Table of contents for June 2023 in Sporting Gun

A total of 460,000 birds and 149 species across 1.5 million acres were recorded in the UK during the latest Big Farmland Bird Count. It is the 10th year of the GWCT initiative, which takes place for just over a fortnight in February and involves farmers and other participants logging birds seen on their land. Dr Roger Draycott of the GWCT said the count highlighted “the passion and commitment that British farmers have for the birds on their farms and their keenness to understand how the birds – whether red-listed or not – are faring”. Among the birds that were spotted most often were blackbirds, woodpigeons and robins, seen on seven out of every 10 counts. Birds seen on less than one in 100 counts included jack snipe and bittern,…

New head of BGA Louisa Clutterbuck is the new chief executive of British Game Assurance (BGA). Louisa, who has worked in a strategic role for the BGA for five years, said she was looking forward to “making game a staple part of every household’s weekly menu”. She succeeds Liam Stokes, who stepped down in April after three years in the role. Team England selection rules announced The CPSA has revised its criteria for Team England selection ahead of the FITASC Home International in September. Applicants must submit four 100 registered target scores from three different grounds and those scores must have been achieved at a registered or selection event that featured at least 20 competitors from 1 March to 1 August this year. The deadline is midday on 2 August.…

The winners of the Eat Game Awards have been announced. The awards, held recently in London, marked the culmination of a national search to find businesses and individuals championing the use of British wild game. Following a public vote, nominees were shortlisted in various categories. The ceremony was hosted by Adam Henson, the farmer and TV presenter, who announced the eight category winners, including best restaurant/pub and best game butcher. Each winner received £1,000, and the overall Champion of Champions award, sponsored by BASC, went to the Clarendon Inn, Hebden, North Yorkshire. For full details, visit: eatgame.co.uk/eat-game-awards…

Covercrops are an important part of the shoot and seem to be growing well, though sometimes it feels like a race between the crop and the weeds as to which will grow the quickest. Fertiliser prices are at an all-time high and we are trying not to use any, but since we are not spraying chemicals the weeds seem stronger than ever. Sitting in the high seats, we are seeing a lot of deer feeding on the covercrops, but I am hoping they are eating more weeds than crops. We have a lot of hoppers out to feed the birds throughout the season, and they are all in various states of disrepair. On the last shoot work party, we started gathering them in so we could get them fixed up…

Letter of the month Well informed Sporting Gun can always be relied on to keep us informed. Richard Atkins’s article in the April issue (Hard Facts) explains the challenges we face using steel (soft iron) shot in a way that is understandable way and avoids sounding like an article in a scientific publication. His advice covers what most of us need to know regarding the choices we have and the solutions. I particularly valued the last part, where the most common concerns were dealt with in a questions and answers format. There are still a number of contradictory statements being published on this subject, which are not helping, so thank you, Sporting Gun, for helping to clarify these issues. Mike Vacher, Bedfordshire ‘Lead’ up the garden path? I was interested…

Those of us who live where there’s been a badger cull may well have noticed a large increase in the fox population since it ended. Countless farmers have commented something or other on the matter, and I suspect that to many it looks as though we, the local shooters, haven’t been doing our job properly. That really isn’t the case though, as evidenced by several recent scientific studies on the subject. They all agree that wherever the badgers have been culled, foxes subsequently prospered. Due to regional variations, there are no hard and fast rules as to just how many more foxes there will be. These include such factors as the availability of food, the weather and local pest control. A rough estimation suggests that their numbers can more or…

SNAPSHOTS Our sport has been left reeling after sophisticated and effective attacks from those who would have it banned. Now we face another challenge: Natural Resources Wales’ (NRW) consultation on the release of gamebirds. Why am I so worried about this? There are two reasons. First, if NRW’s proposal goes ahead, then a licensing system will be in place. A licence can be withdrawn at any time, effectively stopping game shooting in Wales and all the good that goes with it. Second, this could be the thin end of the wedge because it will set a precedent for other UK countries to introduce game licensing. We need to put gripes over lead shot aside because now is the time to get behind our organisations and respond to the consultation. BASC…

By the time the next issue of Sporting Gun hits the news stands the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consultation on the use of lead ammunition would have concluded. Plans to restrict the use of lead were originally announced two years ago as part of UK REACH, the Government’s realignment of its chemicals evaluation and restriction policy following Brexit. Proposals to implement a ban on lead ammunition within 18 months were put out to consultation last May. The consultation ended in January but such was the interest and the number of responses that the HSE announced a six-month extension to deal with the workload. This ends on 5 June when the shooting community will be on tenterhooks as to the outcome and ramifications. In January, Terry Behan, BASC East director,…

13–14 May The Maxus Masters semi-auto competition, Ashcombe Shooting Ground 17–21 May English Open Sporting Championship, Eriswell Lodge, Suffolk May 20 BASC Try Sustainable Ammo Side-by-Side Day, Giles Marriott, Theddingworth, Leics May 20–21 Smallholding and Countryside Festival, Royal Welsh Showground, Powys May 27–28 The Blaser Cup, Orston Shooting Ground, Notts May 27–29 Great British Food Festival, Harewood House, Leeds June 1–4 Browning Sporting Masters, Ashcombe Shooting Ground, Devon June 2–4 English Open Sportrap Championship, Barbury Shooting Ground, Wilts June 8–11 English Open DTL Weekend and Dougal Memorial Shoot, Bywell Shooting Ground, Northumberland June 30–2 July GWCT Scottish Game Fair, Scone Palace, Perth July 3–8 World English Sporting & Sportrap Championship, EJ Churchill’s West Wycombe Shooting Ground, Bucks…

Proposals are afoot to shut down game shooting in Wales, and the support of the shooting and rural communities across the UK is needed to act now and say no. Natural Resources Wales has launched a public opinion survey on proposals to ban and then licence the release of pheasants and red-legged partridges anywhere in Wales. They make the proposals sound reasonable, but they are not – this is an attempt to take away shooting rights by what we at BASC consider to be an anti-shooting Welsh government. This is a Welsh government that denied Covid funding to shooting businesses and banned pheasant shooting on public land. Welsh government ministers are on record stating that they do not support shooting. Stop the spread What is happening in Wales is the…

Over the coming months, Sporting Gun will be looking at some of the birds, animals and plants that for various reasons have arrived in the UK and since achieved the dubious distinction of being invasive aliens. This month it is the turn of a plant that is considered one of the most invasive of them all – a thug of a weed that crowds out native species, destroys pavements and can even prevent you from selling your house if it is found nearby. It is the Japanese knotweed. Arrival Like so many other of our unwelcome arrivals, Japanese knotweed was introduced to this country during Victorian times. It was discovered growing on the side of a Japanese volcano by a ‘plant hunter’ who decided it would make a good ornamental…

GOT A QUESTION? CONTACT: sportinggun@futurenet.com Sporting Gun, Future PLC, 121 - 141 Westbourne Terrace Paddington London W2 6JR Meet the team FRAN ARDLEY GUNDOGS Owner of Tarncrag Gundog Training, with more than 10 years’ experience. NEIL MCINTOSH VETERINARY A keen shooter and a practising vet in Scotland. TONY BRACCI TUITION Bisley Shooting Ground’s deputy shooting manager and master gunfitter. DAVID FROST LEGAL SG’s legal expert and author of Sporting Shooting and the Law. PETER THEOBALD PIGEONS Pigeon-shooting expert; author of Woodpigeon: The Ultimate Quarry. ROBERT MORGAN ANTIQUES Arms and armour valuer at Holts Auctioneers. ED COOK RABBITS Professional rabbit catcher working over 30,000 acres. TOM SYKES PEST CONTROL & WILDFOWLING Sporting photographer, wildfowler and pest controller. IAN SWEETMAN GUNSMITHING Owner of I S Sweetman Gun & Rifle Makers…

Le Chameau Country Cross Bottillon A waterproof everyday boot crafted from the French brand’s Chamolux rubber. Features a shock-absorbing dual-density Cross outsole and jersey lining. Price: £110 lechameau.com Acme Whistles Alpha 210.5 & 211.5 whistles Developed in collaboration with gundog trainers, these UK-made whistles offer a pitch-perfect sound thanks to chambers that use air efficiently. Price: £9.99 acmewhistles.co.uk The Original Muck Boot Company Edgewater Classic ankle boots These waterproof boots feature a 5mm neoprene lining for flexibility and reinforced support at the Achilles for comfort. Price: £130 muckbootcompany.co.uk Alan Paine Rockbourne Performance polo shirt Perfect for summer clay days, this lightweight men’s polo is crafted from a polyester/spandex blend that wicks away moisture and offers invaluable flexibility. Price: £59 alanpaine.co.uk Dedito boot bag This lightweight yet tough bag has a…

Mandatory measures to stop the spread of avian influenza across the UK have been lifted. Measures have been in place in varying degrees for the past 18 months following the unprecedented outbreak of bird flu across Europe. Western regions of France were particularly affected by the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus. This had a negative effect on British shooting due to a shortage of poults, the result being many shoots scaling down or cancelling their season altogether. The mandatory measures for housing poultry and captive birds were introduced in the UK to limit the spread of the virus. These were lifted on 18 April, an indication that the worst is over. However, Dr Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s chief veterinary officer, urged bird keepers to stay vigilant. Avian Influenza…

What does it take to become a better shot? Commitment? For sure. Capability? It helps. Clays and cartridges? Probably, but perhaps not. Over the past few months I’ve been ever more drawn to the concept of at-home training – training without the bang, the targets and the cost. But does ‘dry’ training work? And what do I even do with an unloaded gun and no targets to shoot at? Few are better to answer these questions than the former Team England head coach and the current chairman of the Institute of Clay Shooting Instructors (ICSI), John Robinson, and the Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club’s owner Georgina Roberts. “My first comment would be to rethink home training as off-range training,” says John. “You can do so many elements of your training…

As the country hails our new monarch with street parties and other community events across the land, we give you coronation pheasant. The recipe comes courtesy of Louisa Clutterbuck, the new chief executive of British Game Assurance, who has adapted the classic British dish of coronation chicken for the occasion. And what better way to commemorate this historic British occasion than with the classic gamebird, enjoyed down the ages by both blue bloods and commoners? We are sure our new monarch, a countryman to his bones, would approve. Indeed, he has been known to have created his own version of moussaka, using grouse instead of lamb. And why would you opt for farmed supermarket meats when you can take a step out on the wild side with some equally wild…

Ian Coley Sporting DISCIPLINES Sporting, DTL and simulated (sim) game. ADDITIONAL FACILITIES A large gun and country clothing store, and a sporting agency. MOBILITY The gravel car park includes tarmacked disabled spaces. Most stands are accessed by wide, gravelled pathways, with a mobility ramp leading into the clubhouse. WHEN IS IT OPEN? Monday–Saturday, 9am–5pm PRACTICE ROUNDS Experienced licence holders can make use of the Promatic automated systems. Clays are set at 42p each, or 36p for members. TUITION Lessons are available from £90, excluding clays and cartridges. Have-a-go sessions start from £54 and include clays, cartridges, gun hire and PPE. Discounts are offered to juniors or when booking a course of lessons. DESCRIPTION Ian Coley Sporting, set in the heart of the picturesque Cotswold hills, is famed for its Sporting…

It really has been the most wretched time for Ted and us recently, though the clouds are beginning to lift. To recap, Ted has been through the mill. It started with him going off his back legs on the last day of the shooting season, and ended up with him spending seven nights in the veterinary hospital receiving 24-hour care. The problem was due to his parathyroid gland packing up, which prevented him from absorbing calcium. That led to various symptoms manifesting, including severe muscle spasms, floor-licking and nerve issues. At one point it was touch and go whether he would recover. Home After his stay at the vet’s, Ted came home looking rough. The vitamin D medication was working, but his calcium levels were up and down like a…

Hicks & Brown Hemley fedora Although the Hemley fedora was new last year, it deserves attention this summer. A lightweight version of the popular Oxley, the Hemley features a green ribbon band and branded gold crest. Its composition is very breathable and will keep the sun off your head, whether in the garden or on the beach. Colour: sage. Price: £79 hicksandbrown.com Schöffel Clare chino The Clare chino from Schöffel will give you a range of cool and comfortable outfits, from beach chic to office smart. Cut in a slim fit with plenty of stretch, these will provide comfort for all-day wear, and the ankle-grazer hems can be rolled up or down to suit. The perfect alternative to jeans when the sun starts to shine. Colour: navy. Price: £109.95 schoffelcountry.com…

To some, what is pictured on the right and over the page are just a plain safari shirt and bush hat. But this shirt and hat belonged to the professional hunter, conservationist and explorer Frederick Courteney Selous. Frederick Courteney Selous (1851–1917) will need little introduction to some of you. His interest in explorers and adventurers began at a young age, with his own hunting exploits starting at the age of 19 in Matabeleland, a region in what is now southwestern Zimbabwe. With the permission of Lobengula, King of the Ndebele, to hunt his lands, Selous explored the regions north of the Transvaal and south of the Congo Basin, shooting and collecting specimens for all kinds of museums and private collections. Guide Having been convinced by Cecil Rhodes to join the…