Table of contents for July 2024 in The Field

The British Deer Society (BDS) has launched its new initiative, Together for Deer. Aimed at protecting deer welfare, mitigating threats and looking for ways to create a sustainable future, the project comes at a critical time, with deer populations thought to be at their highest for more than 1,000 years. According to the charity, the new strategy, which will run until 2030, reflects a commitment to its vision of creating a world where deer are valued, respected and thrive in harmony with the environment. David McAuley, chief executive officer of the BDS, is particularly worried for the welfare of deer in the current climate. “As populations and urbanisation increase, alongside efforts to reverse biodiversity loss and climate change, impacts on deer are escalating,” he explains. “Recent news stories, particularly around…

FOR ITS 66th anniversary year, The Game Fair returns to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire for the first time in a decade. Close to 130,000 visitors are expected to attend the event, which runs from Friday, 26 July to Sunday, 28 July, and it promises to be a spectacular celebration of fieldsports and country life. The 300-year-old palace, on the edge of Woodstock and home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough, is surrounded by 12,000 acres of the finest countryside. It is also famous as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Since The Game Fair’s inception in 1958, The Field has been present at every show, and 2024 is no different. We are delighted to be returning to Blenheim and look forward to meeting our readers, new subscribers and sporting friends,…

THE FIRST shot ever fired as part of the modern Olympics was at the inaugural 1896 Games in Athens in the 200-metre military rifle competition. It wasn’t fired by the luxuriantly moustachioed Pantelis Karasevdas, the law student who would go on to take gold, but by the Queen Consort of Greece, Olga Constantinovna; a ceremonial shot to open the proceedings. She would be the only woman to pull a trigger in the Games for 74 years. Shooting has featured in all but two of the Summer Olympics since that first competition, although some disciplines, such as live pigeon shooting, running deer and 1,000-yard rifle, only made short-lived appearances. (Despite popular myth, duelling has never been featured.) While it was one of the original nine Olympic sports, shooting wouldn’t appear in…

UNLESS they enjoy fishing, I doubt many motorists on the A1 give the brown slick of tidal water stretching west from the bridge separating Gateshead from Newcastle upon Tyne a second glance. The river is a much grander sight a mile downstream where the parabolic arch of the famous Tyne bridge – built in 1928 – spans waters that have always been synonymous with a great northern city, epitomised by Lindisfarne’s 1971 hit single Fog on the Tyne. The image of fog is redolent of the shipbuilding and heavy engineering that brought prosperity to Newcastle during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, but this progress marked the beginning of the end for the Tyne’s migratory fish. By 1959 the situation was so dire that salmon were prevented in their…

ACOUPLE of years ago, my granny sent me a clipping from her newspaper. At first glance, it seemed to be a recipe. I am not the most adventurous cook and rarely follow recipes, so I examined it with slight trepidation and a large pinch of salt on standby: Ingredients One grassy field½ dozen children (or as many as you have)3 small dogsA pinch of a brookSome pebbles Mix the children and dogs well together and put them in the field, stirring constantly. Pour the brook over the pebbles. Sprinkle the field with flowers, spread over all a deep blue sky, and bake in a hot sun. When brown, remove the children and set away to cool in a bathtub. Source: The Darling Dahlias and the Eleven O’Clock Lady by Susan…

Château planter Ornamenti by Lapicida Plentiful planters give any area a lift. At this time of year there is no excuse not to be blooming. Ornamenti offers a range from frostresistant terracotta to zinc and urns to troughs, and its ingenious Château planters are modelled on those at the Palace of Versailles near Paris, with removable, wood-faced side panels to change soil and inspect root bulbs with ease. Price: £2,500 Tel: 01423 400100 ornamenti.co.uk Blowfish wicker pendants Jonathan Adler Each eye-catching wicker blowfish is woven by a single artisan over days, and coated with a clear lacquer preserving the natural wicker look of summer. With resin eyes and black chain cord. Fun as a single or swimming through your house in shoals. Available in three lengths, from 61cm to 123cm.…

THIS YEAR we’ve been wringing our hands, in more ways than one, as a result of the unprecedented wet autumn, winter and spring. In 2023, here in the comparatively dry East Midlands, 6in (150mm) more rain fell than in a ‘normal’ year and exactly 4in (100mm) last February. There was still standing water in the meadows by the River Nene in late April. In spring, the plaintive cry of “Oh, the poor farmers” could be heard across the land but “Oh, the poor gardeners” came a close second. After all, there are well over 3,000 gardens in England and Wales that open to visitors, either for charity or profit, each year, and their owners will have been tearing their hair out. In my garden there was no possibility of making…

Across 1 An event hounds will be keen to nose out? (5,4) 6 Common colour of Orpington chickens (4) 8 Flower-rich grassland good for biodiversity (6) 9 A game retriever? (6-2) 10 Tiny bird with amazingly loud song (4) 11/27 Metal rod on which gun barrel pivots when action opened (5,3) 12 A ‘switch’ is one with no tines at the top of its antlers (4) 13 Harasses nocturnal animals? (7) 15 Willows used for weaving (6) 17 Small rocky islet, as in the group off Anglesey (6) 19 Equine hoofcare specialist (7) 22/4 Historic July bird census on the Thames (4,6) 24 Animal’s trail (5) 25 Can be used to kill weeds e.g. in paving (4) 26 As George Digweed and Sir Johnny Scott are in their fields (7)…

Where: Aller Shoot, Dorset Date: 6 January 2024 Weather: Sunny and clear Topography (what the ground is like): Hilly Who: Family and friends What: A small driven-pheasant day with a scattering of partridges. A driven day is when the birds are pushed over the guns by beaters walking through stubble and woods banging sticks and waving flags Bag (the number of birds shot on the day): Six-and-a-half brace of pheasants (a brace is two gamebirds) and half a brace of partridges – that means 13 pheasants and one partridge Host: Anthony runs the Aller shoot, and his father Willie heads the beating team. His mother Jenny beats and makes delicious food. Anthony started shooting with a 28-bore. “The young ones love coming out on a shoot day and are here rain or…

The Field guide to British Birds Four Durham University students – Will Smith, Julian Baring, Hector Trower and Ned Pleydell-Bouverie – will set off on a 10,000-mile car rally on 12 July in aid of the charity Tom’s Trust, which provides mental health support for children with brain tumours. The four-man team (pictured, above), aptly named ‘James May Breakdown’ will attempt to drive a 23-year-old Suzuki Ignis and a 25-year-old VW Polo from Goodwood, across Europe to North Africa and then to Georgia. Follow the team’s progress throughout the rally on their Instagram account (@jamesmaybreakdown). To make a donation to Tom’s Trust, visit: justgiving.com/page/james-may-breakdown1 Find us on social media Instagram: @thefieldmagazine Facebook: The Field Magazine Twitter: The Field Mag Subscribe to our exclusive newsletter Scan the QR code with your…

The Wild Salmon Without Borders event took place in Germany in April, bringing together key individuals and groups from across Europe to encourage greater international collaboration for the restoration of wild Atlantic salmon. Salmon charities and organisations, including the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST), were invited to highlight the issues facing this species and spoke about the risks posed by open netpen salmon farming and barriers to migration. Positive ways forward were also discussed, including sharing habitat restoration case studies and successful barrier removal campaigns. Speaking to The Field, Jonathon Muir, head of communications at the AST, said: “With new international links and relationships now forged between individuals and organisations across Europe working to protect wild salmon, it is hoped that these connections will enable the greater roll-out of positive solutions…

THE COMFORT GOODWOOD RM Williams Hardy leather boot designed for all-day wear. Handmade in Australia. Price £399 rmwilliams.com REIDMAR MID 2.0 GTX Härkila Lightweight, sturdy, waterproof, unisex, with ingenius lacing system. Price £299.99 harkila.com THE CERVO ROSSO Brandecosse Protection from water, heather and brambles. A unisex favourite of stalkers and beaters. Price £369 brandecosse.com MOUFLON 2.0 EXTREME 10IN Le Chameau Fieldsports workhorse offering comfort and support. Price £380 lechameau.com MEN’S ROUGH OUT NUBUCK COLLARED BOOT Purdey Commando sole and 360 Reverse Storm Welt ensure grip and comfort in the field. Price £675 purdey.com…

THIS COASTAL estate is set on the edge of a horseshoe bay in Sutherland. It boasts 211 acres of land, a B-listed main house with six bedrooms and three reception rooms, plus three rental cottages. There is also full planning consent for a further three holiday lodges. Behind the cottages is a paddock enclosed by drystone walls, providing sheltered grazing for livestock. Sitting on the shores of Loch Eriboll and with views to the Orkney Isles and Ben Hope, Rispond Lodge estate offers superb sporting potential for shooting, stalking, and salmon and trout fishing. The land includes heather moorland, with lochans, rough grazing, beaches and the private Eilean Cluimhrig island, which can be reached by boat. Rispond Lodge is four miles from the village of Durness and two-and-a-half hours’ drive…

Dear Freddie, WITH THE grouse season approaching, you asked me to tell you about the history behind the game laws for fur, feather and fin. The UK shooting and stalking seasons are carefully regulated to allow quarry species to pair, breed and rear their young in peace, free from human interference. The protected periods are known as the ‘close season’, during which it is illegal to shoot game, wildfowl or deer. Freshwater fish are also protected by a close season, depending on species, locality and regional by-laws. Respecting the breeding and rearing seasons of edible quarry has been recognised for thousands of years, dictated by common sense and self preservation. For centuries, everything that flew, swam or ran formed vital components of the food chain, and people soon realised that…

THE MISTY spring morning remains sharp in my memory 30 years later. I crept ahead as we stalked the lee of a thick, untidy hedge, peeping through gaps to spot emerging rabbits seeking the early-morning sun. I was carrying my grandfather’s William Evans: a light-barrelled 12-bore with a stock made for its original six-foot owner. To an eight-year-old, it felt like heavy artillery but what I lacked in physical stature I made up for in determination. After repeated petitions, my father had finally agreed to this trip with the ‘big gun’; a significant promotion from my break-barrel airgun. At that time, the rolling Suffolk landscape was teeming with rabbits, and it was not long until a sizable specimen emerged into the dawn sunlight, lolloped forward confidently and bent to nibble.…

IT IS ONE of the more romantic sights of summer: two slow-moving bicycles ridden by men in brown coats and flat caps with a pack of hounds happily clustered around the wheels. In busy areas, you might pinch yourself thinking that you have blundered on to a film set or that one of Daniel Crane’s paintings had been brought to life. The scene radiates contentment: hounds with sterns aloft, people calmly pedalling. The pack move across as one at a single command, and anyone who has struggled to control a lone dog might marvel at the manoeuvre and the quiet way in which it is conducted. To the modern eye, more used to seeing bikes in the context of skinny rumps in Lycra, it could be a scene from another…

CIRCULATING amid a melee of puffed sleeves and to the dulcet tones of The Police there was a dead cert on the 1980s drinks-party scene: the chequerboard canapé. Immaculately cut brown bread and cream cheese, artfully topped with alternating black and red caviar for the effect of a gameboard. “They were hysterical,” remembers Somerset-based Victoria Blashford-Snell, who began her foray into catering in the latter part of that decade as a teenager, craned over blanched mangetout, painstakingly piping in cream cheese and filling cocktail sausages with mashed potato. Nearly 40 years on she’s the doyenne of canapés for the smartest weddings and parties in marquees dotted across the rolling hills where Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire meet, yielding to the demand of clients (this year it’s anything that can be made…

THIS MONTH Paris will play host to the XXXIII Olympiad. This, incidentally, will be the third time that France has held the Summer Games: the II Olympiad took place there in 1900, followed by the VIII Olympiad in 1924. One of the titles that will be competed for in Paris is target shooting, which also appeared in the first modern Games. These were organised by Baron de Coubertin and held in Athens in the spring of 1896. The hope of both de Coubertin and the organisers was that Athens – the home of the ancient Olympics – would become the permanent base for the revived Games but this was not to be. From the II Olympiad, they would be awarded to cities around the world. Shooting, and particularly pistol shooting,…

THE TEST gun this month is the latest BerettaA400 Xtreme Plus 12-bore semi-automatic with a distinctive green Cerakote stock, action and barrel finish. Boasting a 3½in chamber and 28in steel-proofed barrel, the gun weighs in at 7lb 11oz. Its comprehensive specification also includes an extended bolt handle, an oversized bolt release and an enlarged loading port (which distinguish it from the previous Xtreme and facilitate operations in adverse conditions). The 7mm sighting rib is raised and ventilated. At the muzzle there is a smalldiameter fibre-optic rod-type bead and long (90mm) Optima HP extended chokes (five of which come with the gun). The barrel is the latest Steelium Plus type, similar internally to the 694 over-and-under with a lengthened triple forcing cone. The gas-operated Xtreme Plus can shoot payloads from 24g…

WE THINK of Teals as a canvas on which to celebrate localness, where the producers and makers are the stars that add the colour. We want to ensure there’s as much Somerset goodness as possible,” says Ash Sinfield, founder of this jewel of a farm shop near Wincanton. However, it wasn’t the rolling countryside of the West Country that provided the inspiration behind its opening but a long-ago trip to Africa during which Sinfield and her husband, Nick, were charmed by how farmers sold direct to the public on beautifully presented stalls. “These small cottage industries were lifelines not just for us on our travels but for the farmers. Somerset is also a region rich with produce and home to a wonderful community of craftspeople,” she explains. And so years…

OUR STANDARD journey to north Norfolk runs in welltrodden grooves, and has done for nearly 40 years. One passes signs for familiar yet unknown places as there is always a clamour when juggling friends, family and numerous dogs to tick off the longed-for and comfortable. But simply turning right instead of left can open up a whole new vista, which is exactly what happened when we turned off the A148 a few miles outside King’s Lynn and headed towards Congham Hall. This Georgian manor house sits in the village of Congham and is a charming, unfussy country-house hotel that offers an excellent opportunity to stay overnight on your way to the coast, a useful spot away from the coastal clamour or for anyone shooting in the vicinity during the season.…

Connor, the Master of Hounds (14) As soon as he was able to walk, Connor took part in all forms of hunting but particularly beagling, as his family has its own pack. He was awarded the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles Young Hunter Award in 2022, and in 2023 was named Best Young Handler at the West of England Hound Show – the same year he became a Master of Hounds aged only 13. Inspirational mentor: Betty McKeever, who became Master of the Blean Beagles in 1909, aged eight, is quite an inspiration to me. Best thing about the countryside: I love the open, flowing landscapes that cover the countryside and enjoy viewing the wide variety of wildlife that roams across them. Personal goals: To hunt a pack of hounds full…

BASC’s Young Shots programme has introduced thousands of young people to shooting over the past 20 years. The scheme features a whole host of experiences that young people can enjoy including clay shooting, airgun plinking, duck flighting and game shooting. Our Young Shots events are aimed at bringing young people together, allowing them to have fun and experience something they may not have done otherwise. Education is at the heart of what we do (we also work to educate ‘grown-ups’) and the way that we do it is a bit more fun than sitting at a desk all day (unless, of course, you like sitting at a desk all day). On game shooting, for example, we work to introduce young people to the gamekeepers who run a shoot day, making…

Women Who Work in Fieldsports (WWWF) is excited to announce its next major event: a Networking and In Conversation evening featuring Tiggy Pettifer, head of events and fundraising at the Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST). In response to calls from women in Wales, WWWF has revealed that this event will take place in Abergavenny on 27 June. Entry is free for members of WWWF, while non-members can buy a ticket for £10. This promises to be an engaging talk by Pettifer, with ample networking opportunities, and delectable canapés and drinks to enjoy. During her presentation, Pettifer will delve into her career journey, sharing the challenges she has faced and the triumphs she has celebrated along the way. As an avid fisher and a passionate advocate of removing farmed salmon from our…

WORKING in the beating line, picking up and even going down the pub after shooting, a standard poodle is suddenly the dog we all want to be seen with. And they are indeed quite a sight, posing romantically in the line or crashing through the cover with curls flying like a supermodel. Such glamour is actually part of the official breed standard, which stresses that every poodle of this variety should possess ‘very proud carriage’ and be ‘gay-spirited and good-tempered’ with eyes ‘full of fire and intelligence’. It must be big (more than 15 inches at the shoulder) with a ‘dense’ coat and ‘plenty of drive’. Sandy Vincent, chairman of the Standard Poodle Club, confirms that this is certainly what you should expect from a poodle: “They are a really…

Sporting artist ♦ Under the hammer ♦ Royal Armouries ♦ Sporting dog ♦ The boot room ♦ Gun review ♦ Country queries ♦ Gardening ♦ Farmshop ♦ Cookery ♦ Wine ♦ Travel ♦ Books ♦ Field testers ♦ From the archives LANDSCAPES usually stay fairly still, which makes painting them en plein air a relaxed and even leisurely process. Producing a sculpture of a rhinoceros from life in the African bush is rather more of a challenge, says bronze sculptor Fred Gordon. It all came about when he was on an artist’s residency in the Limpopo area of South Africa. “The game reserve next door was breeding rhinos, and I spent a couple of days with them. I was allowed to be right in front of the rhinos – they…

IF ONLY dogs could talk. I’d love to ask my indoor-living spaniel what it’s like to wear a fur coat all year round. On even the frostiest of winter days she’s always eager to be out, and doesn’t appear to notice the cold, while in summer, wearing the same fur coat, she appears equally unperturbed by high temperatures. However, I do try to make sure that she’s comfortable, whatever the weather. Dogs are rather better at coping with cold rather than heat, which reflects their lupine ancestry. Wolves are essentially northern animals, though grey wolves do occur in India and the Middle East. These southern-dwelling wolves are never active during the heat of the day. They are also smaller and more lightly built than their northern cousins as well as…

Venison burger with béarnaise mayo and five-ring salad To me venison is the champion of all meats: rich in protein and key nutrients. Here I’ve used it in an epic burger served with an Olympic flag-inspired salad. Serves 6 ▶ Burger 600g venison mince300g pork sausage meat1 small red onion, finely chopped2 tsp Dijon mustard1 tsp Worcestershire sauce30g parsley, chopped1 tsp fine sea salt (2 tbsp oil for cooking) ▶ Béarnaise mayo 1 tsp white cider vinegar1 small shallot, peeled and finely diced1 tsp Dijon mustard4 tbsp mayonnaise10g tarragon leaves, finely chopped ▶ Five-ring salad dressing 1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed with a little salt2 tbsp lemon juice3 tbsp raspberry vinegar5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil10g parsley, chopped10g basil, chopped ▶ Five-ring salad 1 aubergine, sliced into ¾cm-thick rounds1 green courgette,…

THE SOUND of the launch’s engine has been enough before now to clear the green face above the loch of any beasts that may have been there. So this morning she is taken across to the opposite shore before rounding the headland. Here the party of four disembark and walk to a position where they can spy across the water. There are two lots of hinds over there but, as far as can be seen, no stags with them. Telling the others to stay where they are, the stalker goes on alone to try from a different angle. After half an hour he can be seen retracing his steps. He seats himself beside them with some care. “A good stag,” he tells them quietly, “lying down on yon side of…

KNOWING what animals make which tracks is a real countryside skill. It is just one of the ways you can discover what is living in your area. Do remember that if you are tracking an animal most of them rely on scent and sound to alert them to danger. Silence and a downwind approach (having the wind blowing towards you) are essential if you want to get close enough to watch them. Droppings are also helpful clues. The size of the tracks is an important factor and can vary – and don’t forget, claw marks aren’t always visible. How many of these animals can you identify from their tracks? Turn to page 31 to check your answers GIVEAWAY WIN Want to see animals and birds up close? You can win…

WE’LL HAVE to play this stalking by ear. If Frank seems tired tonight, it’s off I’m afraid,” said my dad as we drove through Oxfordshire with our rifles in their slips on the back seat. It was November and we were off to huntsman Frank Houghton Brown’s place in Bicester country. Despite being in the middle of cancer treatment, he was taking us stalking. Over great food in The Carpenter’s Arms we talked about where the deer might be in the morning. Dad’s rifle – an old, full-stock .30-06 Mannlicher Stutzen – was set up for 150 yards: something I was going to regret. We’d set it at that distance in a training valley in Wales run by Andrew Venables. Frank’s view was that if we were lucky we should…

MARGOT, Rollo and Fergie love rough shooting and especially the chance to go out with Jake and Ellwood: their friend’s ferrets. On this day in Northumberland they were helping their father clear some holes on a pasture field before the sheep were allowed in. Ferreting is fantastic sport when the rabbits bolt (run from their holes) well. There are some golden rules to ensure success. Inexperienced ferrets sometimes kill a rabbit underground, have a good meal and then fall asleep. This can mean a long and tiring dig to get them out (ferreters use tracking collars on their animals so they can be found more easily). Jake and Ellwood are experienced ferrets, so this is not usually a problem with them. How ever, it is always risky to go ferreting…

1 Fit each section of the rod together, making sure that the eyes line up and the parts are locked into position. 2 Fix the reel into place, ensuring it is the right way round for the hand you will be reeling in with. 3 Once the reel is correctly attached, take the fishing line and thread it carefully through the eyes of the rod. 4 Tie the nylon to the end of the fishing line. Push the end loop of the nylon through the fishing line end loop. Then thread the other end of the nylon through the end nylon loop and pull tight. 5 Finally, tie your fly on to the end of the nylon. Thread the nylon through the eye of the hook and make a loop.…

A feast from the day’s bag Pheasant goujons with mustard mayo dip Serves 4 Ingredients For the goujons: 4 pheasant breasts (skin removed)100g plain flour1 teaspoon paprikaSalt and pepper2 eggs, beaten100g breadcrumbs Oil for frying (rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable oil) For the mustard mayo dip: 4 tablespoons mayonnaiseAbout 1 teaspoon each of French’sAmerican mustard, Dijon mustard and wholegrain mustard Step by step 1 First, wash your hands. Then cut each pheasant breast into strips: about 3 to 4 per breast. 2 Wash your hands again, and then mix the flour with the paprika and a little salt and pepper. 3 Prepare three bowls: one with the flour mix, one with beaten egg and one with the breadcrumbs. 4 Take each pheasant strip and place it (making sure it’s covered all…