It’s always a challenge to come up with new, different ways of cooking pheasant breast. More often than not, I will have skinned the birds and removed the useful breast…
Shooting Times
Five famous guns and their owners
Should my guns eventually be catalogued by an auctioneer, I expect my ownership to make not a jot of difference to the valuation. Frankly, nobody is going to pay more…
How to get ticks off your dog and keep them off
A welcome consequence of the recent drought has been an absence of ticks. I have yet to find any ticks on dogs of mine this year. Ticks like nothing better…
“People have sallied forth into whatever piece of the countryside they can access”
You’ve seen a poo tree, haven’t you? The poo tree is an increasingly common invasive species, typically found in the vicinity of car parks near public green spaces. The chief…
Fausti 28-bore Class Round
Our verdict So, after negotiations between the trade associations and the government to enable shooting to restart, I was able to wander slowly back into the school suffering significant withdrawal…
What to look for when buying a gun
It always amazes me how many people are seduced by the aesthetic of a gun before they’ve even analysed how well it’s built and given some serious thought to how…
Tips on training a Labrador puppy
Jeremy Hunt has trained hundreds of Labradors. Here is his advice on picking the right puppy training class for your youngster.
How to get a shooting permission
Persuading a landowner to allow you access to their valuable business with a firearm can make decoying wary woodies or achieving blind retrieves over water look like child’s play. In…
Venison Khingal
It is easy to believe that pasta belongs to Italy, but versions of it are found all over Europe and Asia. In the south of France, nouilles are eaten with…
Should you invest in a wildfowling guide?
A couple of years ago, on a rather grey October afternoon, I was trudging around Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis with my good friend Will Martin, looking for the…
Liam Bell on the latest raptor killing reporting
The silly season appears to have come early this year. Whether this is a direct result of journalists and press officers suffering from cabin fever because of the COVID-19 lockdown…
Which lead-free airgun pellets would you recommend?
Q: After all the talk about shotgun shooters moving away from lead ammunition, I feel inspired to try using lead-free pellets in my airgun. Are there any brands you can…
Why is the springer spaniel becoming less popular?
In the 1980s I belonged to a shooting syndicate with one simple rule: every member had to own a working gundog. It was a walk-one, stand-one shoot, so it was…
The gun every shooter should have in their gun cabinet
I give my shotguns names. My AYA No 3 I dubbed ‘Lazarus’ because, thanks to my friend Adam Bragg’s craftsmanship, it was brought back from the dead. My Lincoln Premier…
Hatsan Escort .22LR rifle
For some years now, Hatsan has been known as a value-for-money Turkish shotgun manufacturer, but it is also starting to make its mark in the world of rifles. This new…
Let sleeping gundogs lie in comfort
A favourite subject for debate in the gundog world is whether working dogs should be kennelled or kept in the house. I don’t think dogs mind much either way, as…
Tackling corvids to protect lambs
The long layoff from shooting during lockdown has been a frustrating time for many of us. Most of my shooting entails the control of grey squirrels, and it seemed difficult…
Old dog, neat tricks
A team of dogs usually comprises varying age and ability levels. It is common to have at least one youngster that is in training and learning its trade from older…
Toyota RAV4 hybrid Excel AWD
Toyota has been at the forefront of hybrid vehicles for a while and is starting to use the technology and green credentials from the Prius over more of its range.…
GWCT calls for vital funds to continue essential work
A letter to members of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) from chief executive Teresa Dent CBE, has illustrated the extent of financial support urgently needed by the Trust.…