring, tow bar and metallic paint, it comes in at a whopping £39,325. That is not cheap, but is around its competitors’ pricing.…

Do moderators really work? AIRGUNNING Q A lot of people attach moderators to their airguns, but are they really necessary? Do these accessories make much difference to the noise made by these low-powered rifles or are they simply for aesthetics? A Airguns, and pre-charged airguns in particular, have a surprisingly loud muzzle crack that can be stifled effectively by the addition of a moderator. This extra stealth can be a huge asset when targeting wary quarry, or when shooting near livestock or houses. Some airguns come fitted with barrel shrouds that provide a degree of sound suppression, but an external moderator is the best way to keep them whisper-quiet. The effect is not as noticeable on spring-powered airguns because the shooter’s head is close to the noise of the moving…

An elephant rider, or mahout, has been killed by a tiger in western Nepal. The victim was harvesting grass for his elephant when he was attacked. He had been helping to conduct a wildlife survey. This sort of tragedy is becoming more frequent in the vicinity of the Bardiya National Park. Apparently, there has been a sharp rise in the number of tigers entering the local area from adjoining forests. Local residents have reported scores of tiger attacks on villagers and livestock. All visits to the area have been suspended. This illustrates the inevitable conflict between apex predators and humans when both live in close proximity. We in the west celebrate the resurgence of big snarly things in far-flung parts of the world, but we aren’t the ones who have…