Q: Any tips for bringing down those fast, curling pheasants that have the wind at their backs? A: Curling pheasants can be one of the most difficult shots in the book, particularly if you add wind and height. Often when pheasants have got the wind behind them they can dive…
Advice
Can I lose my firearms licence because I drink over the recommended weekly limit?
Q: I have applied for the renewal of my licences and have been told by my firearms enquiry officer (FEO) that because I drink more than the Government weekly limit, he will refuse to renew the licences because I am intemperate. I go to the local pub three days a…
How do you hit low incomers when clay pigeon shooting?
When clay pigeon shooting, one target I really hate is a low incomer that drops to the ground about 25 yards in front of the shooting stand - and it's even worse when thrown as a quartering crosser. How do you hit them consistently?
Doing this will reduce the risk of Lyme disease
Q: I stalk frequently in a wood and heathland area where there is a lot of bracken and when I get home, I often find ticks both on the roe that I shoot and on myself. I am concerned about the risk of Lyme disease. Is there anything I can…
What is the difference between a Sporter and a trap gun?
Q: I’m new to shooting, and about to buy my first gun. However I don’t understand the main differences between a Sporter and a trap gun. Could you explain please? Sporters and trap guns A: Let’s start by looking at the different types of targets presented in the sporting and…
What to do if you have a car crash when you’re transporting your gun
Q: Imagine you are on your way to your shoot, with gun, cartridges and dog in your car, when out of nowhere someone crashes into you. Fortunately neither of you are hurt, but both vehicles are immobile. My question is should I call the police, as I can hardly hail…
Is this the best way of “dogging-in?”
Dogging-in means using a dog to push straying pheasants from the boundaries of a shoot back into the middle. This time of year the majority of keepers face this seemingly never-ending and infuriating task. Time-consuming and impossible without a dog The art of pushing wandering poults back to the more…
How deep is the average rabbit burrow?
How deep is the average burrow and what's the deepest set you've ever come across? Also, how high above the ground should you set the noose on a rabbit snare?
When you need written authority for gun loans
Q: I have noted with pleasure recent changes in the law over borrowing shotguns. I allow a local pigeon shooter to shoot over my farm, and he would like to bring his 16-year-old son with him and lend him his gun for use under supervision. I am quite happy with…
What’s the most humane way to dispatch an injured bird?
What's the best way of despatching a pricked pigeon? Will a pricked bird flapping around near the decoy pattern stop other birds coming in or might it even encourage them?
Problems with springer spaniels and hunting
My springer spaniel’s training is coming along pretty well but I can’t get her to leave hedgerows and cover to hunt open ground for retrieves. Any advice?
This is how to avoid the misery of midges
Q: I stalk in Sutherland and every time I go out I get horribly bitten by midges and ticks. Can you recommend any remedies or repellents that work, please? Tell me about it — the “black mist” seems to be particularly bad this year. Midges don’t seem to affect me…
Gun lending rules
Q: When a person lends a shotgun to a non-certificate holder on a private shoot, must the gun be on their certificate? Loans of shotguns and gun lending on private premises is now regulated by the Policing and Crime Act 2017. Section 130 of the act merely states: “A person…
Can you legally destroy a shotgun?
Q: I have inherited some shotguns from my late father. These include a badly pitted Belgian .410 single barrel that is not suitable for modern smokeless cartridges. Can I legally destroy a shotgun myself? Or do I have to get a dealer to do it for me? Our legal expert Bill…
A £60 scope – is it any good?
I have always been an advocate of buying the best scope you can afford, as its reliability and performance will repay you in the long run. This still holds true but the cheap scopes of 10 years ago have improved to the point that they are often all you need.…
Gun fit, chokes, coloured glasses and lead – some readers’ recent shooting questions
Sporting Gun's shooting coach dips into his mailbag to sort out some more readers' enquiries.
What’s the right shotgun bore for you?
I have received a letter from a reader wishing to buy a shotgun which will be used mainly for vermin control (pigeons, crows, magpies and rats), together with rough shooting and the occasional crack at clays. He recalls that a lightweight Baikal gave him a hefty whack on his shoulder, which…
Can you go clayshooting during pregnancy?
We’re all for encouraging Young Guns to take up shooting safely and responsibly. But how young is too young to get involved in shooting? Does shooting clays or game shooting harm an unborn baby? Or is it a good opportunity to get some exercise in the fresh air? Is it…
Lyme disease symptoms – what you need to know
A growing prevalence of tick-borne diseases – including Lyme disease – has put them high on the list of public enemies. Unfortunately, ticks now pose a direct threat to humans, and the problem is on the rise. Spread to England from the USA Lyme disease is caused by an infection…
Fancy a top-end American wine tour?
Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel Finger Lakes Magnificent views of Seneca Lake at sunset from Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel. Image Credit: watkinsglenharborhotel.com Perhaps begin your American wine tour in New York City, and head to some of the Big Apple’s best wine bars for a recce of your favourite US wines and regions. From there,…