Innholdsfortegnelse for 15-Feb-2023 i Shooting Times & Country

Unburned plots of land release by far the most methane, but burning enhances nutrient content for grazing animals. A significant report into the ecological impact of muirburn for moorlands has released its halfway results. The 20-year study is being conducted by the University of York. The project compares the effects of muirburn with mowing, or leaving heather unmanaged. The other key findings are that burned plots had the highest net carbon absorption in the long-term, becoming carbon sinks within five to seven years; mown and unmanaged plots both absorbed about half the carbon per year of burned plots; and unmanaged heather dried out the underlying peat and increased risk of wildfire. This last has the potential of triggering ‘catastrophic’ carbon loss as well as the destruction of wildlife and habitat.…

Black grouse populations have been in decline in Britain for more than 200 years, so you might think that plans to reintroduce the birds to Ashdown Forest in East Sussex would be welcomed by local birdwatchers. But initial reactions have been critical. Most believe that the 6,200-acre site is too small for the project. However, Natural England has offered funding for a feasibility report. The native black grouse population died out around the middle of the 19th century, apparently due to shooting pressure rather than loss of habitat. Fifty years earlier Mr Turner, the rector of Maresfield, had written that the birds were “so numerous… that it was hardly possible to ride in any direction without disturbing some of them”. Reintroductions were made, with individuals surviving into the 1930s. The…

As I lay hedges, my mind is prone to wander into flights of fancy. I had a daydream recently as I was wrestling with the spiky matter of a blackthorn. In my imagination, I had been invited to dine, as a last-minute replacement guest, at a new and notably costly plant-based restaurant. My host was a financier-turned-amateur-farmer with a penchant for extinct carnivores. The fellow guests boasted unimpeachable, in their opinion, environmentalist pedigrees. Three wrote opinion pieces, two proudly bore scars on their palms, a recent legacy of a glue-related encounter with a Bentley in a Knightsbridge mews. The table talk meandered along. Terms such as “right to roam”, “charismatic megafauna” and “trophic cascade” rolled around while the assemblage tucked into faux chicken nuggets and nearly-lamb cutlets. Our host turned…

Affordable guns Although I am a fan of best guns, fine guns and one-off builds, my own cabinet isn’t filled with them. Instead, it is full of old guns, bargain guns and completely knackered guns. Like many of you, I am a bargain hunter. The market is currently stuffed with bargains, meaning that for under £1,000 you can get something really special. I have whittled down some of my favourite budget all-rounders into a five-gun shortlist really worth some consideration. Winchester 101 XTR Among the 19,000 shotgun listings on Guntrader, I found a Winchester 101 XTR for sale from a trade dealer for £575. Although this gun is now over 40 years old, it was (and arguably is) one of the best guns ever built. With their steel and machining…

When I first started stalking in earnest a few years ago, I was rather wrapped up in the romance of it. Striking out on an adventure, rifle slung over one shoulder, binoculars around my neck and a rucksack containing a flask of coffee and some food. Sometimes I’d even park my car further out from the land over which I was to shoot, simply to gain a bigger sense of intrepidness. However, it was fair to say that my return rate was not as good as it could have been, perhaps only bearing fruit one in four or five outings. It was good fun, though. Below target My romantic ideal of stalking was brought down to earth after a brief but to-the-point meeting with the Forestry Commission. In short, we…

As a metaphor, it’s rather confusing. How badly do drains shoot? And do they occasionally excel? But, whatever the origin, we all know when our performance in the field is akin to that mysterious gutter pipe — and it’s a miserable feeling. Loss of form hits most of us at times — I’ve even heard of our shooting gods having an off day. But for them it seldom lasts much longer than that. They’re so stuffed with natural talent that they almost sweat it, and they have so many shooting invitations on biggish days that any blip is quickly forgotten on the first drive of their next outing. What’s more, they know they are good shots and any loss of form is dismissed and forgotten immediately. Sadly, I’m not one…

Remembering the experience that ignited a lifelong passion for stalking Brian Hughes was familiar with pretty much every firearm going, from a .22 rimfire to a .500 double rifle. As a wildlife ranger in Southern Rhodesia, he had hunted most game species and pioneered the ranching of African wildlife, and when he and his wife Helen returned to the UK they did so in the traditional manner, by ocean liner. Brian was thus well qualified to take up a job as BASC’s first firearms officer, and that was when I got to know him. On their retirement, Brian and Helen settled in Scotland to manage the Blaircreich Estate near Balquhidder, Brian managing the deer and Helen looking after a small number of select stalking guests. A chance conversation with Brian…

100 years WISDOM AND TRADITIONS GATHERED OVER A LIFE AT THE COALFACE, THIS WEEK WITH DAVID WHITBY Some 50 years ago, I travelled from Swansea to Cork by ferry on my first trip to Ireland. I had barely gone five miles when the vehicle was brought to an abrupt halt. Sitting there on the edge of the road was the first hooded crow I had ever seen. Delighted as I was to spot this magnificent corvid, that delight turned to shock by the time I reached Killarney. I had never seen so many vermin; hooded — the Irish call them ‘grey’ — crows were everywhere, along with magpies galore, thousands upon thousands of rooks and jackdaws and abundant ravens. I remember thinking that nothing could possibly fledge around here, either…

NEWS Lots of us cut our teeth on clay pigeons but that staple of the shooting world might be about to undergo a dramatic rebrand. Some say it’s future-proofing while others say it’s crazy. The Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA) is asking its members whether they should drop the ‘pigeon’ part of the name, in order not to upset those who dislike fieldsports. Tom Payne, a keen pigeon shooter and coach, told Shooting Times he believes it’s a classic example of pandering to the minority, which will result in pigeon shooting losing its identity. He also questioned where the whole thing ends — for example, what will the ‘bolting bunny’ now be called and likewise the ‘springing teal’? Others say those who dislike fieldsports have suggested that people who shoot…

In his 1957 classic, Tales of a Wildfowler, Arthur Cadman recounts the exploit of a friend who completed a morning flight on the west coast of Wales and an evening flight on the east coast of England in one day. This remarkable feat, achieved by Reggie Adcock just before World War II, started with a flight on the Leri, a tributary of the Dyfi, in a ‘fresh south-westerly gale’. Reggie then got into an open-topped sports car and drove across the breadth of Wales and England to finish the day with a flight on the east coast of England at Sutton Bridge. Arthur also later accomplished this himself, but poignantly notes in his book that his friend Reggie went missing on 7 December 1941, after a raid on Boulogne. Reginald…

It’s 6.30am. Time to get up for the most important and stressful day of the season — beaters’ day. Beaters’ day is a chance to say thank you to people who have given up holidays, weekends and more to help out over the season, be it lugging wheat, making the best shoot day sausage rolls in the country or just listening to a stressed keeper vent. They all play a vital role in producing a memorable shoot day and season. It’s an opportunity to see if the beaters can walk the walk as well as they talk. The role reversal, beating for beaters, is an act of thanksgiving and a chance to see how the shoot works from the other end. With kit laid out religiously the night before, North…

The vast majority of dog owners will understand the importance of researching a breed before purchasing a puppy. Throughout history, every breed was at some point bred for a specific purpose. These purposes vary massively, and for a lot of breeds their original function is now obsolete. For example, a dalmatian was originally bred as a hunting dog and then became a carriage dog. I have yet to see one being used on a shoot, and with the absence of carriages they are mostly required to be a pet. These specific breed traits will ultimately shape the behaviour, energy and temperament of the dog. Armed with this information, it should be a relatively easy decision for any prospective dog owner to decide on which breed to go for. However, more…

On your shoot The second half of January is a rush of catching up, late-season invitations and the last of our shoot days at home. And while I miss the buzz and camaraderie of shoot days, it is quite nice to get into February and make a start on our list of jobs. First on the list if the feeders are full is taking in the pegs. Nothing looks more alien or more out of place post-shooting season than a line of pegs in a field. If you use pegs, gather them up, tie them into sets and put them somewhere safe and out of the way. There is no need to repair them now. In fact, they are better repaired and repainted next autumn just before they are put…

It may be the case, at this time of year, that you are wondering what to do with a freezer filled with game. During the season I eat as I go, and at least half of the bags I bring home are consumed in short order. I have admitted my approval for the oven-ready bird at the end of a shooting day, and the chances are that such a brace will be on the table promptly because I really enjoy a roasted bird even if I lack the skill to pluck one to a presentable condition. But if I snaffle a couple of brace, the second pair goes into the freezer. As will this brace and that which are brought home and breasted-out or crowned. And that leash of partridges.…

Rough shooting New SERIES AL’S SPORTING TOUR These days, my shotgun hardly sees any action. It would be wrong to say I’ve never shot pheasants before, deer being the bulk of what I do, but it’s been a long while since I shot game. So when I received an invitation to join my fellow Shooting Times contributor Laurence Catlow on a rough day in Cumbria, I was delighted. I made my way there on a cloudy morning, and as I drove into the old Viking town of Kirkby Stephen, the dramatic landscape and farms had me giddy. However, I hadn’t picked up a shotgun at all over the past year and I felt a touch nervous. On arrival at High Park, I joined Laurence, along with three of the finest…

Vintage Times CELEBRATING OUR BEST WRITERS Surrey is a lovely county; what a pity it is so badly off for gamekeepers. Never have I seen so many carrion crows and magpies, and even the pigeons appear to shun the beech woods and rolling downlands. But what a place it could be for high pheasants. You could launch them off the top of Titsey Hill and stand the Guns in the far pastureland below. I went to bed dreaming of it. We were going back to Norfolk next day, and I had hoped for time in front of the snow. That night it started, nasty little powdery flakes that meant a blizzard. There was an inch of snow on Titsey Hill on the way back to Oxted that night. The next…

NEWS The ban on lead ammunition could be a disaster for thousands of gamekeepers, vermin controllers, farmers and target shooters. This is because finding acceptable ammo for the basic .22 rimfire rifle is tricky. The .22 rimfire is an accurate, cheap to ‘feed’ and easily available modern, bolt-action rifle, which replaced the more upmarket breechloading ‘rook and rabbit rifles’ sold by British makers. It has become a popular staple of rifle clubs, and in particular organisations such as scouts and cadets who offer many people’s first introduction to shooting. And the .22 rimfire is the most popular cartridge in the world. Here, it is mostly used to fire subsonic hunting rounds through a rifle equipped with a sound moderator, for relatively close range (sub 50-yard) vermin control. It is also…

Tide flighting I recently learned the hard way that Scout doesn’t like swimming retrieves with Canada geese. She took to the water with her usual enthusiasm: a sprint to the edge of the channel followed by a care-free dive. The bird was floating and she powered across to it, all grunts and glide, her tail a rudder. She pulled the enormous body by the wing to the far bank and yanked it on to terra firma, where she practised gripping it. A mouthful of feathers was her reward. I called encouragement from 50 yards away. We were separated by a distance that Usain Bolt could have covered in 4.5 seconds had it been synthetic rubber on an asphalt base. But it wasn’t. It was a strongly running incoming tide with…

Foxing The rangefinding binoculars showed a distance of 536 yards. I glanced to my left to check the faint breeze caressing the longer blades of grass next to me and felt confident that only a slight adjustment would be needed to send the 143-gr Hornady ELD-X bullet across the valley to its target. My Kestrel windmeter had already factored in the other variables that might affect its flight, so I knew I would need to aim around 4½ft above the fox. The large dog fox stood on the field margin, staring intently into the stubble at a hare feeding unawares a few metres away, giving me the time I needed to dial my scope and tuck the rear bag under the butt of the rifle. I was confident in my…

OUR VERDICT There has always been something very alluring about a single-shot rifle. It combines a traditional sense of sportsmanship — you have to be a good marksman with only one shot to hand. You also can appreciate the fine-handling, lightweight characteristics benefiting differing hunting scenarios, all of which seem to offer that certain kind of built-in etiquette. The new Merkel K5 Black Extreme oozes quality and style. In this form, with its traditional Bavarian cheekpiece, stock and open sights, it will surely have the old-school stalker smiling. Merkel, from the Suhl district of Germany, has not compromised with the K5; grade five walnut, oil finish, open sights and non-ejection systems are classic, but the fluted barrel and nitrided Suhler tilting bolt lugs, trigger and automatic de-cocking system add a…

THOUGHTS FROM THE FIELD Foreshore Gunners bid the season farewell on the 20th, having enjoyed their tail-end sport below the sea wall. These constructions protect coastal communities from the sea’s power but are under constant threat of breach, particularly if a violent storm coincides with a high tide. Storm waves compress air within their curl, creating pressures of up to one tonne per square inch. Once a hole has been created, consecutive waves wash away the underlying soil, extending damage and allowing sea water in. On 31 January 1953, such conditions caused multiple catastrophic sea wall collapses along England’s low-lying east coast. Deaths in England totalled 307, 24,000 homes were destroyed and 160,000 acres contaminated by seawater. This tragedy caused a major rethinking of our coastal defences; now most modern…