He said: “February is a perfect time for many gamekeepers to start preparing for the season ahead, and the British Shooting Show is an ideal opportunity to catch up with the latest produ
Trang 1■ CONSERVATION
Manage your shoot
for wader success
ANDY CROW’S TOP TIPS FOR DECOYING OVER
Trang 3First Words
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EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS
We welcome contributions from readers and
advertisers Photos, stories and information should
be sent by email to dom.holtam@archant.co.uk
So it seems my farewell First Words from last issue were a little premature You’ll have to put
up with my ramblings for another month! I guess that lie down will have to wait a bit longer, too
The game shooting season is at its conclusion and
I hope that all of you enjoyed some quality time in the field over the past few months Of course, the end of the game season is not the end of opportunities for the true sporting shooter – far from it!
There are a few more weeks on the wildfowling calendar for those that shoot below the tidemark
Pigeons will continue to provide some amazing and challenging shooting throughout the year Andy Crow has had some good days over the winter rape and shares his expert advice on p14
Lots of estates will offer some roost shooting at the end of the game season too, and this can be great fun and provide opportunity for those that might not
have permissions of their own If not pigeons, then corvids will likely be on the pest controller’s agenda
as they home in on the maize cover crops that will be topped off any time now
Away from live quarry, the clay shooting calendar will start to busy up as the days lengthen and the weather improves and Steve Rawsthorne is giving his tips on how to tackle long crossing targets – a staple
of any decent competition but also an essential shot
to master in the hunting field We have a selection of clay busting cartridges on test as well to ensure that your practice sessions needn’t break the bank Our gun test this month (p52) is a bit of a curve ball – a triple-barrelled 410 from Akkar It’s often hard to remember that a big reason we all got into shooting is that it is so much fun This gun shoots well and is very affordable, but more importantly, it had even
a grizzled old hand like Mike Yardley feeling like a “kid in a toy shop”
DOM HOLTAM Editor-In-Chief
Trang 44 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
GAMEKEEPING
built on British principles
downs of beating
high with lots of practical fun
WILDFOWLING
and down the country will be hoping for a cold snap in February
CLAY SHOOTING
that could be telling you that your shooting game isn’t moving forward
COMPETITIONS
11 Win gun cleaning multi kit
11 Win game fair tickets
27 Win Cogswell & Harrison gun oil
GUNDOGS
the perfect surrender of the prize
year’s Cocker Spaniel Championship
Contents
add a lot of value to a vintage gun
stubbles and dry spells
MARKETPLACE
31 SHOP PROFILE: Shooting Sports UK
43 PRODUCTS: Book signings, product launches and truck reviews
46 FIELD TEST: Decibullz custom moulded ear defenders
50 CARTRIDGES: All-round fun for the club shooter
.410 goes on test
GAME SHOOTING
long crosser
members have an idea for a pop-up game restaurant
efforts to save the curlew prove to
be a great success – but there’s plenty more to be done!
36 GWCT: Telling the stories of
conservation efforts around the UK
How to make a fishing spear
■ CONSERVATION
Manage your shoot
for wader success
THE
S OO S, O S OO S
GUNDOGS
Getting your dog to
relinquish its ‘prize’
Trang 5to See page 48 for our special gift offers!
86
GUNDOG TRAINING
Train your pup to be
a great beating dog
P fG
W GOOS
Trang 66 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO)
is set to run another auction in 2019, and is
currently inviting supporters to donate lots
Of particular interest to many bidders are the
end-of-season keepers’ days These always
attract high bids, but the NGO is also interested
in receiving lots for game shooting in all its
various forms, including stalking, fishing, duck
flighting or grouse shooting
Liam Bell, chairman of the NGO said: “All the
proceeds from the auction go towards
supporting the NGO’s work, and in supporting us you will have the reassurance that you are helping to defend gamekeeping and gamekeepers as well as promoting the very best elements of our sport We are always hugely grateful to our supporters who donate lots and would like to thank them in advance for their generosity.”
Tim Weston, the NGO’s development officer
in the south said: “There is a huge amount of competition out there for auction lots now, but the NGO is an organisation that is close to everyone’s heart, and so we get offered some of the most amazing and spectacular shooting as well as other exceptional opportunities We are keen to continue this tradition by urging
le to donate whatever lots they
ca so that we make this our ost successful auction yet.”
The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation’s auction is open for bids until September 2019
NGO set to hold fundraising auction
The woodcock season is set to be better than
expected, according to an expert from the Game
& Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT)
Andrew Hoodless, head of wetland
research at GWCT, has had many
reports of large numbers of
woodcock arriving in the latter
half of November, which came
as a happy surprise after
concerns of a poor breeding
season resulting from the long
dry summer, particularly
in Scandinavia
“I’ve received word from
shoots across the country
during early December, all
indicating that woodcock
numbers are slightly above
average In some western areas
such as parts of Ireland and Cornwall,
numbers are well above average and it is looking
like it will be a reasonably good woodcock
season,” explained Dr Hoodless
The reasons behind the higher woodcock
numbers are not yet completely clear It is possible
that conditions in spring on the main breeding
grounds in Russia and Scandinavia may have
resulted in better chick survival immediately after
hatching, when they are vulnerable to cold, wet
weather, and compensated for higher mortality during the dry weather later in the summer
Summer conditions were also variable across Europe, with central Russia not experiencing the high temperatures recorded in Scandinavia
Rigorous woodcock ringing efforts by the GWCT and the Woodcock Network are providing valuable information on this iconic species
Andrew Hoodless added: “At our regular study site in Hampshire, woodcock numbers are almost up to their usual midwinter peak and we are catching a high proportion of first-year birds, most probably indicating that the eding season was better than feared.”
programme is to better understand these annual fluctuations in woodcock numbers and help provide advice that will ensure a stable trend in the long term
Dr Hoodless continued: “Many shoots heeded our advice to hold off shooting woodcock until after 1 December to help protect our resident breeders, but numbers this winter are now at a level where shoots adopting a measured approach should be able to take a few.”
Woodcock numbers higher than expected
A number of peers have raised concerns about firearms licensing arrangements, particularly around background medical checks, during the first debate on the government’s offensive weapons bill in the House of Lords
Speaking in the debate on 7 January, Lord Shrewsbury noted: “There is no consistency of practice between police forces, nor is there any consistency of the fee charged to the applicant by his or her GP for a medical assessment.” His comments were supported
by Lord Caithness, who said problems around background medical checks were leading to a
“dislike of legislation”
Firearms users have been reporting problems with the medical procedures for a grant or renewal of a licence ever since the Home Office guidance on this issue was introduced in April 2016
The offensive weapons bill contains proposals to ban certain types of rapid firing rifle, although the proposed ban on large-calibre rifles was removed from the bill after a cross-party group of MPs raised concerns about this in the House of Commons Countryside Alliance chief executive, Tim Bonner, commented: “We fully support the objective of this bill to improve public safety, but the best way that can be achieved, in relation to firearms, is to address the ongoing problems around background medical checks
“We urge the government to focus their time and energy on this issue, rather than seeking
to further restrict lawful gun ownership.”
Concerns raised at House of Lords over licensing procedure
NEWS SHOOTING For the very latest news visit www.sportingshooter.co.uk
To donate lots to the NGO auction, please contact Tim Weston on 07590
885512 or tim.weston@
nationalgamekeepers.org.uk or John Clarke on 07824 099937
or john.clarke@national gamekeepers.org.uk
surveymonkey.co.uk/r/
gwctwoodcocksurvey
Trang 8• CSB2 powder
for extended range
• New 70mm case for
smooth functioning in
semi autos
• Available in plastic wad or
Eley’s exclusive fibre wad
fi t started using Eley cartridges with my Dad
wh was 8 years old As a British cartridge, Eley
H k re the brand to have in your shotgun
Trang 9NGO sponsors Gamekeeping
Hall at British Shooting Show
The British Shooting Show is
nearly upon us, and the
National Gamekeepers’
Organisation (NGO) is once
again co-sponsoring the
Gamekeeping Hall
The NGO will be looking
forward to welcoming existing
members and visitors to its
stand, which will be styled to
recapture the cheery atmosphere of a beaters’ bothy, complete with a
working log burner Visitors to the NGO stand will be able to:
■ Learn of the work carried out to protect and conserve the
British countryside
Tim Weston, the NGO’s development officer, is delighted that they are
returning to this popular event He said: “February is a perfect time for many
gamekeepers to start preparing for the season ahead, and the British
Shooting Show is an ideal opportunity to catch up with the latest products
and services.”
The Gamekeeping Hall will be brimming with exhibitors offering the latest
products and services, including game rearing systems, feeding equipment,
gundog training accessories, wildfowling aids, bespoke netting, animal
transit boxes, communication systems and specialist clothing
The British Shooting Show is being held at the NEC in Birmingham
from 15–17 February 2019 Tickets are available at discounted prices by
visiting www.shootingshow.co.uk (accompanied visitors aged 15 and
under go free)
Man dies while converting oil
drums to pheasant feeders
A Cambridgeshire man died when the oil drum he was converting into a
pheasant feeder exploded 58-year-old Christopher Chatfield from
Warboys, Cambridgeshire, was halfway through cutting six drums with a
plasma cutter when the third drum exploded, causing the lid to strike him
fatally on the head
The drum was too damaged to be able to determine what exactly was
in it to cause the explosion, but the unopened drums, when inspected,
contained gasoline or petroleum
CCTV shows a burst of flame as Mr Chatfield cut into the first drum,
which he managed to complete, followed by the second drum, after
which he turned to the third drum which exploded as soon as he
triggered the plasma cutter
The oil drums had been sourced from a local MOT garage and were
going to be used to make pheasant feeders for the local shoot
Mr Chatfield’s death, which occured in April 2017 but just recently
made the news, was ruled as an accident, and serves as a very sad
reminder to us all to take extra precautions when engaging in DIY activity
NEWS
What’s it all about?
For three days in February the world’s shooting industry gather at the NEC, Birmingham for a festival of everything
that is shooting.
The British Shooting Show is the largest trade and retail shooting show held in the UK You will see the largest gathering of exhibiting manufacturers, distributors and retailers to date; giving show visitors the chance to view and purchase the finest shotguns, optics, rifles, airguns, clothing, footwear and a vast range of other shooting
related accessories
Buy Your Tickets Online Now
Tickets are available at a discounted early rate online and also
available to buy on the day.
Visit our website or get in touch
Follow us on social media to stay up to date.
Simply search for “British Shooting Show”.
Stay up to date with us
Call: 01258 857700 Email: info@shownews.co.uk
P R O U D S P O N S O R S O F
T H E B R I T I S H S H O O T I N G S H O W
Trang 11THE WEST OF ENGLAND GAME FAIR
The West of England Game Fair takes place on
16-17 March at the Bath & West Showground,
Somerset This flagship event for the west country
creates a platform for countryside traditions and
issues to be promoted and supported
Many high profile companies have been
confirmed, together with top experts in field
sports providing the demonstrations and advice
areas There are lots of new activities, displays
and music this year, and the event promises to be
a fantastic countryside experience
GUNDOGS
New for 2019, the Mullenscote Gundogs team,
lead by our own gundog guru Howard Kirby and
partner Linsey, will feature at this year’s event
They will demonstrate how they use
reward-based training methods to teach young HPRs,
spaniels, retrievers and setters to become first
class gundogs
BASC will have four gundog scurries with
twists to better simulate shooting scenarios
and test dog and handler to the full M&M Gundogs will have a test for both spaniels and retrievers on each day This can be run as part of
a competition or a training exercise
If you have terriers or lurchers, join the coursing crew and take part in the racing and the shows
There will also be a new family dog show this year and an unmissable gundog parade!
SHOOTING
Bristol Clay Shooting will be providing a competition shoot on both days with categories for ladies, open and novice, while tuition and advice from BASC will be offered on the shot gun coaching line
Have-a-go air rifles will be supplied by ATEO, and there will also be a junior competition for those aged 13 years and under
A selection of guns and associated equipment will be available to purchase at the show Gun companies include: Entwistle Guns; Rifleman Firearms; Bullets & Guns and more
COOKERY THEATRE
The Taste of Game Cookery Theatre will offer a tantalising selection of demonstrations showing how easy it is to cook with game and how to prepare the meat Stop by for inspiration for your own game cooking!
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
As always, there will be a fabulous array of over
300 stands selling everything from guns and country clothing, to home ware, gundog equipment, fishing accessories and more, along with live folk music to enjoy
Have-a-go activities include archery, air rifles, clay shooting, target sports, net making and more;
go back in time to see the fabulously restored
vintage tractors and engines – a real snapshot of farming history Visit the Smallholders Hall to celebrate country living and see the livestock, check out the hand-crafted products and smallholder equipment There is so much to see and do for all the family
Last but not least, the hunt parade will take place on Sunday, with a new horn blowing competition adding to the fun
RULES: Closing date is 22 February 2019 Normal Sporting Shooter rules apply For full terms and conditions, send an sae marked t&c to the postal address above
Archant Ltd, publisher of Sporting Shooter, would like to keep you up
to date with any special offers or new products or services which might be
of interest When entering, please state clearly if you DO wish for Archant Ltd to contact you in this way by email , SMS , post or phone Unless you have chosen to receive other information from us, Archant Community Media Limited will solely use the data you provide for the purpose of running the competition, including contacting winners and the distribution of any prize
For your chance to win one of two pairs of adult tickets to the fair, just answer the following question:
Q Which Sporting Shooter contributor will
be doing gundog demonstrations at the West of England Game Fair?
Adult: 1 day, £12; 2 day, £22
Child (5-16): 1 day, £6; 2 day, £11
Family (2 adults, 3 children): 1 day, £37; 2
Family (2 adults, 3 children): £45
Students (with valid NUS card): £10
Under 5s go free!
Find the creature hiding in this issue to win Everyone who finds him goes into a draw, but if you want to receive one of our badges, just send envelope (22 x 11cm) with 83p of stamps To enter the Creature Finder competition, send us the page number, your name, telephone number and address
by email to: ispy@sportingshooter.co.uk By post to: Gloria Golden Pheasant, Sporting Shooter, Evolution House, 2 6 E th t d R d W ki h RG40
you provide for the purpose of running the competition, including contacting winners and the distribution of any i
WIN MULTI GUN CLEANING KIT
Kindly supplied by UK Shootwarehouse, market leader in pigeon decoying equipment and accessories, the Multi Gun Cleaning Kit contains all the tools you could possibly need to keep your shotguns and rifles in tip top condition, neatly presented in a UK Shootwarehouse-branded wooden box so you won’t lose any of them!
The high-quality kit contains the brushes, mops and patches you’ll need to clean many of the most commonly found calibres/gauges, including 10-, 12-, 20-, 28-bore and 410 brushes/mops, 17, 30, 270 and 280 calibre brushes, two cleaning patch tips, and aluminium rifle/pistol and shotgun rods Keeping your pride and joy clean is an absolute must, so keep your eyes peeled for this month’s creature, and your very own Multi Gun Cleaning Kit could be on its way to you soon!
For more information on the full range of products stocked by UK Shootwarehouse go to: www.ukshootwarehouse.com
CAN YOU FIND: GLORIA GOLDEN PHEASANT?
CONGRATULATIONS: Dean Powles who found Kevin King Penguin on p31 of the January issue See p98 for more successful creature finders.
WORTH
£25!
Trang 1414 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
Cold comfort farm
As food options diminish, the pigeons target Andy Crow’s oil seed rape crop… but he’s ready and waiting for them
multitude of dining options the wood pigeon
enjoys are starting to run thin The hedgerows are
largely berry free and the bounty of acorns and
beech mast is all but gone Time for the birds to
switch, as so many of us do post-Christmas, to
the salad option
In this case, that means winter rape Oil seed
rape is one of the UK’s staple crops with
somewhere around 600,000 hectares being
grown last year – around 1.5 million acres! The
reason for OSR’s enduring success is pretty
simple Each tiny black seed contains 45% oil,
and the remaining 55% is a high protein animal
feed High yielding and durable, it’s also an
germination to post-harvest stubbles, the rape
plant will provide nourishment for many months and that means OSR protection duty is one of the pigeon shooter’s perennial tasks
Andy and a couple of long-time shooting buddies are set for a day on a Kentish farm about
10 minutes from Andy’s main base
“This particular farm is one of the most productive for me in the winter as it has a lot of oak trees and we normally have a lot of decent outings over the acorns,” Andy says
“The acorns tend to concentrate the birds and, of course, when they run out of acorns, they are looking for the next best thing and here, this year, they are starting to hit the rape plants hard
“They tend to target the emerging hearts of the rape plants which completely changes the way they grow, stunting vertical growth and ultimately massively reducing yield Once they have a bare patch, they will focus on that area throughout the rest of the year and it is very difficult for the crop
to recover
“As always, I don’t like to make a small bag if I think we can make a big one so I have left these until the weather has come right I wanted it overcast and breezy to keep the birds on the move and muffle the sounds of our shooting I am also making use of three Guns on the ground to keep the birds moving.”
WITH ANDY CROW
PIGEONS
Andy’s going all out to get to the
pigeons before they get to the crop
Trang 15The boys are a bit late getting set up and Andy
thinks it’ll all be over by lunchtime, so the pressure
is on to start well He selects a spot along a
hedgerow where there is a bit of a dip “This is a
popular flightline The low spot seems to draw
them in and there are oaks on one side and black
alder on the other The wind is from behind a bit
so hopefully we can draw them in to land in front.”
Andy constructs an extra large hide so he can
share the shooting with cousin Gary The other
Gun, Justin, is sited on a further field Andy sets
out a pair of whirlies, one on each side of the
pattern and pretty close in He then sets out two
lumps of decoys with a gap in the middle
“Normally, the first couple of times you get at
the birds on the winter rape, they really decoy
well Once they have been shot at a bit, they wise
up fast and the first few shots will clear them off
Bearing that in mind, we will definitely not be
shooting at big groups of birds so we don’t
educate them unnecessarily.”
As soon as the lads settle in to the hide and get
the rotaries turning, the pigeons begin to decoy
The guys are selective, ignoring lumps of more
than 10 birds but making a dent in smaller groups,
combining as well as ever to maximise efficiency
When the birds decoy well, the chaps always
leave the closest bird until last, trimming out the
farthest first, knowing that the pigeon that is
settling into the pattern will take a few moments to
get airborne and accelerate out of range Mind
you, the breeze soon helps them build speed and
those that are flighting past react rapidly,
dipping a wing and challenging the Guns
to react and adjust
“I’ll use a more open choke on a
day like this where we can take a
good proportion of the birds at
under 35 yards But it does help to have a punchy cartridge that can cleanly kill the longer flighting birds, or if you need to take a second shot at a bird heading out of range Even through a Quarter choke, these Gamebore Clear Pigeon 32g No.6s will give really solid kills at 45-50 yards, which is plenty.”
Andy and Gary are kept busy with
a strong flightline and plenty of
decoying birds Justin is getting a bit of shooting
at the other hide and keeping the birds moving well Andy periodically tidies up the shot birds to keep the pattern close to the hide “When the birds are decoying, you want to take advantage of that and make sure that you bring them right in That’s where you can then take a second or even a third chance and hopefully keep your kill ratios higher.”
PIGEONS
TOP TIP
Don’t shoot at big groups
of birds The ones you miss won’t return later and will be educated to avoid decoys and whirlies
‘When the birds decoy well, the chaps always leave the closest bird until last, trimming
out the farthest first’
Andy gets a whirly on either side of the pattern
These Gamebore Clear Pigeon loads gave solid kills at 50 yards
Trang 1616 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
PIGEONS
The action is steady for a good two to three
hours and then, at about 1pm, the flightline
switches off “It can happen like that – and that’s
why good reconnaissance will make sure you are
not only in the right place but also at the right
time If we’d been here a bit earlier, we might have
nabbed another 30-50 birds between us, but if
we’d been a couple of hours later, it would have
been almost a blank.”
A quick count up reveals a bag of 170 birds – a
decent few hours’ sport and more importantly, a
dent in the population of pigeons hammering this
particular rape crop But the birds will be back
Andy hopes to have a few decent days on the
rape on various parcels of land that he farms, but
the next big opportunity is likely to come on the
maize stubbles, especially on a favourite farm
where they have masses of maize cover crops
“The gamekeeper reckons there are thousands
of birds there already and as soon as stuff gets
mowed off, there will be some massive bags to be
had Hopefully, we can get the timings right and
TOP TIP
Do your homework!
Knowing when the birds are
flighting as well as where
they are will maximise your chances
‘The breeze helps them
build speed and those
that are flighting past
react rapidly, dipping a
wing and challenging the
Guns to react and adjust’ Andy selects a spot by the hedgerow where there is a slight dip in the field
The lads made an impressive dent in the pigeon population
Trang 1818 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
I know quite a few of my foxing stories revolve
around the same places, but there are always
those hot spots where you will shoot most of your
foxes, and it’s no different for me
It’s just down to food supply and habitat and
the more you hunt your permissions, the more you
will get to know these places, even though they
may be better at certain times of the year This
might be down to when there are plenty of game
birds, or young lambs being born in these areas
attracting your local foxes in for an easy meal
The farrowing pigs are also a permanent target
on the farm I look after It’s not the most enjoyable
evening sat looking over the farrowing field with
its unique piggy smell filling your nostrils, but
those foxes take priority every time one turns up
But for the fox I was after this time, I was back
on the balcony of the farmer’s house, overlooking
a lovely meadow and with a good chance of a
fresh cup of coffee! Just to remind you: it’s just
perfect for foxes, being right next to
thick cover, a meadow full of small
rodents and plenty of pheasants
I had sat there a couple of
weeks before as Joe and
Charlie had heard a fox calling It was a cold and miserable evening and after two hours it started to rain I tried a bit of calling, then packed up We put out some bait, but nothing took it so I left it and told them to let me know if they heard
it again
I was sat at my desk on the following Friday morning, about 8.15am, and I received a text from Charlie saying there was a big fox chasing the pheasants at the bottom of her garden He had shown his face again I replied that I would be over the following night
It was around 2.00pm and I needed to take Saxon for a walk, so I grabbed my 243 rifle that is set up with a Photon digital night vision scope It’s always good to try your rifle before you go out if you have time: two shots key-holed in the bull so I knew I was ready to go
I turned up with about one hour left before dark
“You want a cuppa?”
“Of course! So he is a big one then?”
It turned out that it was actually Eliza that spotted him, Joe and Charlie’s four-year-old daughter
She is so keen on the farm and
comes out on the shoot days; it’s so nice to see the young ones out taking an interest
“Mummy, there is a fox chasing the pheasants,
so you better call Dean to shoot it,” she had instructed her mum
As soon as I sat down, she was straight over:
“Are you going to shoot that nasty fox? He will get
my chickens.”
I got myself set up on the balcony and was soon joined by Charlie the farmer’s wife “You have just missed the munties,” she told me “They came out and went straight back in.”
It was a very cold evening, with very little wind, and all went quiet as the last few pheasants were going up to roost “You’ll need a hat and gloves on,” I said to Charlie – but she’s always so afraid
of missing the fox coming out that she battles on
It was dark by now and I got a tap on my arm, and there was Eliza looking out the window behind us, smiling her head off! I said: “You wait until she is older; she will be out with us!”
We carried on panning the meadow with the spotter, but with nothing to look at only the pheasants roosting in the trees Charlie was whispering to me about an upcoming event, but
Deano’s little helper
Dean Harrison is called out to the farm to despatch another red-haired raider and receives some crucial intel from a junior foxer in training
With the shooting season finishing, now is the best time to get on top of your adult foxes Places that may have been off limits for fear of disturbing the birds will be available and you’ll reap the rewards in the springtime!
Deano takes a pew
in his favourite spot
up on the balcony
Trang 19because of all my shooting over the years, I could
hardly hear her Then, suddenly, I spotted a
shape coming out of the bushes
“This looks promising,” I whispered and I
handed the spotter over to Charlie and turned on
my scope and IR
“Yes, it’s a fox,” Charlie said as I panned along
the edge of the wood looking for it I could not
seem to see it through the scope So I nabbed the
thermal spotter again and, once I found it, I lined
up my rifle towards it, then looked down the
scope This time I could see it straightaway, right
down the bottom of the meadow
It was a nice still night and I had a good rest
The fox was hunting and sniffing the ground,
offering me a nice broadside shot As soon as he
stopped, I took the shot, which sounded
especially loud as it does on a still night I saw the
fox drop and Charlie confirmed the fox was down
We went inside to be greeted by Eliza “Did you
get the fox, Dean? Can I come out and find it with
you?” She put on her coat and wellies and using
her torch we made our way across the meadow
Looking back towards the house, I got the line
of the shot, knowing it was left of a particular
telegraph pole With the thermal spotter I could
see the heat where the fox had fallen She was so
pleased to find it and we had to take the fox up for
her dad to look at
It was a nice dog fox and it was the first one of
2019 Now that most of the big shoot days are
over, I will be looking to get on top of the adult
FOXING
Eliza was keen to see the fox that had been after her chickens
‘It was a nice still night and
I had a good rest The fox was hunting
and sniffing the ground’
Trang 2020 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
SHOOTING
2019 competition season Long crossing targets, one of my favourites, can really make a difference to how you are placed A 40+ yard bird sorts out the wheat from the chaff – and not just on clays either Game and pigeon shooters also need to be able to get
on well with this type of target
The further and more technical the target, the more proper preparation pays off Small errors
in gun mount are magnified over distance and if your footwork is not right, you will run out of movement before you can complete the shot When shooting clays, it is vital you take advantage of the time waiting on a stand to really look hard at the clay: where do you see it, where will you shoot
it, how will you set up? All this should be sorted in your mind before you go into the cage and call for
a bird
Look at the diagrams opposite The target is crossing left to right around 40 yards away from the shooter If you shoot it at position A, you can
see from the aerial view that it is at almost its closest point, but it will require a good amount of lead as it is travelling square on to your front You can also see from the ground view that it is at a fairly flat trajectory, so should, assuming you can see it early enough, be the optimum point at which to shoot it
Shooting the clay at point B, it is dropping, so you will need to factor that into your lead picture Because the angle is narrowing, it should in theory need less lead; it
is no longer what rifle shooters call
‘full value’ However, because it is further away it may still need considerable lead
Let’s say we have looked at the clay and decided we can shoot it at A As a right-handed shooter, we will position our feet at one o’clock and three o’clock with the 12 o’clock position at point A If you set your feet up at the point at which you see the clay, by the time you shoot it, you will run out of ‘swing’ – one of my least favourite words, especially when accompanied by
The long crosser
A staple of the sporting field, long crossing targets are tricky ones that make or break many a competition scorecard Steve Rawsthorne shares his advice on how to tackle them
Foot positioning
is often overlooked, especially when game shooting, but it is a key component of successful shooting!
Long crossers really sort the wheat from the chaff!
Do your preparation before stepping into the cage
Trang 21the word ‘through’! For a right-handed shooter,
the bird crossing to the right will always be more
difficult as you are turning away from the body
and pushing the gun away from the face, which is
why foot position is so important Failure to set up
properly will also lead you to ‘roll off’ the line of
the bird For left-handers the right-to-left target
presents the same difficulties
Next, we need to address our hold position –
where we will hold the muzzles of the gun when
we call for the target I suggest a point about a
third to halfway between where you first see the
target clearly and where you intend to kill it The
muzzles should be at a height such that the clay
will cross just above them – another reason to pay
attention when you are waiting If they are too low,
you will be crossing the line of the clay with a
rising gun and will only be able to shoot it at one
point If too high, you will lose sight of the clay
behind them, get behind the bird and then have to
chase after it
Having established all of the above, when we
call for the bird, we hold at our chosen point, look
back to where we will see it and commence the mount only once we have seen it Resist the temptation to call “pull” and start mounting the gun immediately You will have to stop the gun, find the clay and get going again – not good!
When you see the clay, push forward with the front hand, moving with or in front of the target depending on your chosen method, maintained lead or Method, eyes focused on the leading edge
of the target, the rear hand following the front so that the comb comes into the cheek, the shoulder pushes forward to meet the gun butt and then you obtain the correct lead picture, how far in front you need to be, fire and follow through
We need to follow through on every shot to some extent, but for a long crosser, this needs to
be much more than most shooters realise Make it
a part of your practice routine to deliberately build
in an extra-long follow through That way, when you are focused on the shot in competition, it will happen subconsciously
Follow through means keeping your head firmly
on the stock of the gun after you have pulled the trigger, staying focused on the remnants of the target for at least a couple or three metres If you don’t, you will be able to see easily from the
position of your raised head, looking over the stationary barrels, the target sailing on untouched
To shoot at point B, we will need to hold our muzzles further along the flight line and a little lower As the clay will be dropping more, working out the lead to give it is also tougher I like to stand well behind the cage and use my left index finger to move with a few clays, pull in front and get the lead picture that way
Game and pigeon shooters do not know where exactly their birds will appear from, but if you are flighting, you should have a reasonably consistent line in front of you Address your feet and body position to that, bearing in mind if you face a little too far to the right, it makes that side easier and turning to the left, into the body, is a more natural movement
Once on the peg, game shooters can fairly quickly establish where the birds are most likely to come from and set up accordingly Be prepared to reorientate yourself as the drive progresses When the wind is wrong and those curling pheasants are flying along and above the treetops out in front of you, not driven over the Guns, if you know what to do, you can have a great time! ■
HIGH BIRDS
Gun AERIAL VIEW
Tree Gun
GROUND VIEW
‘Small errors in
gun mount are magnified
over distance and if
your footwork is not
right, you will run out
of movement’
B A
View at muzzle
Trang 23I have been inspired to make things by Johnny Crockett’s recent articles I had some
carbon steel, and an oak branch from a tree in my garden that had been grown from
an acorn by my son for the handle A little filing, grinding, drilling, hardening and
gluing and I have a perfectly functional knife suitable for various outdoor activities I
gave this to my son for Christmas and he’s over the moon with it
Martin Tiney, via email
Something to get off your chest? Shoot us a line by post or email
WRITE TO Letters, Sporting Shooter, Evolution House, 2-6 Easthampstead Road, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 2EG EMAIL news@sportingshooter.co.uk
In an era when our sport is under attack from many quarters, I think it
behoves us to be ahead of the curve when it comes to best practice,
conservation etc, especially if we expect to shoot sustainably
I am shoot captain of two small shoots in my local area, walked-up for
the most part, our principal quarry being woodcock, supplemented by a
small number of pheasant
All our woodcock are migratory, so, in line with GWCT guidelines, we do
not start shooting until December, when it is not uncommon for us to see in
excess of 100 birds in a day Even so, we have an average bag limit of two
birds per Gun
Each woodcock area is visited two, or at most, three times during the
season (we have in the region of 6,500 acres, not all woodcock country),
and the ground, blackthorn and woodland, is worked in such a way as to
leave birds walked-over, not intensively beaten
We do not evening flight I believe that this is quite critical for the
conservation of the species, as flighting means that not a single bird is left
untargeted from any given cover Personally, I do not believe that
commercial shooting of this migratory species contributes anything to
conservation of either the species or its habitat as, in likelihood, and in a
similar way to flighting, it leaves no stone unturned
I think that a voluntary code would be a good idea, with at least:
1 A bag limit
2 A ban on evening flighting
I have no doubt that there will be those who vociferously oppose these
suggestions, but I firmly believe that if our sport is to survive, we must not
only do the right things from a conservation point of view, but also be seen
to be doing so
Incidentally, for us the woodcock arrived very early this season We were seeing them on our first shoot day, 3 November, although we left them alone A couple of them were distinctly russet in colour, which I have never seen before!
Robin Jones, via email
The Seeland Weston Club Classic Waistcoat is a great all-round waistcoat for the sporting shooter It features large cartridge pockets, reinforced shoulder patches and a back game pocket, making it ideal for both clay and game shooting
Available in sizes S-5XL in classic pine green See www.seeland.com for details
Setting an example
To win your own Seeland Weston Club Waistcoat, simply send your letter to us at the above address.
Trang 2424 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
WORTH £60
anagram of which oft-seen wading bird with a bright orange set of pins?
SEND YOUR ANSWER TO THIS MONTH’S QUESTION TO:
Win Gunslip (March), Sporting Shooter, Evolution House, 2-6 Easthampstead Road, Wokingham RG40 2EG, or email your answer to competitions@sportingshooter.co.uk
RULES: Closing date is 1 March
Answer will be published in the May issue Normal Sporting Shooter rules apply For full terms and conditions, send an sae marked t&c to the postal address above
Archant Ltd, publisher of Sporting Shooter, would like to keep you up to date with any special offers or new products
or services which might be of interest When entering by email please state clearly if you DO wish for Archant Ltd to contact you in this way by email, SMS, post or phone.
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Win Gunslip March
Free to enter: fill in this form (or use
a plain piece of paper) and send it to the address above, to arrive by the closing date of 1 March
QUIZ QUESTION
JANUARY ISSUE WINNER
Congratulations to THOMAS MURPHY from SCOTLAND.
The answer was PLAINS GAME.
For the past two years, I have been a half-Gun member of a syndicate
shoot that enjoys some relaxed 100 bird days The birds are not testing,
but we’re not all Lord Ripon either, and the syndicate Guns are very
considerate to their neighbours on the adjoining pegs All of the members
are senior to myself in years and most of them have reached the stage in
life where they are financially comfortable
This season, the shoot captain has encouraged the syndicate to make
it the custom to adjourn to a public house for lunch Although the meal
and surroundings were pleasant, I only attended the first shoot of the
season as, for security reasons, I don’t like to leave my dog unattended in
a car Instead, I now take along a few sarnies and join the beaters and
picking-up team in the lodge or farmyard for a natter (where I can also
keep an eye on my dog)
Unfortunately, I’ve been made aware that some of my fellow Guns
consider me to be unsociable because I don’t join them at lunchtime
Apart from the safety of my dog, I have other considerations My thinking
is that the cost of a pub lunch and a round of drinks is frankly beyond my
limited budget and the financial saving over my six shoot days will allow
me to buy a place on a small boundary day with our keeper in January As
for being unsociable, I think spending some time with the shoot staff is a
positive way to spend my lunch break, unlike some of the senior members
of our syndicate who barely mutter a word to the beaters
It may be easy for the more mature Guns to criticise the younger
generation, but perhaps they should realise that at my stage of life my
priorities (and disposable income) are somewhat different to theirs
S Thompson, Norwich
Generational differences
LETTERS
Our 14-week-old cocker loves
reading the monthly Sporting Shooter
with her Dad She really does sit
there like she’s reading it! Her name
is Belle and her dad, Kelvin, is hoping
that her concentration will one day
benefit her out in the field
and lined with cool tartan, this slip really looks the part
Trang 26EXPERTS ASK THE
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO:
Ask the Experts
Deano is a lifelong fox
shooter and keen
countryman
DON BRUNT
CLAY SHOOTING
Don is a keen clay shooter
and follows the country’s
top shots on the circuit
ANDY CROW
PIGEONS
Crowman has forgotten
more about pigeons than
most of us will ever know
JONNY CROCKETT
COUNTRYSIDE
Jonny teaches survival
courses and other
Solicitors, providing legal
services for rural matters
Is there a question
you want resolved?
How big is too big?
permission with some muntjac on it I use
a 308 for most of my deer shooting (mainly fallow and reds) Both a stalking pal and also my FEO suggested that it was too big a calibre to use on munties and would ruin the carcasses Is this true?
shooting munjac exclusively, you might not choose the venerable 308 Win as your first option However, if you already require a larger calibre for the species of deer you are taking already, then I see no reason for you to go to the trouble or expense of buying a different rifle and scope specifically for the odd munty
Of course, if the ground is deemed suitable for the calibre (or if you have an ‘open’ ticket, you deem it to be suitable), there is no legal reason why you should not use your existing rifle on the new permission From an ethical perspective, the deer are unlikely to notice the difference either
In terms of lost flesh, bullet construction, velocity and of course shot placement are all going to alter the equation I have shot quite a few muntjac with a 308 and found that a
traditional hunting bullet at modest velocities costs you very little in the way of lost flesh I suspect that a smaller calibre shooting a lighter, more frangible projectile at higher velocity would cause more
A name to be
reckoned with
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
Each month's winner will receive acan of Cogswell & Harrison gun oil
26 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
understanding them we may be able to improve our luck What noises should we look out for?
pheasant It is difficult to convey what noises sound like, but I hope this helps!
MALE CALLS:
Name of call Sound When/Why it is used
Crow Harsh two-syllable call Territory establishingAlarm Similar to the crow, but not as If pheasant sees or hears anything it does not
pronounced; sounds like ‘cucket’ understand or is instinctively afraid ofHiss Snakelike Given in captivity when intimidated or after
Name of call Sound When/Why it is used
Pecked Dissonant sound When it is being pecked by other pheasants
Sounds identical to male (male or female); there is usually no replySqueak High-pitched, almost rodent like When approached, especially in captivityPrecopulatory Upward and downward slurred sound To call a mate and just prior to matingFlight High-pitched and quiet If hen is frightened, it is more often silent in flight
Call of the wild
Trang 27For the very latest news visit www.sportingshooter.co.uk
A name to be reckoned with
been informed that hanging my pheasants
outside our porch is offending the
neighbours and is a breach of our contract I’ve
looked through the contract and there is no sign
of any clause stating I can’t hang my pheasants
outside the house Please could you inform me
on the current laws on where you can and can’t
hang your pheasants
replies: It would be reasonable to expect
a fairly rudimentary tenancy agreement to
include certain covenants on behalf of both the
landlord and tenant
While one might not expect to see such a
specific covenant of not hanging pheasants
outside the front door, it is likely that the tenancy
agreement would contain more generic clauses
which would have the same effect These may
include, for example, a covenant not to cause a
nuisance or annoyance to occupiers of
neighbouring properties and not to use the
property for a purpose which invalidates the landlord’s insurance
In law, the location of the property and the duration and frequency of hanging the birds outside the house would all be relevant factors
to ascertain a clear legal answer whether the act would constitute nuisance
The court would assess the nuisance according to the effect on a reasonable, rather than a hypersensitive, claimant A one-off act of hanging pheasant outside (in a rural location) would probably not constitute an act of nuisance, but, in reality, people would look twice and the act would probably be prohibited by the generic clauses of the tenancy agreement
You must remember that others may have different views to your own It’s entirely conceivable that the act would cause distress to neighbours and could be seen by many as antisocial My advice is to avoid confrontation in
an industry which already has its critics Be discreet, as you can’t be home all the time and
the regular hanging of pheasants is a potential signpost that you have firearms at home
In short, hanging pheasants like this probably won’t win you many friends It will give ammunition to those with strong opposing views and could lead to a personal or property affront – the latter of which might not please your landlord too much!
Hanging by the skin of your teeth
New Year, new me
game shooting season and really haven’t
shot that well My new year’s resolution is
to do something about it and get some practice in
before next September Some helpful tips and
guidance would be much appreciated
This is what I do, and it’s great fun socially
as well Your first call should be to attend a
shooting ground with a qualified instructor,
preferably one with high tower/driven game
experience, and book yourself a one or two hour
lesson While this will cost you a few pounds, it
will, I guarantee, improve your shooting and, at the same time, he or she can check your gun fit and discuss choke and cartridge combinations that’ll work to give you full advantage in the field
Next, I’d do my best to attend one of your local clay shoots that offer Sporting clays This is a great way of practising your new skill set, but won’t be harsh on your wallet The one thing I always do in the summer is book a simulated game day or two for my syndicate so we are all up
to speed before our first game day of the season
These occasions are great for networking and meeting like-minded people, and a good pub lunch for afters isn’t the end of the world either
Trang 29Unless you own a particularly unruly gundog
that needs to start its refresher training no
sooner than the season has finished, there will be
a well-deserved break before serious plans are
made for autumn 2019 Decisions around
cartridge choice usually pop up at some point
later in the summer, but this year, with the
increased focus on plastics in our environment,
there is an added factor to throw into
the equation
Sir David Attenborough’s appeal to
cut back on the use of plastics in
order to protect the oceans struck
a chord across the world,
although it could likely be many
years before we can evidence
the positive benefits of heeding
this global call to action
But a head of steam is already
growing within shooting about the
alternatives for plastics – notably the ones
used for cartridge cases and wads The general
consensus is that we must act now
We talk a great deal about the benefits that
shooting brings to the British countryside, the
rural community and our health and wellbeing;
such benefits include conservation Yet there are
areas where we can do more and plastic wads are
an example of one of those
BASC has been working for a number
of months to identify issues around the use
of plastic in cartridges, while conscious of the reality that shooting, like every other area dealing with the relatively new concerns around plastic, needs time to adapt and provide safe, effective alternatives
We have contacted the main UK manufactures and had meetings with some to see how we can help encourage and support the development of eco-friendly cartridges and promote recycling initiatives It’s obvious that finding sustainable long-term solutions is unlikely to be quick or simple, and in our understandable haste
to find solutions, we must be careful of falling into any unintended consequences
BASC’s head of science, Dr Matt Ellis, illustrates the potential pitfalls very well
“Think of supermarket bags,” he says “Single-use plastic bags were banned and a minimum charge was introduced for all bags, but the problem is a Bag for Life just isn’t
“Most people will use it about as many times
as they did the thinner single-use bags, yet a Bag for Life is thicker and requires much more carbon
to produce.To have the same impact on CO2
emissions as a single-use plastic bag, you would need to reuse it around nine times
“And it gets worse If you buy cotton tote bags, you need to reuse them around 400 times to get the same per-use carbon emissions as the humble single-use bags So, we save the albatross, but instead contribute to CO2 emissions and climate change?
“Apparently simple solutions often aren’t the best answers; that’s where we are with plastics in shooting If you go out with a plastic cartridge loaded with a plastic wad and you leave them out
in the world, you are contributing to the problem But it doesn’t have to be that way – plastic cartridges can be recycled
“The wads are more problematic to recycle because they are more difficult to gather up Also, many fibre wads are held together with bitumen (basically oil), and aren’t suitable for use with steel shot So this may not be the simple answer we are looking for either.”
BASC will continue to work with partners to find sustainable ways of using plastics and identify viable alternatives that don’t mortgage our tomorrows for a simple solution today In the meantime, we can all exercise personal responsibility And that starts by giving real thought to our purchasing choices ahead of
The plastic debate
We all want to reduce our impact on the environment, but Garry Doolan points out that
environmental issues are always more complex than they may seem at first glance
@BascLadies on Twitter for more information
This empty shotgun shell was left behind
by hunters in the countryside
Trang 30ASHCOMBE GUS T
jackpyke.co.uk
Also available
ASHCOMBE ZIPPED
Trang 31SHOP PROFILE
SHOOTING SPORTS UK
Not just a pretty face
Having recently set up shop in a beautiful old converted coach house, Jodie Holmes shares the diverse range of products Shooting Sports UK offers alongside their expert advice
How it all started
We have been interested in shooting from our
youth so when we established the business in
February 2017 it was a great way for us to share
this passion with others in Staffordshire and the
surrounding areas
The website was launched in January 2018,
and we opened the shop in Stretton in August
2018 – and have gone from strength to strength
ever since
What we stock
We stock a wide range of products from rifles and
shotguns to clothing and footwear We also have
the privilege of offering products from brands
such as Jack Pyke, Verney Carron, Percussion
and Alan Paine We also work very closely with
CZ, Savage and Hornady
Alongside this, we have a fantastic range of shotguns from most major brands including Beretta and Caesar Guerini Optics brands we supply are Hawke and Vortex as well
as other major brands We offer professional advice on all the products we stock 2019 is going
to be a great year for SSUK – we have plans for
gunsmithing services on site, as well as plans for a range off-site for testing and demonstrating firearms and shotguns
The team
We’re a close-knit family team boasting years of experience in all disciplines within shooting sports, from target shooting and game shooting
to deer stalking We are a friendly and relaxed team; we like everyone to feel comfortable and at ease when they visit the store and we endeavour
to provide superior customer service and honest, reliable advice The shop has quite a unique feel
as it is in a converted coach house in a stunning rural location We have kept some of the original features in the shop such as the oak beams on the gallery landing and this unique area has been
The converted coach house is the
perfect setting for a country sports business
Shooting Sports UK stocks a wide range of guns from well-known manufacturers
Trang 33Jack Knott is campaigns manager
at Countryside Alliance
CAMPAIGNING FOR
Web: countryside-alliance.org.uk/join Telephone: 020 7840 9300
Hard at work
As we begin a new year, Jack Knott looks back at some of the things the Countryside Alliance did last year – and looks ahead to a brighter future for the rural communities it supports
season for the Countryside Alliance’s campaign
for shooting, and while we will never be
complacent, we have many reasons to be happy
This season, we have shown the strength that
the shooting community can call upon in
parliament when required An unprecedented 74
MPs from across parties signed the amendment
to withdraw the 50-calibre ban, while at the
highest level the British Game Alliance received
public backing from the Defra secretary of state,
Michael Gove, and met Defra minister Therese
Coffey Strength in our grassroots was also
shown when our members sent 3,000 letters to
500 MPs calling for reform to the chaotic firearms
licensing medical procedure, and 2,000 letters to
Natural Resources Wales challenging their
pheasant shooting ban on public land
The campaign for shooting is but one part of a
rich matrix of Countryside Alliance campaigns
The strength of the CA is that most of our work
actually transcends easy definition, but goes
straight to the heart of defending the whole
rural way of life Our work to highlight
the online bullying of the countryside
community defends those who love
shooting just as it defends those who hunt, fish or farm Those of you who post your love of the countryside on social media will know how serious this issue is
Similarly, our work combatting animal rights extremism is to the benefit of the whole rural community, as well as of enormous benefit to game shooters The CA has experience from decades of supporting hunting, and is now deploying this experience to protect shoots targeted by saboteurs
In parliament, our Labour Country report showed the Labour party that there are messages
it can promote in the countryside without defaulting to simple attacks on game shooting
Many of the complaints we pursue with the BBC relate to game shooting, and our pursuit of a BBC that is neutral on rural issues has taken us to the highest levels of Ofcom as we seek
improvements to the way BBC editorial guidelines are implemented and presenters held to account
Even when campaigning on shooting issues,
we work for the whole rural community Our campaigning for grouse shooting is not only, or even principally, focused on those who pull the trigger It focuses
on defending the benefits shooting delivers to the whole community and economy, and promoting its positive environmental impact The hours we spent working to change the offensive weapons bill were not just for the minority that take part in 50-calibre shooting sports but were
to prevent a dangerous precedent If the government needlessly banned 50-calibre rifles, what would be next?
On the ground, we continue to see shooting grow in strength and numbers This year has seen the largest number of firearms certificate holders
in over 30 years, while the Countryside Alliance has welcomed thousands of new members Our support and our grassroots have never been more proactive and engaged, communication with our members is key to ensuring the future of shooting and it is a privilege to be working on such a positive and effective campaign
This boost in numbers and engagement will be vital as we move into 2019, as there remain as many challenges as ever But these challenges are drawing our community ever closer together, as those who shoot, hunt, fish, farm or make their living in the countryside increasingly
All in all, 2018 was a good year, with the shooting community demonstrating that when it pulls together, it really can bring about change
Trang 3434 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
continued to dominate the press was that of
getting as much shot game as possible to enter
the food chain The vast majority of shoots are
lucky to receive any payment at all from game
dealers and many are paying to have the birds
taken away There is no question that the big
commercial estates putting large bag days on five
days a week are responsible for swamping the
market, thus making it all the more difficult for
smaller shoots to process their game through the
traditional channels
On the majority of our Rough Rovers days, I am
proud to say that our Guns consistently take
home everything that is shot on the
day Admittedly, these are smaller
boundary days, but the ethos is
very clear that if you are prepared
to kill the animal, the least you can do, out of respect, is eat it I am pleased to say that this year our members have excelled themselves by finding new ways to process their game, concocting great recipes at home and for our field outings as well as exposing game meat to a wider audience
Two of our members, Chris Marney and Mark Robson, met on a Rough Rovers day up in Powys where Chris served a very palatable mulled wine and Mark a delicious mixed game terrine Their mutual enthusiasm for game and cookery in general quickly became apparent, and after a few more meetings on various shoot days they hit upon the idea of organising a game-themed pop-up restaurant to coincide with the completed renovation of a fellow Gun’s Saxon barn And so Game For Anything was born
Chris’s interest in cooking came from his mother who was a trained chef and ran several successful food businesses Although a keen stalker, he only recently got into game shooting, having shot clays for a number of years
Mark, on the other hand, had always been a keen fisherman and was introduced to game shooting in his 20s by his father-in-law His interest in cookery was sparked by necessity when he left home and was forced to cook for himself With digs above a very friendly restaurant, cooking quickly turned from a chore to a pleasure What both Chris and Mark share is a passion for quality ingredients, where possible using their own game, and most importantly for both, introducing and promoting game to those that have never tried it or are put off by the view that it has an overpoweringly strong flavour
PUT YOUR MOUTH WHERE YOUR MONEY IS
We often talk about making sure we eat what we shoot, and the Rough Rovers’ Game for
Anything evening showcased how this can be done with style and gusto
Rough Rovers is a roving syndicate that was created
to seek out and deliver some
of the best shooting in the country,
at a sensible price To contact the organisers, visit www.roughrovers.co.uk or call 01453 873725
GAME FOR ANYTHING // WITH THE ROUGH ROVERS
A friend’s stunning Saxon barn
provided the perfect venue for the evening
Trang 35With a venue sorted and a menu starting to
take shape in their minds, they nervously sent out
invitations to friends, family, colleagues and fellow
shooters, hoping to get 50 people to pay for
tickets with any profits going to the Alzeimers
Society To their surprise, and horror, they were
massively oversubscribed and had to increase the
number of covers to 80 and stop taking bookings
after only 48 hours They put together a menu
combining their own shot game, foraged autumn
fruits and trusted local suppliers
For starters, there was a choice between duck,
pigeon, pheasant and partridge terrine wrapped in
bacon with crab apple jelly, caper berry, piccalilli
and cornichons or salmon (cured, smoked and
tartare) with blackberry and apple caviar,
horseradish cream and dill and cucumber pickle
The main course options were pan-fried loin of
roe deer shot on a local estate and wild boar from
the Forest of Dean, both accompanied by
seasonal vegetables and sauces
With an array of game-based canapés,
puddings and cheeses as well, the evening was a
huge success, raising over £2,000 for the
Alzheimers Society and introduced a new group
of people to the delights and versatility of game
Another of our members, Tom, has always
taken a large quantity of game birds from many of
the shoots he attends and had a wide circle of
family and friends who were keen to try game He
started out plucking and dressing the birds for
them, but the majority are now happy to take the
birds in the feather and try their own recipes He
currently uses a lot of the game himself, making
some wonderful burgers and sausages combined
with meat from his own pigs
Tom took on a four-acre smallholding last year
and currently has a small flock of sheep, several
pigs, geese, ducks and plans for a few turkeys in
the winter He plans to convert a large area of the
barn for meat processing, including a walk-in
chiller, freezer and cutting room Once signed off
by the relevant food hygiene authorities, the barn
will be used to process his own meat and any
game, and offered to friends, family and private
customers Tom worked hard last season to
develop exciting new recipes combining game
with his pork and lamb
A large number of our members are passionate
about eating and cooking game and at times our
elevenses becomes the focus of the day At our end-of-season gathering, we award several trophies and the Field Culinary Award has become the most competitive and highly coveted one There is no question that we are headed in a positive direction when it comes to processing shot game, but in my view making the wider public aware of the benefits of eating game as an
alternative to traditional meats is how we can make real headway
Coming up with alternative and innovative ways to promote game cuisine ourselves is a lot more productive than simply asking Guns
to pay an extra 50p for the birds they shoot
in a day, which simply shifts the responsibility
WITH THE ROUGH ROVERS // GAME FOR ANYTHING
‘Our members
are passionate about
eating and cooking game
and, at times, our
elevenses becomes the
main focus of the day’
Guests were served an array
of delicious canapés Profit from ticket sales went
to the Alzheimers Society
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a new agriculture bill around the corner, the spotlight is falling on the ‘public goods’ farmers provide Defra’s proposed Environmental Land Management scheme promises to reward environmental benefits such as enhanced biodiversity, recognising the value of the wildlife
on our farmland and the vital role land managers have in preserving it ■
Untold Story, which will take a fresh look at
how Britain’s landscape is managed for wildlife
With almost 80% of land in the UK primarily
managed for farming or other pursuits, the GWCT
aims to show the role farmers, gamekeepers and
land managers have as custodians of the
landscape These areas are home to some
remarkable and rare wildlife, often due to the
tireless work of those responsible for their own
small corner of the countryside
Director of communications, Andrew Gilruth,
who is launching the campaign, said: “It’s time the
public got to hear about the people who are
making the countryside thrive As well as
producing food for our tables, they’re making sure
there are curlew in the sky, harvest mice in our
fields and water voles in our rivers The public
don’t know how much our wildlife depends on the
dedication of individuals managing their own land,
so it’s time we did something about it.”
Those engaged in the countryside see the
impact of management with their own eyes, but it
rarely goes further than that The GWCT hopes to
change this by telling the story of what’s being done right now on fields and moors across Britain every single day
“It’s about people like Graham Denny who, while turtle doves face extinction elsewhere, has several breeding pairs on his farm thanks to a combination of wildlife-friendly farming and predation management,” added Andrew “He is making a real difference and his story deserves to
be heard There are hundreds of men and women across Britain doing what they can for the species they love – be it tree sparrows, great-crested newts, bees or curlew These hardworking people are the blueprint for British conservation.”
Earlier this year, the GWCT launched its first
series of Working Conservationists, a booklet of
nine case studies, written by Joe Dimbleby, about real people achieving real results on their land
Environment secretary Michael Gove said that
it “provides a vision of a country of which we can all be proud”
It also encouraged the Defra policy team to get out on the ground and see what’s being done for grey partridges, a bird in continuous decline With
Telling their untold stories
Who can we thank for our thriving wildlife? The GWCT is hoping to answer this question
with a new campaign that tells the conservation stories of gamekeepers and farmers
Managing hedgerows has a huge effect on wildlife
Predation control and wildlife-friendly farming encourage a small population of turtle doves on Graham Denny’s farm
Trang 3838 www.sportingshooter.co.uk
Seven deadly signs
Don Brunt looks at seven signs that could tell you that it’s time to seek some professional help
in order to take your clay shooting to the next level
ON THE TOP OF YOUR BARRELS
If you think that looking at that big shiny bead on
the top of the rib is going to help you break more
clays, then you are in a world of trouble Staring at
it is almost certain to result in a miss Keeping
your focus locked onto the target is the only way
to shoot – after all, if you were trying to catch a ball, how often would you look at your hand?
TO DO WHEN YOU CALL ‘PULL’
If that is your plan, it’s likely that you are in trouble even before you load the gun It might work once
or even twice, but when it comes to shooting four
or five pairs, the chances are you won’t be walking off the stand having shot the lot
Having a carefully thought out plan of attack is key when it comes to shooting clays A decent instructor will be able to use their experience to help you build a train of thought that you should follow every time you approach a stand
While most of us will occasionally be left scratching our heads, a proficient shot should
almost always be able to say where they missed with a high degree of certainty Unless we know whether we are in front, behind, or over the top, it’s very difficult to move our shooting forwards Instructors who say that they can see the shot string in the air on every shot are being less than truthful, but a good coach will be able to watch
your muzzles and identify where you are missing They should also be able to help you to think over what you have done so you can work it out for yourself When you have got to that stage, you are well on your way to being able to improve
If you need (or rather feel that you need) to close an eye, it’s likely that you have at some point been given some duff information
Situations where someone should shoot with one eye shut are so rare as to be not even worth counting Whether it’s switching shoulder to
Trang 39shoot over your dominant eye or even the
most extreme course of action – a cross-over
stock – there really is no need to be taught to
shoot one-eyed
Yes, it does happen on corporate and
have-a-go experiences, where the focus is simply
on getting someone to break a few clays rather
than teaching them how to shoot properly
However, no shooting coach should ever
recommend it as a long-term approach
If you’ve been shooting regularly
for several years, but your scores
haven’t dramatically improved since you
started, it’s likely that you could do with a
gentle nudge in the right direction It’s very
easy to pick up bad habits and then spend years
reinforcing those problems
This is even more of an issue if your local
shooting ground keeps their targets the same
from one year to the next If that’s the case and
you go there on a regular basis, you really should
have mastered them at least to a point where you
can break around 75%
There are very few shooters at any level who
can put together a big score using just one
technique Varying targets need varying
techniques, and while swing-through might work
on one type of clay, it might be a far from ideal
approach on another presentation
It is very useful to have two or three different
techniques at your disposal, and the best way to
learn a new one quickly is to do so under the
supervision of a good coach
Are you confident that your gun fits you? The fact that you have only recently bought it doesn’t always mean that it does It’s important to get the fit checked – in many cases it will be fine and no
work will be required, but correction of gun mount issues may solve lots of issues It may be too long, high, low or short for you, and you need someone who knows what they are doing to check it out properly ■
CLAY NEWS
Look out for the first 2019 issue of Clay Shooter, which hits clay
grounds and newsstands
on 20 February!
Having a coach will ensure that you always have a plan
If your scores have stalled
on targets that don’t change, it’s time to go up a gear
‘Varying targets need varying techniques, and while swing-through might work on one type of clay,
it might be far from ideal on another’
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CROCKETT’S
In this article, I’ll be helping you add to your
hunting, shooting and fishing armoury To
accompany my bow, arrow, atlatl, dart and
arrow heads, I’ve gone a little more technical
with a fishing spear, based on a design from
northern Canada
To make this spear, I used a saw, a knife, a
piece of hazel, a cow femur, a pen, some
sandpaper (not too coarse, about 120 grit) and
10m of natural cordage
The first thing I did was to cut a piece of hazel
as long as possible with the aid of my saw This
particular hazel rod is nearly 12 foot long, but anything over 6 foot would do The spear differs from a dart and a harpoon in that it is held in the hand and you don’t let go of it With this in mind, you want it to be as long as is available
Start by taking the bark off (pic 1) The bark will keep moisture in, and the spear will rot if you don’t take it off Also, the moisture will entice bugs to start eating it Using the back of your knife, scrape the bark and inner bark (usually green or light brown) off by using a back and forth rubbing technique with the knife at 45° to the wood
With your cow femur (thigh bone) cut to the length you want (pic 2), then boil it for 30-60 minutes to eliminate all the marrow and grease I took as much of the marrow out as I could while it was cold and before boiling My dogs love it! The bone will go whiter with boiling Let it cool and then, using your saw again, cut a thin strip no more than 1cm wide through the thinnest part of the bone (pic 3) and put to one side Cut the remaining bone in half lengthways, then mark on two barbed points with a pen (pic 4) Now cut the barbs out using the saw (pic 5)
Make a fishing spear
Jonny Crocket continues his series on crafting bone tools with this slightly more technical fishing spear build, based on a design from northern Canada