Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2016 i Sporting Gun

“I’m already looking forward to next year’s Field & Country Fair at Cornbury Park” It was great to see so many of you at the Field and Country Fair a few weeks ago. Thank you for dropping by the Sporting Gun stand to have a chat. I was interested to hear your views about the magazine and I will address your points in the near future. I’m already looking forward to next year’s Field & Country Fair, which will take place on 16 to 18 June at Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire and I hope to see you there. As it’s coming up to the time of year when woodpigeons are becoming a serious pest to farmers and gardeners alike, we have a special focus on shooting woodies. Richard Brigham tells us…

“Two puffs of feathers were seen time after time before the sound of the shots reached me” Any serious pigeon shooter will tell you that, sooner or later, circumstances will conspire to enable you to make a huge bag. Whether you will be able to take advantage of those circumstances is another matter. The following is an account of a remarkable dayÕs decoying that my shooting partner, Paul, and I enjoyed a couple of years ago. Several favourable criteria have to fall into place to make any kind of bag – even on an average day’s decoying. In this instance, one of the top “killing fields” on one of my best farms was drilled with peas and we’d already had five days of more than 100 birds. Two gas guns…

Parking: Plenty of parking around 70 to 80 yards from the centre next to the William Evans gunshop. Toilet facilities: Toilets with disabled access throughout. Clubhouse: Clean and tidy with plenty of comfortable seating inside and out. It also has hot and cold food available from 9am to 2.30pm. The clubhouse is equipped with televised score screens and the layouts can be viewed through the large glass frontage. There is also a large screen displaying scores situated near the layouts that can be viewed from the clubhouse. Membership: Full membership for non-NRA members is £110, husband and wife £160, juniors £50, veterans £60 – for over 65s and NRA members. Prices: Members £6 for 25 clays, £8 for 30 clays – double trap. Non-members £7 for 25 clays and £8…

“The prospect of more widespread Babesiosis is scary, but there could be worse to come, warns Mark Elliott” There’s been a great deal of argument about uncontrolled immigration over recent months. One group of migrants that did not figure in the “great EU debate” was dogs. I’m dumbfounded at the number of people I meet whose canine companion is a rescue dog, imported from eastern European countries such as Romania and Bulgaria. An astonishing 93,424 dogs were imported to the UK in 2015; more than a third came from Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Poland or Ireland. Figures suggest that at least 7,000 were rescue dogs with the majority of the remainder coming from puppy farms. Foreign imports Many owners of imported street dogs are unpleasantly surprised by the size of their…

“Summer ferreting isnÕt for everyone, but the task is a major part of the job” It feels like only yesterday that we were carrying out a large-scale rabbit cull in the Hebrides. But time flies and it was more than two years ago when the weather was beating us from side to side as we went about our work. The initial cull was only the first part of the project – the aim being to cut down numbers over the first three months so that the remainder of the rabbits could be kept under control by one person. Eradication was not required because of concerns that removal of the rabbits could harm potential predators. Island life Shortly after the three month cull, one of the team moved to the island…

TUITION Abreast of the problems Q I’ve taken up shooting with my boyfriend to avoid being left at home weekends. It’s a great challenge and I want to improve, but I can’t find a gun that doesn’t bruise my shoulder. I’ve had my O/U fitted with a soft recoil pad, but it doesn’t help. John says: Sounds to me as though the bruising is down to a badly shaped stock, which might also be a little too long for you as well. Either way, I suggest you seek out a decent fitter to put things right. It’s stating the obvious that a lady’s chest and shoulder pocket is different from that of a man’s and to this end the butt-plate of her gun needs to be shaped accordingly. For a…

I was watching a couple of spaniels covering the ground in a park recently when it dawned on me. Grass is fundamentally bad for dogs on so many levels and in so many ways – it is just plain bad. “No, no, no”, I hear you say, but first let me explain… Allergies The subject of allergic or so-called atopic dogs has been featured in previous issues of Sporting Gun. For many of our canine friends, summer can be an itchy misery caused by a pointless immune response to harmless pollens – wheat, sweet vernal, English couch and yellow docks being among the most common culprits. While these may cause classic hay fever symptoms in humans, dogs can end up with itchy skin and can end up licking their feet,…

“When looking to buy a trained dog, be clear about what you want the dog to do” By the time this article is published I will have a new addition to the “cocker clan”, a new very well-bred pup. This will be the first time for more than eight years that the patter of tiny paws has been heard in the Ridley household. My last dog, Fuss, was 18 months old and fully trained. He had even been placed in a couple of field trials, but every now and again he squeaks. This is not a problem for me, but it is considered a fault, so he wasn’t suitable for competition. I have now had him for four years – plenty of time in which to consider the advantages and…

I am often asked to clear feral pigeons out of farm buildings. Once the birds have found a way of entering a farm building they are quick to nest and the problem is rapidly compounded. The birds can cause considerable damage to farming equipment and grain storage and pose health hazards to humans because of the volume of faeces they create. Farm inspectors have serious concerns about pigeons roosting in the rafters of grain storage buildings, especially if the grain is destined for human consumption. No one wants pigeon poo flavoured foods. After a farmyard feral pigeon shoot I always wash my hands as soon as possible because pigeon faeces can make you very ill. Farmyard perils When shooting out in open areas and fields it is easy to become…

Ingredients Serves: PREP TIME: 24 HOURS COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES Saddle and fillet of one large rabbit 100g black puddin g (skin removed) 12 slices pancetta bacon 2tbsp vegetable oil 150g butter 10 cèpes, por cini or shiitake mushrooms 4 medium potatoes (Maris Piper) 8 prunes, pit ted ½ Savoy cabbage 4 sprigs of thyme 200ml chick en stock ½ glass r ed wine 4 sheets filo pastr y Salt and pepper COOKING METHOD 1 Mix black pudding and thyme leaves in a blender until smooth. Run a sausage of the mix along the rabbit loin. Roll up the joint, using the thin flap of rib meat and skin to seal. Lay a large sheet of cling film on a table and set out a row of bacon rashers, slightly…

It’s all about being spoilt on two fronts. The first is stalkers who come and give him a biscuit when they put their gear in the truck. Believe me, he always remembers those who give him treat because he bounces around his cage in anticipation as they approach the car. The second is that he is often in the house now. He isn’t quite sure that he should be and usually lies down in the kitchen blocking the way to anything we need to get to forcing us to climb over the big lad. Even when we are outside having a dram, he will often go into the kitchen and claim his spot. I think he is attempting a takeover of territory. I’d better be careful, he’ll start laying his…

GUNS FOR SALE Thomas Wild 12-bore SBS hammer gun, 30in barrels, Stock 14.5 in, sidelock, metal inserts on plate scrolling. Not been used since 1970. Lovely gun, good investment comes with very old slip. Price call. Tel: 01323 492215 (East Sussex) Beretta AL391 20-bore, 28in multi-choke barrels with 2000 cartridges, £1,395 Ono. Tel 01308 427499 (Dorset) Ceaser Guerini Essex 20-bore, 28in barrels. Never used, plus four rosewood rods with fittings, two chrome snap caps and leather cartridge belt. £1,500. Tel 01642 315177 (Cleveland) Webley & Scott 12-bore O/U fixed choke, 28in barrel, ejector, plus £60 worth of cartridges £350. Tel 0115 926 1177 (Nottingham) Collection of old air rifles. BSA underlevers, Lincoln Jeffries, Webley MK2 Service .177 calibre. Old bolt-action Anschutz and more. Also Old hammer guns 12, 16, 20-bore…

BROWNING GOLD 10 The big 12 seems to be the most popular choice nowadays. Ten-bore side-by-sides and over-and-unders were mostly, if not exclusively, made for shooting lead and that is no longer an option. However, there is still a choice for the big-bore shooters, which is to find a relatively recent semi-auto. My favourite is the Browning Gold 10-bore, which is not included in the company’s European catalogues any more but is freely available in the US for goose and turkey shooting. However, there are a few new guns available in Britain at prices starting from £1,300. I tested the Gold 10 when it first came out in the early 1990s. Trying to test a new gun before the season has started is always very tricky because you can’t use…

That’s rich…unarmed police officers in rural areas will be “sitting ducks” says a Police Federation spokesman if terrorists mount an attack in the countryside (see page 10 ). Point taken. But I hope you don’t mind me asking – what about the rest of us? The thought of a religious maniac running amok in a crowded farmers’ auction mart or scone filled Women’s Institute tent with an AK 47 and explosive body belt makes the blood run cold. Yet the bottom line is that any bobby – something of a rare sight in the leafy shires these days – won’t be the only one to cop it. Why is it the authorities tell us to expect attacks anywhere, any time, but they’ve allowed armed officer numbers to fall to…

“I was caught out by two sneaking in low along the upwind side of the hedge” It only seems a short while since I was lamenting the lack of pigeon-shooting opportunities. There’s always a gap between wringing out the last hour or two on the flowering spring rape – with few chances of a decent decoying session – until the first bits of laid corn come along to provide another opportunity for some pigeon-shooting action. One moment the barley was barely knee high, green as grass and attracting little more than the latest batch of hedgerow bunnies, then suddenly, the ears had sprouted, swelled out and rapidly developed into potential pigeon grub. At this critical stage of growth, cereal plants are at their most vulnerable, particularly in stormy weather. With…

WHERE THEY WERE SHOT 1 Name: Phil Bowes and Rob Frampton Location: Oxford This photo was taken following a good day shooting corvids in Oxford. Phil said: “We were shooting over fresh drillings and they kept trickling in for the five hours we were there. The weather was kind to us and we ended up with 201 crows and five pigeons. The farmer was getting pestered by them for a few days, so he was happy with the results.” 2 Name: Tony Wilson and Paul Andrews Location: Cambridgeshire It was Tony’s 50th birthday so he and Paul celebrated by going shooting. Tony and Paul said: “Shooting from a large pile of muck over a drilled barley field we had an unexpected 126 birds, which was our first bag over 100.…

“Few of us actually need premium bullets, they are expensive but if they work for you in your rifle that probably doesn’t matter” Now that we are all expert Shots after reading my article in last month’s Sporting Gun and are practising with our air rifles, it may be a good time to look at the bullet we have just fired and see what happens when it hits the target. As it will, if you were paying attention last time! Bullet technology has come a long way since the round lead balls and bullets, made of pure lead or hardened with tin, fired by our ancestors in their muzzle loading and early breech loading guns and rifles. Yet those old firearms still kill game and vermin exactly as they always…

GUNDOGS: GRAHAM WATKINS A professional gundog trainer for more than 35 years and runs Gamegoer Gundogs. VETERINARY: NEIL MCINTOSH A practising vet in Scotland. TUITION: JOHN BIDWELL 6 times World FITASC champ and pro shooting coach. LEGAL: DAVID FROST Author of Sporting Shooting and the Law. TECHNICAL: MIKE GEORGE Engineering author with a deep love of gunmaking. PIGEONS: PETER THEOBALD Author of Woodpigeon: The Ultimate Quarry. STALKING: GEORGE WALLACE Former National Gamekeepers’ Organisation’s firearms consultant. FERRETS: ED COOK Professional rabbit catcher working over 30,000 acres. PEST CONTROL & WILDFOWL: TOM SYKES Passionate wildfowler and pest controller…

“Some dogs take to this discipline naturally, while others will make a lot of splashing” Now that warmer weather has arrived it is an ideal time to introduce young dogs to water. Many dogs will take to the task like the proverbial ducks, but the exercise does need to be taken slowly. Rather than simply throw dummies out into a pond or lake, a bit of thought needs to be put in to what you are doing. First, you’ll need to find a suitable location. Fast flowing rivers or gravel pits with deep sides are to be avoided. Ideally, pick a small pond or lake with gently sloping banks – preferably one that has a hard bottom. Thick, silty mud can be very off putting for a young dog. Before…

Simulated gameshooting has grown in popularity over the years, with many estates offering days to Guns either as entertainment or to keep their eye in before the season starts. It can also be a good way for a newcomer to gameshooting to get used to shooting in company. I have started doing a few days on the Honeycombe shoot and, although life is never quiet for a keeper, I manage to squeeze a few days in between rearing and releasing my birds during the summer months. We try to run the day as closely as we can to a driven one during the season. The Guns meet at the lodge at 9.30am for coffee and pastries, have two drives, then stop for elevenses. They then have one drive, which is…

SEELAND WETLAND JACKET Ideal for wildfowling, this jacket is lightweight but warm and waterproof. The treated fabric sheds moisture in wet conditions while the neoprene cuffs help to stop the water from running up your arms. It also comes with matching trousers. Price: £108 Web: www.bushwear.co.uk HARKILA HURRICANE CAMO JACKET The camo has been designed around animal vision, not human eyesight. This lightweight jacket is silent and windproof while an integrated hood gives complete concealment. Matching trousers, waistcoat and cap are available. Price: £284.95 Web: www.ardmoor.co.uk JACK PYKE FIELD SMOCK A practical, lightweight smock. Available in two different camos, English oak or English woodland. The jacket is breathable, silent and fully waterproof. Its Velcro cuffs keep the rain out. The matching hood is wired and adjustable. Price: £66.95…

There are always surprises around the corner if you are controlling roe deer. No more so than this month. I was out on one of my trips to observe deer movement in an area I had visited at the start of last month. My previous visit to the place, which has very steep mature wooded banks on both sides of a large grassed area and usually contains sheep, had not flagged up any problems caused by roe bucks. However, as I crossed the wicket gate into the woodland, which has a young plantation made up of a mixture of hardwood and pine, I was immediately greeted by the sight of a number of newly frayed young trees. This wasn’t a disaster, taking into account the number of trees in the…

Tania grew up in Yorkshire hunting, shooting and fishing. She loved art at school so went off to university in Newcastle to study it. “Art was my only mantra in life, it was what I always wanted to do,” she says. Unhappy in Newcastle, Tania left to head to London to study at the City and Guilds. “I loved the course and my teachers, but one of my tutors was very anti hunting, because of a childhood experience, so he asked me not to paint anything to do with it. I wanted to learn and he was such a good tutor, so I did as I was told.” That didn’t stop her though, when she finished college she set herself up in a communal studio in Fulham and started painting…

GUNS adj — adjustableble — boxlock ejectorblne — boxlock non ejectorbrls — barrelsc/w — complete withcyl — cylinderdb — double barreldt — double triggerej — ejectorex con — excellent conditionfac — firearms certificatefc — fixed chokegc — good conditiongrd — gradehg — hammer gunimp — improvedltwt — lightweightm/c — multi-chokemod — modifiedo/u — over and underono — or near offerovno — or very near offerp/x — part exchangepa — pump actionrf — rimfirernds — rounds (ammunition)sa — semi-automaticsb — single barrelsbs — side by sidesle — side lock ejectorslne — sidelock no ejectorsst — single selective triggertge — teague chokesu/l — underlevervgc — very good condition DOGS b/w — black and whiteess — English springer spanielftaw — field trial award winnerftch — field trial championftw — field trial winnerhpr —…

“There have been many different versions of the B25 – guns for every conceivable clay discipline” My favourite gun is a Winchester 6500 Sporter. I bought it, second-hand, in the 1980s and the stock modifications undertaken by its first owner suited me perfectly. I love it and would never part with it but, which would be the best guns I have never owned? Over this and future issues of Sporting Gun I shall feature the selection I would like to have in my gunroom, my first choice being the Browning B25. Over-and-under history The history of the over-and-under shotgun is longer than you may think. There were over-and-under flintlocks in the late 1700s, and the first breechloaders were produced in Europe in the latter half of the 1800s, but it…

Waiting game > Having decided it was time to renew my interest in shooting after a long absence, I’m starting to wish I hadn’t bothered. First, I decided to apply for both certificates together. Forms were filled out, referees found and my fee included. I posted my applications to my local licensing team, which is West Mercia and Warwickshire combined. I then prepared by buying my cabinet, joining BASC, etc. This was six months ago! I have emailed numerous times and all I get is the same automated reply. When I call, I am told that they’re still working on last year’s applications and they can’t tell me how much longer I’m going to have to wait. I was hoping to have had it by now because I was intending…

The National Clay Shooting Centre (NCSC) at Bisley Camp, run by the National Rifle Association, is only 30 miles from London and close to the M3 motorway. Established in 1890, Bisley has long been associated with target rifle shooting but also boasts impressive clayshooting grounds. There you can find trap and skeet disciplines at the NCSC, and Sporting clays at the Bisley Shooting Ground. Clayshooting has taken place at Bisley since the 1920s. The NCSC, with its trademark “tented” layouts, was purpose built to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games, in which 15 year old Charlotte Kerwood went home with a Gold medal in double trap. Fourteen years later the NCSC is still going strong, catering for trap and skeet disciplines, and going through more than one million clays per year.…

“The knowledge needed to undertake such activities is difficult to convey in a lecture” Some aspects of gamekeeping education simply cannot be taught in a classroom. Learning the key practical skills required to become a successful keeper is something best taught by getting your hands dirty and doing the job in hand. At the Northern School of Game and Wildlife we have the lowland and upland shoot, as well as Greystoke forest, to utilise for learning the needed estate skills. Most recently we have been hand-building new wooden grouse butts on Wet Sleddale grouse moor, in preparation for the coming season. Initially, we worked as a team to build one grouse butt under the instruction of grouse keeper and lecturer Tony Williams; to learn the best methods of constructing these…

If you didn’t manage to attend the event this year, why not make a note in your diary for next year. 2017 Field & Country Fair Friday 16 June until Sunday 18 June 2017 at Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire. For more information visit: www.fieldandcountryfair.com or follow us on Facebook, or Twitter.…

One of the delights of being a regular foxer is that things continually change as the year progresses. As I said in my previous article, you won’t have much luck unless you visit the places where the foxes are eating. The exception to this is, of course, during the breeding season when sex is pretty much the only thing on their minds. It’s therefore worth looking at exactly what food they’re likely to be after in each season. Spring Spring is, to most foxers, dominated by lambing – the bleating produced by the little ones seems to be irresistible to foxes, and that’s for two very good reasons. Firstly – and the one that most people think about when the subject is raised, is that lambs are good to eat,…

Browning is a company with a long history and it has produced some great guns over the years. The 525 is a shotgun that has been popular for more than 13 years, so when I was invited to test the updated 525 Game grade one I couldn’t wait. Usually, when someone tells you it’s a grade one Browning – which is the most basic gun in the 525 range – you think the wood is going to be poor and the engraving on the action will be plain. However, I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the wood. You will often notice on lower-grade guns that there is less engraving, or it is rather spread out to give the impression that there is more…

“One dog in particular winded a dummy (that was placed in a dell hole) from around 40 metres, very impressive” The flatcoat retriever may not be the shooting man’s first choice of dog and although not officially a “minor breed” it is certainly one of the lesser-known retriever breeds. On average there are about 1,300 registrations each year and compared with the Labrador’s 32,000 this does put the dog’s popularity in perspective. Today, many flatcoat retrievers are dual-purpose; not only are these dogs being shown at a high level, they can also be proficient workers in the shooting field. Few are seen competing in field trials but as peg and picking-up dogs, they can make first-class shooting companions. Due to the increasing popularity of shooting flying birds (and the corresponding…

“I couldn’t believe that I had missed such an easy bird” It’s been a funny year so far, with very little to shoot on the estate. I’ve been out and about eager to test my new ShotKam (barrel camera), but I’ve struggled to find many willing volunteers to take their chance in the limelight. The majority of the days I’ve had so far have been very poor, with only the odd bird or bags barely breaking into double figures. Little did I know that it was all about to change. I had been waiting patiently for the farmers to begin cutting the grass to give me a concentration of crows and, as with the proverbial buses, you wait for one and then they all come at once. Once the weather…

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus) is often seen on the menus of trendy restaurants to meet public demand for sustainable, locally sourced meat. Shooters have always known that this member of the columbidae family provides a tasty and nutritious meal. The dark breast meat is a good source of iron, crucial for energy production and a robust immune system. Thanks to its diverse diet of acorns, crops and berries, it has a rich earthy taste, reminiscent of woodland. Taking advantage This all sounds good, but there is one drawback to eating woodpigeon. If it has been shot with a shotgun, you have to chew carefully to avoid dental disaster. One way to avoid peppering your meal with lead shot is to use an airgun. A single pellet to the head will despatch…

Ingredients 1lb minced venison 1 onion, skinned and minced 1½oz rice, washed 2 eggs, separated salt and pepper A little finely chopped parsley 4oz butter 2tsp cornflour Juice from a lemon How to cook Put the mince in a basin with the onion, rice, egg whites, salt and pepper and mix together thoroughly. I use my hands for this. Have the parsley ready on a plate. Scoop out 1tbsp of the meat mixture at a time and roll into small balls. Roll each ball in the parsley. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the meatballs. Cover with water and cook slowly for about an hour. Remove the balls and keep warm on a serving dish, keeping the liquid for the sauce. Beat the egg yolks, mix…

“It’s an extremely sad situation for one of the most desirable shotguns ever produced” Fakery and forgery are the bane of dealers and collectors the world over, and could, probably, claim to be the second-oldest professions. Anyone who has been in the hobby of metal detecting will have come across fake currency, some pieces centuries old. Alas, the gun collecting world is no different. Indeed, the original English proof act was brought in to combat firearms made from inferior materials being passed off as better-quality pieces. Certain marques have been plagued with forgeries. Colt, for instance, had his guns copied almost from day one. In the days before the Internet and global communication in general, it was easy to pass off an item of which people had only heard of…