I have been told that when a deer runs away after the shot, I should wait 10 or 15 minutes before going to look for it. Why is that?
Advice
If my pheasant lands on the land opposite, is it still mine?
If I drop a pheasant on my neighbour's land, whose property is it? I went to pick a bird that fell over the boundary, only to find the farmer had got there before me. I asked him to hand it over, but he wouldn't!
Game dealer only wants head-shot deer carcasses
I sell deer to a game dealer and he has told me he will pay less for carcasses if they are not head shot. I do not want to do this because it?s so easy to wound the deer if it moves its head suddenly. Is the dealer?s demand reasonable?…
Are these split rifle shells safe?
All the samples are split where the cartridge has been 'necked down'. I'm sure that this isn't usual, as my .222 does not show splits in the empty cases?
Is taping the end of my rifle-barrel safe?
With all this rain, I have been advised to put a piece of insulating tape over the muzzle of my stalking rifle to stop water going down the bore. Is it safe to do that?
How do I protect dogs’ ears from grass seeds?
My two cockers are inclined to get grass seed down their ears at this time of year. This has resulted in visits to the vet to have the seed removed under anaesthetic. Can you suggest a way of protecting their ears?
What’s the best way of keeping the screws in my shotgun tight?
One of the screws which attach the fore-end wood to the iron on my gun keeps shooting loose. The screw passes through a clearance hole in the iron, and is threaded into a metal insert in the wood. What's the best way of keeping the screw tight?
Do anti-bark collars really work for gun dogs?
One of my gun dogs barks constantly in the kennel and a neighbour has complained about the noise. How can I stop him? Someone said I should try an anti-bark collar. Are they effective?
I get bad eyes when pigeon shooting
I've just bought some mesh curtain camo netting which is light, compact and a great colour. The only trouble is when I look through it I end up going cross-eyed and get bad eye strain. Do other people get this?
My dog doesn’t use its nose
How can I encourage my two-year old labrador to use his nose more often when I send him for a retrieve? At the moment he seems to prefer using his eyes - and he's starting to ignore whistle commands. What can I do?
Can I legally shoot dogs destroying my animals?
My neighbour's dogs are persistently chasing and killing my valuable rare breed poultry, and he will not control them. Have I the right to take summary action by shooting them if caught in the act?
How much of a problem are grey squirrels?
Grey squirrels have received a lot of bad press lately in relation to the decline of woodland song birds. How much damage do they do to game bird nests and how are they most effectively controlled with the minimum of labour?
My ferret is too fat!
A friend has given me an extremely fat ferret which hasn't been worked for several months. I read recently that I should put it on a cereal based diet. Do you agree? How can I get it back into working shape? What weight should an 'average' ferret be?
When pigeon shooting, I’m always breaking my hide poles!
How many pigeon poles do you go through each year? I bend and break no-end of them and I'm still searching for a really sturdy set that won't let me down. Which makes can you recommend?
I want to re-blue my barrels
Is it possible to re-blue a complete barrel set with the kind of cold blueing compounds sold in gun shops?
Swans on my flight pond
Last season I tried to attract duck to a small spring fed lake - but without success. I fed barley in the shallows, but apart from one or two mallard it only managed to attract three resident swans.
How does trigger switching work?
In your gun tests you often mention a gun's trigger is switched to the second barrel by an inertia mechanism. How does this work?
How many pigeon decoy machines will run off a battery?
How many pigeon 'whirlies' can you run off a normal battery? I want to run more than one, but don't want to lug the extra weight.
How many decoys do I need when pigeon shooting?
How many pigeon decoys would you say are necessary to make a basic horseshoe pattern?
What is a healthy diet for a ferret?
What, in your view, does a healthy diet consist of for a ferret? Do you feed it the same stuff each day or do you change it regularly? What do you give it to drink – water or milk, or both?