Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Sporting Gun

IWA ’21 cancelled The coronavirus pandemic continues to have an impact on the shooting world and the 2021 IWA Outdoor Classics Show has been cancelled. The show, one of the highlights of the European shooting calendar, was due to take place in Nuremberg from 12 to 15 March. Organisers issued a statement saying that rising infection rates, various quarantine rules and travel restrictions have rendered it impossible for exhibitors and visitors to make any firm plans and as such they made the decision to cancel. The next IWA Outdoor Classics will take place in Nuremberg from 3 to 6 March 2022. Support for hen harriers BASC has given financial support to Natural England for its winter monitoring scheme of hen harriers. The winter roost monitoring scheme is an integral part…

Yes, they keep stock in and out of fields but five-bar gates serve another purpose — they are wonderfully meditative things to lean against when out for a walk or mooching with a gun. My favourite is down by the pond. I say pond, but locals reckon that because it’s about an acre or so in size it’s big enough to be called a lake. Perhaps I should run an internet search to find out when a pond actually becomes something else. Or do Sporting Gun readers already know the answer? If so, please tell me. Until then I’ve a mind to take the words pond and lake, split ’em, rejoin the letters and call the place a ‘poke’. It’s a neat little solution and I like the ring to…

Ingredients 1lb minced venison 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 egg, beaten 4 tbsp seasoned pain flour 1 jar passata 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce salt and pepper to season to taste Method Put the venison and onion in a large bowl and mix well. Add the beaten egg and continue to mix thoroughly. Roll the meat into golf ball-sized patties and coat with the flour. Heat some oil in a frying pan and brown the meat ball on all sides. Mix the passata and Worcestershire sauce, put in a shallow ovenproof dish and season with salt and pepper. Place the meatballs on top of the passata mix and bake in the oven at 200°C for about 30 minutes, so the meat is cooked and the sauce bubbling. Serve with pasta…

When you work with animals, strange things can happen. One day we were at a disused part of an airport with various derelict buildings. We had caught a handful of rabbits from a small area when a ferret followed the scent of a bunny into an old pump of some description. Needless to say the ferret caught the rabbit inside the pipe but we had to wait some time until it reappeared. We knew where the ferret had been scratching at the rabbit, so we used an angle grinder to retrieve it — not our usual method.…

I have to admit that for a long time I was not convinced that using a place board would change or indeed benefit my gundog training. However, I had a couple of dogs that would creep when being told to sit/stay. This led me to speak with trainers who use a place board as part of their regular training regime and, in turn, prompted me to try it. Guess what? I have become an advocate of the method. One benefit is that it gives the dog a ‘target’ area. Also, I know exactly where I am positioning the dog. But the biggest advantage is that you can use the technique in your garden or even indoors, and, therefore, you can start basic training from an early age. I also believe that…

“My dog is very itchy and a fellow beater advised me he thought she had mange. I was too embarrassed to ask him exactly what he meant. What do you think?” OWEN LLOYD HALTRY, MONMOUTHSHIRE To be perfectly honest, he probably doesn’t know what he was talking about either, though I am sure he was trying to be helpful. Mange seems to be used as a generic term by some people to describe any skin condition with clinical signs that include itching, hair loss, scabs, redness, thickening and so on and, as such, it is valueless from the point of view of offering any type of diagnosis and therefore treatment. To simply use mange as a descriptive term for skin issues — including allergic, parasitic, bacterial, fungal, yeast and viral…

A way out of virus warren I am writing from Guernsey, where we have been fortunate to have largely escaped the privations of the coronavirus. Life has pretty much carried on as normal – no masks or limitations on group sizes, pubs and eateries open as normal. But there is a virus that has left its mark on our island. I refer to Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD). This virus has decimated our once buoyant local rabbit population to a point where, for many years, it was rare to find any numbers that warranted getting out the ferrets and nets for a day’s sport. However, I am delighted to report that there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel and that the ever-resilient rabbits are making a…

My friend doesn’t bother to clean his shotgun because he says the barrels are chrome-lined and won’t rust. Can I get away with not cleaning my gun? If not, is it best to clean a gun straight after shooting to prevent residue becoming affixed? Ian says: I would always recommend cleaning your gun regularly to keep it in good condition, as even with chrome-lined barrels there are still other parts of your gun that will benefit from routine maintenance. It is good practice to remove and clean chokes, dry off any water from the barrels and stock, and clean the action face to remove any dirt and grease. Cleaning your gun as soon as you can after use is ideal, as it prevents residue from building up and becoming tough…

How often should I go out with my dog and have a dummy throwing session? Fran says: Those who shoot over their dogs regularly are, in effect, training them every time they go out, so won’t need dummy work as much once the dog is trained. Those who do working tests in the summer need to be on top of the dummy training all year round. Those who only work their dogs in winter can get away with general obedience once the dog is trained with, perhaps, a refresher before the season starts. I will use dummies every day with the young dogs I am training because they have it all to learn. Once a dog has been shot over, however, any training needs are specific to the shooting field,…

Researching this month’s rifle initially caused some frustration as, despite regularly appearing on the used gun market, there is remarkably little background material to be found regarding its origins and design. This was not helped by the fact that RWS itself, despite being renowned as an ammunition manufacturer, has only made a few brief forays into marketing full-bore rifles. CHARLES SMITH-JONES SAYS: “The overall package is attractive while reflecting the rugged combination of robustness and attention to detail that has come to be a regular feature of Japanese engineering” On reflection the design of the RWS Model 89 somehow looked familiar so consulting Martin Lamb, an ever-reliable rifle aficionado who owns the Country Sports Shop in Bovey Tracey, got the ball rolling. Martin took one look at the bolt and…

I’ve known Marvin Rear for about seven years through a clay shooting club. He is the cunning mastermind behind the layout of each fortnightly shoot. A great job he does too. The clay club is on top of a hill, which overlooks some of the land where Marvin now shoots game and he has recently been lucky enough to become a member of the family-orientated syndicate. When I was offered a chance to join them on a day, I jumped at the opportunity. Terrain Moscow Farm sits in its own small valley with a single-track road running through and an impressive fort at Burrough Hill overlooking it. It is owned by the Johnson family, close friends of the Stimsons, who have the shooting rights. The shoot was set up 35…

Lotte has been introduced to the long tracking lead. We were out trying to find a deer that had been lost. Lotte picked up the track from the fence into a huge rhododendron bush. As she approached the bush, in she went, yipping excitedly. She only does that on deer, so only one thing left to do: follow her in. I have never been much good at knitting but it was comical the knots I ended up in. Lotte was tied up, I was tied up — I must have looked like an Egyptian mummy. Lotte, of course, wandered out of the bush without a care in the world, leaving me to unwrap and extricate myself. I did see the funny side and am still laughing now. Any deer in…

Every autumn, moor and forest from the high tops of the Highlands to the woodlands of East Anglia and the expanses of Exmoor echo with challenging roars and the rattle of clashing antlers. The red deer rut is on. The stags are battling to establish the right to pass their genes, witnessed by the hinds waiting while whoever will sire the next generation is determined. Having lived apart in single-sex herds for much of the year, the deer have come together on their traditional rutting grounds for this awe-inspiring annual spectacle. By the middle of November, it is all over as the testosterone-fuelled urge to breed dies down and the animals break away, many of the stags exhausted by the rigours of gathering together and protecting their parcels of hinds…

• If you’ve a particularly elusive fox to deal with, park well away from the area and walk in from a different direction, and make sure that the wind is in your favour. • Foxes soon learn where danger lies, so it’s worth taking the time to check areas that you don’t normally visit. A well-placed trail cam over a bit of bait can provide help by, a) telling if there are any foxes about and, b) what time of day or night they usually turn up. • One of the commonest patterns we tend to establish is by going out at roughly the same time. While it sounds easy to overcome this by leaving at a different hour, the reality is that few of us want to get up regularly…

There is nothing more important than having a gun that fits. Adjustable stocks allow you to have the gun of your choice adjusted to fit you, rather than buying a certain brand that seems to fit better than others. Having a stock fitted specifically carries a cost but, for a little bit extra on the purchase price, you could have a gun that fits well. An adjustable stock will allow you to adjust comb height or drop measurement. This in turn will allow your eye to sit higher or lower in relation to the rib. You may also be able to adjust the cast at face, allowing your eye to sit in the centre of the rib rather than off to one side. Aftermarket adjustable butt-pads can allow you to…

The first thing you have to do is get your puppy used to sitting on the board. Make sure it is on a level piece of ground, as any movement may well put it off. Your position is also important; you will nearly always be at the long end of the board, as this way the narrow part of the board almost guides the dog to sit in front of you. You can start this with the puppy on the lead, but as it progresses you can drop the lead and eventually take it off altogether. Reward the pup with a small treat each time he sits. They soon cotton on to what is needed.…

Age 58 months I have tried to stay upbeat during this difficult year but the latter part of the autumn has been quite testing. I am grateful that I live in a nice part of the country and I have the dogs to train. On a positive note, the rest Ted had from the last lockdown in November did him some good. Back in September – how long ago does that seem? – when I was up in Cumbria, he pulled a back claw, which saw him go lame intermittently. I took him to the vet’s and they pulled out a sliver of heather that had gone right down the side of the claw; though it was only a tiny bit, it was obviously enough to give him discomfort, especially…

FRAN ARDLEY GUNDOGS Owner of Tarncrag Gundog Training, with more than 10 years’ experience. NEIL MCINTOSH VETERINARY A keen shooter and a practising vet in Scotland. TONY BRACCI TUITION Bisley Shooting Ground’s deputy shooting manager and master gunfitter. DAVID FROST LEGAL SG’s legal expert and author of Sporting Shooting and the Law. PETER THEOBALD PIGEON Pigeon-shooting expert; author of Woodpigeon: The Ultimate Quarry. ROBERT MORGAN ANTIQUES Arms and armour valuer at Holts Auctioneers. ED COOK RABBITS Professional rabbit catcher working over 30,000 acres. TOM SYKES PEST CONTROL & WILDFOWLING Sporting photographer, wildfowler and pest controller. MARC BULL COVER CROPS Marc is our plant expert and is the Midlands and Eastern adviser at Bright Seeds. IAN SWEETMAN GUNSMITHING Ian Sweetman is the owner of I S Sweetman Gun & Rifle Makers…

Is it lawful to release sky lanterns? You often hear farmers complaining about them being eaten by animals or causing fires and it seems an odd thing to do. David says: It is illegal in Wales to release them from any council-owned land and some local councils elsewhere have introduced similar bans but otherwise they may be used in Britain subject to restrictions. You must not be under the influence of drink or drugs when they are released and two people must be present. Air traffic control must be informed if they are to be released within 10 miles of an airfield and the coastguard if they are released near the coast. Nor may they be released near crops, haystacks or power lines. I believe that they amount to a…

Do your dogs wear collars when they are working in the field? Ed says: The idea of not having collars on working dogs is to avoid the risk of snagging up. I work dogs daily and I can’t say I have ever had an issue with this. I also like to have tags on my dogs’ collars in case they get picked up, lost or stolen. It’s also good if I need to grab one so it doesn’t get me in trouble, especially when working the lurchers.…

Should I de-cock my gun by firing the triggers on empty chambers when I’ve finished shooting? Tony says: Doing this may put undue stress on the firing pins. You can de-cock a shotgun by using snap caps in the chambers, with the gun together or with just the action, and holding something hard over the firing pin holes, and then reassembling the gun. If you have a gun that has V springs I would recommend de-cocking after use, as they are more prone to breaking and expensive to replace. If you have coil springs in your gun, they primarily wear from cycles of use rather than being held under tension and are relatively inexpensive to replace. Most manufacturers recommend de-cocking after use to maintain mainspring life. When using snap caps,…

Due to some behavioural issues I am considering having my three-year-old labrador castrated but I am worried what effect this may have on his working ability. Neil says: Castration of male dogs is ‘routinely’ carried out in the UK, with about 70% of males having their testicles surgically removed (as opposed to vasectomy, which leaves the testicles but involves removal of part of the vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm). This figure is high compared with other countries in Europe (all around 40%), and in Norway, it is actually illegal to castrate a dog unless it is deemed medically necessary. Despite this, a survey showed that a quarter of all owners were concerned about castration because of the surgical risk and the potential for adverse effects on behaviour (which…

Franchi Affinity One The semi-auto Affinity is lightweight with a synthetic stock, and has been a favourite among gamekeepers and wildfowlers. It weighs 3.1kg and comes in 12-bore with a choice of 26 or 28in barrels. Price: £745; gmk.co.uk Lokaway LB range These shotgun cabinets have a patented ‘swing and slide’ anti-pry door closure that ensures your guns are protected. They are also carpeted throughout, which helps protect your stocks from scratches and scuffs. Price: from £225; gmk.co.uk Zamberlan Hunter Pro GTX These sturdy boots were designed for mountain hunting. The Gore-Tex insulated lining guarantees warmth, and the Hydrobloc full-grain waxed leather gives breathability. Price: £290; gmk.co.uk Waring Brooke boot socks Made from a wool blend, these unisex socks have a cushioned footbed and a reinforcement rib around the foot,…

FOR SALE GUN TYPE SHOTGUN Make and model Benelli 828 Silver Calibre 12-bore Barrel 30in Choke multi Price £1495 CONTACTDETAILS Name Mick Henson Tel 07795103658 Email mhenson@aol.com County Dorset GUN TYPE SHOTGUN Make and model Bettinsoli Side Plate Deluxe Calibre 12-bore Barrel 30in Choke multi Price £600 CONTACTDETAILS Name Stan Allison Tel 07597172641 County Notts GUN TYPE SHOTGUN Make and model Lanber Sporter Calibre 12-bore Barrel 28in Choke ¼ and ½ Price £225 CONTACTDETAILS Name Brian Tel 07393921694 County Lancashire GUN TYPE SHOTGUN Make and model Jabali (Spanish) side-by-side Calibre 12-bore Barrel 28in Choke ¼ and ½ Price £90 CONTACTDETAILS Brian, as above GUN TYPE AIR RIFLE Make and model Weihrauch HW77K with scope (4x32) Calibre .22 Price £225 CONTACTDETAILS Name R. Coutts Tel 07867 229748 Emailchat County Suffolk GUN TYPE SHOTGUN…

I had hoped that 2021 would be a year of rebuilding, but as I write a new variant of coronavirus is already taking its toll in south-east England and this will undoubtedly have an impact on the shooting community. The owner of a small shoot confided in me the other day saying he might not make it through to the next season. It’s a story I am hearing from all over the country. Small shoots that have been hit the hardest because they are solely reliant on shoot days. Many of the large estates didn’t bother with this season because to them shooting income is just the icing on the cake as they have many sources of income. So when you reflect on your season, spare a thought for shoot…

GL40 CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED WILD BIRDS OR FLORA AND FAUNA This replaces GL34 and the main difference is apparent in the title. The previous licence covered activities for conserving all wild birds; now you may only use it to conserve endangered wild birds. These are defined as birds of conservation concern which appear on the red (67 species) or amber (96) list. Numerous species, especially of garden birds, which are on the green list are no longer included because they are not regarded as endangered. Nor does it allow control to assist pheasants and red-legged partridges nesting in the wild. The species that may be controlled for the benefit of all endangered wild birds are Canada and Egyptian geese, carrion crow, magpie, and monk and ring-neck parakeets. Jays may be…

Ferreting is in full swing for me at this time of year. We are busy working our way around the farms now that the vegetation has finally decided to die down. The use of ferrets is a big part of my business and a method I utilise in a variety of habitats; some easy and others less so. Rabbits bolted by ferrets can be caught in a number of ways — by purse-nets, long-nets, with lurchers, terriers and hawks, as well as shotguns. What suits one environment won’t provide effective results in another. They all have their qualities and can be enjoyable, but that’s not what it’s about for me. Methods Shooting over ferrets is a way to cover ground quickly without the need for setting nets, which though effective…

DISTRIBUTION: Various subspecies are found across most of Europe and the Caucasus mountains, and eastwards through Turkey and into northern Iran. The only deer species occurring naturally in Africa, it can also be found in the Atlas mountains region of north-western Africa. UKDISTRIBUTION: Widespread though often localised, with higher numbers in Scotland, Cumbria, East Anglia, and south-western England. Also present elsewhere. IUCN RED LIST STATUS: Least concern, population increasing. FOOD: Grazes on a wide variety of grasses, sedges and other plants, also browsing the leaves and shoots of trees and other woody plants. Fruits, nuts, fungi are taken according to season, and tree bark is also stripped when food is scarce. HABITAT: A woodland species that has adapted successfully to life in open upland habitats. RUT: From late September until…

I have a 10-month-old working cocker who’s recently decided that he doesn’t want to listen to me when we are doing retrieves and will refuse to sit while he marks the dummy. Should I insist he sits and carry on with the routine? Fran says: He has hit the age where they push boundaries. Insist on what you want and if he doesn’t sit then he doesn’t get to do it. And do some heelwork or some such until he sits and marks. Breaking off when a dog is distracted is a good idea, but don’t then let them run around sniffing because if he enjoys that more he will become distracted more often. This ‘teenage’ stage can be frustrating and you just need to keep calm and work through…

What’s your favourite factory choke for most wildfowling situations? Tom says: Before moving on to aftermarket chokes, I always used half choke for wildfowling. The main thing to do is find a cartridge and choke combination that works well for you. This can be achieved by pattern plating or by field testing. It is imperative to shoot within the capability of the individual and the tools used. There is nothing worse than stretching the range and pricking a bird that cannot be picked. A good method is also to shoot clays with the intended cartridge, but you must check with the ground first as there can be issues with using steel cartridges due to clay ground restrictions on plastic wads and steel ammunition.…