Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-Jul-2021 i Shooting Times & Country

A Highland gamekeeper whose dogs have been snatched has appealed to Shooting Times readers to help get them back. Torben Jessen, who lives near Kingussie, made the appeal after the dogs were taken from his kennels during the night. Mr Jessen said he put the dogs in their kennel at around 8pm on 11 July before settling down to watch the football. He then went out to feed his birds at around 5.30am the next day. After he finished feeding, he discovered the kennel was open and two dogs were missing. “I searched the area closely, but it was obvious they had not escaped,” he told Shooting Times. “I could see tracks through the long grass where someone had approached the kennel and then led them away to the side…

The shooting community is ready for the return of its largest social event. The Game Fair, which was postponed and then cancelled last year, will return this year to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire on 23-25 July. As well as all the normal gundog displays and clay lines, this year’s fair will also feature an open-air cinema, which is set to show John Macnab. However, for many, it will be the chance to get back together with like-minded people that is the real highlight. Gavin Boater, who will be attending his third Game Fair, told Shooting Times: “With all the fairs and events being cancelled this year, I think we all feel like there has been a bit of a hole in our social lives. It will be great to get…

KIWI HEDGEHOGS I always enjoy Alasdair Mitchell’s articles. However, on reading his contribution regarding New Zealand’s hedgehog problem (Sharpshooter, 7 July), I had to check the date — no, it wasn’t 1 April. So perhaps he has his tongue in his cheek? I imagine that hedgehogs in New Zealand are a problem for the same reason that they were/are in the Hebrides. They predate nests and chicks of ground-nesting birds. Badgers certainly enjoy eating hedgehogs — look away, Chris Packham and others — but they also greatly enjoy nests, chicks and birds sitting. The list of well-meaning but catastrophic attempts to correct imported species with another are too numerous to mention here, but could form the basis of an interesting series. So please do not send badgers to NZ. Our…

As the first birds heaved themselves out of the cover, it rapidly dawned that what we were about to witness would be as close to a slaughter as you’ll see in an East Anglian field. Plump pheasants desperately climbed into the sky, but it was no use. We were right there, in a semi-circle, and it is no exaggeration to say it would have been harder to miss these birds than hit them. And hit them we did, in their droves, to the point where the landowner — from whom my friends and I had bought this day — came over and said with some glee that we were finally on track to hit our ‘numbers’ for the day. Pause for thought It was a telling sentence, not just because…

In 991 a Viking invasion force sailed into the Blackwater estuary and landed on the island of Northey where it defeated a force of East Saxons at the first battle of Maldon. The Vikings had good taste as Northey is surrounded by fine saltmarshes that are well known to Blackwater wildfowlers. “Voters put hunting way below the HS2, green-belt development and wind farms” A thousand years later, Margaret Thatcher’s government passed the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (CJA), which, among other measures, introduced the offence of aggravated trespass. It was designed to tackle the growing disorder created by anti-establishment activists including the Hunt Saboteurs Association. The efficacy of that legislation is not to be discussed here, but what is important is that it led to a second Battle…

Some 30 years ago, I was working my dogs on a shoot when I fell into conversation with a chap called Dan, a retired gamekeeper of senior years. He admired my pair of black-and-white springers, adding that “they’re really good when they get to eight or nine and slow down a bit”, suggesting that perhaps he wasn’t as big a spaniel fan as I had at first thought. However, he was clearly a dog enthusiast and proved to be a fascinating chap to talk to. I soon discovered that he had been born in 1900, when Queen Victoria was still on the throne. He was fortunately too young to fight in World War I: his first job at the age of 14 was as a kennel boy, helping in the…

OUR VERDICT There is a great buzz of excitement among our customers here at the Oxfordshire Shooting School about the upcoming Game Fair. For some it will be about catching up with friends, others will be enjoying a day with the family, and many will be having a look at all things new and shiny from the gun trade. A must-see at this year’s show will be the Perazzi High Tech S game model, launched just in time for the Glorious Twelfth. As with all Perazzis, the new High Tech S game is being offered as a total custom-build and is bespoke in every minute detail. I make this point early in the review as this is undoubtedly the USP. However, I always have concerns when customers order Perazzi guns…

It’s midsummer and we are fast approaching the magical time that is the roe rut. My own preparations have been ongoing for a number of months as we gear up to welcome our guests, many of whom are returning after making the trip to the south-west of Scotland in previous years. There is nothing quite like the adrenaline rush as a roebuck responds, often dramatically, to the call. I challenge anyone not to get excited as a blur of chestnut red charges at you from cover. Then there are the sneaky ones that approach warily and just seem to appear, almost within touching distance and often behind you. “Should a bird that leaves another to raise its young be thought of as a fool?” Part of the excitement is the…

It’s hard to recall midsummer from the depths of January or February. It seems impossible that the daylight should ever persist long after 10pm, but these brief weeks of sunshine often make the entire year worthwhile. It has become a habit of mine to head out with the rifle before bed, even if it’s only for an hour or so to unwind during a very busy time of year for work. It’s usually just an opportunity to sit and watch for a while, but I do have eyes on the occasional roebuck for the freezer. Foxes are always up for grabs as well, and a fair opportunity to settle scores with a fox arose one evening last week. This individual had been eluding me for some time, despite my best…

If you live in England, ‘freedom day’ should have arrived a couple of days ago. I’m writing this on 7 July, so there’s always the possibility that the much-promised abolition of all the COVID-19 restrictions will have been cancelled, but it’s looking unlikely. I will be particularly pleased to see the end of face coverings — after all, blowing your dog whistle with a mask on is impossible. I first came across face coverings in public back in the last century when following foxhounds. They were, and still are, widely used by hunt saboteurs to not only disguise their identity, but also to make themselves look more frightening and intimidating. I remember photographing one masked saboteur. He growled at me: “If you point that f*****g camera at me, I’ll stuff…

July is shaping up to be quite the month for stalkers. The deer seem to have vanished as the vegetation and cover has shot up, and my success has dropped like a rock, particularly on roe and muntjac. The latter are hard to spot at the best of times let alone when the bracken is some 5ft high. It is around this time that I tend to do maintenance of high seats and the like, as well as keeping on top of the fox population, vital now this season’s poults are in the woods. I always find June to be a tricky month to stalk, but happily it seems a lot of you have been a bit more successful than I have. Nine heads were submitted for measuring, with five…

Defra may be preparing to move against the use of snares to control common pests and predators. In a letter to animal rights organisation Animal Aid, Defra minister Rebecca Pow said: “Snares can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals. It is an issue we are looking at closely in order to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world. “We have recently announced in our action plan for animal welfare that we will launch a call for evidence on the use of snares.” Ms Pow’s letter continued: “The Government has no current plans to ban the use of snares.” However, the inclusion of the word ‘current’ suggested that such plans may be forthcoming and both pro and anti-shooting elements were keen to make their cases. “To…

Changes to the law in France are threatening to bring about a French version of the UK general licence fiasco. The Council of State, a body that both advises the French government and acts as the Supreme Court for some areas of law, has ordered the removal of several species from departmental lists of “species likely to cause damage” (ESOD). The species removed from the lists include magpies in the Loiret and Val d’Oise and foxes in the departments of Yvelines, Essonne and Val d’Oise, as well as several others. Removing them from the ESOD lists seriously limits the options of hunters seeking to control these species. In a remarkable echo of the situation in the UK, the decision came about after a legal action brought by campaigners, which focused…

I shoot a small flightpond and we have shot three Egyptian geese over several years because they were eating the farmer’s grass, much needed for his cattle. They also browse on water plantain in the pond. Contrary to what David Tomlinson says about Egyptian geese (Sporting Answers, 7 July), they make excellent eating. The texture is more fine than a greylag, the meat is tender and juicy with a good flavour. The best goose we have eaten. I would think this is because of their diet, rather than the species type. Nick Davis, Dorset IN ASSOCIATION WITH GMK Each week, the best letter wins a pair of Zamberlan Forest Socks, perfect for shooting in any conditions. Visit gmk.co.ukfor more details. If your letter is chosen, email ollie.harvey@futurenet.com to claim your…

Bass are back in the estuary in good numbers. Around the south coast of Britain, small ‘school’ bass move inshore during spring and summer months, feeding on crustaceans, shrimps and sandeels. They join larger resident fish, which take crab, mackerel and even sea trout. For sea anglers, it is a time of great variety and excitement. I was introduced to bass fishing as a boy. But the late 1980s inland sea species were scarce, and I was never bitten by the bug in the same way as shooting caught my imagination; there seemed to be too much waiting and not enough action. “There was too much waiting and not enough action” Now that numbers have recovered and my children have embraced night fishing and catching from a kayak as being…

Four sharp ‘pinks’ from a blackbird and she froze, ears strained, tongue flashing across her nose. Then she was off. A minute later an unfamiliar man lumbered into view, trampling clumsily through the thick bankside grass. The nearest footpath was a few hundred yards away. It was one of the more eventful — and frustrating — clips I’d viewed on my phone at the breakfast table, morning coffee in hand. While eating my first round of toast, I’d enjoyed watching a green woodpecker pecking about in the bare earth at the base of an old hawthorn. Badgers, hares, grey squirrels, a fox, a roebuck and several muntjac had also made an appearance — all in that same spot at some point during the week. Perhaps they were nearby when the…

It’s that time of year; those long, balmy summer evenings — well some of the time, anyway — and with them, as dusk settles in, comes the sight of bats flitting around the trees, over the water or round the house. It’s a sight with a very long timeline as there is evidence of bats from more than 50 million years ago; rather longer than we’ve been around. It came as a surprise to me to find out that, as a species, they make up around 20% of all the mammals in the world, and more than a quarter of mammal species in the UK. Worldwide, bats eat, or live on, quite a variety of foodstuffs from fruit to nectar on the one hand to insects and blood on the…

We all know about shooting driven grouse, walked-up grouse or over pointers, but how about the horse-and-cart method? It’s all about outmanoeuvring the grouse with a horse and cart, and the technique is described in fascinating detail in Abel Chapman’s Bird-Life of the Borders. First published in 1889, it was written by Chapman when he was 37. It reveals its author to be a passionate shooting man and wildfowler — there is a chapter entitled “Difficulties and dangers of the gunning punt” — but also an exceptional observer of wildlife. His deep knowledge of birds and their behaviour stemmed from first-hand experience, whether noting his first encounter with a grasshopper warbler, or describing the nesting habits of common sandpipers. Early inspiration Chapman was born at Silksworth Hall, Sunderland, in 1851:…

As far back as I can remember, conduct in the shooting field has always been a subject for complaint. A favourite preamble to homilies delivered by succeeding generations has ever been: “When I was a young man…” and well can I recall my grandfather’s criticisms directed against my father, who in turn often had to find fault with me and my friends. So it goes on. And now it seems to be my turn to say something about the way of shooting, as I find it in the field today. Fashions change we know, and much of our forefathers’ disapproval was levelled rather against etiquette than manners. And I recognise that we, in our time, live in a more lax age than they did, and perhaps etiquette is not now…

Are heavy pellets better? AIRGUNNING Q Some of the airgun pellets I have seen in my local gun shop seem to be very heavy — twice the usual weight for their respective calibres. What are they intended for, and do they offer any advantages? A High-powered airguns tend to perform better and shoot tighter groups with heavier pellets. Projectiles with more weight can also perform better in the wind and deliver more shock energy when they hit the target. I have also found that heavier pellets can sometimes improve grouping with sub-12ft/lb airguns, but the extra weight does result in more of a curved trajectory, which means you must be more on the ball with your hold-over and range estimation when shooting over longer distances. MM Muntjac ham GAME COOKING…

Latin name: Lathyrus sylvestris Common name: Narrow-leaved everlasting pea Other names: Everlasting pea, flat pea, perennial pea, wood pea How to spot it and where to find it: The showy pink flowers are instantly recognisable and this is the only kind of sweet pea that is native to these islands. A climbing perennial growing to 2m tall, it has pairs of narrow, leathery — but rather attractive — lance-like leaves of up to 15cm long. You may find it growing in hedgerows, woodland borders, meadows and scrubland, particularly where the ground has been disturbed, and sea cliffs. Interesting facts: Unlike many sweet peas, the narrow-leaved everlasting pea has little or no fragrance. Its pretty flowers can be all shades of pink with purple or greenish veins and will bloom all…

Initial indications suggest a poor grouse season, with many chicks and eggs being lost to cold weather at the crucial nesting period. Grouse counting is now well under way across Scottish estates and early reports are not promising. Angus Glens keepers remained tight-lipped when asked about their likely shooting calendars, and sources in Perthshire have described exceptionally poor numbers. One keeper told Shooting Times “plans now are to rebuild stock and concentrate on future seasons”. Though there are scattered positive reports from Morayshire and the Southern Uplands, hopes for any shooting on most Scottish moors now depend on second broods hatched during the good weather of early summer. English moors appear set to be a mixed bag, with lower moors and those with more sheltered aspects being able to produce…

A cocktail of supply issues, global price rises, Brexit-related disruption and political anxiety in the US has caused a severe shortage of ammunition in the UK, according to the shooting industry publication Gun Trade News. A survey conducted by our sister title asked gun dealers, wholesalers and distributors whether they believed that there was a shortage of ammunition. Some 85% of respondents to the survey agreed there was a shortage, with 15% answering that there perhaps was a shortage. Rifle ammunition was hardest hit. Of the survey’s respondents, 80% said there was a shortage of rifle ammunition compared with 40% for shotgun cartridges and 21% for air-rifle pellets. The ammunition shortage has been even more marked in the US. In April this year, a survey by consulting firm Southwick Associates…

I will always remember my first pigeon. I was standing under the old oak in the middle of the farm with my father. It was a left-to-right crosser and I wandered home whereupon my mother cooked it for my tea. It was a long time ago in so many ways. At that point, pigeon shooting just happened and the minutiae of laws that governed your right to do it were hardly thought about. It’s easy to look back with nostalgia but, in truth, I think we’re actually in a better place now. The withdrawal of the general licence in 2019 was a real headache. Since boyhood, I’ve loved pigeons and I’d bet that my respect for them is far greater than those who cheered through a temporary ban on pigeon…

“Put her on half-cock, Will.” I eased the bolt handle upwards, the gloom of darkness sinking into the alpine crevasse as each second of silence passed. We moved stealthily forwards, through the chest-high tussock grass, willing every sense to pick up the tahr bull — he had to be within feet of us. I heard him first, closing the bolt and shouldering rifle in one movement. He stopped and filled my sights only a few paces away. This was the moment I had travelled halfway round the globe for and then... click. He was gone, like a ghost into the gloom. I learned something new that day; my custom action doesn’t do half-cock. As luck would have it, that missed opportunity led, a few days later, to a monster tahr,…

COUGAR (PUMA CONCOLOR) Called the cougar in North America, this big cat is known by other names, including mountain lion, puma, red tiger and panther. Cougars have an immense range, the largest of any terrestrial mammal in the western hemisphere, extending from the Yukon in the north of Canada, to the tip of South America. They inhabit a diversity of habitats, from coniferous and deciduous forests to tropical swamps and semi-deserts, while they range from sea level to high mountains. Northern cougars tend to be considerably larger and heavier than those in South America, but all races share the same adaptability and athleticism. In the US, deer are their favoured quarry, while in parts of Chile, hares form 96% of their diet. On Canada’s west coast they prey on marine…

Harvest is all about long days and long nights. Such an intense work period is energy-sapping and tired people make mistakes. Mistakes lead to accidents and accidents in farming all too often prove fatal. From April 2020 to March 2021, farming-related deaths rose by 70% compared with the previous year, according to Health and Safety Executive data. Farming has a fatality rate some 20 times higher than the UK average for industrial deaths, with 34 people killed on farms last year. The average age of those killed is 55, the youngest fatality a mere four years old. The most common cause of fatalities on the farm is from moving or overturning vehicles. The National Farmers Union has reissued the guidelines of its Safe Stop campaign for farm vehicles in time…

Seeing two well-grown broods of mandarin while flicking a fly in Gloucestershire last week reminded me of my first sighting, more than 50 years ago, on a small lake at Clandon Park near Guildford. Back then they were mostly confined to the Surrey-Berkshire border, having supposedly originated from escapes at Virginia Water. What a success story their colonisation has been, because you can see them living wild in most English counties. Perhaps I travel to the right places to see them, but I speculate that the stated winter population of about 7,000 is a considerable underestimate. I have no great desire to shoot mandarin ducks, but it seems odd that they are not proposed for addition to the quarry list. At least then, those who make a mistake and shoot…

I remember reading about a man who boasted about how ‘hard shooting’ his old shotgun was. He put this down to it being heavily choked in both barrels. And the marks did indeed indicate that it had tight chokes. On being actually gauged, however, it emerged that the ancient cannon had almost no choke at all. The secret of its success was revealed on the pattern plate. It was throwing rather wide but very even patterns. These were giving a high proportion of clean kills at normal range, allowing a good margin for error. We have a natural tendency to believe whatever suits our own mindset. Researchers call this ‘confirmation bias’. It’s part of what makes us human. It’s as well to acknowledge that it exists, however, because it can…