Innholdsfortegnelse for 09-Jun-2021 i Shooting Times & Country

An amendment tabled by Labour’s shadow environment minister Ruth Jones to bring a complete stop to all burning on peatland in England has been comprehensively defeated. Last year, changes were made by Government ministers to existing legislation that limits the burning of heather and grass on some areas of peat. However, the new clause that Ms Jones sought to insert into the Government’s Environment Bill would have banned burning of heather, rough grass, bracken, gorse and plants in the bilberry family on any upland area with any depth of peat soil. The vote proceeded on party lines with Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Caroline Lucas for the Greens voting in favour of the change. The Conservatives, the DUP and one independent MP voted against. Ian Coghill, the author of Moorland…

Webcams set on wader nests around the county have revealed the birds’ struggles as they try to get through the breeding season. In Nidderdale, a camera set on a snipe nest recorded the sight of a pair of fox eyes heading towards the nest in the dark. However, viewers were relieved when the predator turned away, leaving the bird and eggs unharmed. In the Peak District, viewers were amused when a lapwing delivered a sharp peck on the nose to a sheep that came too close to the bird’s nest. However, a camera set up as part of the Working for Waders Project in Perthshire caught a less happy outcome. The video showed a hen curlew making frantic but unsuccessful attempts to drive a stoat off her nest. Filmmaker Emily…

STEEL SHOT AND CLUMPING I remember some of the topics covered when Gough Thomas wrote for Shooting Times. I met him once at a game fair in Crieff 50 years ago when I was 19. I showed him a spreader device I had invented and tested — 48in wide by 28in high pattern at eight yards, using No 8 shot, from a full-choked AYA Yeoman with 28in barrels. He said he could do with those cartridges when after woodcock in rough ground. One of his articles included the dangerous effect of ‘balled’ shot, which was caused by the lead being fused together by the heat from the powder combustion. If the light wadding toppled as the payload travelled through the barrel, it allowed the small bird shot to form dangerously…

My grandfather left Ireland for Sandhurst in 1934. Upon graduating as a second lieutenant, he was commissioned into the 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles (Frontier Force) and embarked on a steamer for Delhi. Posted to the North-West Frontier, he engaged in fighting the 1930s version of the Taliban. My grandparents were of the opinion that western forces would never tame the Afghan tribes. Their rationale, based on experience, was that “they like fighting”. There was, then, a mutual respect between combatants. The Gurkhas hired Pashtun guides, who were very good, loyal and effective. However, they returned to their villages for annual leave and when there, invariably got bored and joined fellow villagers on skirmishing parties to attack the British. Upon returning from one such break, a guide laughingly said: “I almost…

The neighbours must think it odd that I sometimes roll the car off the driveway before starting the engine. But they haven’t seen me installing cardboard window blackouts in my daughter’s room and oiling the hinges of every door in the house. Truth be told, nowadays a stalk begins long before I leave home. If I’m to avoid the wrath of Mrs P, a smooth and silent exit with no sleeping toddlers disturbed is essential. It’s not always straightforward, though. This is what the keen stalker with a young family is up against. And it makes planning a trip with any degree of certainty pretty difficult. It’s said that the average age of a recreational stalker in the UK is 55, which I’ve no doubt is true; so many of…

Look back through old copies of Shooting Times and you’ll find a great deal of farming material woven into the blend. There are many stories of hares and rabbits shot from a combine harvester or terriers catching rats in the stackyard; scruffy adventures that always harked back to an agricultural calendar. The connection between farming and fieldsports is still present today, but it’s become harder to see as the two worlds have slowly drifted apart. Farming has intensified over the past 50 years, and many of the changes have driven a decline of wild game. We now associate several quarry species with tales of scarcity and decline, so it’s hard to believe that birds such as grey partridges were ever produced almost by accident. However, a shootable surplus came as…

In recent years, I’ve met all sorts of cross-bred dogs — a few the result of accidental matings, but the majority deliberate. Some were clearly successful, others less so. The combination of cocker and poodle is perhaps the most effective of the lot. Cockapoos have become one of the most popular dogs in Britain. It’s easy to understand their appeal, for they have the character and zest for life of the cocker, combined with the curly coat and intelligence of the poodle, plus looks that are best described as cute. I like them. In the gundog world, the most successful cross has to be the sprocker, a cocker crossed with a springer. As an owner, I’m convinced it’s a good mixture. It’s difficult to say whether my sprocker, Emma, takes…

From the smallest of scratch-about affairs to the largest and busiest of operations, thousands of shoots up and down the country take a seat somewhere on a broad spectrum that makes the sport as compelling as it is diverse. But where will these shoots be in another 10 or 20 years? Will they share more common ground than ever before as the focus sharpens on sustainability? And what about gamekeepers? How might their roles have evolved? The nature of Rob Minty’s career in the rural sector might give us an inkling as to where and how game shooting might fit into the bigger picture of land management as we move forward. Rob started out as a keeper in his early twenties after initially training as an electrician. His father was…

ADorset reader, and a great believer in the advantage of a well-fitting gun, raises an unfamiliar point in this connection. It was brought home to him by his attempt to camouflage his gun for the purpose of pigeon shooting from a hide. He considered that the shooter’s gun is the thing most likely to catch the eye of an otherwise decoyable pigeon and to turn it away. This is true in many cases, especially when the hide is a scanty one. Then the gun barrels — or at least their forward part — are likely to be conspicuous for their straight blackness, or their reflecting power, according to the angle of the light. There was a time when I attached much importance to this point. I had a phase when…

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, for there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9. We all know that lead toxicity, the impact of irresponsible public access and the perilous future of hill farming are hot topics in the countryside at the moment. But did anybody discuss such matters 100 years ago? I was struck by some familiar themes when reading an old book about deerstalking. The book in question is called Stalking in Scotland and New Zealand. Written by Lord Latymer, it was published in 1935. This particular Lord Latymer was the sixth baron, a member of the Money-Coutts banking dynasty and a fanatical deerstalker. He was born in 1876 and died in 1949. In 1927, he bought the deer…

Scotland’s rural workers are preparing for a fresh round of protests if a planned deal between the SNP and the Scottish Greens goes ahead (News, 12 May). Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that her party was in talks with the Greens but no further details have emerged yet. Anger among Scotland’s gamekeepers, stalkers, gillies and shepherds has been growing over the proposal. They believe such a deal would mean they lost their jobs and homes, and now they are considering the option of further protests. Scottish Gamekeepers Association chairman Alex Hogg set out how he sees the issue. “Putting a significant part of Scotland’s land and river working community on the dole, rather than engaging them, is a massive climate mistake,” he said. “And we hope, in the first…

Three people, including a serving police officer, have been arrested after Police Scotland and the SSPCA raided a property at Lamberton Holdings, north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Local sources have told Shooting Times that the raid was connected to the illegal trade in wild caught peregrine falcons. A number of eggs and chicks are believed to have been recovered. Wild falcons are highly prized by falconers in the Middle East and a lucrative international trade exists for the birds. Most birds are smuggled out of Mongolia, Pakistan and the central Asian republics; however, Scottish birds are particularly sought-after. The birds are used in falcon racing, which is a popular sport among the elite in Gulf countries, and chicks can change hands for tens of thousands of pounds. International criminal networks are believed…

It is with dismay I feel compelled to write to Shooting Timeson this topic. I should make it clear I do not agree with everything BASC, the GWCT or the Countryside Alliance do in the course of their business for the sports that are aligned with their existence. However, without them, we would be in a far worse position than we are currently. Never has shooting faced the underlying challenges it currently encounters. Some of these issues are self-inflicted; raptor crime and environmental damage caused by inappropriate game release to name but two. However, most of the angles of attack from our foes can be countered, fought off or debunked through scientific research, positive representation and lobbying. This is where those aforementioned organisations are doing the hard yards. They may…

The farmer was distraught. Thirteen of his wife’s beloved chickens lay scattered around the run in a sea of ginger and white feathers. The majority of the recently deceased lay almost untouched; simply bitten, shaken then dropped in favour of the next victim. A few survivors huddled nervously in the corner of the barn, shocked by the terrifying ordeal they had witnessed the previous night, with several others missing. “The majority of the deceased lay almost untouched” This wasn’t the first time I’d seen such carnage and I could offer little other comfort than to suggest that there may well be a few survivors that had escaped out of the barn and would likely find their way back over the next day or two. The words that seemed to comfort…

Apiece of shopping advice. When you’re drifting down the aisles of the Game Fair, think of the great bustard before you buy a shirt. The sagacity of this titbit will become apparent, but for now let’s ponder on a day sitting in a pigeon hide or grouse butt. We know both species have keen vision, so it’s best to stay still. We also realise it’s best to wear drab clothing that blends with the background, which is why we have sludgy tweeds and shooting coats. But have we chosen our shirts with care or have we opted for those Game Fair Tattersall check jobs, 30 quid for two, practically indestructible and good enough to wear with tie and jacket for church? If so, and we don them for reared game…

“Here he comes, here he comes.” I bent in to look at the screen. A blurry black-and-white photo showed some sort of furry presence. “Wait, the next one is the good one.” And there it was, clear as you like, the long nose and neat pricked-up ears of a pine marten staring almost straight into the camera. The local red squirrel officer was showing me the photos taken by one of his trail cameras monitoring a squirrel feeder. After an absence from my parish of perhaps 200 years, the pine martens were back. All across Europe predators are reappearing. Some are returning to places from which they were eradicated or displaced, such as wolves in Germany, white-tailed eagles in England or even the solitary bear that shuffled over the border…

We always used to plant the bulk of our game crops in May. The triticale used to go in mid to late March, the maize was usually planted by mid-May and the millets in early June when the ground was warm enough. This year, the weather has turned it on its head. In March, it was too wet to get the triticale in and by mid-April, the ground was so dry that even the spring corn planted elsewhere on the estate stood still for weeks and did very little. April was also one of the coldest and frostiest on record and the first part of May was both cold and extremely wet. As I write, our seed is still languishing in bags in the shed, waiting for things to improve.…

SHOOTING KNIFE This multi-tool uses the same principle as the Swiss army knife and includes all the implements a shooter might need during a day in the field. It could be easily carried in the pocket, secured by a chain. Made from steel, it was very robust and practical and had a conventional penknife blade 2¾in long, along with a button hook, a cartridge extractor (adaptable to 12-, 16- and 20-bore), a wire cutter, a screwdriver, a corkscrew, a bottle opener and a cigar cutter. It cost 15s, but you could pay an extra 2/6 for the chain.…

A widespread and abundant species throughout much of its extensive range in the western part of North America, the mule deer occurs naturally from Mexico to British Columbia. Eleven subspecies are generally recognised. They take their name from their large, mule-like ears. Mule deer are highly adaptable and can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from high mountains to plains and deserts. The herds that spend the summer months in the high mountains of the Rockies are migratory, descending to the valleys in the winter where food is more readily available. They have forward-pointing antlers and 10-pointers are common. Antlers are shed between January and March, with the bucks back in hard horn by the end of August. A popular quarry species in the US, most states offer…

The use of antibiotics to treat gamebirds fell again last year, as game farmers and pheasant breeders continue to push down the unnecessary use of the compounds in feeds. The inappropriate use of antibiotics to treat animals is one of the key drivers behind the emerging problem of antibiotic resistance. Reducing their use in livestock has been a global priority. The latest figures show that use of antibiotics for gamebirds fell by 42% between 2019 and 2020. This continues a longer-term trend, and since 2016 the amount of antibiotics used for game farming has dropped by 70%. Among the medicines that scientists are keenest to reduce is Enrofloxacin, which is used to treat a common condition of gamebirds called ‘bulgy eye’. Enrofloxacin encourages the evolution of bacteria that are harmful…

Undeterred by its recent failures, campaign group Wild Justice has launched two more legal attempts to attack shooting. In a newsletter sent to its supporters, the campaign group said it was “revisiting our challenge to the legality of large-scale gamebird releases on or near sites of high conservation importance”, and that it was challenging the new regulations on upland burning introduced by Defra. The action so far has taken the form of formal legal letters sent to Defra and much will depend on how Defra chooses to respond. The first challenge relates to Defra’s decision to issue a general licence for gamebird releases on and around protected sites in England (News, 26 May). The licences, which were based on independent scientific study and established best practice, came into force at…

Many things change as we age. Most of us are notably stouter at 40 than we were at 20 — I certainly am — and as we approach and overtake the three-score year marker, it isn’t unreasonable to expect a bit of creaking at the knees. In compensation for the physical indignities of ageing, nature blesses us — well, in most cases — with the psychological and emotional maturity to deal with them. You may no longer feel up to running a marathon, but the knowledge that there are plenty of other ways to spend those few hours that will bring as much pleasure to help us to bear this loss nobly. Add to these factors changes in our lifestyle and differences in our level of disposable income and time…

OUR VERDICT “The T1x is consistent, handles like a centrefire and feels like a featherweight” Since its introduction three years ago, the rimfire version of Tikka’s centrefire T3x, the T1x, has been a huge success. This is partly due to the price point but more importantly due to its consistent accuracy and dependability. Now the T1x has undergone a makeover in this UPR — or Ultimate Precision Rifle — format by utilising the UPR stock from its big brother. T1x barrelled actions will fit any T3x stock or aftermarket offerings, so this improves what has always been a standard synthetic stock on the T1x to a far better handling, lighter and rigid construction. The adjustable cheekpiece and use of tough yet lightweight materials are key elements to this rifle. Priced…

What does it take to be a top Shot? How do you become an all-rounder? We can all advise accordingly on how to improve your shooting, whether that be practice, finding the right instructor for lessons or having your gun fitted. But there are things that can’t be learned at a clay ground or standing on the peg that really give the top shooters an edge. When we use the term ‘allrounder’, there is so much to consider. It’s all very well shooting pheasants and partridges but counties vary, topography changes and weather is rarely consistent. Grouse shooting in North Yorkshire is very different from shooting grouse in Inverness or the Angus Glens. Shooting pigeons can vary over different crops, conditions and times of year. With wildfowling you have various…

There, where the rusty iron lies, The rooks are cawing all the day. Perhaps no man, until he dies, Will understand them, what they say. These lines come from the poem Rooks by Charles Hamilton Sorley. The Scot joined the Suffolk Regiment, serving in the same battalion as my maternal grandfather. Grandad survived the gas and poor planning of the Battle of Loos, Sorley didn’t. His loss was described, coldly, by Robert Graves as “one of the three poets of importance killed during the war”. The rooks of which Sorley writes are those he observed in No Man’s Land, displaced from their ancient rookeries when shell after reeking shell smashed their arboreal homes to matchsticks. Rooks are believed to be totems of death. Lore has it that should your rookery…

WHICH BREED IS THE best all-round gundog? Peter Moxon, gundog correspondent of Shooting  Times for 40 years, was convinced it was the English springer spaniel (ESS) and many still agree with him. Springers may not be the best peg dogs, but apart from that there’s not much they can’t turn a paw to, whether it’s rough shooting, picking-up, wildfowling or being a family companion. However, the world of shooting has changed enormously since Peter wrote about springers in his classic work Gundogs: Training and Field Trials, which was first published nearly 70 years ago. Deer were much less numerous in the 1950s than they are today — muntjac were virtually unheard of — so there was little chance of springers being used as deer dogs. In those days, only coastal…

Is back sleeping a problem? VETERINARY CARE Q Our dog has started to sleep on his back. Is there any obvious reason for him to do so and should we be concerned? A Dogs are likely to sleep on their backs for a variety of reasons and it is not necessarily anything to be concerned about. Indeed, back sleeping can be quite normal for many dogs. Back sleeping allows your dog to completely relax his muscles. In this position, there is no extra tension or pressure on his muscles and joints. If he is an ageing dog that has started sleeping on his back, it would be worth checking if he has arthritis, as this pose relieves pressure on arthritic joints. When your dog sleeps on his back, he is…