The likely effect of COVID-19 on shooting in the UK is becoming clearer as the initial panic starts to subside and more shoots decide how they will approach the coming season. The majority of shoot operators who spoke to Shooting Times said they intended to go ahead with shooting this…
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Support gamekeeping during these difficult times and you could win a knife worth £500
The National Gamekeepers Organisation (NGO) exists for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to support gamekeepers who have fallen on difficult times. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many shoots are facing an uncertain future and some estates have already cancelled next year’s shooting season. Support gamekeepers…
A message for subscribers of Shooting Times, Sporting Gun and Shooting Gazette
We wanted to take this opportunity to reassure you that we are working hard to ensure you continue to receive your issues of Shooting Times, Sporting Gun and Shooting Gazette as normal. Some regions overseas have experienced disruption to their service, however for the majority, there are currently no interruptions…
COVID-19 makes shooting season ‘a huge gamble’
Shoots around the country have been wrestling with decisions about how many birds to put down, how many days to offer and whether to shoot at all. One gamekeeper told Shooting Times: “It is an enormous gamble. Potentially we are paying thousands of pounds to buy birds, then paying thousands…
Seven days of game dinners for a family of four – £1.79 per person a day
We hope that our readers are managing this extraordinary period of coronavirus and staying well. Feeding a family isn’t always easy at the best of times, particularly when you can’t go out or are having to self-isolate. So we think this family food pack from not-for-profit company Wild and Game…
Amid national crisis, Wild Justice launches new legal campaign and requests funding
The day after the UK saw a 26% surge in coronavirus infections (17 March 2020) Wild Justice announced that its lawyers had filed an application for a judicial review of Natural Resources Wales’s (NRW’s) issuing of general licences on 1 January 2020. The group also announced that it is seeking…
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 the very thought of spring seems weeks away, but this can suddenly change. The days are stretching out and two…
How have other countries coped with the lead shot ban?
For advocates of lead ammunition, the arguments have become academic. The leaders of our major shooting and countryside organisations have signed a statement in support of the removal of lead — and single-use plastic — from all ammunition used for hunting game, within five years. Critics will not see this…
IWA Outdoor Classics 2020 rescheduled for September 2020
The IWA Outdoor Classics 2020 exhibition has been rescheduled for 3-6 September 2020 in Nuremberg, Germany. It was previously due to take place in early March but was postponed due to fears about the spread of coronavirus. Journalists from Shooting Times, Sporting Gun and Shooting Gazette attend the event annually…
UK cartridge makers say end to lead and plastics in ammunition ‘impossible’ within five years
Monday’s call from fieldsports and shooting bodies for a move away from lead ammunition within five years has drawn criticism from leading shotgun cartridge manufacturers Eley Hawk, Gamebore, Hull Cartridge and Lyalvale Express, who accuse BASC and others involved of being ill-informed. In a statement issued on Friday 28 February…
Shooting and rural organisations announce move away from lead ammunition
A group created from fieldsports and rural bodies is calling for a move away from lead ammunition within five years. The members include: The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) British Game Alliance (BGA) Countryside Alliance (CA) Country Land and Business Association (CLA) Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT)…
Results of Pakistan’s largest competitive shooting championship announced
The championship known as the 2nd Muhammad Ali Jinnah Open Shooting Championship was held in the historic Pakistani city of Bahawalpur between the 5th and 18th of December – an occasion made unique by its vast offering of up to 27 matches in 7 different categories, with a special emphasis…
Defra reissues temporary general licences ahead of deadline
Defra has reissued six general licences on a temporary basis for the control of wild birds. The temporary general licences in question (GL26, GL28, GL31, GL34, GL35 and GL36) will be reissued from 1 March to 31 July 2020. Licence users do not need to take further action, other than…
Winners of the 2019 Purdey Awards for Game and Conservation announced
On Tuesday 4 February 2020 gamekeepers, landowners and members of the shooting community gathered at Apsley House in London to celebrate the winners of the 2019 Purdey Awards for Game & Conservation. The awards recognise those involved in the world of shoot management and conservation, and who achieve outstanding results…
Why you should go to the Great British Shooting Show this year
A success story – the Great British Shooting Show It is no secret that running shows and game fairs, in the shooting sector, is a difficult thing to get right. Over the past 20 years, a number of events have struggled and sadly a few have closed. However, the Great…
Is trouble with general licences brewing again?
New general licences expire soon Are general licences going to become unworkable again? Last year the three main general licences for the shooting and trapping of pest birds (GL34, GL35 and GL36) were temporarily revoked after a legal challenge. After delay and discussion they were reissued by Defra with validity…
Wild Justice moves to BLOCK gamebird releases
Today lawyers acting on behalf of Wild Justice have written to DEFRA challenging the legality of releases of gamebirds on Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) sites and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). Wild Justice says that in September 2019 DEFRA admitted that gamebird releases needed to be assessed properly and “promised…
Love Island contestant attracts anti-hunting criticism
Love Island contestant Ollie Williams posted images of himself on social media with game shot during a past trip to Africa and has been criticised for trophy hunting. A petition has been put up on Change.org calling for his removal from the ITV 2 series and attracted over 35,000 signatures.…
Packham ‘a threat to our livelihoods’
Rural workers have rallied in Perth to protest, claiming that TV presenter Chris Packham threatens rural livehoods. The protest came as Mr Packham gave a talk on nature photography at Perth Concert Hall. Mr Packham has used his media profile to promote two petitions to end grouse shooting, as well…
Reactions to the Werritty report on grouse shooting in Scotland
The newly published Werritty report on grouse shooting in Scotland states that licensing should be introduced if there is no marked improvement in the ecological suitability of grouse management within the next five years. However Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has hinted that licensing could be imposed sooner than the five year…