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…
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
Videos
Ferreting
Fox
Rats
Guns
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…
A guide to fox control
Lamping may be one of the most efficient ways to kill foxes but if you miss then, you'll have created a much fightier foe. Liam Bell outlines other options for fox control
Dealing with rats in the hen house
Having an air rifle in the house often proves handy for impromptu backyard pest control. My airguns are called into action in the garden to deal with marauding grey squirrels, but more recently it has been dealing with rats in the hen house. Grain attracts rats We keep hens and…
Is there a minimum recommended calibre for a foxing rifle?
Fox control: Why do all the rifle experts have such a low opinion of the .22 rimfire for fox control? I have taken numerous foxes at ranges of 100 yards – measured not guessed.
How to use traps for pest control
Using traps for pest control to control small predators such as stoats, weasels and rats is time-consuming, but is nevertheless important for those of us who want to try and nurture some wild stock. Foxes and crows might be at the top of the list but, once their numbers are under…
How to gain a permission to shoot land
If you have a pressing need to stop one or more foxes from killing your livestock you probably already have somewhere to shoot, but let’s suppose that you don’t know any landowners. How on earth do you go about getting someone to agree to let you on their property? Well,…
Steyr Zephyr II .17 HMR rimfire
The original Steyr Zephyr was a .22 LR, produced in 1966 by Steyr Mannlicher, and it was unlike any other rimfire available at the time. It had that everlasting and alluring quality that Steyr rifles possess and it was the only rimfire I knew of that had a Stutzen —…
