The end of the season brings the long-awaited beaters’ days. Traditionally, it was the day that the estate owner gave to his gamekeeper to invite his friends along to shoot. It has changed over the years and the keepers’ day is now more often referred to as the beaters’ day. An…
Gamekeeping
A day in the life of a gamekeeper
Gamekeepers: From long hours to relentless predators, there are many aspects to a gamekeeper's job description.
How to look after birds left at the season’s end
Regardless of the number of birds you shot on your last day, it is probable that you saw or flushed three or four times as many. What happens to the birds that survive the shooting season, and how they are looked after when it has finished, is important. It would be morally wrong for us…
Can you imagine the countryside without the Land Rover?
Can you imagine a countryside without the Land Rover? As a much-loved rural icon turns 60, Alastair Balmain reflects on what this British success story means to shooters
Modern poachers are not the affable rogues of old
Thirty-odd years ago, poachers were still poaching game for their own pot, or flogging it at the backdoors of country pubs and hotels, where it would get converted into tasty game, or more accurately, poacher’s pies. There was still an element of “old country romanticism” involved. The culprits were roguish but…
Meet Dragon – the last horse on the beating line?
A horse moving with a line of beaters isn’t a sight you’re going to see much these days. In fact Frank Shellard says he is probably the last person riding on the beating line in the UK. (If you know anybody else, please get in touch.) I asked him what…
Endangered birds thriving on Scottish grouse moors
There are 81 species of bird — many red-listed as being of conservation concern — thriving on Scottish grouse moors, according to a new report, published last month by the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association. Many species of bird faring better on managed moors The study conducted wildlife audits on three “key”…
“Birds are no longer enough for the RSPB”
Three cheers for Sir Ian Botham for having the balls to take on the RSPB, a charity rightly accused of “forgetting the birds”. Founded in 1889 as the ‘Plumage League’ by ladies with concerns about the enormity of the feather trade, where birds suffered persecution in the name of fashion, the RSPB is now the largest wildlife charity in Europe,…
What does a gamekeeper have in common with a Premier League football manager?
There is nowhere for a gamekeeper to hide when a shoot day goes wrong — badly wrong. Sometimes the unexpected happens, of course, and no one is to blame when things turn sour. That said, however, I am a big believer in making my own luck and stacking the odds in my…
Drawing birds into drives – and keeping them there
We shoot a few boundary days in October, but to me, October is more about getting ready for the shooting season proper — when the weather is cold and the leaves are off the trees — than it is about serious shooting. Strange though it may seem, one of the…
Rural communities highlight importance of grouse shooting
A new report published today shows the importance of grouse shooting and moorland management in supporting fragile rural communities. Created by Scotland’s Rural College and the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Centre for Mountain Studies at Perth College it focuses on two areas of Scotland – the Angus Glens…
Teaching young Shots – six tips for getting started
I started shooting at the age of eight. I’m lucky to come from a farming background, so there were opportunities to be involved in and around shooting from an early age. I followed my father’s lead and learned as many aspects as I could, whether tagging along with keepers, going beating,…
It won’t be a vintage year for red grouse
Grouse moor keepers and sporting agents across England and Scotland are warning that this year’s grouse shooting season will be a disappointing one thanks to the bad weather that hit the first half of the hatching period earlier in the year. Keepers are reporting reduced covey sizes — in some…
BASC highlights “Glorious Twelve” benefits of grouse shooting
BASC has released an infographic pictured here to illustrate the benefits of grouse shooting. Chairman of BASC’s Gameshooting and Gamekeeping Committee Ian Grindy said heather moorland managed for grouse benefits conservation and wildlife. He said “BASC is highlighting the 12 benefits of grouse shooting so that people can make their…
5 tips for using lamping for fox control
Probably the most popular and most successful way to control foxes is lamping. How lamping foxes has changed Lamping used to be a specialist job undertaken by gamekeepers and a dedicated few. It required lots of work during the summer months when long hours of daylight meant shooting could not…
Ever thought of setting up your own shoot?
I have often thought about running my own shoot. Many years ago I did, in fact, have a small shoot of my own where, with the help of a few friends and paying guests, we enjoyed some great days out in the field, even if the bag at times was…
Looking for a gundog puppy? A gun? Have something to sell? A gamekeeper vacancy?
Are you searching for a gundog puppy locally? Or maybe you want to publicise your shoot? On the hunt for a gun or a gamekeeping job? Searching for farm equipment or supplies? Then you should visit the Shooting UK Marketplace. Here we currently have over 2000 guns for sale in…
DOC trap
The DOC trap was designed by the New Zealand Department Of Conservation (DOC) for trapping non native species such as possums. The traps are available in the UK but have to be purchased with, and fitted into the trap box. The DOC 100 is ideal for smaller ground predators like stoats, squirrels…
First ever Shooting UK Gamekeeper Day storming success
Liam Bell is the head gamekeeper at stunning Millichope Park, a traditional family-owned and run estate. He is also a regional chairman of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation and a judge for the annual Time Inc. Shooting Industry Awards. Shooting Times readers will know Liam from his popular “On the Shoot”…
Birds hit hard by cold spring weather say gamekeepers
With the Met Office reporting a cooler than average May (-0.8°C)