Innehållsförteckning för September 2020 från Sporting Gun

The GWCT has launched a fundraising initiative in order to reduce the million-pound-plus deficit it has suffered due to the coronavirus crisis, around 15% of its projected income. The lockdown has seen the cancellation of numerous fundraising events and dented the trust’s finances. It is now aiming to recruit 500 new members by Christmas to try to reduce the shortfall. Current GWCT membership stands at 20,000. Joe Dimbleby of the GWCT said: “As well as helping plug the gap in funds, increasing our membership is vital in giving weight to our lobbying efforts and improving the public perception of shooting.” He stressed the importance of the scientific research carried out by the trust. Teresa Dent, the chief executive of the GWCT, outlined the financial difficulties the trust faced in May,…

“Well I grew up wild and free Walking these fields in my bare feet There wasn’t no place I couldn’t go With a 22 rifle and a fishing pole Well I live in the city but don’t fit in You know it’s a pity the shape I’m in But I got no home and I got no choice Oh Lord have mercy on a country boy” So sang Don Williams on Lord Have Mercy on a Country Boy. It has resonance for Rob Collins, who though now a fully fledged country boy could be said to have a foot in both camps. Rob, 49, grew up in modest circumstances in and around Bristol. As he puts it: “My mum’s side of the family were south Bristol ‘characters’. I got embroiled…

Since our last report, Lotte has excelled herself, both in good and bad ways. The little beggar took a liking to Bess’s bed, which is sadly no more. How a tiny scrap of a thing can utterly destroy a large labrador’s bed beggars belief but she did it steadily over the course of a week. A new bed has arrived, which we have been told is indestructible, though that doesn’t seem likely with this little hooligan. She is on her first written warning. On the working side, she seems to be proving that it is all in the genes. Her sire is a registered boar tracker and the dam a working tracking dog and that skill seems to be there in Lotte. In her determination and natural ability she reminds…

• The most stable way of taking a shot from steep ground is to use a set of sticks adjusted to provide a comfortable sitting position. If you’re right-handed, the left arm can be folded across your chest to help support your right elbow, which in turn can be rested on your right knee. • Sometimes a kneeling position is more appropriate – depending on where your quarry is and how steep an incline there is. In this instance, I like to put my left knee on the ground but keep my right one up to support my right elbow, while my left hand comes across my chest to help locate it. • Kneeling or sitting shots are OK when the ground is dry but if it’s wet it can be rather…

• Confirmed cases of Lyme disease rose from 1.96 per 100,000 people in 2016 to 2.7 in 2017. • Research that looked at retrospective GP records suggests significant underestimation of Lyme. • 43% of owners have found ticks on their dog. • Lyme disease has an incubation period of 2–5 months. • Exotic diseases, such as Babesiosis and Tick-borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) have hit the UK. • A 2018 Public Health England survey showed 4% of ticks carry TBEV. • Human fatality from TBEV is 1-5%. • Smothering ticks in Vaseline or alcohol or crushing/burning them increases disease transmission. • Tick activity can occur at temperatures as low as 4°C. • Foreign, nasty ticks Dermancentor reticulatus and Rhipicephalus sanguines are invading the UK. • There is a licensed vaccine for…

I am keen on trying to integrate as many elements of the dog’s training in one exercise, so when setting up my ‘go back’ I will walk the dog out at heel, throw out a dummy while telling it to ‘leave it’ and then walk him away again at heel. To start with, I sit the dog around 15m from the dummy and then I will walk on a further five or 10m, depending on the dog. So, in just this one exercise I have combined heelwork, steadiness work, a sit/stay and I have created a memory retrieve.…

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 PIGEON 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. IAN SWEETMAN GUNSMITHING Ian Sweetman is the owner of I S Sweetman Gun & Rifle Makers…

I stalk a lot of rabbits with my airgun. Do you think that this will stand me in good stead when I start deer stalking? Ed says: I would have said it’s a pretty good comparison. It takes skill, patience and fieldcraft to get close enough to shoot rabbits with an airgun. In many instances it is perhaps harder than getting close enough to shoot a deer with a centrefire. Most deerstalkers would have started with using air rifles as a child. It will also teach the basics for safety and gun use along with meat preparation.…

After a day on my shoot syndicate, a fellow shooter and I stow away our guns safely in my car before retiring to the local for a few ales. A sober friend, who does not possess a shotgun certificate, drives us back home in my car with the guns in. Where would we stand if we were stopped by the police and they realised we had guns in the vehicle? David says: It is an offence to be drunk in charge of a loaded gun but not an offence to be over the drink-drive limit (which is not necessarily the same as being drunk) if you are in possession of an unloaded gun. By asking a non-drinking friend to take you home you are taking a responsible and sensible precaution.…

My young springer has started to ‘chomp’ on her retrieves. What can I do? Fran says: It may be that you have introduced game too soon and she is finding it all a bit too exciting and the chomp is the ‘release valve’. If your dog is fine on canvas dummies, put some cold game inside an old pair of tights and try her with that. Go back to the beginning and do some retrieves on lead. As soon as she picks it up bring her back, stroke her and take it from her. Keep adrenaline levels low. When she’s retrieving wrapped game nicely unwrap it and do some low-key retrieves on lead.…

Alan Paine Combrook Tweed Blazer Waterproofed and tailored for a relaxed fit, this modern take on tweed comes with a contrasting lining. Available in 38–54in. NEW Acorn colourway, plus Elm, Sage and Lagoon colour options. Price: £274.95; alanpaine.co.uk Härkila Stornoway Shooting Jacket The Stornoway Shooting Jacket uses a tweed print stretch fabric with a soft, brushed finish and features a windproof and waterproof membrane. Also available for ladies. Price: £369.99; harkila.com Original Muckboot Apex Boot Featuring a waterproof front zip, memory foam footbed and EVA midsole, these comfortable new boots offer plenty of grip thanks to a rugged rubber outsole. Price: £140 muckbootcompany.co.uk Fiocchi Highland Game This Italian designed low-recoil cartridge is available in 12-gauge 28gm No 6 shot or in 32gm load. Also available in No 4, 5 and…

Wildfowlers are concerned their sport is under threat because of Natural England’s approach to dealing with consents. Areas of particular concern are the Humber Estuary and Morecambe Bay, heartlands of the sport. The main issue is that consents covering these areas are not being renewed by Natural England. The consents allow for sustainable wildfowling on protected sites and are issued individually, which means that there are often a number of different consents for a particular area. The combination of these consents means that one cannot be granted without assessing other impacts. A source has told Sporting Gun that there is concern that Natural England’s default position is to refuse consents because it cannot physically carry out all the assessments it is required to do and therefore cannot give the go-ahead…

A dossier of evidence on peatland protection has been collated. The Uplands Partnership, which comprises leading countryside organisations, including the Countryside Alliance, has produced Peatland Protection: The Science, four key reports that collate the latest scientific findings. A review of research from 2013 to 2020 carried out by scientists found that previous conclusions are out of date and cannot be regarded as a safe basis for policymaking. In particular, the issue of heather burning as part of moorland management continues to be divisive and the scientists have called upon the latest research to inform decisions. Mark Ashby, of Lancaster University, who conducted an extensive review of evidence on heather burning in the latest report, said: “The debate around heather burning remains unresolved. The review of the latest evidence demonstrates that…

Gallinago gallinago Robert Burns called the snipe “the blitter frae the boggie”, and the noise that this diminutive wader makes in flight echoes in many other local names in Scotland and Ireland including blutter or heather bleater or bog bleater. “Its flight throws in frequent random and rapid jinking to avoid aerial predators” A little further afield and you will find that the Finnish name translates as sky ram. It does indeed resemble the bleating of a goat but in fact the sound is not a call. As part of its courtship display the bird flies in wide circles and then dives, sometimes almost vertically, with its tail feathers fanned out to vibrate and create this extraordinary sound, which is more often described as drumming, even though it does not…

If you had to have one gun that would work for you in all your shooting, what would it be? This would not necessarily be your dream gun and some tough choices would have to be made. We are talking here about someone who shoots clays regularly and has the occasional day pigeon shooting. They are also in a rough-shoot syndicate and get invited on two or three formal shoots a season. They attend charity shoots and love a simulated game day. However, we are not dealing with any disciplines that require specific equipment – Olympic trap, for example. Fixed-barrel shotguns, pump and semi-autos are out of contention as you can’t shoot them on formal driven days. That leaves us with side-by-sides and over-and-unders. A side-by-side is perfect for game…

Age 53 months At long last there is a small glimmer of light on the horizon and gradually bit by bit I can see some kind of normality coming back into our lives. Over the past few weeks, I have been hearing some positive vibes about this coming shooting season and that bodes well for the dogs. I was genuinely worried that it would be really difficult to find work for both Ted and Percy this year but in fact my diary is already getting booked up and although I fully understand that this could all change I am feeling really positive and looking forward to the winter months. “As soon as Percy saw the other dogs it was game on!” Last month I mentioned a local shoot that was…

Ultimately, any hand signal you give the dog will be at a distance and if you are working one of the retrieving breeds it could be at a significant distance, so you must get into good habits from the beginning. A common mistake is that the handler fails to give clear signals to the dog, and this is especially true where the hand signal is concerned. I often see handlers with a hand in front of their faces. This will make it nigh on impossible for the dog to see the command, so make sure you give a clear signal with your hand up high and slightly to one side.…

Food for thought Sustainable game shooting depends on a market for game; you can’t sell a foodstuff by saying it’s tasty and sustainable but, by the way, it contains a toxic metal. If our sport is to survive we have to move away from lead. For those of us with traditional side-by-sides the advice on iron shot is confusing, and while some proof marks may be clear others are not. I think that the cartridge manufacturers and the gun trade should get together and produce a web page on which you can enter the make, model and serial number of your gun and receive a notification that your gun and cartridge is either ‘safe’, ‘unsafe’ or ‘check with a gunsmith’. I would also call on the cartridge manufacturers to speed…

I hear people talking about balancing their gun. What does this mean and how can I balance mine? Tony says: The balance of a gun comes down to personal preference. A gun that is muzzle or stock heavy will feel awkward to handle. By changing the balance you can change the handling characteristics to best suit your style of shooting. The balance is determined with an empty and safe gun, closed, then finding the point at which it sits level without tipping forwards or back. The reference point is the hinge pin, but only in the respect of making adjustments, as position of the hinge pin can vary. Longer barrels and multichoke guns are likely to balance in front of the hinge pin as they carry more weight upfront. A…

A lot of my mates use thermal-imaging devices and night-vision gear to shoot rabbits but I feel this is cheating because it makes the process too easy. I prefer to go lamping. What do you think? Ed says: A lot of people use night vision and thermal, myself included. Like all forms of pest control rabbits soon learn what ‘the crack’ is. Night vision and thermal imaging aren’t a magic formula to solve a rabbit problem. Most rabbit populations need a mixed amount of control methods delivered in a way that has the goal of high-level reduction. Even though thermal imaging and night vision can provide discreet control, rabbits will learn what the noise of a gun and movement means, making them jumpy and time consuming to remove. For this…

I have done a lot of clay-pigeon shooting and would like to start shooting woodies, but I don’t know where to start? Can you help? Peter says: The biggest hurdle is often finding a landowner who is prepared to give you permission to shoot. I suggest you befriend an established pigeon shooter who is prepared to show you the ropes and get you started. Offering your services to the local gamekeeper can open the door to pigeon shooting as they control vermin on most estates. By all means read books to get a basic understanding of our sport but to gain the experience needed to become a successful decoyer, you need to be in a hide with a gun in your hand.…

My shotgun has an old varnish finish on the stock. The wood is reasonable and I would like to strip off the old varnish and replace it with a finish that brings out the beauty of the wood. What should I use? Ian says: I would highly recommend taking your gun to a qualified gunmaker or gunsmith as the varnish would need to be fully removed before additional finish can be applied. Taking off such a hard finish can lead to excessive wood removal if not done correctly. Most gunmakers will make their own stock oils but there are many commercial oils available, such as CCL or Trade Secrets.…

Ridgeline Monsoon Elite 2 Smock The Ridgeline Monsoon Elite 2 Smock that I’ve had on test for around a year has become a firm favourite of mine. It’s had a good test over the winter with all the rain we’ve had and it hasn’t ever leaked. I just don’t seem to be able to wear this top out. The material is very tough and resistant to thorns and bramble scratches, plus it packs away to almost nothing. The seams on the inside are sealed and the material is breathable. Being thin and lightweight means I have used it in all weathers and seasons. The smock design works really well at keeping the wind out on cold days and if you ‘layer up’ underneath, it keeps you plenty warm enough. On…

In the Zenith, Breda has created something that is refreshingly different. Some may not like the decoration on the action, or the chunky stock, but I’m sure no one will object to the easily replaceable wearing parts or the solid engineering. Moreover, the gun is comfortable to shoot and handles well. The price is competitive, so what is there not to like? Some shooters may prefer to stick to something more familiar but I would say dare to give this gun a chance. SCORES ON THE DOORS Build quality 23/25 Handling 23/25 Styling 25/25 Value for money 25/25 Total: 96/100…

Looking at flightlines will help you choose a good place to set up, build a decent hide and set out your decoys. All you have to do then is wait. It’s having patience that I often struggle with, but there is something magical about the expectation of a good ambush, whether that’s with pigeon, corvids or wildfowl, and when it all comes together there is nothing like it. Your reflexes have to be sharp and target skills even sharper. In this issue we look at every aspect of hide shooting, from getting a permission to feeding habits, reconnaissance, hide building, target practice and decoys. Next month, as things are gradually returning to normal, I hope we will be able to announce the winners of our competition pages. There will be…

NGO highlights predator problem The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation has gone on the offensive about the damage predators are doing without licensed control. It has launched a blog, Wildlife Licensing Crisis, highlighting what can occur when such birds are not properly controlled. In particular, it focuses on the lack of licences issued by Natural England for predatory birds as the cause of the problem, especially on protected sites. The NGO says that Natural England has only approved 6% of licences applied for on such sites in England. The blog highlights the predations of corvids and gulls, and follows the recent plea to the government to strip Natural England of its licensing powers. Stamp act The Wildlife Habitat Trust has launched a stamp to raise money. The stamp costs £5 and shows…

Ingredients 4 venison loin fillet steaks 2 tsp green peppercorns in brine (drained) Olive oil Knob of butter 2 red onions, skinned and thinly sliced 1 tub single cream 1 tbsp lemon juice Lemon slices to garnish Method Cut the steaks into thin strips and finely chop the peppercorns. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook until just beginning to soften. Stir in the venison and peppercorns and cook over a high heat for two to three minutes, stirring often. Lower the heat, stir in the cream and lemon juice and season to taste. Serve with a garnish of lemon slices and noodles and sprinkle with chopped chives.…

DISTRIBUTION: Most worldwide populations are highly migratory, breeding in Iceland and across much of Europe, Russia and northern Asia. Overwinters in Africa and southern Asia. UKDISTRIBUTION: British populations are largely resident or only partially migratory. Can be found across the country but more numerous in the north and Ireland. IUCN RED LIST STATUS: Least Concern, though decreasing globally HABITAT: Prefers wetland and flooded cultivated areas. Breeds in moorland and rough pastures in upland areas. FOOD: Mainly insects, earthworms and small crustaceans; some plant matter. BREEDING: Pairing takes place after aerobatic display flights. NESTING: The nest is little more than a depression in the ground lined with grasses, located in a well-hidden location. Only the female incubates the eggs, which hatch after about 20 days. Both parents look after the brood,…

Being able to direct your gundog in the shooting field is not only a useful skill but also a necessary one, unless, perhaps, you only plan to go beating. Many novice owners think that being able to send your dog left, right or back is something that you only need to teach one of the retrieving breeds. Wrong. Although you may not need to send a spaniel quite as far away as a labrador, there will certainly be occasions when you need to be able to direct any breed of gundog to a certain point, especially if you plan to go picking up or if you are going to shoot over your dog. There are basically three commands and directions you need to teach your dog: left, right and back.…

You must ensure that the dog is looking at you before giving the command and hand signal. A good way to achieve this is to give a little peep on your whistle, which will draw the dog’s attention to you. Think of it almost as a ‘look at me’ command. When you are ready, push up your hand with the verbal cue of “Go back”. The first couple of times you may find the dog is a bit sticky and won’t go but this is not unusual as it is a new lesson. Try taking a step forward at the same time and more often than not this movement will be enough to make the dog turn and head out towards the dummy. Over time you can gradually increase the…

Biltong advice I have spent many great times in South Africa and read with interest your article on how to construct a biltong-drying box ( July issue). I intend to complete this project and enjoy many helpings of biltong. Before I do, could you please clarify a couple of points: • On page 35, second line down, you state ‘untreated wood should be avoided’. Surely it should read treated wood? • Also on page 35, there is a photograph of the completed box. In this you can see a shelf over the top of the light bulb, with something clipped to the underside of the shelf. There is no mention of either of these items in the written article, could you please clarify. Finally, can I thank you all for…

In Northern Ireland you can do one-for-one variations at a firearms dealer. Why can’t we do that in the rest of the UK? David says: The law in NI is different from that in the rest of the UK. In NI they operate a ‘banded system’. Rifles, including air rifles, are divided into four bands covering 24 calibres. You can carry out a one-for-one transaction at a dealer provided both guns are in the same band and the new gun is not the same calibre as the old. Only rifles conditioned for quarry shooting or for dual quarry and target shooting may be changed under the scheme. It seems to me to have considerable merit and is something we should consider on the mainland.…

How quickly should we be switching from grower pellets to wheat, and what is the best way to do this? We seem to waste a lot of wheat in the pens every year. Marc says: On our syndicate shoot I feed 3 tonnes of 5108 pellet (Marsden’s 20% protein) per 1,000 pheasants and most of my customers do likewise. It is worth noting we get poults mid-July to start shooting the last week in October. Where poults arrive early August, I recommend 2 to 2.5 tonnes of pellets per 1,000 birds due to the dampening weather. A thousand pheasants will consume approximately 16 x 25kg bags of pellet per week. When I’m down to enough pellet to last 10 to 14 days, I empty half the feeders in my pens…

I’ve just had major surgery but have some game days booked this season. How soon can I get back to shooting or what can I do to make it easier to shoot until I regain full fitness? Tony says: I think this is something you should discuss with your doctor. You should certainly not be doing anything that is going to be detrimental to your health or recovery. I would suggest a slow reintroduction to your shooting, possibly only firing a few shots on your first outing. Using a smaller calibre gun could help because of its lighter weight and lighter recoil will reduce the stress on your body. Slowly build up your sessions over the months making sure you don’t overdo it. Maybe try to get your shoot days…

Is it harder to shoot crows when it is sunny? I have heard that they can see barrels and decoys shining and typically flare before presenting a shot. Tom says: Different conditions can produce different results. The sun can be a problem but it can also be used to your advantage. I will often set the hide with the sun behind me, which makes it harder for the birds to spot my movement, but to achieve this you must have a good backing to prevent your silhouette from exposing your position. If you can’t avoid having the sun in your face, build a decent hide with plenty of cover to break up the shine on your face and keep movement to a minimum. Face veils and caps keep bare skin…

GROUSE, APPLE & LEEK SAUSAGE ROLLS SERVES 4 Ingredients: 20g ready-roll puff pastry (remove from fridge 10 minutes before use) 1tsp mustard, 2tsp honey 400g sausage meat 2 grouse breasts (thinly chopped) 1 leek (grated) 1 gala apple (grated) 1 egg (beaten) 1tbsp poppy seeds (optional topping) Method 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Place a piece of greaseproof paper onto a baking tray and unroll the puff pastry onto it. Mix the honey and mustard together and brush onto the pastry. 2 Place the sausage meat and chopped grouse breast into a mixing bowl and mix together with the grated apple and leek. Lightly season the mixture. 3 Shape the mixture into two 20cm sausage shapes and place one along the shortest edge of the pastry sheet.…

A mythology has built up around which colour lenses you should have in your shooting glasses. At the moment, purple lenses seem to be the ‘on point’ colour. But it is fair to say that different lens colours aid vision in different light conditions. For example, yellow is generally good for contrast in low light or misty conditions and grey is good for maximum light reduction on bright and sunny days. Out of the box Things get complicated when light conditions change from hour to hour, which happens a lot in the UK. Then you have to take several pairs of shooting glasses or lenses along with you. This is where the Riley Edge shooting glasses are useful as you get five pairs of sports glasses to suit all conditions.…

Last month we talked about the famous English gun collector W Keith Neal and how different it was in his day when it came to acquiring new pieces for his collection. If Keith Neal’s collection had a particular theme it could probably be best summed up as: ‘best guns by top makers’ and ‘unusual ignition methods’. One maker encompassed both these ideals: Reverend Alexander Forsyth. Born in Belhelvie, Aberdeenshire, in 1769, he was one of a group of people that Great Britain used to produce a lot of in those days: a genius inventor. The good reverend was the first person to come up with the idea of using a controlled explosive charge to ignite powder. It is easy to forget but up until the beginning of the 19th century…