Innholdsfortegnelse for 22-Sep-2021 i Shooting Times & Country

A white-tailed eagle rescued by gamekeepers has been released into the wild. Shooting Times reported that a Perthshire keeper had found the bird in a state of collapse on moorland under his care and took it to a local vet (News, 25 August). The bird was then handed to SSPCA wildlife rehabilitators. Blood tests found that, apart from a malformed beak that meant it was unable to eat, the bird was in good health. This was the second time it had been taken into SSPCA care. After the first attempt to help it, the beak problem had recurred and vets became concerned that the bird might never be able to live independently. However, once the beak had been trimmed, it did not show any signs of the deformity growing back.…

I received an unexpected phone call from the Editor a week before the start of the shooting season. I thought he had phoned to pass some time as he made his way from London back to Dumfriesshire, but I was pleasantly surprised when he kindly invited me duck flighting on the first Saturday of the season. It’s a 28-mile drive between my house on the Solway and the Editor’s home, taking in some stunning rural scenery on winding backroads. The change in landscape is the most noticeable difference between these two distinct parts of Dumfries and Galloway. However, if you delve into the ecological workings of a place, you soon notice local variances, even when the sites are only separated by a few miles. These ecological differences may be easy…

There was a time when, if you wanted to go shark fishing, you went to Looe in Cornwall. Looe was the epicentre of shark fishing in the UK, mostly for the smaller, more placid blue shark. Indeed, I went to film an episode of Screaming Reels with shark aficionado Mike Thrussell hunting the blues. But slowly, anglers have started to notice sharks all over the place. Sightings in the past few years have included porbeagles in 6ft of water off Chesil Beach, packs of thresher sharks in Plymouth harbour, mako sharks in the English Channel and even a possible great white shark or two. Shark fishing trips are now available all around the south coast. One of the biggest concentrations of shark encounters is practically on my doorstep just off…

The first week of September always marks a welcome watershed in my year. As the flow of tourists to County Kerry slows to a trickle, holiday homes are shuttered up, children get packed back on to the school bus and a sense of peace descends on the parish. September also offers a rather wonderful dilemma to the fieldsports enthusiast, bringing as it does the opening day of both the wildfowling and deerstalking seasons. Last year I opted for feather over fur and spent the first day of the month on the foreshore at Waterville, failing to bag a duck in gloriously clement — and entirely unsuitable — weather conditions. When Met Éireann offered a near-identical forecast this year, I considered my lesson well learned and eschewed the estuary in favour…

“Tail ram-rod straight, right paw raised... a timeless image in an ancient landscape” The Pointer Club was due to celebrate its diamond anniversary in 2020. Like most boasting significant birthdays during the pandemic, the damned virus resulted in festivities, junkets and revelries being put on hold. The loosening of restrictions meant the club could finally commemorate its 60th and it did so in style on 16 August, with the renewal of its most prestigious competition. Every decade, the Pointer Club runs an international team event for pointers on grouse. This year, HM the Queen gave permission for the competition to be held on the Balmoral Estate and top teams from England, Scotland and Ireland faced off in the exquisite, towering surroundings of Delnadamph. The heather gleamed, puffing pollen in motes.…

I set off to take the dogs for a walk this morning — I’m writing this in early September — and came across half a dozen horses and riders in the lane, an unexpected sight at 7am. Their presence was easily explained, for the foxhounds had met locally an hour before, only a couple of miles away. It was a significant meet, as it was the first time this year that the pack had been out, as a result of the lockdown at the start of January. I’d be interested if the huntsman found his hounds unusually enthusiastic or unruly, as to go for nine months without any hunting is a long time. I’ve no doubt that there will be a lot of overenthusiastic gundogs taking to the shooting field…

THE METHOD Serves 2 Prep time 30 min •  Cooking time 20 min 1 Remove the wishbones and legs from the ducks, leaving three crowns. Using a sharp knife, score the duck skin and season the crowns. 2 Heat a little oil to smoking hot in a frying pan. Seal the crowns well with colour, basting them in the hot oil to crisp up the skin. Place the crispy crowns on a roasting tray. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 3 Chop the legs into small pieces and, in the same pan, fry off the legs until well coloured. 4 Take the excess oil from the legs and add to the stock. Bring to the boil and allow to reduce. 5 Cut the apple in half, scoop out…

Joseph Lang was once a very important name in gunmaking, especially around the time the breechloader was introduced in the 1850s. In fact, this label, which is ink printed on to paper, notes several accolades. These include medals in the London and Paris exhibitions, dated 1851, 1855 and 1867. It displays the royal warrant of the monarch, with the motto Dieu et Mon Droit(God and my Right), as well as claiming to be: “The original improvers and introducers of breechloading guns...” (the final word, England or Britain, has been worn away). This attests to the fact that Lang was the first British gunmaker to start selling guns based on the Lefaucheux pinfire breechloader. The label reminds us that the business was “30 years at 7 Haymarket” and shows the address…

Latin name: Asplenium scolopendrium Common name: Hart’s tongue fern Other names: Burnt weed, Christ’s hair, buttonhole, horse tongue How to spot it and where to find it: An evergreen fern, hart’s tongue forms large drifts under trees, particularly among rocks and streams and other shaded areas. It is commonly found in base-rich soils, typically in ash woods, and avoids the most acidic substrates. The curling young leaves give it its common name and unfurl into lustrous fronds with wavy edges, up to 50cm long. The underside of the leaves often have yellow ridges. Interesting facts: The glossy, leathery fronds of the hart’s tongue differ from those of other ferns in that they are not divided. The plant, which is considered an indicator of ancient woodland, produces spores in lines along…

COOKERY Q What is the best way to freeze pheasant breasts? A The answer to that depends a little on what equipment you have. I am very lucky as, over the years, I have amassed a fairly useful collection of kit that helps to make this process as close to perfect as possible. The best way to pack pheasant meat for the freezer is in vacuum-packing bags and for that you will need a vacuum-packing machine and some plastic bags designed to work with it. You can get very cheap models that sort of pump the air out and then seal the bag. These are good, but they do not take well to spillages and are not ideal for anything other than occasional use. Ideally, you need one that is…

Ploughing has somewhat fallen out of fashion due to the rise in ‘min-till’ cultivation. However, some soils and crops still necessitate tractor and plough to set forth. Before diesel and steam changed the agricultural landscape forever, the heavy horse ploughed supreme. The Suffolk is the oldest purebred heavy horse and stallions can top a ton in weight. Unlike other British heavy horse breeds, the Suffolk is unencumbered by ‘feather’ on its stocky lower legs. It is also notably more compact and muscular. All this denotes the breed’s unique ability for working the heavy Anglian clay lands. The breed is also knownas the Suffolk Punch, and it is said to owe this suffix to the noted 17th-century diarist Samuel Pepys. When on a visit to Lowestoft, Pepys wrote that the fishwives…

Shooting Times has passed information to police forces in England and Wales after an investigation into the underground sport of ‘urban falconry’ where birds of prey are flown from moving vehicles. We were made aware of the practice after a link to a video on social media was sent in by a reader who believed it may show criminality. The clip showed a Harris hawk being flown from the window of a moving vehicle and being used to catch crows and pigeons on suburban roadsides. After viewing the clip and consulting with experts in wildlife law, our reporters established it did show potential offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act — as well as being extremely poor practice. By comparing street scenes shown in the video with images from Google…

CHECK Service heaters and sweep chimneys in your beaters’/shoot hut. With cold weather on its way, it will soon be time to fire up the heating to warm tired bodies and to dry wet clothes. If you are using gas heaters, they should be serviced by a qualified technician before the season starts. That way, they will be safe and ready when they are needed. If you prefer a real fire, ensure chimneys and flues are properly swept. FIRST-AID Restock your canine first-aid kit. Early-season work can be hard on dogs. Tall cover can inflict cuts and scratches, with faces and paws particularly vulnerable. A well-stocked dog first-aid kit is a must for any shoot. As a minimum it should contain bandages, surgical tape, gauze, non-adhesive dressings and a thick…

Travelling shooters and dog triallers visiting Northern Ireland will not face burdensome paperwork when taking their dogs over from the rest of the UK. As part of the Northern Ireland protocol, anyone visiting with a dog would have had to meet the requirements of EU Pet Travel Regulation 576/2013 from 1 January this year. However, the government delayed this and has now announced that the rule will not be implemented until further notice. This means that visiting shooters and those coming in or out of Northern Ireland for gundog trials will not require pet passports. BASC Northern Ireland director Tommy Mayne commented: “BASC initially raised members’ concerns with the Northern Ireland Assembly’s agriculture and environment committee in January. BASC had also raised the issue directly with the agriculture minister Edwin…

Shooting Timesoccasionally has reports regarding duck movements from contacts nationwide. What are they saying at the moment? My network in Suffolk and Norfolk agrees that we’ve not seen this number of early teal, wigeon and even pintail since, probably, 2001. Decent numbers of snipe too, despite Suffolk being bone dry and not a renowned snipe region. Day after day of light northerly to nor’easterly winds won’t have hindered their progress. But the other way of looking at it is that they’ve had a poor breeding year and there are few youngsters to anchor them to the breeding grounds for a bit longer while they fully fledge and gain strength. I am also of the opinion that home-bred stuff — mallard and gadwall — did well given the cold, extended spring.…

It was early one morning in that grey, cool period of late August that the first picture of a pheasant feeder with its lid knocked to the floor popped up as a message on my phone. Sent by the keeper, most likely while on his dawn patrol, the accompanying caption was short: “Greedy muntjac.” I wasn’t surprised; it marked a familiar point in my stalking year when certain areas of the estate become more difficult to approach — or even out of bounds — and others become a priority. For me, the required change of tack spells autumn much like falling leaves, blackberry crumbles and ghastly premature Christmas displays. Dreams vs reality With the first days of the season not far away and birds roaming free from their pens, the…

If your only experience of shooting wildfowl is driven mallard, you could be forgiven for failing to realise that you need to be well hidden if you really want to stand much chance at wild ducks and geese in broad daylight. On the other hand, there is a lot of nonsense talked about the ‘essential’ nature of camouflage clothing, as well as the use of a lot of other specialist equipment. So what are the real rules that you need to abide by in order to be a successful wildfowler? KEEP STILL It’s remarkable what you can get away with if you keep still. Ducks and geese are very quick to spot movement, but will often do silly things if you play dead. So do not shuffle about in your…

e started autumn hunting on 1 September. By now all too familiar with the 4.30am alarm, I am a far more pleasant housemate in the morning and a far less interesting dinner guest by night. Morning person or not, standing on a grassy bank watching hounds, mist hanging in the valley and sun rising beyond, it’s difficult not to feel overwhelmed with gratitude for the countryside. Had he been there, I’m certain Lionel Edwards would have rushed for his brush and palette that morning. It took me back to days gone by. “A plague of headlines creates upset for British farming and country pursuits” There was a time when Masters of foxhounds were held in high regard. Trains would come to halt to let hounds cross the tracks, people turned…

At this time of year it feels like all I do is drive around in search of a half-decent outing. There’s plenty of food out there, even with two-thirds of the stubbles cultivated. There are also plenty of overwintered stubbles, especially wheat ones, which have continued to provide outings in places. The pea stubbles also hold plenty of food, even when cultivated, and should be watched frequently. “Farms change from the vibrant colours of summer to the dull browns of autumn” Interestingly, harvest timings have been slightly more normal and more like years of old. For the past three years, the harvest seems to have come and gone in the blink of an eye. This year it has been more spaced out and there are still the last bean stubbles…

The mighty ‘Disco’ has gained many followers over the past three decades, most sporting some sort of country attire rather than looking like an extra from Saturday Night Fever. The Discovery has evolved, but has always been a constant in town and country. But does the Disco 5 carry that mantle? We’re taking a look at the higher-spec Discovery R-Dynamic SE D250. As the name indicates, it’s a bit more sporty, so it gets sportier bumpers, trims and lights, along with rather nice 21in wheels, all-terrain tyres and a few extra goodies. The Disco 5 comes in two different models, standard and R-Dynamic, and three different trim levels — S, SE and HSE. There are four engine options — 250 diesel, 300 diesel, 300 petrol and 360 petrol — and…

Nearly two years ago, some friends who always have a few dogs about the place lost an ancient terrier. An old favourite, who had travelled the world with them before they settled into a permanent home, there was very little that animal did not know about humans and the arts and skills of living happily with them. Six months went past, then they got another working terrier, to run with the labrador and the pointer. Within a very few months the newcomer had acquired the habits of old Sally. And you could watch her doing the same things in the same way, time after time. During this period, we lost a little old terrier and eventually replaced her with a lively young character from some hunt kennels. The same thing…

STALKING Q Is there more than one species of roe found in Europe? A There is one species of roe found in Europe, whose scientific name is Capreolus capreolus. However, there are then three phenotypes of the animal recognised. There is the European roe deer, which is Capreolus capreolus capreolus, the Andalusian roe deer, which is Capreolus capreolus garganta, and the Italian roe deer, which is Capreolus capreolus italicus. As the names would suggest, the latter two are regional, with one found in Spain and the other in Italy. The main identifying features, other than the location, are related to the body size and the colour of the coat. Across the Continent, roe populations differ by size. Think smaller ones living out in exposed areas, such as the tops of…

PLANTS Q I am thinking about planting some shrubs that will provide fruits for both songbirds and pheasants. Can you suggest some suitable species please? A There is a huge selection of berried shrubs that you could choose, but do remember that the ones that hold their fruit well do not offer much for pheasants. Though they can both fly and perch, sitting in the branches and pecking off fruits in the same way as pigeons is not in their skill set. One of my favourite shrubs to choose when planting game coverts is crab apple. The fruits will drop in the autumn and slowly rot on the ground, where pheasants will have easy access, along with blackbirds, thrushes and many others. Other native shrubs to consider would be hawthorn,…

A gamekeeper has told Shooting Times about his fears for ground-nesting birds if raven numbers are allowed to grow unchecked. The keeper, who did not wish to be named, explained: “Raven numbers are through the roof here. The biggest problems come with large numbers of juvenile birds, which work systematically across open country, cleaning up chicks and eggs.” Ravens are legally protected across the UK, despite British Trust for Ornithology data showing that their population has increased by 21% in the past 10 years. Individual licences can be applied for to control ravens; however, farmers and keepers claim they are rarely allowed to cull an adequate number of birds to make a difference. Keepers from the Tayside and Central Scotland Moorland Group have begun filming groups of the birds to…

Shooting faces ‘an enormous task’ to secure its future in the country after Scotland’s government published its new programme. This included a Fox Control Bill, which the programme said would relate “to the use of dogs to hunt and flush foxes and other wild mammals” and would “introduce further measures such as preventing trail hunting”. Preventing any use of dogs to manage foxes has been a long-standing personal cause of some Green MSPs. The small percentage of land managed for grouse shooting was a major focus, with the programme claiming: “It is clear that urgent action is needed to tackle wildlife crime and to address the environmental impacts of intensive grouse moor management.” It added: “We will support the transition to more economically and environmentally productive uses of land.” The…

No change to NI’s general licences Daera, the Northern Irish government’s department of rural affairs, has reissued its general licences unchanged. Explaining the move, Daera said: “The general bird licences for 2021-22 cover the same species and terms as those of 2020-21. This will provide certainty for users and other stakeholders while active consideration is ongoing.” The agency was forced to drop proposals to change the licences after a litany of complaints about the consultation process from both countryside organisations and concerned individuals. Celebrate Great British Game Week Great British Game Week is back. Celebrating Britain’s best seasonal food product, the week this year will run from 22 to 28 November. The week endorses the enjoyment of wild game, promoted by BASC’s Eat Game initiative, in partnership with British Game…

In late August, I was in Lancashire for a wedding and, true to form, it poured with rain. I had been up there a few days earlier, though, when the weather was a little clearer and there happened to be a few other friends there at the same time. Thankfully, they were fishing buddies and were more than happy to venture down to the river after supper one night on the hunt for sea trout. The Lune was low, which was no bad thing. The stretch of the river we were on wasn’t too far from the sea and the tides would inevitably keep bringing fish up into our water. It was about 10.30pm when we arrived and, with our rods already set up, we were straight into a pool…

The topic of taxidermy has not often crossed my mind on a fieldsports outing, as I usually try to concentrate on enjoying the sights and sounds of a day out. But last season, as I was walking-up a bog, I had the pleasure of bagging a left-and-right on snipe as they zigzagged away from my feet. Gazing upon the beautiful birds cradled in my hands, I felt rather attached to them and was left in a quandary as to whether I should eat my bounty or relish and treasure the memory for my lifetime as a piece of taxidermy. I decided to do some research into the process. Taxidermy was, and still is, a major business. In the late 1800s, a style known as anthropomorphic taxidermy became popular. Mounted animals…

THE NEW DISCOVERY goes above and beyond its predecessors. I was really impressed with it, particularly off-road. It could be the perfect sporting vehicle. There are a lot of settings and gadgets but, once you familiarise yourself, it’s pretty user-friendly. The main point of contention is the price. The standard R-Dynamic SE starts off at an OTR price of £59,605. Throw in the extras of metallic paint, lockable rear diff, advanced off-road pack, privacy glass, electric tow bar, fancy headlamps and wireless phone charging and this Discovery comes out at £64,640. That isn’t cheap, but it’s not bad compared with some competitors. It has the same level of kit, but far more capability.…

VETERINARY CARE Q I was told that you should not feed a dog on the morning of a shoot. I do and have never had any problems. I normally feed my dog at about 7am each day and we do not start the first drive until around 9.30am. What is your advice on feeding a dog before going off for a day’s shooting? A The advice is to avoid feeding immediately before (or after) any strenuous exercise. Dogs need sufficient energy to last them throughout the period of any intense activity, but an active dog also needs to have time to digest its meal well before that activity starts. This applies not only to working dogs, but any dog that might be subjected to any form of enforced exercise, including…

FERRETING Q I am getting a long-net system for this season, but I am a bit flummoxed by the different options. Is one better than another? A If only one item of ferreting equipment has changed many people’s ferreting, it is the invention, evolution and availability of the fixed-net long-net systems. Over the decades, since the early 1980s, these have improved the quality and quantity of rabbits harvested throughout the world. I have used nearly all of these systems over the years and if they have taught me one thing, it is the originality of everyone’s ferreting needs. What I look for may not necessarily be what you are looking for. The net is the most important and I like the 4z for more open work and the slightly heavier…

PIGEONS Q Is it unusual to find a woodpigeon sitting on eggs in mid-September? A The surprising answer is no. While the peak laying season for urban-nesting woodies in Britain is the second half of April to the first half of May, in the countryside it is much later, with the peak laying period from the first half of July to the first half of September. It’s not rare to find fresh eggs even in October. The incubation period is 17 days, with fledging taking another 28 days. A study in rural England found that breeding success was highest in August. Predation is the chief cause of nest failure and, in high summer, most egg predators, such as magpies and crows, have finished breeding, reducing the likelihood of the eggs…

The Willie Gunn salmon fly is a simple but deadly hairwing pattern, which is also regularly tied on various-sized tubes. I use up to a 3in tube in high clearing water. The fly originated in Scotland, but now the Willie Gunn is equally popular in Ireland. On some rivers, the Willie Gunn, tied in various styles, can be a really deadly fly. On other rivers, it can fail almost totally. I often use one when the water is slightly coloured after a spate and I’ve had success in the last weeks of the season. AS…

The recent theft of data from an online gun sales site (News, 28 July) has caused consternation in the shooting community. Some animal rights activists boasted about using the stolen personal information to identify gun owners (News, 15 September). As a digital dinosaur, my own details were not on the site. But I’ll let you into a secret: there are no secrets. To a determined searcher, my personal details are just as accessible as anybody else’s. That’s the world we live in. I am not making light of the data theft in question. It is a very serious matter and I would be deeply upset if it had happened to me. I am merely trying to put it into the wider context. Our personal data is constantly being harvested. And…