The Field February 2018

“We will be facing a tsunami capable of demolishing the foundations of our sport” “THE moment the horn sounds on the last drive you hear the hum of the engines, then the whirr of the rotors as the helicopters warm up to take them to the next shoot. There’s no discussing the day with other guns, no thanking the beaters or pickers-up, no hand shaking with the keeper as he’s tipped. There’s just the need to get to the next shoot, then the next and so on throughout the season.” So ran the story told by an experienced shoot organiser as the gun bus rattled its way through the Somerset countryside. A bizarre way to enjoy one’s sport, I thought, but surely rare. Later that week, I talked to a…

 LIVE African wildlife has been transported to Europe for exhibition since the time of the Roman Empire. Pliny writes about the capture of elephants and second-century sporting writer Oppian gives descriptions of lions being trapped in North Africa, using a pit to catch and hold a lion until a “plaited well-compacted cage” was lowered, baited with meat, so that the now-hungry lion walked into it. “ ‘The conservation issue is so important… The size was a way of attracting public attention and giving a voice to the animals.’ ” Capturing the animal is one thing but the actual transportation of large African animals is still a massive problem for wildlife conservationists today. African wildlife sculptor and conservationist Bruce Little knows just what this is like. In February, his massive, much-larger-than-life-size…

Purdey gold to Northumberland shoot A wild-bird shoot on a Northumberland estate won the Gold Award at the 2017 Purdey Awards for Game and Conservation. The Bywell estate shoot has been transformed by Lord Allendale and his headkeeper, Alan Edwards, from a reared-pheasant shoot for “family and friends” into a wild-game shoot that has become a haven for wild game. The project was started with nine pairs of wild grey partridges in 2012. Hedges have been planted and fields that were difficult to work given over to brassica mixes. By October 2016, the estate was able to host a partridge day with a bag of 77 grey partridges. The shoot sits on 3,700 acres with the 1,300 acres of remaining land run as a syndicate shoot. Lord Allendale was presented…

NEW BASC CHIEF Brigadier Ian Bell joins BASC on 19 February as the new chief executive. His last role in the Army was as Commander of the British Forces Germany. Passionate about shooting, Bell, 52, first joined BASC as a young shot. “For the future well-being of shooting sports, it is essential BASC continues to deal with all the challenges ahead,” he said. WOODLAND AWARDS Inspiring woodland projects across the west of England are sought for the 2018 RFS Excellence in Forestry Awards. Open to woodlands from Cheshire to Cornwall, the awards have five categories: resilient multipurpose (Duke of Cornwall’s award); silviculture; small and farm woodland; community woodland; and education. Closing date for entries is 6 March. For more details, go to: www.rfs.org.uk BURMA EXHIBITION Images of more…

1-4 Works on Paper Fair Royal Geographical Society, South Kensington, London SW7. Also a daily talks programme. Tel01798 215007; www.worksonpaperfair.com – 1-28 NGS Snowdrop Festival More than 100 gardens opening around the country. Tel01483 211535; www.ngs.org.uk/snowdrops – 4 Percy Point-to-Point Alnwick, Northumberland. First race 1pm. Contact ChristopherMoore, 07748986394 – 4-24 The Land I Stepped In, Tales from Persia Exhibition of new works by Charlie Calder-Potts at The Fosse Gallery, Stow on the Wold, Gloucs. Tel01451 831319; fossegallery.com – 7 The Sentry Conference Rowley Mile Racecourse, Newmarket. Theme: “British Farming: Delivering value whilst upholding values.” Tel01473 658058; www.sentry.co.uk – 10 Berwickshire Point-to-Point Friars Haugh, Kelso. First race 12 noon. Tel01361 883649; www.friarshaughraces.co.uk – 11 Vine & Craven Point-to-Point Barbury Racecourse,…

MOST VIEWED The best of the season The end of the season is nigh and we’re already sharing the greatest moments, trickiest drives and highest birds. This super picture, taken by Hugh Nutt for our shoot report at Rowborough on the Isle of Wight, went down a storm on Instagram. Fielders loved the image of shoot organiser Tom Tyrwhitt-Drake on the daunting first drive, Gallisbury Thorns, accompanied by his faithful black labrador, Monty. “Looks amazing,” commented one envious Fielder. #THEFIELDMAGAZINE Bedtime reading Start ’em young is what we always say, whether it’s serving delicious game for supper, putting them in the beating line or teaching the importance of gun safety – bringing on the next generation is vital. And when they are still too little for a real shoot day,…