Modern airgun shooters are spoilt for choice when it comes to air rifles for pest control. Daystate Red Wolf RRP: From £1,899.99 This British gun is far from cheap but it’s one of the finest pre-charged airguns in the world and its performance more than justifies its price tag.…
Pest control
Pest control can be undertaken for a variety of reasons – to prevent crop damage, protect wild birds and their habitats, keep vermin numbers down.
We have a variety of experts writing on the subject and if you have a query about pest control you’ll find some good advice here.
Rabbiting
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Guns
What are the legal calibres for foxes and rabbits?
After many years shotgun shooting my partner and I have been looking into culling foxes and rabbits by rifle at the various farms where we shoot.
Lamping rabbits – what happens when they get lamp shy?
Lamping rabbits: The rabbits around here are definitely getting lamp shy and bolt as soon as I switch on. Have you come across this, and is there any way around the problem?
Rabbiting with a second-hand CZ BRNO rifle
A classic CZ BRNO Model 2 E-S rifle lives up to expectations when Tony Jackson takes on the burgeoning rabbit population of south Some
What happened to the coypu in England?
At up to 3ft long including the tail, and weighing perhaps 9kg, the coypu is fairly impressive for a rodent. It is not quite a capybara or a beaver, but much bigger than the common rodents such as mice, voles and squirrels that we are used to in the UK. In…
How it took a day’s hunting for me to understand ethical meat
I am languishing on my patio, riding out the horror of a three-day, post-music-festival hangover, when the phone rings. It’s Patrick Galbraith, an old friend and the Editor of Shooting Times. “Hi pal, I’ve been thinking about cooking up some squirrels and a deer and I was wondering if you…
Protecting the red squirrel
I’m Jerry Moss and I have been a red squirrel ranger for 14 years. My responsibilities involve conserving and protecting the UK’s only native squirrel, especially from the threat of the alien grey. I am also a trustee of the Penrith & District Red Squirrel Group (P&DRSG), a charity committed…
What is the closest to a public road you can legally use a shotgun?
Where a field is bordered by a public footpath, what is the minimum distance at which one can safely and legally shoot a shotgun?
What happens when you use an imitation owl to lure crows and magpies?
Corvid control with an air rifle can be unpredictable. There are days when the quiet stealth of a moderated airgun can be a real asset, enabling you to pick off countless birds before they wise up to what’s going on. And, of course, there are plenty of times when suspicious…
Threat to general licences
The general licences that allow for the shooting of pest bird species, including crows, feral pigeons, Canada geese and lesser black-backed gulls, are to be challenged in the courts by a campaign group. Wild Justice, a private company set up by TV presenter Chris Packham, raptor blogger Dr Ruth Tingay…
A good day’s ratting
It was about 4am with rain falling hard from the London sky and people spilling out of nightclubs on to the greasy streets. As I sat waiting for the red signal to change, I noticed a man slumped against the traffic lights. Then movement at his feet caught my eye,…
How to improve your roost shooting skills
Mark Russell believes you need an instinctive feel when you're roost shooting pigeons, but you can practise it
How to call a fox
HOW TO SQUEAK A FOX: Here the Nataional Gamekeepers Organisation tell you how to call in a fox.
Tips for the foxing first-timer
Foxing tips If you’ve been following my series on how to add rifle shooting to your skill list, with the specific intention of controlling foxes, you should be ready to hit the field by now. You would have selected a gun that is appropriate for your needs, the optics are…
Why being a rabbit catcher is my perfect job
Rabbit control has been my job since 2000 and I can certainly say the past 18 years have gone quickly. People have said to me on numerous occasions, “That is my ideal job and you are very lucky.” True enough, and I do feel grateful to be doing what I…
How to help save the red squirrel
We are fortunate in Northumberland to still have pockets of the native red squirrel in several areas. This is not by accident. The work that is quietly being carried out on estates by the shooting community is managing to sustain these populations. Every estate I have visited over the last…
Six popular air rifles for under £500
One of the greatest appeals of airgun shooting is its affordability. For a few hundred pounds — and sometimes significantly less — you can pick up an air rifle that should give years of reliable service. With Christmas looming large on the horizon, it is likely more than a few…
Will a budget air-rifle really do the job?
Airguns are not only my hobby, they are also my livelihood, and as someone who subscribes to the adage that you should always use the right tool for the job, I like to use the best shooting equipment that my budget can stretch to. However, not everyone can justify forking…
How the American signal crayfish invaded British waters
Man’s stupidity when it comes to moving things around knows no bounds. He decided to bring the North American version of the crayfish to Europe and then to Britain to augment stocks of natives, which were suffering from crayfish plague. Little did the importers know the American signal crayfish were…