Innholdsfortegnelse for 02-Jun-2021 i Shooting Times & Country

One of the UK’s top academic geographers has warned that the UK is moving towards a situation like that of the US or Spain where large wildfires could be a regular occurrence. Dr Thomas Smith, assistant professor in environmental geography at the London School of Economics, said that climate change and alterations to land management had left the UK vulnerable to fires of increasing size and severity. The second largest number of severe wildfires on record occurred in 2020, with 75 fires covering at least six hectares. In total, 13,793 hectares of land was destroyed in fires, up from only 85 hectares in 2014. As well as the impact of climate change, Dr Smith told The Timesthat “traditional land management practices of using fire or grazing to thin moorland vegetation…

It is normally at the end of May that the first-cut silage would be mown, but with spring seemingly a month late this year, the grass is still some way off being ready. From the top of the hill upon which our little farm sits, you can see the weather fronts rolling in, whichever direction they arrive from. The barrage of showers seemed continuous this weekend and every time the sun tried to break through, another dark cloud would gather and the rains pummel down on to us, the remaining blossom clinging to the trees taking the brunt of the force. The frustration has been trying to plan when to drill our maize game covers. Our heavy clay ground is sensitive to both waterlogging and drought, quickly turning between the…

When we are discussing strains of birds, we generally concentrate on how well they fly, how well they hold and how well we think they suit our ground. Game farmers think about egg production, fertility and the ease with which they rear. Game dealers and restaurateurs think about carcass weights and fat content. How many of us who release game consider the birds’ ability to rear their own ‘wild’ broods the following spring? Very few of us, I would guess, as it is far easier to buy in day-olds or poults, or hatch eggs we have produced ourselves in laying pens from caught-up hens. There may be a bit more interest in genetics and the production of wild birds this year, as most had more birds on the ground following…

“These fish will satisfy your taste buds every bit as much as Mediterranean sardines” OK, so your prospects of sitting outside a picture-perfect taverna on the shores of the Mediterranean, sipping Arctic-cold beer and eating finger-licking lush, charcoal-grilled sardines, have been seriously curtailed this summer. But instead of crying into your lukewarm draught ale, why not seize the moment and go out and do something even better? Go and catch your own sardine. Build your own charcoal-burning grill. And prepare a perfect British seaside feast to rival any you might be served on the other side of the English Channel. While you may be hard-pushed to catch a sardine off the English coast, mackerel stocks are doing well. Overall, their numbers have remained healthy, though in recent years there seems…

It wasn’t long ago that basic infrared night-vision optics were regarded as being too expensive, too complicated and too bulky to be a worthwhile proposition for airgun shooters. Just a few years later and it has become standard equipment for anyone who carries out regular after-dark pest control with an air rifle. Advances in design and technology have made infrared optics much more affordable and easier to use, and you can now pick up a very dependable unit brand new for less than a week’s wages. Thermal-imaging gear is following a similar path after emerging as the new kid on the night-vision block and, like its predecessor, is doing so despite a barrage of scepticism from technophobic naysayers. I was one of them but, after really getting to grips with…

A few weeks ago, son number two phoned with ominous opening words: “Father, I have good news and bad news.” This usually means he would like me to look after his dogs for him while he’s away for a few days. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he’s bringing them round the day after tomorrow as his trip has unexpectedly been brought forward. After a time, you get to know the telephone approaches of your offspring. The only tip I can give anyone in a similar parental situation is this. Wait for the third point. That’s the one that invariably contains the Sunday punch. The first two subjects aired in such a conversation are likely to be neutral ones, enquiries of aged parents’ health, and suchlike. They…

The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) has found itself under investigation by the Charity Commission after activists launched another campaign of harassment against a business seen as supporting hunting. League activists launched a massive online attack against fundraising site Jumblebee after hunts, operating within the Hunting Act, raised funds on the site. Jumblebee is an online fundraising site whose aim is “to help charities, clubs and communities to raise funds for good causes… in a fun and engaging way, at minimum cost”. A hardcore of League-supporting ‘clicktivists’ besieged the company’s social media outlets, including its Twitter and Facebook pages, with many posts alleging that the site was supporting criminality. As the weight of posts forced the site to close its social media channels, the activists switched tactics and encouraged supporters…

DOG Get dogs swimming to keep them fit. Keeping gundogs fit but not overheated over the summer can be a challenge. Swimming is a great way to keep a dog in shape while keeping it cool. All but the most reluctant dogs can be persuaded to swim by throwing a dummy into the water for them. DUCK Support wild ducks with predator control now rather than releasing later. Helping wild ducks out has far greater conservation value than trying to artificially boost the population with releases. Controlling mink and corvids can boost duckling survival significantly and has knock-on benefits for other river dwellers as well.…

The political challenges for fieldsports in Scotland appear to be growing as the SNP government and Scottish Greens begin discussions on a formal alliance. The proposed deal is understood to stop short of a full coalition but go beyond a ‘confidence and supply’ arrangement. Widespread and well-informed speculation is that Green Party MSPs could be given ministerial posts and that an agreement with the SNP will allow the party to push forward a limited number of policies with government support. The news that Green MSPs, who have been active drivers of anti-shooting legislation in Scotland, could be given considerable additional power is the latest blow to shooting and fishing interests. It follows the removal of Fergus Ewing from the cabinet and his replacement with Mairi Gougeon(News, 26 May) and the…

With the SNP government in Scotland now dependent on the Green Party to ensure it can deliver its policies, and the departure from office of Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism, who was a supporter of fieldsports, I suspect the Greens will try to impose its anti-fieldsports ideology on the SNP to further its cause. It is essential for all country sports enthusiasts to not gift the newly appointed government any ammunition to impose more regulations on fieldsports. Central to this is that we all abide by the law and adhere to codes of conduct, best practice and adopt voluntary restraint in prolonged cold weather as advised by our organisations. It pains me to see breaches of the above still happen, more often than not by unscrupulous…

There has been an inn on the edge of Hickling Broad in Norfolk since the mid-1700s. For hundreds of years the place just quietly ticked on, with pints poured and people put up for the night, until in an incident at the Pleasure Boat Inn made the papers. HRH the Duke of Edinburgh was a guest of Lord Cadbury for the annual coot shoot but their usual overnight accommodation, Whiteslea Lodge, was in danger of flooding, causing them to seek a bed elsewhere before their early start. A young Prince Charles, accompanying his father, had managed to get on the wrong side of the Pleasure Boat Inn’s landlady for having a pillow fight in a bedroom and the press picked up the story. The regular drinkers were reported to have…

It’s not often that we get a new 4x4 from a relatively new manufacturer — or so I thought. It was 1993 when we saw the first incarnation of SsangYong’s Musso and it was a very different beast to the latest version. Originally the vehicle was more of an SUV — now the South Korean outfit is attempting to take on the big boys of the pickup world. The new Musso comes in four different guises — the entry-level EX, the Rebel, the Saracen and the all-new long-wheelbase Rhino. We’re taking a look at the Saracen, the highest-spec short-wheelbase version. It comes with a 2.2-litre diesel engine and is available with automatic or manual gearbox. With pickup trucks, you are limited as to how interesting you can make them look,…

Why does the shooting community keep self-harming via social media? Are some people so narcissistic that they simply don’t stop to think of the potential ramifications before they press send? The perils of thoughtless posts on social media should be obvious. Graphic content is ripe for being taken out of context and misinterpreted, or used for outright deception. Posting gory hunting videos with seemingly insensitive commentary on a restricted site is one thing, releasing such material on to a public site is quite another. Yet there is not always a safe boundary between the two. Yes, the antis will take offence at almost anything to do with killing animals. But why provide them with juicy propaganda on a plate so they can spoon-feed it to credulous members of the public?…

Shooting organisations are preparing for yet another parliamentary debate on grouse shooting. The petition, titled ‘Ban driven grouse shooting: wilful blindness is no longer an option’, made it past the 100,000 vote response required to trigger a debate after being heavily promoted by Chris Packham. The debate is scheduled to take place in Westminster Hall on 21 June. Westminster Hall debates are not part of the formal process of making laws and no legal changes will come about whatever the outcome. During a previous debate on grouse shooting, held in 2016, nine MPs spoke in favour of shooting and none spoke in favour of a ban. While these debates are not part of the process of making law, they are important for shaping politicians’ views, and BASC, the Countryside Alliance…

Gamekeepers have spoken out on the value of stoat control as ground-nesting birds hit the peak of their breeding season and incidents of trap damage continue. In North Yorkshire, gamekeepers published images of a dead curlew, the fourth one found in the same small area of moorland. The accompanying text made it clear that the stoat responsible had been culled by keepers to prevent further damage. Tina Brough of the North Yorkshire Moors Moorland Organisation told Shooting Times: “Our gamekeepers do not want to eradicate the stoat population, they are just trying to prevent harm to our struggling population of ground-nesting birds.” Perthshire gamekeeper Ben Stevens used the example of a grouse nest to show the harm the mustelids can cause. Mr Stevens, who filmed the predated nest and made…

Covid disruption hits catch statistics The official Scottish government 2020 catch statistics for salmon and sea trout have been published. Final figures show a rod catch of 45,366 salmon, which is the third lowest since records began, and a total sea trout catch of 13,313 fish — the lowest ever recorded. The figures were heavily impacted by Covid-related disruption, with many rivers recording very strong totals during the periods when lockdowns were eased and anglers were able to travel. New novel is based on big game legend Legendary big game hunter Jim Corbett is the subject of a new novel. Mr Corbett is best known for shooting the man-eating leopard of Rudraprayag, which killed more than 100 people before Corbett tracked down and shot it. However, he went on to…

I remember my first mouthful of rook pie. It was also my last. The Quorn Hunt held an annual rook supper in May. Puppy walkers, earth-stoppers — this was before the Hunting Act — and farmers were thanked for their support by way of invitation to the shindig. Beer flowed, hunting songs were sung and the pub walls shook with cheers as the golden-crusted pie was brought proudly to the table. “Humans provide many scavenging opportunities” I found the rook filling too gamey, with an overwhelming hint of soil to the aftertaste. But the pastry was excellent and the pub’s collie, less fussy than me, gratefully accepted my under-the-table meaty offerings. May is the traditional time to control rooks. The youngsters, known as ‘branchers’, leave the nest to flex and…

I’ve said so many times that peas are a fantastic all-round crop for the passionate pigeon shooter. From drilling to harvest, if you manage your protection duties correctly, it is a crop that can reward you with multiple outings. There has been quite a decline of pea growth in some counties, however. They are not the easiest crop to get to harvest and can be an absolute nightmare to combine. Add this to possible poor yields and you can understand a farmer’s unwillingness to grow them. Because of the decline in winter oilseed rape being grown, farmers have had to find a viable break crop and this has seen a resurgence in this all-rounder of a pigeon crop — much to the excitement of many a shooter. However, I have…

An old acquaintance, David, phoned recently for what proved to be a long chat. We had last spoken 17 years ago, when I still lived in Kent. David has always been a keen all-round shooting man, though these days his main interest is deerstalking. I was fascinated to hear how herds of fallow deer have proliferated since I left the county. David said 80 of the wooded pastures he shoots over held more than 400 pregnant fallow does last autumn. Herds of this size have a devastating impact on woods and farmland, but controlling numbers is a huge challenge. David does most of his stalking from high seats, always accompanied by his five-year-old English springer, Yogi, who sits patiently at the base of the seat, ready to track any deer…

THE MUSSO is a reliable workhorse with plenty of comfort and flair. It doesn’t feel quite as solid as some of its competitors, but it’s a damn good effort from SsangYong. The higher-spec Saracen starts off at £34,250. Throw in the metallic paint, tow-bar kit and top-spec canopy and this one comes in at £37,575, which is reaching high-end pricing. In contrast, the basic EX starts at £26,760, which is relatively competitive. Either way, the Musso merits a respectable four out of five.…

In the days before social media, a frequently asked question in the gun shop I managed was: “What’s the best cartridge?” The truth is that one of the most hotly debated issues in shooting has a very simple answer: the one in which you have full confidence. Confidence can only come from experience. And your own experimentation matters more than mine. Recently on Facebook, an interesting thread appeared in one of the woodpigeon shooting groups. Some of the most highly experienced pigeon Shots I know of were discussing their preferred steel shot loads and their opinions blew holes in some of the received wisdom that we have in the public domain. There was no mention of bismuth nor any of the derivatives of tungsten for the simple reason that these…

Mystery of missing roe teeth STALKING Q During the last few weeks of the roe doe season, we caught up with half-a-dozen deer — two mature, a youngish one and three kids from 2020. All of them were lacking at least two bottom front teeth. I boiled out the lower jaws and saw that in some cases there were no roots, only sockets, but in the older ones, there were little stumps left. The wear on the back teeth seemed to be normal. What do you think might have caused this? A As their teeth wear, older deer often end up with a gap at the front of the mouth, which is part of the ageing process. Animals with this gap are often referred to as ‘brokenmouthed’. Conversely, young deer…