This Thai-style fried rabbit recipe is not for the timid or lazy cooks among you — it is well worth the effort, though. I’ve used rabbit here, but you could…
Shooting Times
Early season pigeon shooting – how to get the most out of it
I won’t keep on about my jaw injury, but it feels like months since I fell out of that ash tree. I was recently speaking to a friend, who is…
Gundog rabbit trials
Once the staple quarry of the rough shooter, the humble rabbit has become something of a rarity in the countryside, with the result that generations of modern gundogs have little…
Fresh questions around ‘Green Laird’ buyouts of sporting estates
In recent years, prices for sporting estates and hill farms in Scotland have skyrocketed in response to the emergence of a new breed of estate owner looking to ‘rewild’ while…
Police Scotland climbdown over ‘deliberately shot’ buzzard
The bird was reported to police after being discovered in woodland near Ladybank in Fife in April. The discovery of the bird’s remains was accompanied by a press release from…
Why local markets are essential to venison sales
If you’re looking for fresh food that’s steeped in local flavour, food that comes directly from the countryside around you, pay a visit to your nearest farmers’ market. Take, for…
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…
Historic Royal Shots: the finest to ever wear a crown
Best Royal Shots Royalty has been at the forefront of game shooting activities in Great Britain since the mid 19th century when the Prince of Wales — later King Edward…
The joys of solo stalking
Some years ago, my wife was so busy at work that she proposed to hire somebody to exercise her horse. I remarked that this was like me paying somebody to…
Britain’s lost shoots: Hewell Estate
Those walking through the leafy streets of Barnt Green, one of the most prestigious residential areas in the West Midlands, probably have no idea that about a century ago the…
Muntjac – everything you need to know
Among the world’s most ancient groups of deer species, muntjac walked the earth during the Miocene epoch along with mastodons and smilodons — sabre-tooth tigers — in essentially the same…
WhatsApp poacher avoids jail for illegally killing fallow deer
A poacher who was convicted after police read a ‘WhatsApp’ chat has avoided jail. Earlier Shooting Times reported the conviction of Mark Bond of Maidstone in Kent. Bond was found…
Gamekeepers launch campaign to avert disastrous season
In an email to Shooting Times DEFRA explained that the 90 day restriction to movements came from the bird flu regulations which were transferred into UK law as part of…
Hard times for gamekeepers: how things have changed in 100 years
I had a very dear aunt who made it to — and past — her century of birthdays. Her recollections often made me think about the changes she had seen…
Sourcing biodegradable wads: Alasdair Mitchell is on the case
One day, in my dim and distant youth, I noticed a wisp of fishing line hanging from the mouth of my sister’s horse. My blood froze as I recalled that…
Winchester SX4 Stealth: why it’s one of the best semi-autos on the market
I admit that I have always had a fascination with repeating shotguns. The semi-automatic is the most practical and versatile shotgun design available. It has been the shotgun of choice…
What first gun should I get my teenager with a new shotgun licence?
Have shotgun licence, in search of a shotgun Q: I want to buy a first gun for my 15-year-old son to use now that he has got his licence. He…
Venison chorizo sausages with truffled polenta
Roe is a fantastic venison and is ideal for making sausages. (Read more on which deer species offer the best tasting venison?) Venison chorizo sausages with truffled polenta and a…
What to look for when buying a gun
It always amazes me how people will buy a gun based on its looks, even before they’ve looked at how well it’s built and how it handles. Perhaps some manufacturers…
Tracking tahr in the mountains of New Zealand
The two helicopters take off almost simultaneously, leaving us in pristine mountain wilderness on the far side of the world. We’re a full day’s hike from civilisation in one of…