Innholdsfortegnelse for 26-Oct-2022 i Shooting Times & Country

The Arctic greylag population is on the move as northwesterly winds encourage them to join their pink-footed cousins as they head south. Pink-footed geese have been migrating for several weeks, with large skeins sighted from the Isle of Lewis to Holkham in Norfolk. Now the smaller Icelandic greylag population is joining them. Stiff westerly and north-westerly winds brought an influx of the birds on the nights of 15 and 16 October, boosting numbers of them that had arrived the week before. Most Icelandic greylags now ‘short stop’, meaning they will winter on the Orkney Islands and the north coast of Scotland. Pete White, of North Isles Shooting, told Shooting Times that on Westray, the pink-footed geese had started to move on and the migratory greylags were beginning to arrive. He…

There is a road not far from here which we call “the Nick road”. We call it that because it crosses a high hill pass called Nick of the Balloch. To see its best natural spectacle you have to drive it in the dark in mid-November. If a north-easterly wind and full moon coincide, the woodcock gather so thickly along the sides of the road that at times it can be like driving in a gentle fall of snow; bird after bird twisting away, flake-like in the headlights. When I see the birds on the Nick road, I know that on the next shoot day when I work the dog down the outside of a certain wooded glen she will tumble at least one from the gorse, and that the…

Driven days You don’t need to have visited many farms or estates to know that shoot transport can take many forms. On smaller farm shoots, there might be a procession of 4x4s crawling along the meandering backroads as the team moves from one drive or smallholding to another. The upside of this is that, as you are travelling in your own car, it’s almost impossible to forget anything. The downside being the logistical problem of finding sufficient roadside parking for up to a dozen vehicles. And if you don’t own a 4x4, you might find yourself needing a push or tow when the shoot captain unexpectedly decides to explore a far-flung corner of the shoot’s empire — something I have learnt from experience. This all explains why so many shoots…

As the weather changes with the onset of winter, so does the selection of stalking kit hanging in the Garryloop utility room. My morning routine is to wander in there with my cuppa and stick my nose out of the door to check if the weather matches the forecast. We live close to the coast and get very little sub-zero weather because of the sea’s influence. I have been here nearly 20 years and am yet to see any significant snowfall near the house. Though it’s a different story if I head to the high ground of the Galloway Hills. In truth, I always wear my preferred smocks, although for cooler days I will grab the Deerhunter Pro Gamekeeper in preference to the lighter Explore. It is a slightly heavier…

Across 6 Type of shotgun found in an individual whiskey cask? (6,6)8 Little madam and magazine boss failed to hit the target (6)9 While a game pie cooks in the oven, beaks are broken (5)10 Those making hens broody on the breakfast menu (4)11 Cuts of gamebird meat are taken from right inside the beasts (7)13 Squirrel bait for a tiny amount of money! (7) 15 See 5 down16 The Turkish gunmaker enters Mogadishu glumly (5)17 Steers violently and reactivates traps (6) 18 Visits terra firma as a terrier ventures below the surface (4,2,6) Down 1 By forming a queue, Guns are getting into position (6,2)2 Soundly detected a deer collective (4) 3 Those who potter about with ducks (8) 4 See 12 down5 & 15 across Hunting garments give…

THOUGHTS FROM THE FIELD There are 11 native UK pig breeds, all of which — according to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust — are considered “at risk of extinction”. Some of these breeds were first registered in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; however, regional variances in pigs appeared long before that. Prior to the arrival of rail or road, British porkers were notably parochial animals. This was largely due to the mutinous attitude pigs took towards drovers attempting to herd them over any great distance. This led to pigs rarely moving out of their own area and becoming distinct types through inbreeding. The unofficial motto of Sussex, “We wunt be druv” — “We will not be driven” — stems from the pride the county’s inhabitants take in their…

NEWS ABritish woman has been shot and killed during a boar hunt in Brittany, France. Jacqueline Taylor, 67, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to her chest after a rifle that was being carried on the shoulder of one of the hunters was accidentally discharged. The hunting party were passing through a field of maize at the time when the accident occurred. The incident took place in the commune of Goudelin in the Côtes-d’Armor department of Brittany, where boar hunting is a popular pastime. A statement from the local public prosecutor’s office said: “A wild boar hunt was organised that day, which brought together a dozen hunters and two guests. The hunters were advancing through a field of corn silage when one of them, a 69-year-old man, in circumstances yet to…

All of England, Scotland and Wales is now part of an avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) as veterinary epidemiologists and public health experts struggle to bring the rapidly worsening outbreak under control. At the current time, the regulations of the AIPZ do not prevent shoot days from taking place and do not prevent rough shooting, pest control or wildfowling. There is no reason to believe that any change to this is imminent, and Shooting Times will continue to monitor the situation closely. The picture concerning the release of gamebirds is complex and depends on which zone, or combination of zones, is in force where the birds may be released. Releasing at this time of year is extremely unusual and any shoot intending to release birds must contact a shooting or…

Wildfowling There is nothing quite like a distinctive smell or scent to whisk us back in time, unlocking memories from years before. There are a number of smells I find particularly poignant, ranging from May blossom to the distinctive odour of horses, stamping in their stables, waiting for a day’s hunting. Another wonderfully evocative scent I’d nearly forgotten is that of fresh, glutinous mud on the saltings. Coupled with the yelping of redshanks and the distant babble of geese, it transports me straight back to distant days on the marshes. I was never a passionate wildfowler, possibly because my spaniels were never really happy below the sea wall, but I still treasure my memories of days on the saltings, as I was reminded during a recent visit to North Norfolk.…

Foxing I watched as the sun slowly crept above the hillside, its warm glow stretching gradually over the autumn landscape. Deep in the valley below, the young poults started to crow as the light began to find its way between the trees where it warmed the edge of the pen, hidden away just out of view in the woods. Far in the distant farmyard, the old cockerel voiced up once more, partly to awaken the farm and partly, perhaps, to reassure all who would listen that he had survived yet another night, despite his ageing years. As the valley began to fill with colour, I was able to make out, even from here, the patch of fresh copper-coloured pheasant feathers strewn in the grass a short distance from the wood.…

We walked past the cattle munching contentedly in the barn towards the glow of the farmhouse kitchen, the only light disturbing the blaze of the autumn stars. We’d tried, unsuccessfully, for a roe doe, but the expedition was as was much about seeing each other as putting venison in the freezer. The darkening months can be lonely for rural people and any sporting foray is a welcome excuse to see old friends. My friend is a farmer’s son. How long his family have farmed isn’t a secret but it’s vague: like many yeomen, their ties to their acres drift back centuries and often predate the claims of ‘grander’ families who like to think they are the ‘county’. Locals only Inside the kitchen, hovering over the AGA, my friend’s father was…

Shooting instructors often become known for a particular area of work. That may be gunfit, a certain technique or even a specific quarry species. For Phil Fairless, it is working with the next generation. Almost 10 years ago, Phil was attending a country show with the BASC North regional team when he was asked if he fancied organising a Young Shots day with their support. It was an opportunity he couldn’t resist. The event attracted 30 children from all walks of life, and so began Phil’s new role as the association’s Young Shots co-ordinator in Northumberland and Durham. As time passed and the number of events Phil organised increased, so did his desire to learn more about shooting instruction as a profession. He completed the BASC coaching course in 2015…

OUR VERDICT The advantages of a lightweight rifle as a hunting tool become more appealing as the years roll by. Not only does this reduction in weight serve to reduce fatigue on a long hill stalk, but rifles like the Christensen Arms Ridgeline utilise carbon-fibre features that also enhance performance. Christensen Arms, based in Utah, US, has been at the forefront of carbon-fibre technology for years. Its innovative carbon-wrapped barrels are for custom rifle projects or as part of a purpose-built lightweight compact rifle such as this Ridgeline. Its barrels are guaranteed to shoot less than 1in groups (MOA) at 100 yards, which was certainly true in the field tests. The carbon-fibre Sporter stock offers a lightweight solution to a more conventional rifle stock with the added bonus of great…

On your shoot October is a month that will test the nerves of the best of us. The birds we have looked after all summer become secretive and start to drift away. They go off their food, and the few you do see are usually anywhere but where you want them. It is easy to become despondent when they are doing this, and forget that they probably did exactly the same thing last year, the year before and almost certainly the year before that. October is the month they find their feet, colour up and grow up. And cause us no end of worries. The drifting off in late summer and early autumn is harder to keep an eye on than the early season dogging-in when the birds were younger…

Northern Ireland’s general licence saga is continuing, with licences lapsing and then being reissued yet again. Three crucial licences used for pest control and to protect human health were allowed to lapse after Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) failed to renew them or to issue new licences before the expiry date for the old ones. The licences lapsed at midnight on 17 October, with no word that they were being extended or replaced. However, just a few hours later, the licences were reissued unchanged. The newly reissued licences now expire on the 31 December. Correspondence between campaign group Wild Justice and lawyers for the Northern Irish government suggests that there will be major changes to the licences in the New Year. Among the proposed changes…

NEWS Despite an almost total lack of evidence, the RSPB has claimed that gamebird releasing is unsustainable and must be more heavily regulated. The charity announced its change of policy at its annual general meeting on 15 October. Jeff Knott, the RSPB’s director of policy and advocacy, told Shooting Times: “Over the past two years, we have sought improved environmental standards and better compliance with existing rules and regulations. Unfortunately, we have seen little progress and no evidence pointing to substantial change. In the context of a nature and climate emergency, the current, largely voluntary framework has failed to deliver the necessary changes. “We now believe only further regulation and better enforcement of existing rules will deliver the changes needed to create a more sustainable gamebird shooting industry.” Reviews of…

Wildfowling There’s no darkness so complete as fog in the night. I was glad of the stunted blackthorns and the line of the borrow pit as Scout and I picked our way in silence on to the marsh. A half-moon was of no assistance, shrouded in a blanket of swirling damp. Not a light was evident and my head torch served only to confirm that visibility was less than 10 yards. I was navigating using remembered turns in the track and breaks in the hedge line. Water sprayed off the toes of my waders from the dew-sodden grasses. Only the sound of breathing and the padding of the gun slip against my hip broke the silence. At the sea wall, dog and I scrambled up the banking. But there were…

A history of tweed What a wonderful sight — four Balmoral gamekeepers standing vigil over HM The Queen’s coffin and later the six who acted as Her Majesty’s first pallbearers. Heads slightly bowed, ramrod-straight backs, they looked resplendent in the Balmoral estate tweed. I am not sure that resplendent is the correct term here, but somehow smart fails to give their appearance sufficient descriptive significance. There could not have been a gamekeeper in the country who failed to feel proud of them — and not a gamekeeper in the country who would not have been honoured to take their place. When I use the term gamekeeper, I do, of course, include stalkers and gillies under that umbrella — the people responsible for managing the fur, feather and fin on the…

Gundogs A FEW YEARS AGO I was chatting with an umpire friend about the Laws of Cricket — the rules, first drafted in 1744, which control this most ancient of games. “Of course,” he said, “they’re not nearly as complicated as those for field trials. Just take a look at the J-regs.” For those who don’t know, the J-regs are the Kennel Club field trial regulations. They are many thousands of words long, and cover (or attempt to cover) virtually every possibility and eventuality in the world of trialling. In fact they are so long that there have been frequent complaints over the years that many judges had never read them or, if they had, it was no more than a cursory glance. That’s hardly surprising, as the J-regs cover…

By all accounts there isn’t going to be much partridge shooting this season because of the outbreaks of avian flu in France and the associated issues surrounding the importing of stock. Which leads me to suggest that those missing their early season outings at the wee birds might head off to any of the shooting schools across this country and learn how to do it properly. The shoot where I beat used to be a renowned partridge manor in the days when partridge shooting meant wild English birds flaring over hedges. Even in recent years where the red-legged bird has predominated, it remains highly regarded among discerning shooters. Lately, however, visitors on the occasional let days have complained about the birds and their presentation; which, given that the keeper has…

Vintage Times CELEBRATING OUR BEST WRITERS On Saturday, I met the doctor, an Irishman with a dry sense of humour and an even drier single-handed punt. The latter was of the open — or Essex — variety, locally known as a ‘showt’, and despite being, as my surgeon friend described it, “a bit cranky,” was sound and would float in a pint of mild, thus being just the means of entry to those areas coveted by, but most of the time unapproachable to, the shore-shooter, however long his boots. No two showts are identical, and even before I confirmed my opinion, I knew where I had last seen this punt. On a bright September morning of another year, I was completing the last stages of an arduous creek-crawl and, about…