With most of the UK shooting season put on hold last year due to COVID, speculation has been rife about how shooting would bounce back. However there is no evidence…
Shooting Times
Grouse shooting endorsed in major new academic study
A newly published 242 page report by a team from the University of Nottingham entitled “Sustainable Grouse Shooting? A Summary of the Evidence” looked at the cases for and against…
Does your rifle fit you? Here’s how to find out.
I remember having to wrestle with my first. 22 rimfire, a BSA Martini action 12/15, out rabbiting. It was accurate but it weighed a ton, was far too long and…
Best hunting knives put to the test
There are few tools more central to fieldsports than a decent knife and, whether you are gralloching stags in the Highlands or divvying up the game pie at a shoot…
Recipe for quail with chorizo and aioli
Should you be tempted by this recipe for quail with chorizo, a favourite discovered at Tom Pemberton’s wonderful Notting Hill restaurant, Hereford Road, I highly recommend British quail fromThe Wild…
Do beaters, loaders and pickers-up get paid fairly?
Some beaters, loaders and pickers-up rely on shoots as their main source of income throughout the season. However this money cannot replace a regular salary (and it’s been hit hard…
How to make a dog vomit in an emergency
Most wild mushrooms aren't poisonous to dogs, but there are some symptoms of poisoning that you should watch out for
Ernest Hemingway – a remarkable Shot and author
It’s 60 years since Ernest Hemingway, one of America’s greatest writers and novelists, died. It’s an anniversary that has reminded many of his skills as an essayist, for his prose…
Does the public really hate fieldsports?
When the Editor posed the question “Does everybody hate us?” to me on the phone, I laughed. At the time, I was visiting a friend called Angus who attends the…
Consultation on general licences in Northern Ireland has been dropped
The Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) abandoned the consultation process after it came under fire for bias. The consultation had looked at proposals to remove herring gulls,…
Grouse shooting: efforts to pressure companies into abandoning the sport prove unsuccessful
In an attempt to use the press to ambush Yorkshire Water, anti-shooting campaigners have been promoting the claim that the company is ending shooting leases on land it owns. The…
How to dress for walked-up grouse and partridge shooting
When we all look ahead to the new game shooting season, certain images will invariably spring to mind. Morning coffee and bacon rolls in dank stone bothies or sheds, collars…
How to keep your poults happy
Poults start to wander three to four weeks after release. Not very far initially but, as they grow more confident, they wander further and further from their pen. It isn’t…
The best gun oil: Why you shouldn’t skimp on cleaning your gun
Choosing gun oil I have been asked on numerous occasions by those new to the world of shooting whether gun oil is any better than any other oil you’d pick…
Venison kebabs – a delicious idea for the barbecue
Everyone loves a good barbecue at this time of the year. I always keep plenty of venison in the freezer, whether it’s chops or mince for smash burgers. (Read our…
What’s the law on pigeon shooting? You can’t just go and shoot them – you need to know where, why and what
I will always remember my first pigeon. I was standing under the old oak in the middle of the farm with my father. It was a left-to-right crosser and I…
The rabbits are back
Rabbits have always had a reputation for being able to reproduce at a rapid rate, but there weren’t many signs of that happening on my patch last year. Thankfully, things…
Here’s what we said about the Baikal 12-bore back in 2008 when it was given a road test
The Baikal 12-bore shotgun is a reliable, well-made gun capable in practical terms of holding its own against much more expensive alternatives
Pigeon shawarma with red pepper couscous and chermoula dressing
This pigeon shawarma recipe is, by far, at its best cooked over charcoal, but simply searing in a pan will also be perfectly OK if you’re pushed for time. I…
Perazzi High Tech S Game 12-bore
There is a great buzz of excitement among our customers here at the Oxfordshire Shooting School about the upcoming Game Fair. For some it will be about catching up with…