Innehållsförteckning för May 2020 från Sporting Gun

Young keeper bags esteemed prize Lewis Stewart, 18, has been awarded the NGO’s Frank Jenkins Memorial Trophy, the country’s most coveted student gamekeeping prize. Lewis, from Doncaster, studied game management at Newton Rigg College, Cumbria. Liam Bell, NGO chairman, said that Lewis’s passion for the job marked him out. GWCT joins forces to tackle tick problem The GWCT has joined forces with the Edinburgh-based Moredun research institute to tackle the problem of louping ill (LIV), a tick-borne virus that affects red grouse and sheep and can have fatal consequences. A previous vaccine developed in the 1930s was recently withdrawn from manufacture. Tick-borne disease has become an increasing problem leading to substantial losses in the aforementioned animals.…

Waitrose, which claims to be the largest retailer of game in the UK, announced in July last year that it was working towards a total ban on selling game shot with lead by working with the estates it sources its meat from. Sainsbury’s, which offers two game products, said it was “open to exploring alternatives to lead but it’s also important we ensure that any new methods which are used are proven to be effective enough to ensure the welfare of the animal”. Tesco, which only sells game at a small number of select stores, said it supported its suppliers who were looking to move away from lead. Booths, the northern England supermarket chain, said it supported the phasing out of lead.…

ROBERT MORGAN At the moment, the most economical non-toxic alternative is steel. There is some misinformation about what steel shot cartridges can be used in which guns. The main point to remember is that there are two types of steel shot shells: standard steel and superior (high performance) steel. The latter can only go through guns with a fleurde-lys proof mark. The former can go through most nitro-proved guns in good condition. Those with fixed choke guns may need to have them opened as shooting steel through anything tighter than half-choke is not recommended. Owners of multichoke guns are already aware of this and that steel shot throws a much tighter pattern than lead anyway, so open chokes are not a problem. Other things to remember are that we have…

Wild Justice recently announced that it was seeking a judicial review over the release of gamebirds, specifically, pheasants and red-legged partridges, which it wants stopped. Its argument is that these birds not only consume things that we don’t want them to eat, such as invertebrates, reptiles and vegetation, but that their droppings upset the chemistry of the environment. Further to this, it says that the birds attract predators that then also kill other wildlife, and that the Government has failed to act to prevent all of this, especially where Natura 2000 sites are concerned. The first question I had to ask myself was what exactly were the Natura 2000 sites? It transpires that they’re composed of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas as designated under the Habitats Directive…

Vet’s advice Neil McIntosh SG’s gundog health expert Regrettably, I only have a couple of pages in which to answer, when really what is required is a book or two. Canine diets have six main nutritional components. Perhaps considering them in turn will help. Water Water is quite simply the most important nutrient. Animals can survive after having lost all their fat reserves and half their protein, but a 10% loss of water leaves them seriously debilitated and a 15% loss results in death. Dogs receive water by ingestion, whether from a water bowl or in food. Remember “wet” or canned diets contain 65-80% water, while dry diets are around 6-10%. Clearly then, dogs fed a dry diet require more water. Metabolic processes within the body also produce water…

Art of shooting I am a long-time shooter with much experience. I have also been a blacksmith for 30 years. I recently took up sculpture as a hobby. It has now turned into a passion and I use stainless-steel cutlery along with some brass and copper pieces to produce sculptures of game and wildlife, such as woodcock, peacocks and hares, from my garden shed. The work is labour intensive, with a single piece taking up to 35 hours to complete. These sculptures have enabled me to turn a lifelong love for wildlife into an enterprise, allowing me to express myself through my work. I am grateful for all the interest I have received so far and if any of your readers wish to investigate further I have a Facebook page:…

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. MARC BULL COVER CROPS Marc is our plant expert and is the Midlands and Eastern adviser at Bright Seeds.…

Night Master NM1 Lamps Three models – CL, SL and XL – offer short- to long-range illumination. Rear switch on/off buttons, brightness adjust, beam focus, settable IR indicator light and low battery warning. Price: TBC nightmaster.co.uk Zeiss DTI 3/35 Designed for the hunting market, this digital thermal imaging camera has the ability to detect quarry and game in darkness at distances in excess of 1km. It will be available in August. Price: £2,650 approx scottcountry.co.uk Browning B725 Sporter This has a reworked stock and fore-end. The matt-black of the barrels and chokes contrasts wonderfully with the grey action frame. Adjustable stocks and tulip fore-ends on some versions. Price: from £2,329 en.browning.eu Deerhunter Lady Rose Jacket Soft polyester with four-way stretch, this jacket offers high breathability and is water-repellent. It has…

Regular readers will have noticed that my passion is walked-up shooting over my cocker spaniels. I also regularly beat on a couple of local shoots, so, as you can imagine, my clothing requirements are quite specific. Unlike Guns who are standing at a peg and are pretty immobile, my form of sport means that I am always on the move and this generates a certain amount of heat. As such, I need my shooting apparel to not only be able to withstand the rigours of bramble and blackthorn but it also needs to be breathable. Jacket “The jacket material is like a soft canvas and as tough as old boots” Over the past few months I have been trialling the Browning Field jacket, vest and trousers and have found them…

The release of gamebirds in the British countryside is facing legal scrutiny. Wild Justice, the wildlife campaign group, says releases could be unlawful with regard to the effect they have on Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation. The group, fronted by scientists Mark Avery, Ruth Tingay and television naturalist Chris Packham, has sought a judicial review because it believes Defra could be in breach of the EU habitats directive by allowing such releases, estimated to be around 50 million birds annually, the majority being pheasant. Defra has responded to the legal challenge by instigating a review. The department said it would consider the “legislative arrangements around the relevant activities and whether there are ways in which their effectiveness could be improved”. Four leading shooting groups joined forces…

BASC has criticised the latest legal challenge by Wild Justice as wholly inappropriate and out of step with the national mood in the middle of the coronavirus crisis. The campaign group announced on 18 March that it had instructed its solicitors to seek a judicial review on Natural Resources Wales’ issuing of general licences on 1 January. The presence of corvids on the licence is a bone of contention. The Wild Justice application was filed on 17 March, the day after the Government announced far-reaching measures to help the country overcome the coronavirus crisis. BASC has urged Wild Justice to reconsider. Steve Griffiths, BASC Wales director, said: “This action is incredibly out of touch with the national mood. This action by Wild Justice isn’t just an attack on the countryside,…

Holy alliance conveys order on litter Wildfowlers in Lindisfarne recently did their bit for the environment at their third annual plastic pick. More than 30 bags of rubbish were collected from the tidal island, also known as Holy Island, off the Northumbrian coast at the end of February. The event was organised by local wildfowlers in partnership with BASC and Natural England. The island is a national nature reserve. Shane Robinson, BASC wildfowling officer, thanked the volunteers for braving the inclement weather to do the clean-up. New chief executive at British Game Alliance The British Game Alliance has appointed Liam Stokes as its chief executive. Mr Stokes takes over from Tom Adams, who was in the role for two years. Mr Stokes has worked as an adviser to Defra on…

Currently Gamebore and Eley Hawk produce cartridges for steel shot with what can broadly be described as environmentally friendly wads that degrade. Gamebore has its Silver Steel Bio Wad and Eley Hawk its VIP Steel Pro Eco Wad. Hull and Lyalvale Express, the other two major cartridge manufacturers, produce eco wads but only for lead shot at present. There are, however, other players in the market. Nick Levett-Scrivener of Shooting Star, a Suffolk-based cartridge wholesaler, says that phasing out lead shot does not solve the problem of environmental pollution in itself. He says that as long as cartridges remain plastic the problem remains and there will be pollution. He is sceptical about claims of widespread recycling of plastic cartridge cases and says that, anyway, most recycled plastic will always end…

Are you concerned the game we eat doesn’t come with enough nutrient-rich iron for your liking? Don’t fret. Before long roast pheasant and partridge will be stuffed with it. Shooting and other rural groups say the effectiveness of soft iron shot is now so good that lead and single-use plastics in shotgun ammunition for live quarry shooting can be phased out voluntarily within five years. But have they spoken too soon? Britain’s cartridge makers are spitting feathers. They say the organisations, which orchestrated such a massive PR victory with general licences last year, have jumped the gun with this recent announcement. Reminders Before pitching into the debate now raging over lead shot and plastics, let’s remind ourselves of what happened 12 months ago. Wild Justice, you’ll remember, won a court…

It is ironic that on the day I decided to sit down and write this article the UK shooting organisations announced a ‘voluntary’ ban on lead shot. This will have a profound effect on how we shoot live quarry in the future. So, please let me tell you why I decided to write this article. At the end of the season I filmed two beaters’ days and put them on my YouTube channel. On both of the days I opted (and had been asked) to be a walking Gun, to try to shoot the pheasants that had learned, over the course of the season, to fly back over the beaters’ line. We have all seen it and there is no doubt in my mind that certain birds learn that this…

Ingredients 1 deer liver 2 tbsp seasoned flour Olive oil 2 onions, skinned and sliced 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced 1 tin chopped tomatoes 25g plain flour ½ pint stock 125g long-grain rice Method Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Wash and trim the liver, pat it dry with kitchen towel and then toss in seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the liver on both sides to brown then put in a casserole dish. Fry the onions and pepper (save a couple of slices for garnish) in the same pan and when soft, add the tomatoes and heat, then add to the liver. Stir the flour into the juices left in the pan and gradually add the stock, stirring constantly. When the…

DISTRIBUTION: Native to western Europe and eastern Asia UK DISTRIBUTION: Widespread, but absent from north-west Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man, where it is replaced by the closely related hooded crow IUCN RED LIST STATUS: Least concern HABITAT: A bird of farmland and grassland, but highly adaptable and found in a wide range of habitats FOOD: Small mammals and amphibians, dead animals (as the name suggests), invertebrates, grain, fruits and seeds. It will also steal eggs and chicks from the nests of other birds BREEDING: Monogamous; most pairs stay together for life NESTING: A bulky stick nest is usually built in a tall tree but cliffs and man-made structures are also used. Only the female incubates the eggs, while the male supplies her with food. The young fledge after…

It could be said for the majority of the year a gundog isn’t really a gundog. Let’s face it, if we are lucky we might start working our dogs on the grouse moors in mid-August but in truth most of us won’t start until mid-October, unless you are in an area where there are a few partridge shoots and you get out a few weeks earlier. So, come the end of the shooting season what do you do with your dogs? Last month I mentioned that Ted needed to go back to boot camp as he had started to get a bit wayward towards the end of the season. This was not a great surprise. I am sure my whistle and verbal commands over the previous months had become nothing…

Lead: show us the evidence So, the organisations representing the shooting community have decided to promote a phased transition away from lead shot and plastic cartridge cases. I am all for saving the planet and conserving wildlife, however, Robin Scott (March issue) is on target with his comments: show us the evidence that there is a problem before expecting us to solve it. I have eaten game, wildfowl and woodpigeon for more than 70 years and have yet to suffer lead poisoning. Gerry Eastham, North Yorkshire Literary society As secretary to the BB Society, I read with interest Tom Sykes’s article on wildfowling and Philip Reynolds’ profile of Will Garfit (March issue). Many of your readers will be familiar with ‘BB’ (Denys Watkins-Pitchford) as an author, artist and sportsman, with…

LEGAL Should a young Gun go for it? I’m 16 and have been shooting clays for six years and game for three using my grandfather’s gun, under supervision from him. I am looking to get my own certificate now. Is it worth it? What exactly will this mean I can do? David says: Having your own certificate gives you much greater flexibility in using a shotgun. If you borrow a gun without having a certificate you must be in the presence of the lender. If you have your own certificate you can shoot without supervision as you are over 15. You may not be given or sold a gun until you are 18 but you may borrow one and it should be on your certificate as well as your grandfather’s.…

I was given some Percussion kit to test in September last year and it has been very impressive. When you take the price into account, even more so. The kit in question is the Sologne Skintane Optimum hunting trousers and Grand Nord hunting jacket. They have handled everything I have thrown at them over the season, and I am usually very efficient at destroying test clothes. Sologne Skintane Optimum hunting trousers, RRP £49 These trousers have been worn constantly and have endured 56 days in the field. They have been through cover crops, woods and brambles and endured many wet days. They have also been my “go to” trousers for feeding and dogging-in too. They have had a tough life, with only a few bramble snags to show for their…

Whatever your take on the proposed phasing out of lead shot by the major shooting organisations, I think we can all agree that the message could have been better delivered. Many of you feel that our shooting organisations have let us down. However, BASC et al face fights ahead where they can prove their mettle. What shooting needs at the moment is unity and that comes from us. We need these organisations to defend us against serious challenges on the general licences and the release of gamebirds. This month we address all these important issues, including an update on the state of play regarding the gun-licensing system. All this may seem trivial at a time when the world is fighting a pandemic. The livelihoods of many have been affected by…

Invaluable conservation work recorded A survey has highlighted the conservation measures undertaken by gamekeepers as part of their everyday work. The exercise conducted by the GWCT, National Gamekeepers’ Organisation and the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association studied the activities of around a thousand keepers nationwide. It involved their work in moorland, woodland, with quarry and predator species and how they engaged with the public, both face-to-face and via social media. Among the notable statistics were: those surveyed managed more than 1.63m hectares of land in England, Scotland and Wales; 90% of lowland gamekeepers planted cover crops that had associated benefits for other wildlife; 71% had planted trees in the past 10 years, with 47 hectares planted on average. For details visit gwct.org.uk…

There are a number of shooting activities that will still use lead for the foreseeable future in the absence of viable alternatives, including all the disciplines of clay shooting, rifle hunting and airgunning. The issue for clay shooting, in particular, is whether the price of lead shot will increase as its manufacturing base narrows as a result of its phasing out for shotguns and game shooting. Iain Parker, CPSA chairman, said: “It is too early for us to speculate what the voluntary ban on lead in game shooting will mean for the price of clay-target cartridges. Ultimately, the answer to this will need to come from the cartridge manufacturers and will be subject to the demands of the market.” With regard to rifles, our contributor Jon Snowdon and other deer…

Strewth! At least with a big dog you can see where they are. Lotte is tiny and can vanish in a second. What have I let myself in for? She’s like a female version of the Scarlet Pimpernel, and she’s only 13 weeks. She is determined and absolutely voracious. We had a number of deer come into the larder yesterday and one had to be condemned due contamination. That carcass was placed in a box outside of the larder for disposal. Lotte came out of the house and immediately made a beeline for it. We couldn’t get her off it; the scent was just too tempting, which is, of course, why she is with us. Thankfully she isn’t big enough to have dragged it out and parade with it triumphantly.…

On 24 February, nine groups which represent shooting interests in the UK, including BASC and the GWCT, put out a joint statement that said they wanted to end the use of lead and single-use plastics (wads) in shotgun ammunition for live quarry shooting within five years. The main drive for this is in consideration of wildlife, the environment and to ensure a sustainable market for the healthiest game products. But is it possible? A joint press release four days later from the pre-eminent cartridge manufacturers – Gamebore, Hull, Eley and Lyalvale Express – said that they’d had no consultation about this announcement and that it would be impossible to do what was suggested within five years without significant support. The current cartridge options are lead with fibre wad, steel with…

In my part of the world, having a gundog that can get over an obstacle or go through rough cover to an open area to locate its retrieve is a necessity. Where I work my dogs there are numerous stone walls, ditches and gullies. These are often covered in rushes and white grass, and game, especially rabbits, will be flushed from the rough areas and head for open ground. A gundog’s natural desire is to hunt cover that it hopes will hold game and it can be the devil’s own job to push the dog through and out on to open ground. It can be equally challenging to get a dog over a 6ft stone wall for a retrieve it hasn’t seen. It all takes training. I am lucky that…

I am pleased to announce that we have cracked it. Last month I explained that I was having real problems with Percy returning his retrieves. Since then we have been working hard and he is now 99.9% reliable. I had to work out if it was something I was doing in terms of my body language, so I changed not only how I was positioning myself but also my verbal encouragement, which seemed to work. Percy has really clicked into his training and I can’t move towards the front door without him trying to get there first. He is now seven months old and it is time he started to learn a few manners. In the coming weeks I will start on some of his basic obedience such as his…

I’m very lucky to be given a selection of game on a regular basis, so there’s always a frozen rabbit or a couple of pigeon breasts in reserve. Sometimes I am given a pheasant or a brace of partridge, and there’s a farmers’ market in town once a fortnight, where I can buy venison. Sadly, squirrel is not on the farmers’ menu. “There’s no demand for it,” I was told, last time I asked, and the customers behind me in the queue took collective sharp intake of breath and a step back. Apparently, it’s fashionable to eat venison, duck, pigeon and pheasant, but squirrel or even rabbit, not so much. What a load of nonsense. If you’re not bothered about being in with the in-crowd, which most of us aren’t,…

Mauser rifles have been synonymous with the German firearms industry since the 1870s. Such was the national regard for the family that, when Peter Paul Mauser died in 1914, Count von Zeppelin paid his respects by sending one of his airships to drop a wreath on the monastery where Mauser’s body lay in state. The Mauser Model 201 was produced during the 1980s, after which Mauser started to place greater focus on full-bore rifles. It has a considerably more substantial feel to it than many other .22 rifles, reflecting Mauser’s aim of creating what is essentially a scaled down version of one of its full-bores, and features a slightly raised Monte Carlo-type stock. The basic model came with a beech or walnut stock with a plastic butt plate, while the…