Gundog training: How do I go about teaching my eight month-old Labrador to jump fences? Or is he too young to get started?
Advice
My flapper doesn’t always work when pigeon shooting!
I use an electric flapper for pigeon shooting, and also a pigeon magnet most of the time, yet there are days when they don’t seem to work so well.
I can’t hit birds out in front when game shooting!
I'm fairly competent at game shooting, but I do struggle on higher birds and can’t kill them in front, as I tend to do with the others.
Cutting back heather
Q) Richard Prior once said that one of the ways to improve a wood for stalking is to cut back heather in the rides. Do I cut it to ground level and all at once, or in bands, leaving some old heather till next season? Does this matter to the…
Why do some deer bob their head up and down?
When deer stalking, one thing I don't understand is why some deer I encounter bob their head up and down when looking in my direction. Can you explain it?
Could a Boxer become a decent gundog?
I have been told by a breeder that some of her boxers are trained as gundogs, something I find hard to believe.
Do bale hides work in the open when pigeon shooting?
The land I go pigeon shooting on has a big acreage of rape and I sometimes struggle to get a hide in the right place – out in the middle of large fields.
Do white patches on a black Lab mean it’s rubbish?
A friend has been gundog breeding and a Labrador bitch has had a litter of six black pups - but all of them have been born with odd splashes of white either on their chests, or on one of their paws.
Do you take a neck shot at the top or the bottom?
Deer stalking: Is a neck shot done at the top of the neck or the bottom? I’m guessing the target area at the top of the neck on a Roe, for instance, must be quite small.
Is it worth doing my DSC Level 2?
How much does it cost to do a deer stalking certificate? I want to do my DSC Level 2 – do you think it’s worth it?
WHAT are observed and muzzle velocities?
I am new to shooting and getting very confused about cartridge speeds and terminology like 'muzzle velocity'.
Can you get arrested for letting loose squirrels?
Is it true that you can be prosecuted if you catch a non-native species (like a grey squirrel) in the UK, then let it loose?
How should I greet a strange dog?
I was always taught to greet a strange dog by offering it the back of my hand to sniff, but I did this recently and the dog growled at me. Is there a better way?
Harris’s hawk
(Q) The theft of Rufus, the Harris hawk at Wimbledon this year, was widely reported. However, shouldn’t the bird be known as a Harris’s hawk rather than a Harris hawk? D. THORPE By email
What does “Not For Ball” mean on my William Powell shotgun?
My William Powell shotgun has a strange mark on its barrels which reads “Not For Ball”.
How can I get the correct gunfit with my Browning Cynergy?
I am new to shooting and have just purchased an over-under Browning Cynergy Sporting Black Ice Edition. Can anybody give me an idiot's guide to obtaining the correct gun fit?
Are there any books on training a deer stalking dog?
Deer stalking: I would like to train a dog to find deer in woodland that have run off after the shot.
How do I NOT mess up my fully trained gundog?
Gundog training: Do I need to follow any procedure when I take delivery next month of a fully trained gundog?
Can I have a 10-bore taken off my shotgun certificate?
I have just bought a 10-bore J. W. Laird hammergun from someone who had held it on his shotgun certificate.
Is this ‘cutaway’ demo shotgun deactivated?
I have been offered a ‘cutaway’ shotgun, which would be a useful demonstration aid to the clients at my clay ground.