Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 i Shooting Gazette

Is your WC or study groaning under the weight of old issues of Shooting Gazette? If you’re getting as much grief from your other half as your floorboards are from driven shooting’s finest journal then our new, specially made binders, capable of holding a year’s worth of magazines, could be just the thing you need. We’d like to think the gold embossed lettering on the spine would make your bookshelf even more presentable, too. Binders are priced at £9.95 + P&P each, with a discount for larger orders. To order your binders email: leeanne.wright@timeinc.com…

How were you introduced to shooting? From the age of eight I used to accompany my father on his annual rough shooting trip to Cornwall. We would stay in Penzance and each day jump in a Morris Oxford and trundle round the lanes looking for woodcock, snipe and plover. For the first few years I was the dog and was often dropped off at one end of a field and told to wait and then walk through the field putting up the snipe and plover. In those days, the 1960s, we still shot green and golden plover. As a result I started on rough shooting and it was only when I was 14 or 15 and had been shooting for three years that I ever went on a driven pheasant…

Ingredients •  2 oven ready wild duck• 500ml natural yoghurt• 2 fresh oranges (peeled & segmented)• 100g shelled pistachios• 50g butter• Cornish sea salt• Milled black pepper Method Score the duck breast with a knife. Season the duck and sear in a hot pan for two minutes each side. SERVES FOUR PEOPLE Place into a hot oven and roast for six minutes at 220˚C. Remove from the oven, add the butter and baste for two minutes then allow to rest for 10 minutes. The legs might need longer but the breast should be pink. Mix the yoghurt, oranges and pistachios together and season well and place into a bowl. Place the duck onto a serving board. Serve with the orange and pistachio yoghurt.…

Dear Uncle Giles, On an early season day my neighbour insisted on picking all the shot game behind us with his labrador. And what's wrong with that, you ask? Well, each time it was sent the dog picked up, mouthed, chewed a bit, and then spat out every bird before eventually returning the last one to its owner. And this went on and on, until every bird was returned. I wanted to pick the birds by hand myself but found myself restrained by the custom of allowing dogs to work (however poorly) so I found myself rather helpless, but exasperated. What should I have done or said? DPG by e-mail Uncle Giles writes Can there ever be a quandary so pronounced or a situation so fraught with difficulty as the…

For your chance to win a bottle of Taittinger Champagne for Picture of the Month, send us a team photograph or a picture of something unusual from your shoot. Send high-resolution images or prints with captions to Shooting Gazette Gallery, Time Inc (UK) Ltd, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF or email: will.hetherington@timeinc.com. This team of guns enjoyed a splendid shooting trip to Sorn Castle in Ayrshire. For a full report see pages 24-30 of this issue. Also pictured is castle owner Jamie McIntyre’s Bizzarrini racing car which made a brief appearance on the day. This was the team on an October day at the Gatacre & Four Ashes Shoot in Shropshire when the bag was 96 partridge and 25 pheasants. From left: Ray Wassell, Jose Strong, Tony…

“Those we managed to kill were tossed hither and thither like autumn leaves.” John MacGregor and his two-strong keepering team of John Hughes and Andy Gach are quietly pleased with what they’ve achieved at Ferneylea over the past 10 years or so. As well they should be. Their hard work has put this tract of rough-and-tumble ground in East Lothian slap bang on the map where driven partridge shooting is concerned. Annual repeat bookings are a telling indicator of its growing reputation – as is the fact its standing has been built purely on word-of-mouth with no advertising or game agency involvement whatsoever. Parties now travel from as far afield as Suffolk, Hertfordshire and the Midlands to get a taste of the Scottish action. Another reason for Ferneylea’s popularity…

“Top performers will be invited to participate in a grand final.” In his book Record Bags and Shooting Records, first published in 1922, Sir Hugh Gladstone relates how Lord Ripon assured him he had once shot 28 pheasants in a minute at Sandringham, timed by a friend. This achievement – together with the commonly repeated assertion that the Marquis also once had seven birds dead in the air at the same moment – were cited as evidence to support his lordship’s nomination as the finest game shot in England by Baily’s Magazine in September 1903. While others, such as Lord Walsingham, Sir Harry Stonor, HRH Prince of Wales and the two Duleep Singhs all made the top 10 for marksmanship, it was generally accepted that for a deadly combination of…

Nowadays we are all familiar with a select few rifle cartridges: .222, .22/250,.243, .270, .308 and so on. Over the years the choice has narrowed to these cartridge types, which are adequate for all British sport. But in the 19th century there were literally hundreds of rifle cartridges on offer in a bewildering variety of lengths, styles and calibres. They ranged from the diminutive .250 Rook right up to the mighty .577 cartridges for the biggest of game. There were so many cartridges on offer that – due to their varying lengths – it was often quite difficult to work out which type fitted a particular rifle. This was compounded by the fact that the type of cartridge required was sometimes not stamped on the rifle. Most of the famous…

“Mr Packham is possibly the greatest single threat to grouse shooting.” Usually when a celebrity attacks fieldsports they are ill informed and their arguments are purely emotional. Not many people will take much notice of Brian May. What makes the ongoing feud between grouse shooting and Chris Packham so unnerving is that he is not a weird-looking guitarist but a knowledgeable wildlife man of no small repute. Chris Packham has a degree in zoology, is a naturalist, photographer, TV presenter and author of numerous books. He is president of the Hawk Conservation Trust and Bat Conservation Trust, vice-president of the RSPB, Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation Trust and several other trusts. He has published two papers on kestrels, been awarded the much-coveted BTO Dilys Breese medal for the promotion of science…

This really is an astonishingly good gun to hold. From the moment you close it you notice its remarkable balance, feeling predictable but also quite lively. And when I mounted the gun I was repeatedly shocked at how naturally and quickly it came to the shoulder. The positivity was very easily observed, with instructor Bruce Marks immediately commenting on how well the Perazzi allowed me to move, both when mounting and swinging through the shot. The sight plane down the barrels is quite fascinating: I found the lack of rib not at all distracting, and in fact it meant I concentrated entirely on the target at all times. This is almost certainly a major factor in how cleanly one can mount the gun. The Ribless Perazzi moves beautifully and is…

One of the main attractions of Ardanaiseig is its remoteness, which means there is only one other option in the immediate area. The Taychreggan Hotel is also on the shores of Loch Awe and is the other side of the sleepy village of Kilchrenan. It’s a relaxing and secluded country-house hotel that was originally a 17th century cattle drover's inn. It has been tastefully updated and now offers a good alternative to Ardanaiseig if you are looking for some variety or it’s full. Either way you will be well positioned to enjoy the raw attraction of the western shores of Loch Awe.taychregganhotel.co.uk…

Forestry and woodland occupy a small but buoyant part of the rural property market, seen as a favoured asset for individuals looking to diversify their portfolios. Forestry is often overlooked as a niche opportunity, but it represents an excellent way of investing funds with a view to longterm capital growth, while being able to enjoy stalking, shooting and even fishing at affordable land prices. Most forest and woodland on the UK mainland now holds resident deer populations, often with two or more species present. Tree age and diversity has a considerable influence on deer densities: second-rotation forests with small blocks of differing-age timber can support staggering deer numbers. Although tree protection is an important management consideration, it is possible to run timber and deer management interests simultaneously, providing a piece…

THE UTILITY Gundog Society held a novice and open working test in sugar beet at Loose Hall Farm, Hitcham, by kind permission of Kevin Easey, writes Julia Reed. Judges were Peter Avery and Andy Waterhouse. The scent was good, helped by large coveys of partridge and several hares! The beet was a nice size and the judges were able to see the dogs working. The novice dogs had a mark in front and a blind behind but in the open there were two marks thrown, with the dogs having to cross the line to pick the other side’s dummy. This sorted the dogs out as some found it difficult… Thanks to Sporting Saint and Kronch for their sponsorship and to my helpers, the judges and the landowner. Results NOVICE 1…

THE EASTERN Counties Golden Retriever Club held its novice dog/novice handler and special puppy working test at Springfield, just outside Chelmsford, by kind permission of Robert and John Bucknell, writes Di Ewings. The day was warm but with sufficient breeze to make it bearable for dogs and handlers alike. Our judges were Glynis Hillier and David Barnes. We divided into two groups and one went to tackle the walk-up with Glynis, which for the novice dog/novice handlers comprised a walk-up off lead and then a marked retrieve in some tall grass from a static position. The puppies’ test was a walk-up on the same terrain when the shot was fired and the dummy thrown when the dogs were on the move. While this was in progress David oversaw a double…

THE OPEN cold game test at Edwinstowe in Nottinghamshire was held by kind permission of Robert Bealby, writes Phil Wagland. The judges were Arthur Hewer and Julia Sykes. The sugar beet was wet from rain and also tall and dense, so was quite difficult to walk through and work the dogs. In the morning the beet was walked-up in line, with retrieves orchestrated by the signals of chief steward Phil Smithies. Guns saluted pigeons thrown at a distance for forward marks in the first round. In the second round dogs were sent down the line for blinds close to the far end of the line. After three retrieves in the morning walk-up, 10 dogs were called in for two more blind retrieves in an area of tall, leafy beet. One…

THE KENNEL Club and Scottish Kennel Club (SKC) have welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement of a set of measures that will be introduced to protect and improve dog welfare. The Scottish Government is to introduce an exemption for working dogs under its tail-docking regulations, which will allow for certain working dogs to be docked at birth to avoid tail injury in later life. Despite the growing evidence that exists on tail injuries sustained by working dogs in Scotland, the Kennel Club is the only national dog welfare organisation that has lobbied for such an exemption. Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club secretary, said: “While we support UK-wide bans on tail docking for aesthetic reasons alone, we have long been disappointed that, unlike in England and Wales, the Scottish Executive did not make…

In October, Queen guitarist Brian May took exception to David Beckham’s visit to a shoot day held at Guy Ritchie’s Ashcombe Estate. “This just made me very sad. Beckham is a hero. But to engage in the most cowardly of 'sports', to me, is ... so disappointing…” was May’s view on Twitter, but the views of our Facebook followers were quite different… Gerry Turner posted: “Must be so nice to be so perfect that you can criticise other people for participating in perfectly legal activities. Especially when those activities do so much to promote conservation and enhance natural habitats, not to mention putting good healthy food on the table.” Sallie Cordery posted: “Mr May has been conspicuous by his absence at this year’s (badger) cull despite being in the papers…

The Fur, Feather and Fin series was always going to become a landmark of sporting writing. Pulled together over several years by some of the leading authors in their fields, the 12 volumes of the series cover the main species considered loosely as game, from rabbits and partridges to foxes, pike and perch. The series introduces itself with a brief stated aim: to combine the best in natural history, sporting excitement and culinary enjoyment. In this it succeeds brilliantly – the series is littered with big names working collaboratively to lend gravitas and authority to the text – and as if this wasn’t enough, who better to provide illustrations for a late Victorian/early Edwardian series on natural history than Archibald Thorburn? His paintings were converted in black and white etchings…

Q: Are there any legal guidelines on where to keep the main and spare keys to the gun cabinet? A: On Sunday August 10 1997 a police officer called at the house of Mr Mark Farrer. He wanted to inspect his firearms security. Mr Farrer was not at home. His mother, then in her 80s, who did not hold a certificate, fetched the officer the key and allowed him access to the cabinet. The Chief Constable then declined to renew Mr Farrer’s certificate because he had allowed an unauthorised person access to his guns. He appealed. The case reached the Court of Appeal, presided over by the then Lord Chief Justice, Lord Bingham. The court agreed with the Chief Constable. So you may not allow any unauthorised person access to…

TRAVEL Ferneylea is in East Lothian and situated to the west of the A1 at Cockburnspath between Edinburgh and Berwick-on-Tweed. Travel exclusively by road is probably your best option, as was the case for our shooting party, but there are alternatives in getting you most of the way there. The nearest railway station is Dunbar, which lies to the north of the shoot. This station is on the East Coast Mainline, which runs between London and Edinburgh. STAY With the shoot being a quarter of an hour away from Dunbar, visiting shooting parties have an excellent spread of choices to suit all budgets. John MacGregor’s personal recommendations were the Rocks Hotel (therocksdunbar.co.uk), Bayswell Park (bayswellparkhotel.com) and the Royal Mackintosh Hotel (royalmackintosh.co.uk). If you really want to push the boat out…

Lord Ripon, Earl de Grey, was born in 1852 and became the second Marquis of Ripon in 1909. He is arguably the greatest game shot of all time with a recorded lifetime’s total of 556,813 head of game. Much of his shooting was conducted with three guns, and with great speed of loading he is known to have had seven dead birds in the air at one time. He persisted in the use of hammer guns. The unprecedented size of his bags has led to his frequent description as the greatest shot of all and his feats are unlikely to ever be repeated. At Studley Royal, his Yorkshire estate, he entertained the royalty and nobility of England and Europe and in turn shot at the greatest sporting estates such as…

“It was like the last days of Caligula meets Last of the Summer Wine.” A gap year is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a chance for those between A-Levels and university to go out into the world and do something unforgettable before the reality of adult life kicks in. Some people go backpacking in Thailand. Some buy an old banger and race it to Mongolia. I on the other hand spent 12 months working on the Arkleside Estate in the tiniest of the Yorkshire dales, Coverdale. Living in Coverdale is a little like being in a James Herriot novel. Almost everyone still drives Land Rovers, the landline is still king and the accent of most locals is, to the unaccustomed, almost completely intelligible. Karl Alderson, Arkleside’s headkeeper, possesses a Yorkshire accent thicker…

During the black powder era, pressure on guns was not high as black powder was slow burning and took the whole length of the barrel to combust. When nitro powders came along in the 1890s, combustion completely changed as the new powders were far faster burning and more powerful. Consequently the majority of double rifle makers had to beef up the actions to cope with the higher pressures. Extra metal was retained on the sides of the action at the breech in the form of side bolsters. Side bolsters were carefully sculpted and finely chiselled and this not only added to the elegance of the double rifle, it also seemed to give the rifle added potency. Purdey was one of the first makers to develop side bolsters, their use dating…

WHERE THE WILD BIRDS ARE… Geese galore on the Orkney Islands NO FURTHER QUESTIONS… How the Westminster grouse debate was won WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Heartwarming success stories from members of the original Help For Heroes shooting team A SPORTING TEMPLE The Devon shoot where the birds inspire worship PAIN NOW, PLAY LATER Why paying early for your shooting is best BEATING THE DOOR DOWN Why the end of January is a boom time for beaters THE JANUARY ISSUE GOES ON SALE ON THURSDAY DECEMBER 22…

You might be forgiven for heaving a sigh at the sight of yet another Italian over-under on these review pages. But it is rather difficult to ignore the fact our European cousins are responsible for much of the new hardware unleashed upon the sporting world. Unusually, however, this particular Italian over-under owes a significant debt of gratitude to some decidedly British influence. Having had the distinct pleasure of testing this gun on some challenging targets, including on the new grouse butt at Grange Farm Shooting School, I am certainly glad of its creation. This gun is based on Perazzi’s popular MX12 but has been designed in conjunction with (and is available exclusively from) Sportarm of Dorchester. Sporting gun enthusiasts may well already be familiar with the Dorset-based firm for another…

Q When I get the dubious honour of being a walking gun or having a 'roving brief' at the end of the line I often struggle on long crossers, which are inevitable with no neighbours. Any tips? A The walking gun brief can be one of my favourite roles but equally it is a tricky one, and the addition of long crossers can be an extra challenge. When you are given a brief as a walking gun the most important thing is to remember the associated safety that actually surrounds walking with a gun. Personally I walk with the gun closed making sure to break it and empty the gun when crossing fences and obstacles, however many people prefer to walk with the gun broken all the time. It is…

SPECIFICATIONS 350 d AMG Line 4MATIC 9G-Tronic Price: £61,350 Top speed: 140mph 0-62mph: 7 seconds Combined: 39.2mpg CO2 emission: 187g/km It is a truth universally accepted that a married man in possession of a mid-life crisis is in want of a sportscar. I am 44-years-old, no longer drive a racing car regularly and have transferred my hair growth from the top of my head to my ears, nose and weirdly asymmetrical Denis Healey right eyebrow. The problem is that while I may want a sportscar, I need a gunbus, a school bus and something in which to do my interstellar annual motorway mileage. As it is, I blow my limited funds each year on running a veritable fleet of cars, from Defender to TVR, with a couple of slightly more…

The Stamford from J.L. Wood of Stamford (1900); the Perfecta from Starsmore & Co of Stamford (1900); the Special Brown from F.S. Duncomb of Stamford (1900); and the Stamford from S.J. Grimes of Stamford (1926). The Pheasant from Randall & Wright of Spalding (1910); the Grafton from Harrison & Hussey of London (1922); the Albemarle from Harrison & Hussey of London (1922); and the Lightning from Richard Wise of Kidderminster (1910). The Lincoln from Lincoln Jeffries & Co of Birmingham (1900); the Yellow Boy from A.F. Smith of Hailsham & Heathfield (1910); the Regent from E. Williams of Aberystwyth (1927); and the Pheasant from S.J. Limmex & Co. of Swindon (1927). SIX GEMS FROM THE NORTH OF ENGLAND A sample of cartridges from noted gunmaker J.F. Smythe, who was based…

BARKING MAD Two Centuries of Great Dog Stories By Tom Quinn In the shooting world we pride ourselves on the way we enable gundogs to utilise all their natural instincts to help us find, flush, shoot and collect our game. You will never see a happier animal than these working dogs, which have been well trained to work in conjunction with us on our shooting forays. But we shooters are not the only ones who enjoy owning dogs and, as this anthology entertainingly reminds us, dogs have all sorts of roles in our lives, intentional or not. Tales of otherwise untrained dogs achieving remarkable feats; such as bull terriers saving boys from the Leeds and Liverpool canal and dogs which travel hundreds of miles of their own accord intermingle easily…

THE ARFON Working Gundog Club held an a.v. retriever test at The Old Quarry in Llangaffo, Anglesey by kind permission of John Brooke, writes Gwilym Jones. The judges were Glenys Caldwell and Frank Morrey. The ground was testing and challenging for all the dogs, and we had typical Anglesey weather with some sunshine, cloud and a bit of drizzle. Thank to our host; the judges; Jamie Hogan for letting us park at the quarry; the helpers for their efforts; the competitors; and our sponsors for their continued support: CSJ Specialist Canine Feeds and Gary McCarthy of Gundog Gear. Results NOVICE 1 Nick Bryan with Mossborough Marlin 2 Roland Glaser with Tidleland Roly 3 Liz Weigh with Trefoel Chartist of Minstead 4 Elaine Chappell with Crooksber Lark OPEN 1 Gary McCarthy…

THE PUPPY, special puppy and novice dog/novice handler tests were held at Bourton on the Water, by kind permission of Mrs C. Earnshaw, writes Ian Wilson. The judges were Charlotte Earnshaw and Paul Truby, and Skinner’s provided sponsorship. In the morning the special puppies and novice dog/novice handlers attempted four tests. The first was a two-dog walk-up with a mark behind followed by a blind in front. Test two was a mark over a dry ditch with cover in it so that the fall was out of sight. Test three was a mark followed by a blind over a shallow reed-lined river. And test four was a hunting exercise in a small copse where the dogs were sent to find a blind in the corner of the wood before being…

FORTY-NINE per cent of puppies bought online without being seen first fall sick, and around 17 per cent end up with serious gastrointestinal problems. One in five people who bought a pup online or from newspaper adverts, not realising that many could have been bred on puppy farms, are forced to spend between £500 and £1,000 on vet bills in the first six months of the puppy’s life – sometimes more than the original cost of the puppy. Often the dogs were bought as a spur of the moment decision, with almost two-thirds being bought solely because of the way they looked. The Kennel Club is increasingly concerned about irresponsible breeders who put profit over health and welfare, and is keen to highlight the importance of going to a responsible…

WORKING DOG food brand Chudleys presented a Jeep Renegade to ex-serving soldier Jason Reynolds at the Countryman Fairs’ flagship event the Midland Game Fair. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Chudleys ran an on-pack promotion to win 40 prizes over 40 days with the Jeep Renegade Hatchback 1.6 E-torQ Sport in Omaha Orange, from Nottinghamshire-based Jeep dealership Chris Variava as the ultimate prize. Veteran Jason Reynolds was randomly selected as the winner and was invited to attend the Midland Game Fair to be presented with the Jeep by Dodson & Horrell CEO Sam Horrell. Jason served in the army for 10 years in Northern Ireland and was sadly diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To help with his condition, Jason trained black labrador Eva as an assistance dog and Ember…

£8,942.40p amount raised by Cambridgeshire Gundog Club for East Anglian Air Ambulance in past seven years (@cambsgundogclub) 12 the page length of a new code of practice launched by rural groups on snares for fox control in England (BASC) 3 length (in hours) of the debate on the e-petition to ban driven grouse shooting, held on October 31 12,000 and rising number of views BASC’s grouse-themed videos, filmed as part of the #NoMoorMyths campaign, have clocked up on YouTube since August (BASC) £4,262.50 amount recently donated to the NGO by David Bright Seeds (NGO) .223 calibre of a new London Best rifle from John Rigby & Co.…

A good shoot day is all about pace and timing – it can’t be crash, bang wallop all day long. And the elevenses break comes as the perfect opportunity to stop and reflect on the privilege of spending a day in the field. So in recognition of this most excellent of sporting traditions we have teamed up with Foxdenton, makers of traditional drinks for the perfect elevenses and famous for their Goliath bottle, to select one shoot to feature in excellent elevenses each month. And our winner this month is Sorn Castle shoot in Ayrshire. This tremendously atmospheric shoot is only half an hour’s drive west of the M74 to the south of Glasgow, but a visit here feels like stepping back into the Edwardian era of the shoot party.…

Unless a student of the Napoleonic or Great Wars, or born in Charleroi or Mons, chances are that you had until recently never heard of Wallonia or Paul Magnette who speaks for the 3.6 million socialist-leaning Walloons. Of late, M. Trudeau and the Canadians he represents wish they were living in similar happy ignorance, for this Franco-Walloon-speaking region of Belgium, best known for its Renaissance architecture and Trappist beers, decided to exercise its democratic right and oppose seven years of negotiation establishing a Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU. Thereby effectively derailing the whole process and, as his opposite number in the Flemish-speaking Dutch enclave, the unfortunately named Geert Bourgeois, opined, “because of this we are the laughing stock of the whole world.” Well, arguably…

So Paul, you want to be the first ever injured serviceman to shoot for the Army’s sporting team. A tall order, you’d agree? “Absolutely, I can’t deny it. I was asked by a friend to shoot in the Royal Artillery team years ago. We seemed to win everything but because I was injured I couldn’t ‘officially’ shoot in the Army team even though I think they may have used my scores. The same friend rang me up again and asked if I wanted to try for the team. I had to do the Army development squad shoot and he really felt I deserve to be in it. I’ve done their two selection shoots and won them both.” What would it mean to you to represent the Army as a shot?…

Originally acquired in 1903 by Thomas McIntyre, great-grandfather of current owner Jamie McIntyre, Sorn Castle has remained the family home ever since. Originally built during the reign of Edward III, the listed building dates back to as early as the 14th century. Since that time the castle has seen many owners and there have been a number of additions over the years. The last expansion was completed under Thomas McIntyre’s ownership in 1908. Apart from the main reception rooms and bedrooms, the castle also has a few surprises such as secret doors and staircases (pictured), and of course the odd ghostly inhabitant. In fact Sorn Castle has been well known for its ghosts for hundreds of years. Green Jean is a beautiful lady’s maid from the 18th century who makes…

“It isn't necessarily going to be won by hotshot game shooters like Lord James Percy or Dave Carrie.” Lord Ripon is one of the people who spring immediately to mind when asked about the famous game shooters of the past. He died (on the grouse moor of course) in 1923, having personally accumulated a lifetime bag of 556,813 head of game. To try and put this into perspective, it equates to more than 11,000 individual 50-bird days. That’s more than 30 years of shooting every single day of the year. Of course it would not have been unusual for Ripon and his shooting buddies to put more than 1,000 birds in the bag on a single day. And with his relentless determination to keep pulling the trigger it’s safe to…

THE AUTHOR 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.…

Shooting Gazette editor Will Hetherington said: “I shot the Ripon Challenge on a sunny day in early autumn, along with editor-at-large Robin Scott, and with West London’s Chris Douneen helping with the loading and officiating. We chose to do the loading ourselves to get the full experience, but you don’t have to. I’m glad we did because it really makes you feel part of the challenge, and gives you an idea of the concentration and discipline which must have been required of Lord Ripon’s support team. It’s hard to imagine he was sympathetic to any delays or errors in handling. I think Robin and I managed to get the hang of it pretty quickly and we were still talking to each other when we drove home so we must have…

“I now repay all favours (and offer apologies) with meat as a universal currency.” Over the past few years I have been branching out. With a firm foundation in grouse and wildfowl, I only started to explore the world of stalking in my early 20s. Forays with roe started a slow-burning flame that has gradually swelled to become a furnace. I’m now fanatically keen and have graduated into a stalking lease of my own that yields enough sport for a walk around at least once a week. The primary incentive for these trips is simply to spend time with the deer, but I can’t deny that a steady stream of venison is a welcome bonus. Friends and family have shown an inexhaustible ability to consume deer carcasses, and I now…

Human According to the definitive manual Dog Training by Amateurs (Country Life Ltd 1924) getting the new dog to sit and stay is the first obligation of the journeyman handler. While not disagreeing with this in principal I think it is fair to point out all the dogs referred to in this otherwise excellent tome are kennelled. The whiskery gentleman in the simply enormous britches and tackety boots can be seen in the accompanying photographs with his hand held high while adoring dogs hold station around him; but always with the kennels in the background. I dare say there are still households where many dogs are still kennelled. Hunt kennels spring to mind and I know a few keepers who still have rows of kennels behind their cottages; but these…

“Included in my book collection is one titled Pigeons and How to Keep Them. How sad is that?” Fanatics of any sport or interest tend to find it influences their lives more than they initially realise. Talking to other pigeon-shooting enthusiasts met at game fairs or out and about in the countryside, I realise we are no different. So thought was given to other aspects of my life that are the result of my passion for pigeon shooting. Some are just part of life; others I am less proud of – like the fact that while a pigeon is easily spotted on a field half a mile away I fail to notice my wife has had her hair cut. At the home of any pigeon nut there is always evidence…

This is another interesting gun developed by Sportarm in conjunction with a major European manufacturer. Here Sportarm has spotted a gap in the market for a bespoke English-style gun made to the quality and standard one expects of a major Italian gunmaker and at an achievable price. Perazzi is best known for being a competition gunmaker but in recent years has begun to make significant waves in the world of game shooting. It is odd that removing the rib makes such a difference – if you pick one up it seems to hardly weigh a thing! Interestingly, a solid rib actually weighs less than a ventilated rib as it is hollow inside. One would normally expect to see a ventilated rib on a Perazzi, so the weight saving is, in…

A TWO-YEAR-OLD labrador retriever bitch from Ardgay, Sutherland, has won the Kennel Club’s all-aged retriever field trial at the Candacraig Estate in Aberdeenshire. Hawksrigg Aurora, known as Oka, owned by Rachel Murray, was awarded first place at the competition, which saw talented working retrievers tested on their natural working ability. The trial was the first one Oka and Rachel have ever entered. Rachel said: “As it was both mine and Oka’s first trial I was nervous all day but she performed brilliantly and I was extremely proud of her. She’s very different to my other dogs but is work-oriented, calm and well behaved. We’ve entered another trial so we have a lot of training to do!” The trial was held at the Candacraig Estate by kind permission of Mr Shields.…

Q Sitting in the pub the other night we got into a heated debate about whether a gundog should be in a kennel or in the house. Can you throw any light on the debate? ADO YOU know, that particular subject raises more passion than many things to do with training and you don’t get much middle ground. Let’s try to look at it from both angles. The function of a dog used to be to do some sort of job, and keeping a dog as a pet is a relatively new phenomenon. Yes, dogs still work now and you can see them on any farm in the land performing a specific role. These working dogs are generally kept outside as they are part of the functionality of the day-to-day…

THE ESSEX Area of the United Retriever Club held an open sugar beet working test at Park Farm in Assington, writes Valerie Stanton. Driving along the A12 to the test I was not hopeful about the weather but the skies brightened to give ideal conditions. The judges, competitors and helpers all arrived in good time for the day to begin. There were 27 entries to be judged by Phil Askew and Gary Vidler. The stewards for the day were Tom Lowe and John Cameron. The first test was a walk-up and the dogs were asked to retrieve a mark in front and one behind the line. The second round consisted of a blind on stubble with the dogs remaining in the field of sugar beet. The bird to be picked…

Field trials should resemble a day’s shooting. But at every trial we have attended so far the standard of dress has been decidedly ropey. The “training vest”– the clue is in the name – or white caps and light colours should not be worn at trials in my opinion. They look silly. I know we have to be ready for all weathers but there is nothing wrong with a good old fashioned game bag to stuff waterproofs in. Oh and by the way, I don’t think it is acceptable to be kitted out in non-sludgy colours. Having always worn a proper hat I’m not really comfortable donning my green embroidered baseball cap, but after trying my level best to get my ear defenders and hood over the top of my…

HOW TO WIN For your chance to win a Grizzly smock, email your 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.…