Table of contents for June 2020 in Sporting Gun

Count flourishes despite weather The unremittingly wet weather experienced across the UK in February did not deter people from taking part in the GWCT’s latest Big Farmland Bird Count. In fact, 2020 was the biggest so far since the count’s inception in 2014. More than 1,500 farmers took part, recording 120-plus species across 1.4m acres. There were 25 red-listed species recorded, fieldfares, starlings, linnets and lapwings being the most common. The five most abundant birds seen were woodpigeons, starlings, lapwings, black-headed gulls and rooks. Goose remains on list The European white-fronted goose will remain on the quarry list. It had been removed following a complaint to the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement that England and Wales were not protecting the species from hunting, despite a moratorium by wildfowling clubs. Some had called…

The comic catchphrase “It’s being so cheerful as keeps me going” could have been written for my pal Michael, an AA-class pessimist whose glass is forever half empty. The other evening he phoned to break the monotony of self-isolation. Most people would’ve opened with the usual pleasantries such as “how are you keeping, managing to get some fresh air, plenty of milk in the fridge?” Not Mike. Instead it was: “You know what, Robin? Life’s never going to be the same again after all this.” It took some doing but I think I managed to cheer him up and believing things will eventually get back to normal on the shooting front. At least I managed to talk him out of selling his guns. Plans He shoots more game than anything…

Lotte has been growing in front of our eyes, which is not surprising considering the amount she eats. She’s not fussy – her bed, Bess’s bed, my shoes, Andrea’s slippers, my hat and her lead, plus the unmentionables that pups seem to have a taste for. Her scenting capability is kicking in, along with her adventurous spirit. Obedience seems to be taking a little longer. Bess, our labrador, has got used to sheep and lambs, while Lotte thinks, “Wow, they look interesting.” A downside is that she is small enough to sneak under any gate when you take your eyes of her for a second. She recently had an interesting stalk on a male pheasant in all its spring finery and there was a definite stand off, each circling the…

Were it not for the golden plover, it is very likely that a major event in publishing history would never have taken place. In 1951 Sir Hugh Beaver, who was at the time managing director of the Guinness Brewery, found himself involved in a spirited argument as to whether the golden plover or the red grouse was the fastest in flight after he had missed a shot at one of the former. Despite looking through all the reference books available he could find nothing in print to settle the matter. It occurred to him that a book containing such information might be popular and so eventually commissioned twins Norris and Ross McWhirter, who ran a fact-checking agency in London, to produce a book. The result was the Guinness Book of…

Having training sessions with a good coach will soon improve your shooting. A coach will spot weaknesses and help to resolve any issues you have. However, if you would rather manage without a coach, try these exercises to help you improve your score. The first thing that I would look at is gun fit and mount. If the mount is inconsistent, the shooting and results will be, too. Inconsistency in the mount can be down to poor gun fit. If the gun fit is good then mounting can be practised at home with an empty and safe gun. It is amazing how a couple of weeks of dry mounting 20 to 30 times every night can improve your consistency. Practise well: start slow and gain good muscle memory, building up…

Vet’s advice Neil McIntosh SG’s gundog health expert A lot! Aside from stuff like the colour of their gums and capillary refill time, which give an indication of healthy blood count and circulation, he will have checked for normal ‘occlusion’, which will require comparing the length of the maxilla (upper jaw) relative to the mandible (lower jaw) and having a good look at the teeth. I am delighted to hear your vet was so careful, as I am often disappointed to find abnormalities in pups that have apparently already been ‘vet checked’. “It is vital that a dog's adult teeth are in the right place” Occlusion is the term that describes the way teeth align. Normal occlusion occurs when the upper incisors just overlap in front of the lower incisors,…

Whereas things have been pretty quiet with Ted, I can’t say the same about Percy. It has been an interesting month, to say the least. I did take him to Cumbria and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. Fran gave me a few tips on getting him to hunt a tighter area and it worked a treat. However, as we walked down into the wood he flushed a lone cock pheasant and took after it with gusto: he ran down a bank, through a stream and tried desperately to get up the far side; fortunately the bank was very steep and he couldn’t get out the other side. Getting him steady is going to be an interesting exercise. But the shenanigans didn’t stop there. After a very long drive back from Cumbria,…

Letter of the month Down to the wire Sporting Gun is always worth a reread, so I keep my copies for a while. I was looking at the September 2018 issue recently and noticed a link between the Letter of the Month (Cost Efficient) in it and Fran Ardley’s response to a question (Don’t Jump the Gun) in the March 2020 issue. The former asks about shooting clothing, especially in the context of barbed wire; Fran was advising on the need for care when jumping a dog over barbed wire. As a keen hillwalker, I carry a length of foam pipe lagging from a DIY shop split along its length. When placed over the top strand of wire, it protects you and your clothing and can be reused. I haven’t…

RABBITS Work in the lockdown Are you managing to run your business in the coronavirus lockdown? Ed says: Yes, thankfully. My understanding of the rules is that professional pest controllers can carry on as normal. Because of the seriousness of the illness we must apply common sense and not work as a team, and not mix with anyone outside of our households. Not being able to work in pairs is making ferreting problematic, so I am doing more trapping and shooting with night vision than I would normally. Crop protection is important but the most important job of all is to limit the number of people losing their lives. COVER CROPS Weed out maize problems We have a shoot in Northamptonshire and every year our game maize is hit hard…

Browning Shadow This stunning sporter from the 525 range combines grade 5/6 American walnut with a black action. It comes with multichokes, a tulip fore-end and ABS carry case. Available in 12-bore. Price: £ 2,049 or £2,099 for a longer stock; browning.eu Alan Paine Klinwick Men’s Shooting Vest This vest has a tweed-effect, water-repellent outer and is fully lined. It can be machine washed, which adds to its practicality. Available in Moorland in size range S to 5XL. Price: £164.95; alanpaine.co.uk Stenstorp Shirt – Heritage Blue The Stenstorp shirt is a traditional, lightweight shirt for everyday wear and hunting trips. It features a classic cut and is non-iron treated to save time. Available in Medium to 3XL. Price: £74.99; harkila.com Seeland Key-Point Active trousers Hardwearing, lightweight hunting trousers offering great…

Switch-barrel rifles may have been around for a while but they have tended to focus on centrefires. It was only when Sako introduced its Quad system in 2006 that such flexibility and convenience became available to rimfire shooters. Based on the proven and highly respected Finnfire of the 1990s, Sako adapted the design and brought it fully up to date for the Quad, which took the shooting world by storm when it was first introduced. Barrels are available in four calibres. Most shooters will probably opt for that faithful workhorse the .22LR, with perhaps a .17HMR for longer range work. Sako also offers .22WMR and .17 Mach 2 options. The .22WMR, which only came into being a couple of years before the Quad, is a fast and flat shooting round,…

FOR SALE GUN TYPE: SHOTGUN Make and model Miroku MK38 Grade 5 Choke Multi (7 chokes) Calibre 12-bore Barrel 32in Price £2,100 ono CONTACT DETAILS Name Ged B Tel 07734 589681 County Greater Manchester GUN TYPE: SHOTGUN Make and model Beretta 471 EL Choke ½ and ¼ Calibre 20-bore Barrel 28in Price £2,850 CONTACT DETAILS Name John Shorrock Tel 01706 227548 County Lancashire GUN TYPE: AIRGUN Make and model Predom Choke N/A Calibre .177 Barrel N/A Price £200 CONTACT DETAILS Name George Barrel Tel 07967 556096 County East Sussex GUN TYPE: AIRGUN Make and model Webley Ranger and Original Scope Choke N/A Calibre .177 Barrel N/A Price £50 CONTACT DETAILS Name George Barrel, as before GUN TYPE: SHOTGUN Make and model 2x Valmets over-and-under Choke ¼ and ½ Calibre 12-bore…

Police Scotland has indicated that it will prioritise applications for firearms licences where they are needed for professional purposes. It said that it would do its utmost to process such applications. The national force also said in a statement about how it would conduct its affairs during the coronavirus crisis that renewals would continue wherever possible. It said it had decided to return centralised decision making back to the processing centres during this time to allow the policing divisions to deal with their pressing demands. This will allow for decisions to be made quickly and consistently and should ensure Police Scotland does not need to rely on the eight-week extension or the issue of temporary Section 7 permits currently available to it, which BASC says can cause operational problems. Shooting…

We are, to say the least, in unusual circumstances at present. All deer management is on hold up here, as I would imagine it is everywhere else. We are in the main lone workers but there are a number of things that could still put others and us at risk. For example, travel to and from estates could pressurise the emergency services if anything goes wrong. There is also the question of where do we sell the carcasses? A number of dealers who travel to estates are also on hold and there is no point shooting animals that will not enter the food chain. There are plenty of tasks to complete but they will have to wait until everything goes back to normal, which it will eventually, hopefully. Keep safe…

DISTRIBUTION: A migratory species that breeds in the Arctic tundra and parts of northern Europe as far west as Iceland and Siberia in the east, moving as far south as North Africa in winter UK DISTRIBUTION: The core of the British summer population is found in the upland areas of north-west Britain, primarily in Scotland, the Western and Northern Isles and the Peak District, wherever the available habitat is suitable. There are smaller numbers in North Yorkshire, Wales and Devon. The bird is more widespread in winter IUCN RED LIST STATUS: Least concern HABITAT: Upland moorlands in summer; moves on to coastal areas, estuaries, marshes and inland agricultural ground in winter FOOD: Worms, insects, beetles, grasshoppers and snails; also some seeds, berries and grasses. Crane flies are an important food…

In all cases, it is important that removal of the temporary teeth is carried out carefully and competently under general anaesthesia. It is easy to damage the adult tooth inadvertently and it is essential that the whole tooth (and not just the bit you can see) is removed, so merely breaking off the temporary teeth is pointless. For severe abnormalities, specialist veterinary dentists may be required. Many of these faults are genetic and sensible breeders will want to be informed of their occurrence. The minimum advice would be not to repeat the same mating, as many faults involve recessive genes. It should also be remembered that such procedures are considered to be ‘conformation altering’ and so vets carrying them out are required to inform the Kennel Club.…

PART 2: YOUR COCKER IN SPORT It’s natural to be keen to get started on gundog training, and many people want to know exactly when they can get their cocker started. In fact, a lot of professional trainers of cockers actually begin by checking out their cocker’s natural hunting ability while he is still just a pup. For those planning to compete in trials, as most professionals do, the dog’s drive and flair for hunting through cover to find and flush live game is probably his single most important talent. This is especially so with cockers, as it is considered to be their core skill. Of course, no one is recommending going straight to gundog work without basic obedience foundations, but there is no harm in letting even quite…

VERMIN Mix things up I am finding it hard to get crows to decoy consistently. Do they become used to the same tactics and is it worth mixing things up? Tom says: I am sure that crows get wise to tactics. They are intelligent and don’t take much to spook. I am a proponent of mixing things up. I use a range of decoys and tactics to try to catch the quarry off guard. I also experiment with new areas and set-ups. Also, I often find that crows will soon become wise to flappers, bouncers and magnets, despite these aids being effective. I will start with these methods on young birds and change as the summer progresses to more natural looking spreads. It is important to make everything look right…

VERMIN Not hidebound about cover Do you need to add natural cover to a hide? Tom says: I have had people tell me that you always need to add natural cover to a hide to be successful. I don’t believe that. If you build a good enough hide, you should be fine. If there is natural cover in the area and you feel it will benefit the situation, then add it. If you do, be mindful not to damage trees and hedges, as that won’t endear you to the farmer. VETERINARY A nose for trouble My pointer needs a kennel cough vaccine, to be given nasally, but is prone to snap when out of his comfort zone. Any tips on keeping everyone safe? Neil says: As a practising vet I…

The Benelli M2 has built an awesome reputation for fast handling and reliability over the years. It has become the gamekeeper’s favourite and we all know that anything that can stand regular use by a keeper must be well built. It is cleverly engineered. Like all brilliant mechanisms the action is simple but effective with only three primary moving parts – the inertia spring, the rotating bolt head and the bolt body. This makes for an impressive rate of fire, and with no linkages or gas parts the gun is super light and very clean. It makes a very light game gun and would be a useful tool against all kinds of vermin. With shims to adjust the stock and a large selection of multi-chokes, the M2 is a versatile…

Mine certainly have. These reminiscences fortify us during these difficult days. My thoughts this week drifted back to last season. It’s not the size of the bags that warmed my heart, or how many birds I shot (not many in most cases), but the friendships I enjoyed and the beautiful surroundings. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting everything it is unclear what next season will look like. It’s certainly given the antis something to crow about. I don’t deny that we are facing an uncertain future but things will recover. Often good can come out of bad. Being locked down will force many to reflect on what they do and new ideas will emerge and things will change. I believe they will change for the better. Finally, I must point out…

Majority of shoots plan for season A recent survey conducted by the British Game Alliance (BGA) found that 70% of its members planned to shoot in the forthcoming season and had begun preparations to do so. The BGA conducted the survey in the midst of the coronavirus crisis to get an indication of what shoots of various forms were planning to do. Of the 332 members of the BGA who responded, 25% said they were planning on running a full calendar, the remaining 75% a reduced operation. An analysis of the responses indicates that private and syndicated shoots are the most bullish in their outlook. The larger commercial shoots are said to have taken a ‘big hit’ in the number of days booked, but the biggest losers at present would…

The lockdown caused by the pandemic saw Holts conduct online bidding at its latest auction. In a hive of digital activity a rare pair of Boss sidelever 12-bores sold for a ‘hammer’ price of £26,000. A spokesman said that there was strong demand for double rifles, with 15 lots selling for a combined total of £100,000. There was also a good showing for classic English sidelocks. The standout lot of the online auction was a rare pair of Purdey hammer ejector shotguns made for the Paris exhibition of 1899, which sold for £24,000. Over the two-day auction, the first day with socially distanced access, more than £1.1m was realised. The next auction is scheduled for September.…

A spicy treat Ingredients 4 venison loin steaks 1in knob of root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 4 tbsp soy sauce. 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 1 large clove of garlic, crushed Juice 1 lime Method Bash the venison steaks with a rolling pin to make them thinner (about ¾in). Mix all the other ingredients in a shallow bowl. Add the steaks and marinate for at least an hour. You can marinate for longer if you cover and put in the fridge. When the barbecue is up to heat, place the steaks on and cook quickly on both sides, basting with any leftover marinade. When cooked to your liking, slice and serve with salad and fresh crusty bread.…

I often refer to being or becoming a ‘wellrounded’ shot. You might ask what that means. Writing this during isolation at a time of unprecedented uncertainty and worry for the future led me to think about my own shooting life in search of answers. I hope it helps my fellow shooters relate to their own experiences and perhaps pick up a thing or two. In most cases, when we are learning a skill we need to go through the process of experiencing the rights, wrongs and the ups and downs for ourselves. Yes, we can glean a huge amount of information from the internet and books but it is not the same as first-hand experiences. How I started It all started for me at 19, when I moved from Tooting…

• It’s important to remember that the exact behaviour of the bullets fired from your own rifle will depend on a number of factors that relate to the exact muzzle velocity achieved. These include such things as barrel length, twist rate, load characteristics, etc. • It is quite clear that the higher the velocity, the better the trajectory curve, but one has to balance this against barrel life – the higher the bullet speed the faster it will wear out. There are also many other considerations, number one of which is staying well within the cartridge’s safe pressure limits. • A secondary bonus when using heavier bullets is that they need less powder, so if you load your own ammo, there’s money to be saved. • A flat trajectory is…

Utilising different methods during training can open your eyes to other options. We all tend to use one method, but in training why not experiment? Take an average target with plenty of time to shoot it. Shoot it with your preferred method and then try other methods. For example: • Swing through: start behind the target to shoot; how far you start behind can make a big difference, so experiment here; • Pull away: mount the gun on the target and pull away to shoot; • Then try maintained lead: mount in front of the target and maintain lead to shoot. Using different methods on a range of targets can be beneficial and unless you try to find out what works best for you, you will never gain the benefit.…

In this time of lockdown, the internet and especially Facebook are full of training exercises for handlers and their dogs – some better than others, most attracting plenty of comments. Much of the advice revolves around the dog and not the handler, yet more often than not it is the handler who needs to change his or her understanding or body language as that can have a direct effect on the dog. A few years back I was undertaking a photo commission at a shoot and the shoot captain had two rather smart-looking labradors. He was telling anyone within earshot that he had paid a lot of money for these two highly bred, fully-trained dogs from a well-known professional trainer. To be fair, they sat nicely at his side but…

How I wish I could turn the clocks back. Each month before I sit down to write my article for Sporting Gun, I re-read the previous month’s musings to refresh my memory and marvel at how much things change in a short space of time, no more so than the past few weeks. Readers will remember that I had plans this spring to run Ted in a number of working tests and we had been preparing for these. I also had a number of stud visits booked but that has all now been put on hold for the foreseeable future. There was one chap who was insistent that he brought his bitch to Ted for a mating, but I decided that it wasn’t responsible to be involved in producing puppies…

The cocker spaniel is one of the most popular breeds of dogs in the UK today. Bred for stamina, intelligence and drive, they make lively, loving pets. If trained properly they are extremely adaptable gundogs. Some first-time owners can find them a challenging breed, but get the training right and there is no better companion. Janet Menzies has had years of experience breeding cockers with five Field Trial Champions to her name. In this book she takes the first-time owner from getting the pup home, initial training through to it becoming a star performer in the field. Not only that, the author guides the reader through other training applications such as agility tests, working gundog tests, heel work to music and other activities. The book also includes a useful ‘Problem…

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, passionate wildfowler and pest controller. MARC BULL COVER CROPS Marc is our plant expert and is the Midlands and Eastern adviser at Bright Seeds.…

I love barbecues, when men can be seen sweating in front of hot charcoal while poking bits of meat around until the food – and often the chef – becomes overcooked and unidentifiable. Admittedly, the cremated offerings are often served with a chivalrous flourish. Nevertheless, some of the food items can be surprisingly pink inside, given the cinder-like crunchiness of the outer coating – and you would be hard-pushed to name the animal of origin. It’s all nuked beyond recognition but if you don’t eat it with relish and appreciation, sensitive male feelings can be damaged for minutes at a time. My youngest son is the barbecue king and his family has become conditioned to sausages that are so overcooked that they ‘clatter’ as he tips them onto a serving…

Where shooting is concerned, I am a traditionalist: I like small-bag, walked-up days; I shoot with a side-by-side; I drive a 52-year-old Land-Rover – I even own a vintage Brady game bag that I bought at auction a few years ago. When it comes to my shoot-day clothing, however, I embrace modern technology. Walked-up days are an extremely active form of shooting; you are always on the move and the going can be challenging, especially if you are traipsing up and down hills or through thick cover. So I am always on the look out for kit that is not only comfortable and light to wear but windproof, waterproof and breathable. Although I like my walked-up shooting, I still like to dress smart, which includes wearing a shirt and tie.…