Shooting and field sports news, politics and legal | Shooting UK

Stolen springer spaniel

Ella, a part-trained working dog, was stolen from her kennel in North Lincolnshire on 28 November 2006.

Falconry registration dispute

Conservation groups have become embroiled in a dispute over how best to register rare falcons for sport.

The CLA elects a new president

Henry Aubrey-Fletcher has succeeded David Fursdon after being elected as the new president of the Country Land and Business Association.

Rat explosion a growing threat to the countryside

The rural rat population has exploded and could have a devastating effect on the countryside, pest experts and conservation groups have warned.

Prying eyes or legal monitors?

Ann Widdecombe is calling for all hunting to be legally monitored by an army of volunteers.

No charges over alleged hen harrier shooting

No charges will be brought over claims two hen harriers were shot on the Sandringham estate, the Crown Prosecution Service said today.

BASC launches Scotch to celebrate centenary year

BTO Bird Atlas Survey

Fieldwork for the new Atlas of Birds in Britain got underway in November 2007 and is expected to take four years, involve 20,000 volunteers and cost £1 million.

Help for Heroes charity launched

Sporting cartoonist Bryn Parry and his wife, Emma, have set up a new charity called Help for Heroes (H4H) to raise money for injured servicemen.

Scottish wild deer consultation welcomed

Deer management groups and sporting interests welcomed a consultation launched last week, the aim of which is to develop the economic, environmental and social benefits of wild deer in Scotland.

Avian flu strikes again

The virulent H5N1 strain of avian influenza has been confirmed in turkeys on a farm in Suffolk.

Natural England ups the ante on Humber Estuary

The dispute on the Humber between local wildfowling clubs and Natural England (NE) is still far from resolved...

Framework in place to protect migratory raptors

Representatives from more than 60 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa met last week to create an international treaty for the conservation of birds of prey.

Hamish Mackie exhibition

Sporting artist Hamish Mackie will be displaying his bronze sculptures at The Gallery, Cork Street, London from 22 October to 3 November.

FMD hunting restrictions to be lifted

Alastair Jackson, director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association, has circulated an update regarding DEFRA's plan to lift the ban on trail hunting.

1,050 farmers unite in badger cull

More than 1,000 farmers in the West Country have signed up to partake in a controversial badger cull in anticipation of being granted a licence by DEFRA.

Hunting Act challenge

A week-long legal challenge to end the ban on fox hunting, ended in the House of Lords yesterday.

IGL Retriever Championship gets the go ahead

The IGL Retriever Championship is going ahead as originally planned.

ALA conference with country sports focus

The 2007 Agricultural Law Association conference next week will have a country sports theme.

Lords V Commons clay shoot

The annual House of Lords and House of Commons clay shoot was held last Friday at Squerreys Court in Westerham, Kent.

Waitrose reports that sales of game are up by 24%

The sales of game meat in Waitrose have risen by 24% according to recent figures, illustrating the wider appeal game is having in towns and cities across the UK.

Welsh tourism boost for shooting

Last week, BASC met with Elin Jones AM, minister for rural affairs in Wales, in a bid to highlight the opportunity for increased tourism through the promotion of sporting shooting in the country.

Non-native species could be banned from the countryside

Shooters have reacted with astonishment after DEFRA revealed that green pheasants, helmeted guineafowl and ferrets are among the species that could be added to Schedule 9 of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.

NGO slams hen harrier accusations

The National Gamekeepers' Organisation (NGO) has described the way in which gamekeepers were vilified in connection with the alleged shooting of two hen harriers on the Sandringham estate as an "absolute disgrace".

Avian flu: latest advice for shooters

Shoots in Suffolk and Norfolk are being urged to guarantee outlets for their gamebags after second outbreak is confirmed

Scotland's rural organisations call for a review of snaring

Scotland's leading rural organisations rejected calls for a ban on snaring last week and pledged to work with the government to devise a long-term solution to this controversial issue that will fully address public concerns.

Celebrate the end of the pheasant season with a pheasant phest

The pheasant season might be coming to and end but you'll still be able to enjoy it after it closes.

Reflections on a year in shooting

ST news editor, Selena Masson, considers how shooting has fared in the past year.

Will City losses hurt shooting?

Concerns over the financial state of the City impacting on UK shooting were dismissed recently by industry experts.

A hero's return: wounded soldier gets reunited with game shooting

Sergeant Alan Dennis, a soldier from Nottinghamshirewho was badly wounded in Afghanistan, received an early Christmas present this year.

Antique firearm returned after police caution

An antique firearm has been return to its owner after BASC managed to convince a chief constable to revoke a recent police caution.

Petition over siting of Olympic shooting venue

Great Britain shooting team member, Nicola Heron, has started a petition regarding the siting of the 2012 Olympic shooting sports venue.

Grouse bag records

As a result of increased investment and a particularly productive breeding season, grouse moor managers are reporting record bags. Wemmergill, in County Durham, for example, recently announced that it has recorded the most successful season since records began in 1872.

Vets report surge in kennel cough

Vets are reporting a significant increase in the number of working dogs affected by kennel cough.

Irish gun unwraps a 75 inch surprise on Boxing Day shoot

All of us will be familiar with the phrase ‘Bum, belly, beak, bang’, but where would you have begun to aim if this impressive bird had flown towards your peg?

GWCT woodcock origins research

The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust is conducting new research which aims to identify the origins of the elusive woodcock.

Shoot logo badges

Coventry Silvercraft has just launched its new shoot
and club badge service for 2008.

New deer projects officer appointed by BASC

BASC has appointed Chris Brooks as its new deer projects officer.

Help for Heroes cycle ride

Join a cycle ride to raise money for our servicemen.

EU creates a management plan for woodcock, snipe and plover

Fears of future restrictions accompany a new EU draft management plan for woodcock — are bag limits and non-shooting reserves on their way to the UK?