Facts about the common snipe Distribution: Most worldwide populations are highly migratory, breeding in Iceland and across much of Europe, Russia and northern Asia. Overwinters in Africa and southern Asia.UK distribution: British populations are largely resident or only partially migratory. Can be found across the country but more numerous in…
Shooting
How to create or rejuvenate a pond
Whenever I attend a farm walk organised by the GWCT, I do so with a mixture of emotions. Positive sentiments such as wonderment, revelation and inspiration jostle with less attractive feelings. Frustration and envy largely. This unwarranted green-eyed state is not due to my begrudging the success of others. Far…
What you need to know about wildfowling calls
For as long as we humans have hunted wild duck and geese, we have used decoys and calls to attract them within range of a gun, bow or sling, or to lure them into waiting nets. Most species of wildfowl are intensely social birds. They will naturally congregate in large…
How LOUD should your shooting tweeds be?
Shooting tweeds should shout for joy, says Ben Samuelson There are a few fibs that we allow ourselves in shooting. The first is that we need big 4x4s. I spent many years driving to shoots in a TVR that only ever went off-road when I slid into a ditch. We…
Five of the best fleece gilets for shooters
The best fleece gilets for shooting are warm but not too hot, comfortable without being scruffy and easy to care for
Stag and Huntsman in Hambleden – take your gun and your gundog
If you’re shooting in the Bucks/Berks/Oxfordshire area and need somewhere to stay, then the Stag and Huntsman in Hambleden is ideal. This pub with rooms has a secure gun cabinet and dogs are welcome. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming and if your party wants, you can take over the…
How pigeon feeding habits change with the seasons
Wood pigeon feeding habits We should have a mental picture of the different crops grown on our pigeon shooting permissions. But at what time of the year should we be checking them? Woodies are catholic in their choice of food, which is just as well as it is not all…
How to create your own deer management plan
Deer management in any landscape requires a coordinated and well-thought-out plan. When it comes up in conversation, as it does more regularly than one would imagine, the viewpoint of those unfamiliar with deer management is more often than not, “Isn’t the aim simply to shoot as many as possible?” While…
Testing, testing shooting jackets
Testing shooting jackets The four shooting coats I was sent to trial are all so totally different from one another that to judge them in comparison is unfair and ultimately pointless. Therefore, when I was set the task of testing shooting jackets, I shifted my mindset to the one with…
What you need to know about focal planes
Many rifle shooters don’t really understand the difference between focal planes and it’s an aspect of rifle scopes that is often confusing to many. Basically, the difference between a first and second focal plane scope is where the reticule is positioned within the rifle scope. This affects the image seen…
How to keep your pheasants close to home
Very often, it is the little things that make a difference and will keep your pheasants closer. This is never more accurate than when said in relation to the management of poults inside a release pen, and the area immediately outside. Attention to detail is so important, and little tweaks…
Why ALL shooters should be members of a fieldsports organisation
If you shoot but are not a member of any fieldsports organisations, does that make you a freeloader? It’s a contentious question. In January 2017, I wrote: “To me, enjoying your shooting without being a member of any fieldsports organisations is short-sighted and perhaps even selfish. Surely there is an…
What happens when you shorten a rifle barrel?
Bruce Potts finds out what happens when you shorten a barrel and fire .270 Winchester rounds
Why sika deer are posing a threat to our native reds
Sika deer and Coco Chanel When I say ‘invasive non-native species’ the first thing to spring to your mind may be mink, the American signal crayfish or Rhododendron ponticum. It probably isn’t Coco Chanel. A keen angler and worthy of more Shooting Times column space than I can offer, Chanel…
What is the best shotgun cartridge and choke combination for pheasant shooting?
The right shotgun cartridge and choke combination for pheasant shooting could transform your days this coming season. There have been some major advances in shotgun cartridge technology in the past couple of years. To protect the environment shooters should use fibre wads. The Eley Hawk VIP Game cartridge comes in 28,…
This is how to take somebody night-time foxing for the first time
To those of us who do it regularly, a night out foxing is no big deal. For many others who have never, or rarely, been before, it can be a really memorable occasion. As a result, one of the things that Paul, my regular shooting partner, and I like to…
What to wear shooting
We advise you on what to wear shooting, whether at the clay ground or in the field
How to make an antler stick
The stick. The fact that you’re reading this suggests you probably have one — quite possibly several — and for hundreds of years a stout wooden pole has been the quintessential companion of those who venture into rural parts. Delving yet further into our species’ history, the simple stick has…
Why tweed is the original performance clothing
Ten years ago, I was invited by a Scandinavian clothing brand to cover the launch of a new range of shooting clothing. The grand unveiling would take place at a sporting lodge in Sweden, and there would be an opportunity to trial the clothing during a day’s driven wild boar…
How to hunt down a stalking permission
Some poor souls seem to labour in vain to locate even the smallest and least productive area where they might indulge their passion for deer stalking. Others, more fortunate, appear to find their permissions almost by accident. Is this no more than pure luck? In some cases, possibly, but with…