Taking lurchers lamping At the end of the beam, Blue turned hard, just inches behind the rabbit. It turned too and again Blue went with it, heeled over like a racing yacht. The rabbit made a last, desperate twist then Blue was trotting steadily back to Jake, the rabbit held…
Shooting
13 of the best boots for shooting
1. Meindl Glockner Boots RRP 294.99 Very hard-wearing. Robust nubuck leather uppers, with a GORE-TEX lining for waterproofing and breathability allow you to use these in complete comfort in any environment. 2. Le Chameau Men’s Chameau-Lite LCX 10″ Stalking Boot RRP £299 Better known for its leather-lined rubber boots,…
Why you should give Sporting clays a try
This article is not a masterclass in Sporting clays, but rather an overview to explain what it involves to encourage you to give it a go. Any calibre If you already use a shotgun, then you will probably be fine to shoot Sporting clays. You can use any calibre (12-bore…
9 of the best pairs of trousers for the field
Seeland Crief Overtrousers: These overtrousers must have been designed by someone who has struggled to get into waterproofs while wearing walking boots or wellies.
A Gun’s view on picking-up on a shoot day
Picking-up: Guns should be allowed to go picking-up on shoot day.
How many antler points can a stag grow? And what are they called?
Q: How many points can a red stag in the wild be expected to grow when they are at their best in this country? And what is the definition of a ‘Royal’ and an ‘Imperial’. There are many variables which impact on the number of points on stag antlers (or tines),…
Shooting Times visits the Port Loughan shoot and reports back
Somewhere in front of us, across the Irish Sea, I was told there was an extraordinary view, but torrential rain and a biting, squally wind had reduced visibility to no more than 100 yards. David Sandford was not pleased. He is a man who quite rightly is tremendously proud of…
Five ways to be a better game shot
1. Have a relaxed and positive attitude Shooting requires what might be called relaxed concentration. According to psychologists, you need to be ‘aroused’ but not too hyped up to do your best work in most sporting tasks. Developing your natural hunting instincts can be helpful. The best shots have fun,…
Should gamekeepers be tipped … or be paid properly in the first place?
Once, after a rather informal and very enjoyable day’s shooting, I attempted to give the gamekeeper a tip, but botched the handover. My fingers were numb and, as a consequence, a rather wet, slippery and solitary banknote flopped to the ground. Instantly, my purported friend said, for all to hear:…
Every day’s a school day
We were huddled together in an old Dumfriesshire farmhouse kitchen, with rain bouncing off the windows. “Whether we hit 10 birds today or 100 matters not,” announced 14-year-old Charlie Hattam, who was standing at the front with a broken arm, “but what does matter is safety.” Dotted round the room,…
Why is it illegal to use my pump-action gun wildfowling?
Wildfowling: I own an 8 shot pump action, which I use for pest control. I know it is illegal to use it wildfowling, but I don't know why?
A guide to shooting in bad weather
Richard Brigham's beginner's guide to shooting in bad weather explains how our varied climate can make or break a shooter's day
Following in the footsteps of famous wildfowlers
You might not have heard of him but if you’re a member of BASC — and by my reckoning you ought to be — you owe a great deal to a railway engineer called Stanley Duncan. In 1907 Old Man Duncan, as he came to be known, moved to Hull…
The intelligence of rooks
Few birds divide opinion like the rook. On the one hand we have farmers, who often endure massive damage to crops at certain times of the year, and on the other, the people who love to hear the most quintessentially English bird going about its business. The background cawing of…
Want to increase snipe numbers? These habitat improvements make a significant difference
Craigenputtock House has been sitting in the rural splendour of upland Dumfriesshire since the 11th century. Once the home of Thomas Carlyle, one of Scotland’s most influential authors, it has borne witness to much change. Over the years, the landscape has been transformed by afforestation, and continual drainage and tillage,…
How to mark pricked birds
It’s not always easy to spot a wounded bird — and it may fly on for some distance after being shot — so do keep your eyes peeled, advises Ian Grindy
How NOT to be asked shooting again
Bad manners in the field What time is this? Lateness is a serious sin. Mark you, earliness can be quite embarrassing if you stride into the kitchen roaring for coffee and bacon sarnies to find your hostess, still in her nightie, surrounded by last night’s washing up, poking forlornly at…
Hesitation. A common mistake amongst new shooters. Here’s how to avoid it.
Hesitation is a common shooting problem. While teaching my wife to shoot some years ago, she noticed that the person in front of her, shooting a simple going away target, was waiting way too long, or as some would say “hanging” on the target, only to miss when they did…
A wildfowler tried a new electric jacket from Harkila. Essential kit or just a fad? Here’s what he thought.
Just down the road from me lies the pretty little village of Mendlesham. It has a pub, a school and a few streets of ancient timber-framed houses, so commonplace in my part of Suffolk. Not a lot goes on in Mendlesham. However in 1943, the peaceful idyll was transformed into…
What do Guns really want?
In a West Country inn on a crisp autumnal evening, Tim Maddams, whom regular readers will recognise from our cookery pages, tells me that he thinks we need to kick the habit. “One thing I’m really trying hard with is to sell my days on an experience, rather than on…