Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i Shooting Gazette

Assistant gamekeeper/ head beater/ right-hand man of the Folksworth Manor Farm Shoot, Huntingdonshire. Throughout the UK travels of Spider’s Appeal we have had the privilege and pleasure of meeting dedicated countryfolk who, as caring guardians, work modestly in close partnership with the countryside to produce benefits enjoyed by us all, and none more so than Frank Coles, writes Barry Atkinson. We met Frank when we visited the shoot, as No. 991 of our intended 1,000 shoots target, on 15 December, 2012. The shoot day was successful with a bag of 108 birds, all the company warm and welcoming, and resulted in a generous collective donation to the Appeal of £430. Such occasions create lasting and valuable memories of landscape, wildlife, game birds, dogs, individual characters, conversation, humour and friendship –…

“How is your New Year’s resolution holding up, Dad?” asked my geography student daughter recently. Having committed to reduce the amount of plastic I put into landfill, I soon found that my love of shooting was going to test this. Throughout January, I picked up any spent shells and plastic wads I saw – not that I use plastic wads or leave my empties for someone else to pick up. I took the step to fibre-wad cartridges some time ago, having visited a shoot that stipulated fibre only. It seemed logical and did not impact my shooting. But what to do with the empties when I get home? The East Devon authorities are pretty strict on what they see as recyclable plastic; sadly, spent cartridge cases are not included. So,…

What should all game Shots currently be doing in their practice? You should be making regular trips to the shooting ground to work on your footwork, technique, achieving a consistent gun mount and using different methods for the variety of presentations you will come across during the season. Also think back to what caused an issue last season. Then employ the services of a good professional coach to help you. How valuable is a simulated shoot day as part of a game Shot’s pre-season preparation? Simulated game days are an absolute must for game Shots. It’s another chance to get the shotgun out of the cabinet before the season starts. Simulated days give you an opportunity to increase the volume of shots you would normally shoot at the shooting ground…

It would be a January day on mixed pheasant and partridge, hopefully dry but with a reasonable south-westerly wind, either at Haddeo or Molland. The latter shot incredibly well last year and it’s certainly on the way up with some amazing topography. My priorities on shoot days are great company, good sport and a lot of humour. This team has all of these attributes in enormous quantities... David Roberts would be on the list, he shoots his Perazzi 20 bores very efficiently. Great company who loves shooting in every form and a sense of humour to match. Max Le Gouvello again, a very good friend and shooting with his family is a fabulous day. Another 20 bore user he would also be in charge of the menu – especially the…

TRAVEL The shoot is close to the hamlet of Bagnor, in the Parish of Speen, to the northwest of Newbury in Berkshire. A very easy run for Guns coming from London, but also straightforward from the south-west and the north. The area is easily accessed from the busy A34, which crosses the M4. Heathrow Airport is around 40 miles away, so easily less than an hour by road thereafter. STAY For Guns who prefer to stay the night before the shoot, the 12 bespoke bedroomed Queens at East Garston is great (queensarms eastgarston.co.uk ). Another safe bet is the Hare & Hounds in Speen, where there is plenty of room for any team (hareandhoundshotel. net). Looking to push the boat out a little? The famous Vineyard at Stockcross is ideal…

My old Toyota had been hidden close to a hedge under a tree to ensure that Gordon, my golden retriever, would not get too hot one afternoon in early June. I walked 500 yards back to my hideout in the middle of a sea of young peas and was encouraged to see one or two pigeons had dropped into my decoys. It was a good sign that my new net hide, surrounded by foliage cut from the hedgerow and standing alone in the field, was accepted and did not frighten the birds. “The birds at my end of the field came short and long, as they swung round to approach and it made for wonderful sport.” The field of peas was large even by East Anglian standards, well over 100…

Live pigeon shooting was a sport for the privileged in the 19th century as it was very expensive to participate in. Combined with the widespread gambling synonymous with the sport, only a minority experienced the pastime. Consequently, the majority of live pigeon guns were best quality guns and many best makers specifically built guns for this market. Such a gun is illustrated by the example shown, “The Pigeon Club Gun” by W.&C. Scott & Sons, built in Birmingham but bearing a London address. This best quality 12 bore hammer gun was built in 1906 but unlike the Purdey has best quality engraving and is a very late built example of a hammer gun. In the competitive nature of live pigeon shooting, the hammer gun was seen as more reliable and…

The new Holts venue for its London auctions is most agreeable. The Army Reserve Centre in Kensington is smaller than the previous premises but it is cosy and easy to get to. There were a number of distinctive lots in the March sale exemplified by Lot 120, a Webley & Scott .22 Model Senior air pistol dating from 1946. What made this lot so special was that it appeared just as it left the dealer in 1946. The original factory enquiry letter dated May 1946 was there and the pistol was complete in its rare, post-war black Rexine case with trade label. The original Webley oil can was present as was the pellet tin. The cocking instructions were present and the pistol was still contained in its original manufacturer’s brown…

Who better to take with me than former GB and England ladies team member Diane Wade? Di is 5ft 8in and shoots a 32in 20 bore with a 14¾in stock and most of her shooting is now pheasant and partridge. A poor gentleman made the mistake of dropping a bird on her peg last season. For the rest of the drive birds were dropped by Di all over him — she still shoots straight. Starting on the 40ft tower we both shot a variety of targets. Handling and trigger pulls were both very good and despite the fact that the gun was short for both of us, we did bump into the clays quite well, with some powdering nicely. We moved onto the 80ft tower and pushed the trap out…

If you like your SUVs big and built in the US, but engineered in Europe, a new Mercedes-Benz GLS has just been launched. And it is huge, even longer than the lwb Range Rover, which makes it the only full seven-seater SUV on the UK market. It will have Merc’s fantastic MBUX double digital dashboard and can be specced with an off-road pack that includes a low range transfer box. It will only initially be available in the UK with a lovely big six cylinder diesel motor. No word on prices yet.…

With Team England celebrating its most successful Game Fair Home International win in 2018 a debate is growing about how best to build on the legacy and inspire the younger generation of gundog handlers. There’s no doubt gundog clubs and shoots nationwide engage with all ages but are we doing enough to involve young people in gundog training, working tests and scurries? Some clubs around the country offer junior handler working tests and various game fairs include scurry events, but numbers are low and options seem to be limited. Last year several junior handler events were cancelled due to a lack of interest, including the Kennel Club Junior Handler Working Test at Chatsworth House. With young people’s lifestyle patterns changing and shifts in participation of some sports there is a…

STEVE RUSSELL (1953 – 2019) Steve Russell, a friend to many in the spaniel trialling fraternity, has sadly died at the age of 65, writes Maurice Stanbury. Living and working in an urban environment south of Birmingham, Steve was often presented with unusual challenges when training his spaniels. In the early 1990s, Steve joined the Midland Spaniel Get-Together, a club formed by gundog writer Peter Moxon, which was run at the time by Chas Morris of Whitlocks Gundogs. This was where the competition bug must have bitten Steve. He went on to gain many awards in field trials and made up two English springers to field trial champion status, as well as breeding two field trial champions carrying the Rydanlue prefix. He also embarked on a judging career, becoming an…

Insurance, for gun or gundogs, is an important subject, but with so many options, how can you be sure your deal is right for you? John Walker speaks to some leading figures in the industry and discovers why it’s important to do your homework before signing up, as well as checking the small print of your shooting destinations to ensure you’re covered for all eventualities. Shooting needs new blood, and this month Wendy Bardsley looks at how the gundog world is helping junior handlers to join its ranks. With so many distractions in young people’s lives it’s vital to make sure fresh faces feel welcome. Wendy has spoken to some cracking kids and parents, and the article will leave you with plenty to ponder.…

SHARE YOUR VIEWS Email: martin.puddifer@ti-media.com Letters may be edited for clarity or space The pleasure was mine I would like to thank Kevin Byrne for his kind words regarding my article, When the Time Comes (April issue). It was a tough article to write because of the nature of it. Many tears were shed as the memories of dogs flooded back, but worth it, I hope. Thank you. John Clements, by email The backbone of shooting I was sorry to read of the death of Barrie Taylor in your May issue. I did know him and he was certainly a very nice man. His border terrier was a good retriever. I first saw Barrie when he was involved with a fairly small Somerset farm shoot, which assembled on shooting days…

I’ve just been reading the article by Chris Warren, Whatever works for you (May issue). It’s an excellent piece and it really struck a chord as I have the unfortunate luck of suffering from migraines, with recoil sometimes triggering an attack, which can ruin a day. So the issue of recoil, gun fit and cartridge weight is of extra importance for me. I’m lucky though that there is a solution in the shape of the Beretta SV10. In my case it’s the Perennia III field version in 12 bore, the forerunner of the 690 series. I chose the field/game gun over the sporter because of the weight saving, which might seem contradictory when trying to reduce recoil, but by running 21gram Eley Select cartridges it reduces the kick so much…

SERVES 2 PEOPLE Ingredients • 2 mallard breasts • 4 large carrots • 50g butter • 100ml orange juice • 20ml double cream • 100g granulated sugar • 100ml sherry vinegar • 200ml orange juice • 300ml reduced chicken stock • 1 orange, split into segments • 1tsp Marmite • 1 fennel bulb, sliced Method Season the mallard breasts and place them skin side down in a cold pan. Turn the hob to a medium heat, and warm up the mallard breasts in the pan. This helps to draw out the fat. Keep cooking in the pan until the skin begins to crisp, discarding the fat as you go, then transfer the mallard to a hot oven and roast for eight minutes at 180°C. Once ready, leave to rest. While…

I have a Cotswold cottage on the Cornbury Park estate.At the corner of the deer park, it guards the Crane Hill gate.For that house I bought a gun box – a metal cabinet,To store my 12 bore shotguns, as requested by the Met. I sniped it – quite a bargain price, on ebay co ukAdvertised with just one key – the other lost, or thrown away.Installed under the stairs in its two tone shades of greyI inched it on to wall bolts. The fitting took all day. I drank a can of Cotswold ale and made my gun and stock.I tried the gun box door. Open it did not.“But where’s the key?” I said, and searched around the placeUnder cushions, inside pockets, in every crannied space. I assumed I’d find…

William Hosegood writes: “Here is a photograph of my two-year-old son, George, who beat me to the latest edition of the Shooting Gazette at breakfast last weekend.” Pictured are the Guns from the day at Old Fonthill Abbey, which is featured on pages 20 to 27 of this issue. Here are the Guns and loaders before the off at Bryngwyn Hall in April, having their pictures taken by numerous photographers. The party had assembled for Rhydian Welson’s 50th birthday. Rhydian (fifth from right) was joined by Mark Hassell, Carl Hassell, Kevin Curran, Mick Slack, Dylan Davies, Thomas Davies, Derek Wetter, Nick Jones, Richard Tutton, Ben Lloyd, Sam Cornes, Barry Evans, Wayne Morris, John Yarnell, Jeremy Mellors and Kev Slack. Pictured are the beaters and Guns from the day at Bagnor,…

TRAVEL Old Fonthill Abbey is around 100 miles by car from central London, accessed easily via the M3 and A303 and equidistant between Southampton and Bristol airports, 40 miles from each, on major road systems. Within Cranborne Chase and surrounded by many fine villages and equally fine shoots, it is just 15 miles from Salisbury and Tisbury main line railway stations. STAY The area is well served by a full range of accommodation. Conveniently on the edge of the Fonthill Estate is the comfortable up-market pub with rooms, the Beckford Arms at Fonthill Gifford (beckfordarms.com), while further distant is The Lamb at Hindon (lambhindon.co.uk), both offering great victuals and cellars. Howard’s House at Teffont Evias is another option (howardshouse hotel.co.uk ) CATERING The shoot lodge on the estate is a…

Grouse chicks are up and away, but it’s hard to see how the summer will play for them. Last year’s long, dry summer had knock-on effects for wild game across the UK, and we then suffered the ill effects of a mild winter and a strangely dry spring. Our grouse looked in superb condition when they were counted in March, and that’s a result of just three or four days of snow all winter. The living has been easy for the birds, and they’re coming into spring with some good momentum behind them. But warm winters cause problems in other ways; I was picking ticks off our dogs in January, and there’s a general consensus that mild conditions contribute to the rise of many parasites. I have fingers crossed that…

Years ago, I used to struggle horrendously when shooting clays in front of others. It was usually because the assembly consisted of my peers, people who thought I was a crack shot because I worked on a shooting magazine, or because our scores were being recorded. Add to that my low confidence and there was a better than evens chance I’d be heading home with the clay conservation gong. Again. “Targets are unpredictable; there isn’t much time to prepare for the next shot, so you have to rely on your instincts.” Then I discovered simulated game shooting. It was like being reborn. I’d faced team flushes before, of course, usually at the end of a day when we’d shot individually, and, ironically, with the pressure off my cartridge-to-kill ratio improved…

Engineering: 10/10 It’s a Beretta with all the usual high standards of engineering quality associated with the brand. Looks and finishing: 9/10 The finishing was excellent, the wood had some figuring and would benefit from some extra elbow grease to bring out the best in it. If aesthetics are important go for the 693 Vittoria with higher grade wood and a game scene engraving. Handling: 9/10 Handles very well and is perfect if you are in the height category of its target market. Reliability and customer service: 10/10 Beretta and GMK are well-known for their first class back-up in the unlikely scenario that there is a problem. Value: 9/10 The Vittoria is excellent value and will last for hundreds of thousands of rounds if you look after it. Overall: 47/50…

Any hope that current uncertainty would dissipate seems to have been lost to the wind and this appears to have muted the supply of land into the farmland market so far this year. The market in the first quarter of any year tends to be relatively small, as most sellers prefer to wait and launch their property in the spring. Since 2000 the first quarter of any year has averaged just under 17,000 new acres to the market, but this year just 10,400 acres so far across Great Britain have been publicly marketed. This is the lowest acreage recorded since our analysis began in 1995. The supply in the first quarter of this year was 28% less than in the first quarter of 2018 and 40% lower than the average…

Q Last season I was pegged next to a Gun who, when holding his gun up, was shooting with a dead straight leading arm rather than having a slight bend at the elbow. Why do some Guns do this and how does it affect their shooting? A The position of the leading arm is something many Guns don’t often think about, but it’s important in making sure you have good control of the gun. The grips of the leading hand are as follows: • All four fingers on one side of the barrel/fore-end and the thumb on the other. • The index finger (pointing down the side of the barrel) and the thumb on one side and the other three fingers gripping the gun on the other side of the…

Weather no deterrent at Grinton Moor  Club: Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla Association Event: Grouse Pointing Test Venue: Grinton Moor Judges: Roy Cullen and Geoff Saint REPORT BY: SHARON NEWMAN We held our test by kind permission of keeper Des Coates. The test was for any HPR breed and the runners included Hungarian wirehaired vizslas, German shorthaired pointers, German wirehaired pointers, Italian spinone and weimaraners. Unfortunately, our judges and 16 runners had to put up with the most atrocious weather conditions. Grinton is one of the most beautiful grouse moors but on the test day it was impossible to see the surrounding scenery due to heavy snow for the first couple of hours before the skies cleared and the sun came out. It was good to see nine juniors running, these being…

Back in January when my husband was running in a novice trial, one of the competitors came out of line in tears because the judge had told her that her dog had made a noise, something she didn’t realise was an eliminating fault. Another competitor went into line with a shopping bag complete with lunch over her arm. What no one seemed to notice was that she didn’t remove her lead. As a result, when she was sent by the non-panel judge for her first retrieve she bent down, removed her lead and sent her dog. It didn’t pick so she was out. How it would have been judged if it had picked, who knows. I spoke with her when she came back to spare dogs. It turned out to…

How to win For your chance to win either a Pintail Explorer smock (top) or a Seasons jacket (right), email high-resolution pictures to: katemaxim@outlook.com. Please put “Gundog Picture of the Month” in the subject line. The winner will be chosen by the Shooting Gazette judging panel. Good luck! The prize will only be posted to winners with a fixed UK postal address.…

THE WRITER of the Letter of the Month will receive a pair of Wexford boots from Dubarry of Ireland (RRP £325). The knee-length, side-zip boots – designed for both men and women – are handcrafted from waterproof Dry Fast-Dry Soft breathable leathers. The high quality of the boot is reinforced throughout with an insulated GORE-TEX lining that wicks moisture away from the foot, ensuring the wearer remains dry and comfortable all day. Dubarry’s new hard-wearing durable outsole gives maximum grip whatever the ground conditions.…

For generations, blameless children have played the harmless game of Pass The Parcel. We have just watched the adult equivalent playing out as the music stopped for Natural England (NE) whose inexperienced placemen have wrestled with the problem of the General Licence, or rather its maladministration. Unlike the children, NE are neither blameless, the product of their inefficiency is not harmless, but the paper is just as annoying. When it came into being in October 2006 as a non-departmental body sponsored by DEFRA, a conjunction of three agencies which had preceded it in teaching us how to manage our rural heritage, we watched DEFRA lop £12.5m off its budget as part of their attempt to save £200m. A saving, incidentally, necessitated to cover the minor matter of a £130m fine…

Listen to your clients: We get a lot of repeat business with people wanting to come back again and again. If you give them a memorable experience they enjoy they will return for more. It’s also important to listen to constructive criticism – a game shooting syndicate won’t enjoy shooting rabbits as much as a young team of lads on a stag do. Getting to know your clients before they come and discovering what targets they are keen to shoot at is a great starting point for a happy relationship. Affordability: Not everyone has the money to spend on big game shoot days, so we offer an affordable alternative to game shooting with all the excitement of a partridge day but without the expense (or the real birds). These experiences…

Dear Uncle Giles, Is it acceptable for a game Shot to hold his or her gun broken over the shoulder when walking between drives on a simulated day? AFG, by email Uncle Giles writes It is intriguing to analyse how and why certain customs, habits and behaviours develop over time. It is, for example, salutary to remind ourselves that only 50 or so years ago, if you had asked a leading game Shot how he carried his gun between drives, he might reasonably have responded, “I have never carried my guns between drives in my life. That’s what loaders are for...” It remains the case, however, that the default position in the field when those shooting are anywhere other than on their pegs in a state of readiness is that…

Over the years, Shooting Gazette has been fortunate enough to visit, dine and even stay over in some resplendent country houses ahead of a day’s shooting. We have been welcomed and made to feel at home by a long list of inspirational, colourful and charismatic people, passionate fieldsportsmen and women one and all. Back in April we headed to Bryngwyn Hall near Llanfyllin, an 18th century neo-classical hall designed by Robert Mylne which has been painstakingly restored to its former glory by its current inhabitant Auriol, the Marchioness of Linlithgow, since it was passed onto her in 1987. Though the 10-bedroom hall is available for hire for numerous purposes, Lady Linlithgow’s home is very much her own. Each room, corridor and wall is home to numerous illustrations, photographs, paintings and…

There is a general preconception that guns devoid of engraving are cheaper guns and guns with profuse engraving are better quality guns. Generally this is true, as engraving, until fairly recently, was executed by hand and was time consuming. Like all maxims there are exceptions and very occasionally a top quality gun with little or no engraving will be encountered. Probably the best-known quality gun with border engraving only is the Holland & Holland No.3 or Dominion model built with back action locks for most of the 20th century. It is a beautiful top quality gun and the lack of engraving seems to emphasise this. Engraving is completely at the prerogative of the customer on a quality gun and occasionally on a Purdey, Holland, Boss and others, examples can be…

Q My labrador is getting too old and I am considering getting another dog to train up. Is there a good time to do this and what should I look out for? A There are no rules and it is entirely up to you. You don’t mention the age of your labrador or its current capability in the field, but I would suggest that getting a puppy sooner rather than later would help once you have made that decision. It also means, if you get the timing right, that you don’t have to be without a dog for any time in the season. With an existing trained dog, there is a lot that the new dog can learn through behaviour and observation. You can also use the two dogs to…