Shooting Times & Country

Good but could do better. That was the takeaway from a paper published recently by Natural England on the ecological consequences of releasing gamebirds. Pleasingly, the sentiment echoes what most of our readers have been saying for a long while. The

A gamekeeper has died in a quad bike accident. David Taylor was at work on the Muckrach estate on Speyside when the accident took place. The alarm was raised by his fiancée Christie McInnes, and police, fire service and ambulance personnel all attend

With cereal stubbles now plentiful and geese in season your shooting skills can be put to good use in helping to protect crops and grassland against the UK’s booming non-native Canada goose population. While decoying native wintering geese raises eth

Mickley Hall Shooting School, Cheshire CW5 8AJ basc.org.uk/events nationalgame keepers.org.uk Red House Farm near Stowmarket bit.ly/eafarmwalk Cefn Tilla Court, Llandenn, NP15 1DG roger.thomas@ coark.com Barbury Shooting School, Swindon, Wiltshire

Shoots should prepare for a steep increase in feed bills as wheat prices skyrocket following a poor harvest. A problematic combination of weather has led to exceptionally poor yields across the country, with wheat prices expected to continue to rise

Shooting Times understands that a new marketing drive for English and Welsh wild venison will be launched in the next few weeks. Sources have said that shooting organisations and the Forestry Commission have been working together to develop a certifi

Lindsay Waddell’s excellent article on the realities of lost and retreating species (A fight for survival, not a persecution, 19 August) went a long way to making the case for sensible management of our dwindling wild resources. Those who would — if

The winner of Letter of the Week will have the choice of a men’s or ladies’ Alan Paine Aylsham Fleece Waistcoat. Ideal to throw on over a shirt during these warmer days in the field. Available in sizes S-5XL or 8-20. For more information, visit: alan

Shooting Times, Future PLC, Pinehurst 2, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF. For editorial enquiries: ti.STeditorials@futurenet.com 01252 555220 For picture enquiries: max.tremlett@futurenet.com Subscription hotline: 0330 333

Something worried me about Mr Bartlett’s comments about the safety catch being on (Letters, 19 August). I’ve never heard of a team of Guns being sent home because one of them didn’t walk with his safety catch engaged. Nor have I ever heard of looking

We all know the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are going to be grim; the economy is in meltdown and thousands of teenagers’ important exam results have been fudged. But is anyone who, in name at least, is running the country aware of the

Crack shot: how to take on partridges like a daemon. Not buying British: the greatest foreign gundogs. First day on the foreshore: wildfowling in Suffolk. From muzzle-loaders to redlegs: the history of partridge shooting. ... AND MUCH MORE! ■

In January 2020, when the year was still young, our shooting season was in full swing and any dark clouds on the horizon were nothing more portentous than a brisk passing rain shower, I found myself on a peg with a towering, shaven-headed continental

The original Beretta 687 was an all-round gun — is there a place for an updated version in game shooting today? The success of Beretta’s 690 series of guns, both Field and Competition, means you would be forgiven for thinking that the last post would

Establishing game cover in 2020 has been no easier than it was in 2019, but for very different reasons. Last year, the main problems were cold, wet soil and too few warm, dry growing days to get the crops moving in May and Tune when spring crops get

This is where the Anschütz really shone for me. The manufacturer is revered by other makers for its outstanding accuracy and the 1761 proved itself on paper and against the local rabbit population. I primarily tested .22LR subsonic ammunition and a c

This Anschütz is a bit quirky looking for my taste and rather plain, but its performance was second to none. Nice and light and would make a great lamping companion. Adding a night-vision or thermal device would enhance an already great rifle for aft

I guess that most gundog owners are sensitive to the immediate mood and condition of their dogs. I certainly am and there’s always a little concern if a dinner bowl isn’t licked clean, or if one of the dogs doesn’t want to come for a walk or even gre

I’d only been working for the Daily Express for a month back in 1998 when an editor called asking me to go on a wild boar hunt. Not a shoot, mind. The only shot would be that by a photographer. I set off in my car from London for woods near Powderham

6 JUNIPER BERRIES1TBSP FRESH THYME LEAVES, FINELY CHOPPED4TBSP RED WINE OR PORT400G MINCED WILD BOAR OR FREE RANGE/ORGANIC PORK SHOULDER, MINCED200G VENISON SHOULDER OR LEG, MINCED150G PORK BELLY, MINCED100G FRESH BREADCRUMBS, PREFERABLY CIABATTA OR

1 To make the koftas, put the juniper berries, thyme leaves, wine and minced meats and fat into a bowl and leave for 20 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs, herbs and seasoning, then shape the mixture into eight lozenge-shaped patties. Set the patties to on

BASC’s head of firearms and global authority on guns Airgunner and journalist from the West Country Vintage gun expert, firearms dealer, author and journalist Shooting Times rifle reviewer and stalker Highly regarded writer and ornithologist NGO

In the late 19th century, ejector mechanisms were still somewhat troublesome. Clean, regular ejection of spent cases was a concern for many sportsmen. Paper cases were prone to deformation and swelling, which impeded ejection, because the swollen or

Latin name: Tilia platyphyllos Common name: Large-leaved lime Other names: Bigleaf linden How to spot it and where to find it: The handsome, dense pyramid shape of the large-leaved lime is easy to pick out — but it is our rarest native tree. Unlik

You really shouldn’t visit the coast without a good sortiment of shrimp patterns. The Honey Shrimp was invented in 2001 by the Danish fly-tyer Henrik Agerskov. Because of the realistic look, it quickly became a favourite among many fly-fishers. It is

This is a versatile jacket featuring fully detachable arms via hidden zips, which converts it into a gilet. It is designed with technical fleece fabric that delivers a high degree of warmth without weight. It is also very breathable and dries quickly

Boris Johnson allegedly aroused the ire of a farmer in Scotland by setting up a tent without permission. I am surprised that George Monbiot, a columnist for the Guardian, didn’t ride to Boris’s rescue. Mr Monbiot is a passionate advocate of public ac