“Snobbery and inheritance are the only reasons why people use a side-by-side.” So said one keen Shot, once described as the best of his generation. “But I’m not that bothered. I…
Shooting Times
Roast pheasant – simply delicious
Earlier on in the season roast pheasant is the best way to cook a young bird. The meat is tender and roasting it will bring out the flavour. Later on…
The skill of caring for pheasant poults successfully
My pheasant poults came yesterday, so by the time you read this they will have been here for a few weeks. The birds look good, all well-feathered and around seven…
Stalking sika deer in Sutherland, Scotland
An early morning stalk in a snowy landscape. The stalkers discuss tactics and survey the horizon. A small herd of sika is quickly sighted and one of the number despatched.…
The pointing dog’s stare
There's an art to training pointing dogs, but once in position, it can take even more skill to move them out of their catatonic stance
How to choose the right clay cartridge
Here are some of the key questions you need to ask when choosing clay cartridges. Q. What wad material should I choose? A. Today many shooting grounds label themselves as…
Dog theft is on the rise – here’s how to prevent it happening to you
So how can you keep your gundog safe and prevent dog theft? Here's some advice from Mike Jackson, rural crime officer for Wiltshire Police
The rules you must follow when rearing gamebirds
Before you take any steps to start on rearing gamebirds yourself you need to be aware of the key factors involved. Rule 1: Think of it as a business You…
Why shooting should stay in the shadows
There is a concept very much in fashion in Westminster, where I occasionally work as a journalist, known as the “dead cat strategy”. It works something like this: let’s suppose…
Audi A6 Allroad Quattro 50 TDI
At first glance, you might think you’re reading the wrong magazine, testing an Audi A6. But hold your horses — on closer inspection we may have found something that could…
How to make sure you’re not buying a stolen gundog
How to avoid buying a stolen gundog
Ford Raptor Ranger
The Raptor, being an enhanced Ranger, has a similarly enhanced price tag. It’ll cost you £49,324.64 plus VAT. That’s £18k more than the lower spec Wildtrack edition, which is also…
Exercises you can do at home right now to improve your shooting technique
You’re probably very frustrated by the fact that you can’t go out shooting at the moment. However, you can use this time to improve your shooting technique and here I’m…
Can a working gundog also be a family pet?
Am I taking a risk having my working labrador as a house dog?
Recipe for pheasant meatballs – pheasant polpette
This easy and delicious recipe for pheasant meatballs from Tom Godber-Ford Moore is a real classic. Polpette are simply meatballs, sometimes cooked plain and sometimes, as is the case here,…
Norfolk stewed hare recipe
This recipe for stewed hare from Heydon Hall is absolutely foolproof and easy to follow
English and Welsh roe review 2019
Muntjac heads presented for evaluation in 2019 were up a huge 62% on 2018, proof of the spread of this hardy and fecund species. After such a busy year in…
Masters of the sky
Like many, I have occasionally been appalled and disgusted when duck have been on the menu on a shooting day. I will not go into detail. What an absolute waste…
Don’t fall foul of the new trapping laws
Trapping laws and predator control The first days of March have brought respite from the winter storms. Rain and wind seems to have lashed the estate for an eternity and…
Lead alternatives for deer stalkers
Investigating lead alternatives for deer The lead versus non-toxic debate is nothing new to those of us actively involved in the management of deer. This isn’t going to be an…