What makes a gun a magnum? Something I am asked from time to time is whether the terms “magnum” and “3in” are synonymous. If a gun is marked “magnum” does…
Shooting Times
Tips to improve your rifle shooting and markmanship
So your stalking kit has been cleaned and stowed away, and you’ll likely see more venison on the barbecue than under a cross-hair for the next few months. But the…
Summer roebuck stalking – why June is a difficult month
A super blood moon had graced the heavens the night before. With so much cosmological excitement and an early sunrise, I decided to aim for mid-morning. It was an unusually…
A pair of Prince Albert’s guns are up for auction
Before Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha arrived in Britain it would have been rare to see an Englishman shooting driven game. Prince Albert is widely credited with popularising driven…
A river with royal approval
The connection between the British royal family and fieldsports is long and illustrious and, happily, permeates down to this year of our monarch’s Platinum Jubilee. The royal estate at Sandringham…
What does the rising cost of feed mean for estate conservation budgets?
Deli-deli-deli-tak ye” goes the song of the male yellowhammer, albeit with a Scottish twang. Well, we are a border county here in Northumberland after all. The yellowhammer perched high on…
Do woodcock really carry their young?
I recently stumbled upon a woodcock’s nest in the forest above my house. This was a major coup for me and I marvelled at the beautiful eggs in their little…
Homeloading shotgun cartridges: what you need to know
Among shooting types there is a growing trend for homeloading your own shotgun cartridges.
A guide to ageing woodcock
Ageing woodcock by examining their wing feathers is a useful skill to learn. It is a way we can help to discover more about the population trends of this migratory…
The lurcher – a designer cross-breed dog
The lurcher is not a breed but a variety of ‘types’ arrived at by accident. Mating a running dog such as a whippet, greyhound or deerhound to a non running…
Working dog hazards to watch out for in the field
I sometimes think back over the countless hours I have spent in the countryside with my dogs. Whether it was roost shooting, wildfowling, rough shooting, pigeon decoying, beating, standing on…
The problem with running Larsen traps
A hotbed of social media controversy surrounds the use of Larsen traps. Seeing wild gamebirds beginning to pair up for the breeding season, the timing is right for me to…
How long should you hang a deer carcass?
When should a disembowled deer carcus be moved into a refrigerator?
Dog training with a whistle: some frequently asked questions
Dog training with a whistle means you don’t have to shout yourself hoarse when you’re teaching your hound how to behave. (Read how to teach reliable dog recall.) Having a…
Gun safety catch – should it be automatic on all guns?
Intercepting safety sears on the tumbler of a gun are supposed to stop accidental discharges if the gun is dropped, or jarred, by accident.
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. It’s a major job for keepers during October and can sometimes…
Changes to antique firearms regulations
With the passage of the Antique Firearms Regulations 2021, British law includes the definition of what constitutes an antique firearm for the first time in legal history. Previously, there was…
Terrier breeds: are they born anarchists?
Most, if not all of the terrier breeds bring a smile to our faces, whether the smug condescension of the handler of well-trained gundogs or the rictus of embarrassment that comes…
English roe review 2020
The impact of COVID-19 on both professional and amateur hunters alike has been extraordinary. It is interesting that, despite the pandemic, we still evaluated 1,014 heads of all species last…
Is the side-by-side shotgun history?
“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…