Innholdsfortegnelse for 04-Aug-2021 i Shooting Times & Country

Matthew Coward-Holley put in an outstanding performance to win bronze in the men’s Trap at the Tokyo Olympics. Despite missing three of his first 10 targets, Mr Coward-Holley went on a 14-hit streak to secure his medal. At the time of going to press we were waiting to see how he and Northern Ireland’s Kirsty Hegarty would fare in the mixed team trap. Seonaid McIntosh finished 12th in 10m air rifle qualifying rounds, securing a score of 627.2 across the six strings. A mark of 628.5 would have been enough to qualify for the final, and Ms McIntosh was on track until her final shot, which earned 9.3. It was one of only two of her shots to score less than 9.9. Unfortunately, Great Britain’s multiple medal winner Amber Hill…

An observation from my wife at the recent Game Fair caused me to look at the ethnicity of those attending. During my whole day there on the Friday [23 July], I counted fewer than a handful of visitors whom I would describe as ‘other than white’. This is certainly not a true reflection of the diversity of the UK. Is enough being done to welcome everyone to an event that is often described as the showcase for our sports? Steven Smith, by email 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 prize.…

The black grouse season opens on 20 August. That’s become a piece of sporting trivia over the past few decades; there are hardly any places where these birds are still being shot. Even on the big highland estates where their numbers remain strong, only a tiny handful of them will find their way into the game larder. The decline of black grouse over the 20th century has been staggeringly abrupt and it’s hard to get your head around how quickly these birds have vanished from many of their former strongholds. Once found in every county in Britain, they are now confined to a few pockets in Wales, northern England, the Southern Uplands and the Highlands. Even where they are present, they can be hard to find; encounters are often chancy…

The rugged cliffs along the Adriatic are as steep as they are tranquil. Throughout the arid landscape, there are herds of goats, but among them there is something else too — a special creature known as the kri-kri. It was initially thought that kri-kri, with light brown coats and dark rings around their necks, were a true subspecies of wild goat, but we now know they are actually just a long-established type of feral. Humans have been fascinated by kri-kri for thousands of years and some believe they were worshipped in the ancient world. Kri-kri were once common all around the Aegean, but these days, they are endangered and are only found on Crete. In part, the Nazis are to blame because during the German occupation in World War II,…

The ecological adaptability of the roe deer means they can thrive in almost any landscape. Considering the species was extinct in most of its UK range by the mid-18th century, it is astonishing that the population is now in the region of 500,000, covering the length and breadth of the country. The common factor of all areas supporting a roe population is the availability of cover, whether it’s trees, standing crops, reeds or high grass. It is a major factor that directly affects the distribution of roe deer and can cause periodic fluctuations in population density. The white grass and heather-clad hill that backs on to our small pheasant and partridge shoot has always harboured a relatively small population of roe deer. In recent years, three separate areas around the…

One of my most treasured books is The Best of ‘BB’, An Anthology, signed for me by the author, D J Watkins-Pitchford, ‘BB’. His signature is frail, for I met him shortly before his death in 1990. Many Shooting Times readers will be familiar with the name BB, for he wrote regularly for the magazine from the early 1930s until a few weeks before he died. No one else in the magazine’s history can have contributed for so long or so well, for “he wrote like a painter, with an eye for visual accuracy, allied to a poetic turn of phrase”. Those words aren’t mine, but come from the BB Society’s website. Founded in 1999, the society aims to keep alive the rich heritage of BB’s writing. Denys Watkins-Pitchford was…

There is a little field right next to an old Kentish farmhouse that carries the name First Horse Marsh. In its heyday, it produced enough grazing for one working horse and, being close to the house, it was used to graze the best horse overnight, so that it would be quickest into harness in the morning. The name serves as a reminder that, even in mainly arable country, there would always have been some grass fields to pasture the horses. Indeed, I have heard it said that at the peak of horse-powered agriculture, one-fifth of the land needed to be devoted to feeding them. Today, we tend to think of grass as pretty barren and even hostile in terms of its value to game and shooting. In the most intensive…

We tend to associate the mongoose with Africa and India rather than Europe, but in southern Spain and Portugal the Egyptian mongoose is a common resident of the maquis, the Mediterranean shrubland that is also home to vineyards, olive groves and farmland. Here, it hunts a wide variety of prey, ranging from rodents, birds and snakes to amphibians, fish and crabs. It is mainly crepuscular, so most often seen out hunting in the early morning or evening. The name is misleading: this species does occur in northern Egypt but is much more widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, occurring as far south as the Cape of Good Hope. Its alternative name of ichneumon mongoose reflects its Latin name. Ichneumon comes from the Greek word for tracker, which aptly describes how this…

There are still some shooters who think GPs should be expected to provide a free service for certificate applicants. This is unrealistic. It seems to me that GPs have been handed a private sector monopoly by the police, under the guise of performing a public service. The fact is that almost all GP surgeries are commercial enterprises. And GPs spend the vast majority of their time scrambling to fulfil a contract with the NHS to deliver public health services. This contract is very tightly drawn. Conducting a scan of medical records to facilitate a shotgun or firearm certificate application is not part of the NHS contract. Nor, as far as I can see, is the requirement to insert a marker on a certificate holder’s medical records. Perhaps it should be…

Prospects for the grouse season look very poor, with stocks hit hard by bad weather. Many estates expect no shooting at all, while others are anticipating a late and limited shooting calendar based on second broods. While many grouse keepers and sporting agents remained tight-lipped in public, in private most were predicting a disastrous season. A few lucky estates, particularly on lower ground or with sheltered aspects, will be able to offer reasonable shooting; however, none are expecting a vintage year. The breeding season got off to a poor start with an exceptionally cold, dry April. The weather hit new heather growth hard, which put severe strain on hen grouse during the crucial laying period. Weak hens with relatively small broods were then hit by constant rain and snow throughout…

Details of the behind-the-scenes legal battle over gamebird releasing have emerged in a Freedom of Information release from Defra. The tranche of papers was released in response to a letter from Leigh Day, the law firm that represents Wild Justice. The controversial lawyers — who previously sued British soldiers on behalf of Iraqi insurgents — are believed to have requested the information as part of preparations for a fresh legal assault on the general licences for gamebird releasing on and around protected sites. Most of the information released was in the form of letters and emails sent between Defra, government lawyers and the various rural and shooting organisations. These revealed a picture of a new, more assertive stance taken by the organisations. Instead of using their own staff to deal…

Record attendance for Game Fair 2021 The Game Fair hit a new record attendance, with 119,378 people across all three days, 23 to 25 July. The Game Fair’s managing director James Gower said: “It was a huge amount of effort to actually get there [Ragley Hall in Warwickshire] with all the changing rules and regulations. However, we remained confident and we had an amazing industry supporting us.” The fair was the first major national event since ‘freedom day’ and many visitors praised how relaxed and normal the atmosphere was. Bumper sales for top-flight guns London gunmakers Purdey had a bumper year in lockdown, according to chairman Dan Jago. It experienced higher-than-average sales, with a surge in orders from the UK in particular. Purdey has just added a damascus steel finish…

Having spent the entire weekend trudging around Ragley Hall, I left the showground in a surprisingly good mood. My cheerful mien wasn’t due to any guilty, frivolous purchase nor even the thought of savouring a dram when I got home from the bottle of Dalwhinnie that I won off Liam Bell in a rugby-related wager. My happy demeanour was a hangover from the Game Fair’s opening day. On that Friday, I witnessed a public — possibly seismic — shift in tactics and direction by those entrusted to protect shooting. In the show’s Carter Jonas Theatre, the nine leaders of Britain’s foremost rural organisations came together to officially announce the launch of a partnership called Aim to Sustain (News, 28 July). This partnership, if it fulfils its potential, will provide, in…

While the summer sun cracks the flagstones and sensible dogs seek shade, choosing a coat is probably the last thing on your mind. However, as we all know, the British weather is a fickle mistress. I am looking at four factors in my choice of autumn sporting coat. First, is it lightweight — can the coat be easily stashed in a gamebag, ready to be donned the moment you hear the first drops? Secondly, is it robust? Thirdly, is it practical for the field? Finally, is it as much at home in the high seat or hide as it is on the hill or heather? With these criteria in mind, I set about testing four autumn-weight coats over the space of a meteorologically mixed-bag fortnight. 1 Schöffel Ptarmigan Ultralight…

OUR VERDICT Straight-pull rifles are becoming more popular as their ability to offer a super-fast cycling rate with a short and effortless bolt-action design is appealing. German firm Merkel has had good success with its version of this genre in the Helix system, and its RX Speedster model embodies all the benefits of a straight pull in an ultra-ergonomic stock design. The Helix system uses a 1:2 transmission operating system where the bolt handle only moves back half the distance of the actual bolt, allowing for faster cycling. Very clever. The Speedster uses a non-tool take-down system for a swift barrel change, enabling cartridges from .222 to .338 Win Mag to be selected. This makes it a one-rifle shooting system for all types of stalking. Distributor Viking Arms stocks the…

“The job’s not all glamorous — I do a lot of litter-picking, I empty bins, I pull Himalayan balsam... I’m a gamekeeper, but my job here has evolved in such a way that you could call me a ranger.” James Readfern, 27, is a third-generation gamekeeper, but his current role differs — and not in a small way — to those held by his father and grandfather. He hails from a family of pheasant keepers. His brother is a headkeeper in Wiltshire; his father enjoyed a long career that featured a six-year stint at Windsor. But when the opportunity arose to try his hand with grouse not far from where he grew up, James left the reared-bird scene and his previous job of six years at Hoghton Tower and threw…

HAS THE INCIDENCE of cancer in dogs increased in recent years? It was a question posed by reader P A Blackman (Letters, 14 July) and it prompted me to start researching the subject. Curiously, none of my old gundog books make a mention of the disease, though most consider such subjects as hard pad and distemper, hepatitis and canine parvovirus, the diseases most feared by dog owners until they were largely suppressed or eradicated by vaccination. I cannot believe that cancer didn’t exist in dogs 70 or 80 years ago, but it certainly seems as if it wasn’t the problem that it is today. Could it be that it wasn’t recognised or diagnosed in the same way as it is now? I have been lucky in that I’ve only lost…

The sound of the tractor and binder had been creeping into my window during the morning — a purring, almost seductive sound. Certainly it was that the mere noise of it urged me to be away with the gun and down beside the outfield where Farmer Jones was making his first cut of the year. However, I thought, those oats do not hold many rabbits. Well, not enough to justify my leaving the daily task. So I sat on until it was time for lunch. Up at the Cart and Horses for my pre-prandial pint, Harry Edlin, the landlord, said: “Better get your gun down on old Jones’s bit.” But I shook my head and replied that those oats would not hold many rabbits, at least not enough to lure…

The Government’s proposed trade deal with Australia has raised fears among British farmers, particularly beef producers. Their leading concerns are over the disparities between UK and Australian animal welfare standards and the lower production costs that Antipodean farmers enjoy as a result. Australian beef farmers are globally stereotyped as a hybrid of Wild West cowboys and Mick ‘Crocodile’ Dundee. The Ozzie twang, made famous here by Paul Hogan’s film character, was believed to have originated from the high numbers of East Anglians who filled the transports to the then penal colony. However, Dean Frenkel, a communications expert at Victoria University, claims it is down to alcohol. Excessive drinking among the early settlers is well recorded, and it is their inebriated chatter that he believes formed into a national speech pattern.…

A privately owned grouse moor in the Forest of Bowland has fledged five hen harrier chicks. Welcoming the brood, a spokesman for the Forest of Bowland Moorland Group said the success was down to “the abundance of food, excellent habitat and predator control, along with an excellent working relationship between Natural England field workers and the estate gamekeepers”. The estate’s headkeeper Scott Patterson added: “Despite the poor vole year, the brood of five hen harrier chicks on our moor has thrived. The pipits, red grouse chicks and other small birds, which have been their staple diet, were all in abundance on the moor because of the robust predator control and careful habitat management that all driven grouse moors practise.” Shooting Times understands that this year will be good news for…

BASC has reminded any shoot releasing 50 or more gamebirds on and around protected sites that they must report the number of birds they are releasing to Defra. These releases are now covered by a general licence (GL43) and one of the licence conditions requires shoots to report the number of birds they release. Glynn Evans, BASC’s head of game and gundogs, said: “If members are releasing gamebirds on and around European protected sites in England[see main story, left], they must ensure they follow the requirements of the new GL43. A failure to report the release of 50 or more birds within one month of doing so could leave shoots at risk of prosecution or having the licence withdrawn.” BASC has also reminded all shoots that they should be included…

NO WALK IN THE PARK I greatly enjoyed Alasdair Mitchell’s piece on stalking red deer in the Highlands (Where mighty beasts mooch, 14 July), but I had to smile when he seemed to dismiss the larger reds to be found elsewhere as ‘easy’ and ‘ponderous’. That may be true in Richmond Park — it certainly isn’t here in east Norfolk. This landscape is intensively arable, interspersed with patches of carr (swampy woodland) and thick reedbed. The fact that such huge animals are thriving in flat, wide-open country like this is down to their almost paranormal ability to detect threats. A whole herd out on open fields of beet and grain can disappear into thin air. You can stalk for days on end and not see a single red, though their…

Everyone has their dream of a perfect shoot day, whether it’s grouse slicing fast and low over a purple Yorkshire moor, towering pheasants pushed off the top of a Scottish hill, or a big bag of pillaging pigeons over a Norfolk pea field. But one dream day is common — the small group of friends, the busy spaniel rumbling the hedgerow and the bag filling piecemeal with whatever is found. A hare, a rabbit, perhaps a brace of pheasants or red-legged partridges, a snipe flushed from a bog, a woodcock tumbled from the gorse. The kind of day where the bag speaks of the character of the place and the point in the season, not simply the same pheasants or partridges you could shoot anywhere. An autumn bag in Suffolk…

Firearms really only achieved high levels of reliability with the introduction of the self-contained centrefire cartridge around 1860. A gun’s ignition could be affected by all kinds of factors — a blunt flint, damp powder or dodgy percussion caps. Consequently, many guns were designed to incorporate a secondary weapon that was there as an insurance policy in case the w retched thing misfired at an inconvenient moment. The auxiliary weapon was also always there as a last resort when the gun was empty. This principle was well understood in military circles. From the 1640s, muskets were issued with bayonets that transformed them into handy short pikes. As the idea caught on, some pistols were fitted with bayonets. A pistol with a bayonet? Isn’t that about as much use as an…

I fitted a low-powered Kahles scope that suited the fast target acquisition the Speedster offered out in the field. While zeroing in, we tested the speed of the action on steel targets and found the Helix system ran like clockwork. With no exposed bolt, you can really keep that head down and not destroy your hold or concentration on the target. The rifle shot well with the factory ammo, the best load being the Sako 123-gr Gamehead, with 3,011fps for 2,477ft/lb and 0.95in 100-yard groups. Upping the bullet weight to 150-gr, classic .308 Win, and the Hornady SSTs achieved 2,893fps for 2,788ft/lb and 1in groups. Norma Ecostrike 150-gr loads shot over the 1in mark but delivered 2,764fps for 2,545ft/lb energy, so a good lead-free option. Reloads helped, and testing the…

When we all look ahead to the new game shooting season, certain images will invariably spring to mind. Morning coffee and bacon rolls in dank stone bothies or sheds, collars pulled high, while excited spaniels and labradors charge about outside in the sleet and snow, their breath fogging in the frigid air. The delight of frozen fingers wrapped around hot cups of soup at elevenses. Then retiring at the end of the day for hearty pheasant casserole, steaming tweeds and dogs thawing next to a log-burner in the corner. Game shooting and cold weather go together like pork pie and pickle. But for a lucky few, the shooting season starts in late summer when the heather is in bloom and the weather calls for Sangria rather than soup. Shooting Times…

One of the less common species now encountered on the Tube is the goth, perhaps because, in these dreary COVID-19 times, being deeply miserable now is the norm, especially if you’re fond of football. I rather miss them. Their deathly pallor, spiky hair, heavy eyeshadow and torn fishnet stockings gave hope that not every millennial had chosen a career in law or accounting. Though I suspect that gothic plumage is now totally acceptable in the professions — but not, of course, in IT, where cargo shorts, flip-flops and Fat Face shirts remain de rigueur. I spotted one a week ago on the District line, staring into space and nodding quietly to a soundtrack, and wondered what sad songs appeal to goths. Lots by The Smiths, of course, and doubtless a…

For a long time, I thought that the dog days of summer took their name from the fact that these are the hot and sultry days when dogs simply flop in the heat. The truth is that, for the Greeks and Romans, the dog days were when Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, appeared to rise alongside the sun — in late July in the northern hemisphere. The ancients believed that the heat from the two stars combined to make these days the hottest of the year. I’m writing this on what has been the hottest day of the year so far, with the temperature nudging 30°C. I’ve always been interested in weather. I have had a rain gauge for many years, so can tell you how…

Poults start to wander three to four weeks after release. Not very far initially but, as they grow more confident, they wander further and further from their pen. It isn’t the same as the September and October wanderings of almost mature birds, but more the naive exploring of adolescents that need to be watched. These birds need to be kept as close to home as possible for as long as possible. And, unless you have a huge acreage with birds and release sites everywhere, those that aren’t predated will keep wandering until they find something they like. In many instances, this will be over the boundary or somewhere you can’t get at them. Holding them back in the pen isn’t really an option either, as all that will do is…

Latin name: Potentilla sterilis Common name: Barren strawberry Other names: Strawberry-leaved cinquefoil How to spot it and where to find it: Like its productive cousin, the wild strawberry (Native Britain, 27 May 2020), the barren strawberry is a low, hairy perennial that sends out long rooting runners. Its leaves are in three parts (trifoliate), blue-green, with long, oval, toothed leaflets that are hairy underneath. Its white flowers, produced from late spring, have five petals with notches. They look similar to those of the wild strawberry but the gaps between the petals are more pronounced in the barren version. The yellow middle of the former is domed, but flat in the latter. Another difference is that the terminal tooth of the leaf is shorter than those on either side. Both are…