Countryside residents are being urged to have their say as the largest ever survey into policing, crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) in rural areas nears its deadline on Wednesday 24th June. The survey, available to complete here, is being run by the National Rural Crime Network (NRCN), and is calling…
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Sir Ian Botham threatens to sue “deceptive” RSPB
Sir Ian Botham has threatened to sue the RSPB, claiming the charity falsely accused him of illegally killing birds of prey. Lawyers for the former England cricket captain contacted the organisation following recent comments that it made about him on the BBC. “I don’t take kindly to being lied about”…
Sir Barney White-Spunner quits LAG
Sir Barney White-Spunner has resigned from the Lead Ammunition Group (LAG), citing a “lost confidence” in the group chairman John Swift. The LAG was set up under in April 2010 at the behest of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the RSPB, to advise Defra on any risks to wildlife,…
French forest boar drive
This January, I was thrilled to be asked back to France by my old deerstalking guest Thomas and his father, Gilles, to take part in two driven shoots on boar and deer. How could I refuse? I was to experience another ‘Le chasse en battue’, what a treat! The quarry…
Picking-up with a Sealyham terrier
I get a real buzz out of watching any kind of “working” dog do what it was bred for, whether that is a hard-going spaniel tearing apart a bramble bush to extract a wily old cock pheasant, a Labrador taking the line of a 100-yard runner or a lurcher working…
Supplementary feeding the birds
Winter and spring are difficult times for game and wildlife. Habitat is in short supply having been beaten down by strong winds and sharp frosts, and the climate is cold, which coupled with a scarcity of food puts demands on fat reserves and body condition. Many gamekeepers are aware of…
Havens in our hedges
Hedges define farmed landscapes and are important habitats for many birds and other wildlife. Gamekeepers and shooting folk have long recognised the importance of hedges for gamebirds, both in the nesting season for wild birds and dispersal routes from woodland release pens for reared pheasants. They also help provide some…
Chopitea Side-by-Side 12-bore Boxlock Ejector Shotgun for sale
A private seller is selling this great example of a Chopitea Side-by-Side 12-bore Boxlock Ejector Shotgun for sale at £325! This gun is in excellent condition especially considering that it was manufactured in 1973. The barrels show some light signs of use but are in good condition. The bores are…
Swedish shooting support
Did you know that 94 per cent of Green voters support hunting? Needless to say that is not in the UK, but rather in Sweden. Even their Liberal Party shows more than 90 per cent support and when Swedish hunting associations host a moose hunt for politicians it is attended…
WIN a Yukon Night Vision Scope worth £400!
“The Photon XT is good value for money and would be my choice” said rifle expert Bruce Potts – and now it could be yours, just answer a simple question. The Yukon Advanced Optics Photon XT 4.6×42 S Digital night vision scope now features a digital reticle, with the…
Beretta 682 Gold E for sale
A private seller is selling this great example of a Beretta 682 Gold E for sale at £1,495. FEATURES: – 30″ Sporting with O/U barrels – Set of 5 optima bore chokes (red, blue, yellow, green, black) – 14.1/2’’ stock – trigger to mid butt – Spare 1″ BUTT –…
The CIC UK 2014 stalking review of fallow, CWC, muntjac, sika and other species
Those who have read the other reviews (English and Welsh Roe and Scottish Roe reviews) in this annual series will be aware that the updated CIC Trophy Evaluation System has now been implemented within the UK. The obvious manifestation of this will be the new measuring forms now in use,…
Could you be the next CLA Game Chef of the Year?
Last year semi-finals and finals of the inaugural CLA Game Chef of the Year in association with The Field took place at the CLA Game Fair at Blenheim Palace. It was an exciting and fun event and hugely popular with the audience. The two finalists, one amateur and one professional, battled…
English and Welsh roe heads review 2014
Last November, new guidelines for the European species within the CIC’s Red Book — the “bible” of international trophy measuring — were published for internal use. The changes, in principle, will provide greater consistency of measuring throughout a species’ range and provide the trophy judges with clearer technical information. These…
Don’t let secret camera fears derail crucial corvid trap study, says GWCT
Potential participants in an important corvid trap study in Scotland shouldn’t be put off by fears of covert surveillance, the Scottish government forensics laboratory Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) and Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) have said. The study, which looks at how and where traps are…
Entries for the 2015 Time Inc. Shooting Industry Awards are now open
If you sell or distribute one or more fantastic products which came onto the shooting market last year, then make sure you enter the 2015 Time Inc. Shooting Industry Awards. Please note that the 2015 Awards relate to products launched within the UK between 1 January and 31 December 2014. For full…
Sportsmans retains location despite shooting ground closure
Sportsman Gun Centre, a specialist retailer of hunting and shooting merchandise, has announced that their Southern Counties store will continue to supply sporting goods to the Dorset area for the foreseeable future, despite the Southern Counties Shooting Ground in Wardon Hill having been closed on 5th January 2015. The Sportsmans will carry…
Download your Shooting Times Ultimate Guide to Better Shooting
Improve your technique with the Shooting Times Ultimate Guide to Better Shooting, available only as a download for tablets and smartphones. In this packed 80-page step-by-step guide, we cover the essentials to ensure you shoot better in the field. With practical advice on gunfit, the correct stance, gun mount and understanding…
Look out for bird flu, shoots told
The shooting community has been asked to be extra vigilant after an outbreak of bird flu at a duck farm near Driffield in East Yorkshire. DEFRA officials issued a statement confirming the presence of bird flu at the farm and an order establishing restriction zones on Saturday 16 November. A…