The long layoff from shooting during lockdown has been a frustrating time for many of us. Most of my shooting entails the control of grey squirrels, and it seemed difficult to justify a drive of 10 or so miles to keep my feeding stations going when we were all being…
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
How to control foxes when they’ve become lamp shy
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
How to use an air rifle to clear pheasant pens of rats
One evening that really sticks in my mind is a ratting session with my friend Kev Hawker in February. As the pheasant season had drawn to a close, we were allowed to shoot inside the release pens on a local estate and the early signs suggested that we were in…
Airguns and summer squirrel shooting
Squirrel shooting with an air rifle can be very tricky over the summer months. The trees are covered with dense foliage which makes your quarry almost invisible in the treetops. Lure of the pheasant feeder The colder months are an easier time for squirrel shooting with an air rifle. Hungry…
How to use a Larsen trap correctly and effectively
A Larsen trap is an extremely visible form of pest control but using one needs be done correctly. A passer-by who spots a dirty Larsen trap with a dejected-looking calling bird (decoy), standing on a heap of splattered droppings and flyblown carcass remains is not going to come away with…
No guarantees with this most wily foe the fox
It will come as no surprise that foxes are the UK’s biggest predator of both ground-nesting birds and released game. Because we don’t have large apex predators to assist with their control, as they do in some other parts of the world, it is down to us. Reasons to control…
I live in the city. Am I allowed to shoot pests in my garden?
Shooting pests on the patio in the city A reader wants to make short work of squirrels and rats. Can he? Q: The only wildlife I see in my city garden are grey squirrels and the odd visiting rat. There are a few parks nearby which are also home to…
Shooting crows with rifles
Crow shooting isn't just for those who possess a shotgun. Bruce Potts investigates the relative merits of centrefires and rimfires for a safe and humane despatch
New laws on trapping – keepers must tread carefully
It will soon be illegal to use a Fenn trap to catch a stoat, but where are we in our quest for its replacement? The list of traps we now have at our disposal is on the Government website for all to see. These traps have been through rigorous testing…
Cartridges and calibres for pest control
Wondering what is the best calibre for foxes? Rabbits? There are so many different species of pests – you can’t band together a rabbit and a fox – that you can’t have a single calibre for them all. So instead I am going to take a look at the various…
Don’t fall foul of the new trapping laws
Trapping laws and predator control The first days of March have brought respite from the winter storms. Rain and wind seems to have lashed the estate for an eternity and the very thought of spring seems weeks away, but this can suddenly change. The days are stretching out and two…
How to use an airgun for rat control
An air rifle is particularly suited for killing rats. With sensible use of backstops — most often concrete walls in a farmyard scenario — an airgun for rat control can be safely and effectively used in places where you wouldn’t dream of firing a shotgun or rimfire rifle. In fact,…
Tips for shooting rabbits
Go out into the field shooting rabbits and you will improve your hunting and shooting skills, learning about how animals avoid humans and predators. The rabbit ranks as some of the best sport a shooter can have. It’s all about being in the fields, watching and listening. It’s not about…
Which are the best air rifles for shooting rabbits?
Air rifles: I was rabbiting recently with a .177 air rifle, but I couldn’t hit anything. Is this calibre powerful enough? Could you offer advice on the perfect air rifle for rabbits?
How to use an air rifle for pest control
What do you do when grey squirrels, rats and corvids are robbing nests of eggs? You get out the airgun - and you lay in wait, as Mat Manning explains
Tracking foxes and how to stop them picking up YOUR scent
Patrick’s top tips for tracking foxes • Do your best to keep the wind in your face as that way you’ll be approaching from downwind • Avoid wearing anything perfumed, as it will signal your presence long before you arrive if it catches on the wind • Putting down smelly…