IT training shooting times and country TruePDF 13 march 2019

Of these, 64 were of gold medal quality, another increase on last year, this time by 22 per cent.. * SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE ENGLISH AND WELSH ROE TOP 50 GOLD-MEDAL HEADS Thre

36 St James’s, Street

London SW1A 1JD

The Beretta Gallery is situated in the heart of London,

on the corner of historic St James’ Street Beretta products are EVVERKIH SZIV XLVII ¾SSVW JVSQ LERHFYMPX WMHIPSGO WLSXKYRW

XS XLI ½RIWX LYRXMRK VM¾IW %PSRKWMHI XLI MGSRMG 7IVIRKIXM NEGOIX ]SY´PP ½RH SXLIV I\UYMWMXI PEHMIW ERH KIRXPIQIR´W ETTEVIP

as well as a discerning range of accessories and gifts

8LIWIGSRH ¾SSV LSYWIW XLI &IVIXXE KYRVSSQ

the largest in London.

Serengeti in the city

Sybil, a Sealyham terrier, has perfected the arts of scrounging, snoring and barking loudly at intrudersboth inside and outside her domain She picks-up with the rest of the pack at Compton Manor shoot.

Sybil

DOG OF THE WEEK

In association with Orvis

For all things dog, Shooting Times recommends Orvis.co.uk

Outdoor outfi tters, instructors and apparel makers since 1856.

Owned and photographed by Deborah and Robbie Gates

Get the picture

26 Ilkley Moor: one year on

J^[[Ƈ[Yjie\j^[i^eej_d]XWd 30 Soldier Palmer

I^ej m^ei[ ijWdY[ _i _dYehh[YjWdZ

m^e ^Wi Wd [o[ Ybei[Z$

¼M^o ki[ feeh f_Yjkh[i5½ Wiai j^[

b[jj[h mh_j[h$ Ed ed[ ^WdZ ^[ ^Wi W lWb_Z

fe_dj$ Oek YekbZ Wh]k[ Shooting Times

^Wi W Zkjo je Z_ifbWo X[ij fhWYj_Y[ _d

[WY^ WdZ [l[ho f^eje _d j^[ ^ef[ j^Wj

f[efb[ m^e Wh[ lW]k[bo _dj[h[ij[Z _d

ekh ifehj WdZ f_Ya kf W Yefo e\ j^[

cW]Wp_d[ i[[ ^em je Ze _j fhef[hbo$

8kj j^Wj¿i W fei_j_ed ?¿Z Z_iW]h[[

m_j^$ ? h[c[cX[h ed[ Wkjkcd ZWo

Xehhem_d] W ^ehi[ WdZ jWa_d] _j

^kdj_d] » co Xh[[Y^[i m[h[ j^[

mhed] Yebekh" ? mWi m[Wh_d] W

i^eej_d] `WYa[j WdZ ? YekbZd¿j ][j

co Y^Wfi Zed[ kf$ ? beea[Z W c[ii

Xkj j^[ ^ehi[ beea[Z W\j[h c[ WdZ

? ^WZ W ]h[Wj j_c[$ ? ^Wl[ d[l[h X[[d

fWhj_YkbWhbo i[b\#YediY_eki Xkj" _d j^[

b[WZ#kf je j^[ c[[j" ? Z_Z medZ[h _\

? mWi ]e_d] je beea W X_j e\ W fbeda[h$

?\" Zkh_d] j^ei[ \[m ZWoi" ?¿Z Yec[

WYheii Wd _iik[ e\ Horse & Hound m_j^

W \[Wjkh[ WXekj _d[nf[h_[dY[Z" ib_]^jbo

Z_i^[l[b[Z f[efb[ ^Wd]_d] ed je

^ekdZi" ? mekbZ ^Wl[ \[bj jh[c[dZekibo

h[Wiikh[Z » WdZ j^Wj¿i m^o" _d

Whj_Yb[i WXekj del_Y[i ][jj_d] _dje

i^eej_d]" ? X[b_[l[ j^[oi^ekbZd¿j

beea b_a[ [nf[hji$

Patrick Galbraith, Editor

Follow Patrick on Twitter

Times today and never

miss another issue of Britain’s original and best fieldsports and countryside magazine

7HO  

)UHHSKRQH   

$// 35,&(6 (;&/8'( '(/,9(5<

The government of Botswana, which has the world’s largest elephant population, is considering lifting a ban on hunting the animals

ministers asked President

Masisi to change the law

The ban was introduced

by former president Ian

Khama in 2014 and was

described in Botswana’s

Sunday Standard newspaper

as “the ultimate victory

by photographic safari

investors against

trophy-hunting safari tourism

investors, their long-time

rivals” Questions were

raised over Mr Khama’s

connections to the

photographic safari

business and to

anti-hunting campaigners

A formal study of the ban’s

effects by Professor Joseph

Mbaiwa of the University

of Botswana said the ban

“has led to a reduction oftourism benefits to localcommunities such as income,employment opportunitiesand provision of housingfor the needy and elderly

Reduced tourism benefitshave led to the development

of negative attitudes by ruralresidents towards wildlifeconservation and the increase

in incidents of poaching in northern Botswana.”

A booming elephantpopulation has been the mainmotive for those seeking to liftthe ban In June Botswana’sparliament unanimouslysupported a motion to repealthe ban Tabling the motion,Kostantinos Markus MP toldparliament that “Botswanahas approximately 237, 000

elephants as comparedwith our carrying capacity

of 50,000, because there

is no hunting of elephants”

and that “the increasedexpansion of the elephantpopulation in Botswana hasimpoverished communities,where crop damage and lack

of harvest due to elephants

is prevalent”

The new report, which waspublished on the Facebook page of the Botswanangovernment, made a list ofrecommendations includingthat the hunting ban is liftedand that the governmentshould “develop a legalframework that will create

an enabling environment forgrowth of a safari huntingindustry” The ministersrecommended “regular but limited elephantculling and establishment

of elephant meat canning,including production of petfood and processing into other by products”

Botswana’s neighbours,Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabweand South Africa, all havethriving hunting industries attracting visitors fromaround the world Elephanthunting costs from $30,000

“The increased expansion of

the elephant population has

Shooting ends on NRW land

Scots salmon rivers classified

Thebanonpheasantshooting

on land managed by Natural

Resources Wales (NRW) has

come into force The existing

leases expired on 1 March

and will not be renewed

Thedecisiontoend

shootingandrearingofgame

birds on land managed by

NRWwastakenbyformerWelshenvironmentministerHannahBlythynandwentagainstadvicefromanexpertreport.Themovewasopposedbyfieldsportsorganisationsanddrewcriticismforitsdamagingeffectsand lack

of clear rationale

Ms Blythyn, who hasnow been demoted todeputy minister for housing, subsequently tried to

distance herself from thedecision, claiming that she had merely expressed

a view and NRW was not required to act on it

Theclassificationsystemhasbeencriticisedinthepastforthetendencyofriverstomovebetweengradings for noclearreason

DuncanFergusonoftheScottishGamekeepersAssociation Fishing Group,

commented:“Morethoughtiscertainlygoingintoitnowthanattheoutsetbutthereisstillanissueoverusingrodcatchasanindicatorofconservationhealth

Ifriversarenotgettingthefishnumbersthenthatcandiscouragefutureanglers

Thatwillaffecttherodcatchfiguresagain,whichmakes

a mockery of the equation.”

Scotland’s “big four” — the rivers Dee, Spey, Tweed and Tay — have been given category one status

The move to ban pheasant shooting on NRW-managed land was criticised for its lack of clear rationale

To do this week

F I S H With the trout seasonnow open on many

English, Welsh and Northern Irishrivers, and opening on 15 March inScotland, stiller, warmer days will offer opportunities to find a fish

Nymphfishingisoftenthemostsuccessfulmethodearlyintheseason.ClassicsliketheGoldRibbedHare’sEarandPheasantTailNymphwillproduceresultsbutanglersofamoremodernbentoftenlooktosuper-heavyCzechnymphscastupstreamandtrundleddownthe stream bed to tempt early trout

G O Q U A C K E R S Withspring

finallyarrivingitisalmostducklingtime.Ducklingswon’teatforthefirst24to48hours,butafterthatchickcrumbsmakeagreatfeed.Ducklingsshouldbefedadlibsokeepfeederstoppedup

Chooseyourcrumbwithcare.Somechickcrumbsaremedicatedwithdrugsthathelptopreventcoccidiosis.Theseareunsuitableforducklings,soavoidanycrumblabelledas“medicated”,“containsACS”or“containscoccidiostats”.Checkwithyourfeedmerchantifyouareunsure.DownloadtheGWCTguidetobuilding

a feeder at po.st/ducklingfeeder

Weekend Twitter poll

31% Patterdale 9% Plummer 54% Jack Russell

6% Sealyham

Which is the best terrier for ratting?

follow us @shootingtimes Respondents: 212

Characterised by disputes over the animal’s decline, an eventful mountain hare season has come to an end

to date, which has been marked

by disputes over the role of grousemoor management and forestry

in driving declines in mountainhare populations, has closed

In March 2018, a series ofcovertly filmed videos werereleased showing mountain hareculling operations on moorland inthe Highlands Despite the videosshowing fewer than 10 hares beingshot, they were met with a strong

response from Scottish politicians

First Minister Nicola Sturgeoncommented that “large-scaleculling of mountain hares could putthe conservation status at risk and that is clearly unacceptable”

ThenextmajordevelopmentcameonthefirstdayofthegrouseseasonwhenapaperwaspublishedclaimingthatmountainharepopulationsonmoorlandintheeasternHighlandshavedeclinedby99percentsincethe1950s.Theblamewasputongrousemoors

cullingharestopreventthespreadoflouping-illvirusfromharestogrouse.Journalistswerenotifiedofsomeofthepaper’scontentsinadvancebyanRSPBpressrelease

Thismeantthatstorieswerecarriedinthenationalmediabeforeshootingorganisationswereabletoreadthepaperandrespond

Thepaper’sconclusionswerecontradictedbyothersourcesofevidence,includingtheGWCT’sGamebag Census and a report

commissionedbyScottishNaturalHeritage(SNH).Acloserlookatthepaperrevealed,amongotherproblems,seriousdoubtsaboutthemethodsusedtocountthehares.InNovember,afreedomofinformationreleasefromSNHobtainedbyShootingTimesgavedetailsofalltheout-of-seasonlicencesgrantedtocullmountainharesinScotland.Thereleaseshowedthatnoout-of-seasonlicencesweregrantedtocullharesongrousemoors.Italsoshowedthat

woodlandplantingschemeshadmadeextensiveuseofthelicences.One,theAuchtertipperNewNativeWoodland,hadcullednearly1,000haresoutofseason.Thewoodland,whichhadwonanawardsponsoredbytheWoodlandTrust,wasplanted onaformergrousemoornearCarrbridgeintheHighlands

The 2019-20 season formountain hares will open

“One woodland had culled nearly 1,000 hares out of season”

.I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

NEWS

Nicola Sturgeon condemned the hare culls as “unacceptable”

Alliance slams Cheshire PCC’s

“wasteful” focus on hunting

of what have been seen as

anti-shootingnewsstories,culminatingwiththeretweetofastorybasedonapressreleasefromtheLeagueAgainst Cruel Sports

A Sussex breed fit for royalty?

or springer but also much

steadier”.Whiletheyarenotnaturalretrievers,hesaysasflushingdogstheyareperfect

“Theywerebredforbeatingandtheyaretheideal dog for it,” he added

Of 273,000 reported incidents, 0.06 per cent related to hunting

Bred for beating: the Sussex spaniel is the perfect flushing dog

I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;/

N E W S I N B R I E F

Amo,thespringerspanielstolenduringlastyear’sMidlandGameFair(News,26September),hasbeenreunitedwithherowner.Thestolenspringerbitchwas foundwanderinginBedfordshire 171daysaftershewasstolen

Amo’sownerBibbyCurtissaid:“AmowillbetuckedupinmyarmsalleveningandIamsocontent,happyandbeyondoverwhelmedtohaveherhome.Wordscannot describe how I feel right now.”

Missing springer is reunited with owner

The Government has announcedthat a public consultation on plans tointroduce statutory firearms licensingguidance will begin by July this year

It will include measures to resolvethe crisis affecting the firearmslicensing medical procedure

Home Office ministers had givenrepeated assurances that the problems with the medical procedures will beaddressed as part of moves to placethe existing advisory guidance on

a statutory footing However, untilthe debate no timetable for this had been confirmed

Firearms licensing consultation

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

@SHOOTINGTIMESUK

Amo was stolen during last year’s Midland Game Fair

From the gun shop

Our weekly round-up of the best and latest must-have kit on the shelf

ChevalierNavste WS coat

£239

w.chevalier.se

atfortheactivefieldsportsenthusiast silenttechnicalgarmenthas

fortablecuffswiththumbholes,aswellnderarmventilationthatregulatesyourperature.Itisgreat for stalking through wet woodlands

HärkilaAltarucksack in Melton wool

£209.99

w.harkila.com

mandnoiselessrucksackmadeforotingwhereaminimumofstorageisuired.Ithasadjustablecompressionpstokeepitcomfortablyclosetobody.Thereisalsoadetachablegun holster and two game carriers

RRP£65.95

www.ledlenser-store.co.uk

TheLedlenserP7isbrighterthanthepreviousmodelandboastsanumberofnewfeatures.Alargerswitchensuresbetter gripandeasieroperationwhenwearinggloves,whilethedynamicswitchenablessimplelight-outputselectionandthusthe tailoring of light to suit your needs

y quilted gilet

letisinspiredbythoseelifeinthecountryside-qualitydesignthatisforthefieldyetsmartotown.Thismen’sgiletedeacrosstheshoulderszippedhandpockets e-front zip

e scope cover o.uk

opecoverisdesignedrmaximumprotectionatchesandmoisture.sefulpieceofkitwhenatherconditionsasitrreachingtheopticlens.ost guns and comes in

A FINE FLINTLOCK BARRELLED GOOSE RIFLE,

SEVEN-BY HENRY NOCK, LONDON, LATE 18TH CENTURY

Sold for £22,500

AN EXTREMELY RARE 12-BORE SIDE-OPENING ROUND-ACTION EJECTOR GUN BY J DICKSON

& SON, NO 4178 Sold for £57,500

Antique Arms, Armour

and Modern Sporting Guns

Montpelier Street, London | 22 and 23 May 2019

ENTRIES NOW INVITED

Closing date 10 April

ENQUIRIES

Antique Arms & Armour

+44 (0) 20 7393 3807 david.williams@bonhams.com

Modern Sporting Guns

+44 (0) 20 7393 3815 patrick.hawes@bonhams.com

bonhams.com

LETTERS

D[l[h jee ebZ \eh j^_i X[Wkj_\kb ifehj

I was recently in John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, waiting

to see my son after his eyeoperation, when I was politely interrupted while readingShooting Times by a gentlemanbeing pushed in a wheelchair

by his daughter He started

a conversation with mebecause he had noted

my reading material

He was a fellow shooter

His daughter told me that hehad shot all his life, and he hadpicked-up on several estates in

the Oxford area until the onset

of Parkinson’s disease andrecent macular degeneration meant he had to stop

During the exchange ofshooting experiences over thenext 20 minutes, it becameclear to me that here was

a man passionate aboutcountry pursuits Now in hislater years and in a wheelchair,with all his difficulties, he stillfound energy and time to brace pheasants and partridgesevery other week at a local

shoot His daughter took time

to travel across country to takehim to join in with our beautifulsport, experiences and jovialchat, helped along by a glass

of warming sloe gin

Thank you Shooting Timesfor this brief meeting It gives

me pride in the camaraderie ofthe game-shooting syndicatesand it is clear that no one is tooold to be involved It is not only

a sport, it is a way of life Long may it continue

T Dowson, North Yorkshire

ANAERIALBALLET

Hind stalking with my son George

a few weeks ago on the west coast

of Scotland, we watched a goldeneagle — with its huge ungainlywingspan — chase a woodcockfor two or three minutes, ending

up very close The woodcockdodged, the eagle did handbrake turns, the woodcock gained

30 yards, then the massiveacceleration from huge wingsclosed the distance until it jinkedagain and the theatre repeated

We could hear the wings beatthe air, see the eyes, huge beakand count the talons as the eaglestretched to reach the prey justbefore the next swerve Thewoodcock was eventually caught on the wing

It was an extraordinaryexperience I wonder if othershave witnessed this deadly aerial ballet?

R C Bruce, by email

ShootingTimescolumnistPatrickLaurie,wholivesinGalloway,responds:I’veseeneagles eating almost everythingexcept woodcock and I’ve seenwoodcock being eaten by almost everything except eagles

L E T T E R O F T H E W E E K

POLICENOT ALWAYSONSIDE

I disagree with Mr I Barnett(Letters, 27 February); thepolice are not always on theside of law-abiding shooters andclear examples of this should bepublicised I was once a victim

of disgraceful behaviour by theBedfordshire police Though itwas 50 years ago, I have neverbeen able to forget nor forgive it

In 1965, the BoundaryCommission ruled that the townwhere I lived, Linslade, should bemoved from Buckinghamshireinto Bedfordshire As a result,Linslade’s (Buckinghamshire)police station closed and myfirearms certificate (FAC) had

to go in for a “change of address”,though only the county changed

The house and road remained thesame, as did the guns involved

But there was a problem

Buckinghamshire Police told

me that, under the rules ofBedfordshire Chief Constable Henry Pratt, all 22 targetshooters had to buy theirammunition at the range andleave unused ammunition there

So my right to buy and keepammunition for my 22 target

pistol would be withdrawn.They said this was because 22ammunition had found its way

to a poacher in Bedfordshire

I protested that the rangewhere I used that pistol wasstill in Buckinghamshire and,

as Buckinghamshire shootersbrought their own ammunition,there was none available onthe range I also said that thepolice should prosecute thosewho had broken the law andnot make problems for law-abiding shooters

Despite my protest, myFAC came back with my right tobuy and keep 22 ammunitionremoved This prevented mefrom using my pistol My new(Bedfordshire) police stationwas in Leighton Buzzard, which

is adjacent to Linslade Theirlocal officers could see howmean-spirited it all was Oneofficer phoned BedfordshireFirearms Department on mybehalf, only to have my complaint dismissed with contempt

Bedfordshire expected me

to accept this abuse of power.Instead, I contacted the NationalRifle Association UK for advice

It had already heard of Pratt’shostile behaviour and told me

ISSN: 0037-4164

Thisweek’scoverimagewas

captured by Daniel Gould

Shooting Times, TI Media Ltd,

Pinehurst 2, Farnborough Business Park,

Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF

For editorial enquiries:

Editor Patrick Galbraith

Deputy editor Ed Wills

edward.wills@ti-media.com

Brand assistant Sarah Pratley

01252 555220

Group art director Dean Usher

Art editor Rob Farmer

Picture editor Max Tremlett

Chief sub-editor Sarah Potts

Group shooting editor Jonathan Young

Managing director Steve Prentice

Group managing director Andrea Davies

Shooting Times is the official weekly journal

of BASC and the CPSA

BASC Marford Mill, Rossett LL12 0HL

number and postal address.

The winner of Letter of the Week will receive a pair of Aigle’s

Parcours 2 Vario wellington boots Keeping your feet

comfortable, these boots will be the perfectaddition to your country attire For more

information, visit www.aigle.com.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH AIGLE

SIZE MATTERS

Is smaller better? In praise

of shooting with lighter cartridges

ACCESS ALL AREAS

How easy is it for disabled people to participate

in fi eldsports?

THE LONG ARM

Pigeon shooting and thelaw; everything you need

to know to avoid trouble

LOVE ME TENDER

RosePrince’srecipeformakingthemostofred-leggedpartridgesbycooking them in parchment

AND MUCH MORE!

NEXT WEEK IN

‘‘The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please.

We have it in trust We must account for it to those who

come after.’’ King George VI

that his was the only police force

in Britain implementing such

a rule It advised me to write

to Chief Constable Pratt and

threaten to take the matter

to the Quarter Sessions

Only when I did this did

Bedfordshire restore my right

to buy and hold 22 ammunition,

though with poor grace, quite

unnecessarily cutting my

ammunition allowance for

another gun, which put me

to yet more trouble

There are many honourable

policemen in Britain My 22 pistol

is now in the custody of one such,

living now on the other side of

the world But this makes it all

the more important to expose

officers such as Chief Constable

Pratt I hope this letter achieves

that Parliament did not entrust

the task of firearms licensing

to the police for the necessary

powers to be misused like this

to think that the only demand is

from those Shots with very old

guns Perhaps the Countryside

Alliance, BASC, National

Gamekeepers’ Organisation and

others could start a campaign

with your support?

I Haddon, by email

GETTINGITRIGHT

Regarding your article

introducing newcomers to

shooting (Starting with a bang,

27 February), I wondered why

you used such poor pictures In

the first picture the newcomer

is wearing no eye protection, the

instructor has cartridges in one

FINDING EVIDENCE

In responding to myletter of 23 January,Matt Cross saysthere are legitimatequestions to be askedabout salmon farmingand hopesShootingTimes will continue

to ask them That isfine but might be bestasked over a cup of coffee withsomeone like Gilpin Bradley, who I am sure would behappier to have someone talk

to him face to face rather than sit back and speculate

I would also hope that anysearch for “evidence” wouldnot be done in the manner oftrespass and covert filming

as was done in the first article

I saw bearing Mr Cross’sname, given that these arerightly condemned whendone by the RSPB or RSPCA

Using a canoe seriouslybreached the biosecurity

of the cage site

J G Spence, by email

MattCrossresponds:While

a cup of tea with Mr Bradleymight well be enjoyable andinformative, it would not be aneffective way of discharging

my responsibility as ajournalist to inform the public

Mr Bradley would have beenwelcome to respond to any

of the points raised and I amconfi dent that, had he done

so, Shooting Times wouldhave published his response

I reject the suggestion thatthe article contained anyspeculation; it was robustly based on informationprovided by the salmonproducers themselves

I think in some casesentering land withoutthe owner’s permissionand conducting filming

is perfectly justifiable inthe public interest and aslong as no person is beingcovertly filmed, I have noobjection to it Trespass is

a civil matter in Scotland andsalmon producers may seekinjunctions to prevent it if they wish All of the equipmentused by the campaignersImetisdisinfectedaccording toindustry-standard

protocols,withtheappropriatedisinfectanttopreventany biosecurity breach

hand — does he have control ofthe gun? — and there is no hearingprotection either

The pupil has his eyes nearlyclosed; he should keep botheyes open He has poor stanceand is leaning back; that’s going

to hurt I am all for encouragingnewcomers to shooting but please do it correctly

a vital part of shooting well, butfriendliness and positivity are thekey to bringing people into thefold and shoring up our future

Matt Cross’s piece in the

2 January issue was the subject of the original criticism

Pigeon shooting

Fun afoot in a

roosting wood

Farrier by day, pigeon shooter by night,

Ashley Holmes takes our intrepid reporter

Richard Negus deep into the Suffolk forest

persuasion Sadly, a weekend outing was not on the cards for me, so I found myself in Ashley’s company towards the middle of the month

Before we went shooting Ashley had to shoe a very smart hunter for

a client, thankfully one who is a prompt payer The grey mare, Gertie, stood patiently as the farrier went about his craft Shoes now expertly fitted and the horse back in her box, ready for

a day out with the Suffolk Hunt in a few days’ time, our thoughts turned from equine to avian

Very good roost

Our destination was a wood of about six acres described by Ashley

as “a very good roost” The pair of us, plus Ashley’s cocker Olive, pulled

up in my Land Rover

We were joined by Richard Miller,

a gardener and another self-confessed pigeon obsessive — I now feared the madness may be contagious

From the back of Richard’s vehicle leapt his enthusiastic sprocker Ellie, and he pulled out

a bag of lofting poles and decoys We walked along the ride, past some woodland being coppiced and arrived at our planned ambush site

Ashley explained why they, and the pigeons, favoured this spot

There were a large number of Scots pine amid the leafless hardwoods, offering warmth, wind protection and security to roosting pigeons A mass

of brambles in the wood bottom not only aided our camouflage but also provide an autumnal food source

of blackberries for the pigeons

more than 15 years and I am sad

to say I think the poor man may

have gone mad The signs are

clear First, he gladly does a job that

requires him to clutch red-hot pieces

of metal while standing near the bits

of horses that your mother told you to

avoid Secondly, if he survives getting

kicked by his four-legged clients, some

of his two-legged customers believe

that invoices need only be paid with

the regularity of a blue moon Finally,

and I think this may be conclusive, he

claims to be “glad the game season is

over” so that he can get back to some

“proper sport — pigeon shooting”

My amateur identification

of Ashley’s condition came

about after I phoned the

34-year-old

Suffolk-based farrier in late

January It was the

numbers and all

the other nonsense

that we shooting

people find hugely

important It was at the

end of our chat when

he dropped the pigeon

bombshell I was shocked

Ashley is a member of a rather

smart driven syndicate situated in

Suffolk’s only hilly bit I assumed

that he was firmly in the tweed

camp and had shunned the world of

hides, decoys and camo So before

letting him end the call, I secured

an invitation to join him out roost

shooting to confirm my diagnosis

The first Saturday in February is

to pigeon shooters what the Glorious

Twelfth is to those of the grouse

Pigeon shooting

I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;'+

Looking out of the wood into

the valley beyond, Richard showed

me the devastation the woodies

had wreaked upon a nearby field of

oilseed rape The crop appeared as if

it had been grazed by sheep, so neatly

had the grey pests stripped it Richard

then pointed out the flightlines that

the pigeons used to come into this

wood, their crops stuffed with rape

seed As a strong wind picked up, the

pair fitted the loft poles together with

confidence I looked on, still as yet

convinced about their sanity

Two trees were chosen to hang

the full-body decoys in One on the

outermost edge of the wood would

act as a magnet The other, about 30m

further along the ride, would draw

the birds in past our guns Experience

had taught Richard that while lifting

a decoy into a tree in the light is an

easy task, retrieval in near dark

from a swaying branch is a different matter This explained why the end

of his lofting pole boasted a funnel made from half a tonic water bottle This simple addition ensures your evening’s sport doesn’t end in

*+c_dkj[ie\Ybkciofeb[mWl_d]

as you vaguely poke at a plastic bird Decoys in position, Richard placed himself in the middle of the ride Ashley and I went closer to

the woodland edge Steve Taylor,the brilliant photographer whoaccompanies me on all of my

Shooting Times escapades, had

kindly loaned me his cocker bitch,Pip, for the evening

As I rested my back against

a beech tree to help hide mysilhouette, Ashley pointed to the pines

at my rear, liberally splattered withpigeon guano To my right I could seegroups of pigeons flying at speed

“There were a large number of Scots pine amid the leafless hardwoods, offering

warmth and security to roosting pigeons”

The lofting decoys

with a plastic bottle to

make them easier to

retrieve in the dark

Ashley and Richard

Miller set up the

roosting decoys while

Richard Negus looks on

Pigeon shooting

',I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

in the direction of a wood on the other

i_Z[ e\ j^[ lWbb[o$ 7 i^ej Xhea[ j^[

i_b[dY[ \hec co b[\j1 H_Y^WhZ mWi _d

WYj_ed$ 7dej^[h i^ej hWd] ekj$ J^[

“peep peep” of his whistle indicated

j^Wj ;bb_[ ^WZ X[[d i[dj ekj ed

W h[jh_[l[$ ? ijWhj[Z je medZ[h _\ ? ^WZ

X[[d iec[m^Wj fh[ikcfj_l[ _d co

Yedi_]d_d] j^[i[ f_][ed \WdWj_Yi je

8[ZbWc$ J^_i mWi ][jj_d] [nY_j_d]$

Fleeting glimpses

Co d[Ya WY^[Z \hec ijWh_d] kf _dje

j^[ YWdefo" [o[i mWj[h_d] Wi ? if_[Z

ƒ[[j_d] ]b_cfi[i e\ X_hZi Wi j^[o ƒ[m

Whhem#ijhW_]^j \Wh WXel[ j^[ jh[[i"

i^kdd_d] j^_i ¼l[ho ]eeZ heeij½$

7i^b[o ijW][#m^_if[h[Z0 ¼H_Y^"

beea je oekh h_]^j$½ 9ec_d] _d

YedƏZ[djbo je ekh Z[Yeoi" W bed[

f_][ed ƒWh[Z _ji m_d]i Wj j^[ bWij

cec[dj Wi _j h[Wb_i[Z _ji d[m#\ekdZ

\h_[dZi m[h[ \Wa[$ ? hW_i[Z co ]kd »

idWf i^eej_d] _i ed[ e\ j^[ \[m j^_d]i

[nf[YjWj_ed$ M^o mekbZ j^_i ckY^#

ki[Z heeij X[Yec[ W ]^eij jemd5

H_Y^WhZ i^hk]][Z$ ? beea[Z Zemd Wj

F_f$ I^[ ZekXjb[ii medZ[h[Z m^o i^[

^WZ je i_j m_j^ W Y^Wf m^eYekbZd¿j

even shoot straight

M[ f[hi[l[h[Z" beea_d] iaomWhZ

ceh[_d^ef[j^Wd[nf[YjWj_ed$

mhed]$ <W_b je fh[fWh[ WdZ oekfh[fWh[ je \W_b ]e[i j^[ iWo_d]" o[j7i^b[o WdZ H_Y^WhZ m[h[ ceh[

fh[fWh[Z j^Wd oekh ceij WhZ[dj XeoiYekj$ J^[ i_cfb[ Wdim[h_im[Z_Znothing wrong

Wily and wild

F_][edi Wh[ m_bo WdZ m_bZ" WdZ

? kh][ oek je jh[Wj Wdoed[ m^e iWoij^[o Wh[ [Wio m_j^ Yedj[cfj$ M[l[djkh[Z _dje j^[_h j[hh_jeho WdZm[ beij$ J^_i b[\j c[ _d W gkWdZWho

Wi m[ fWYa[Z WmWo ekh c[W]h[ XW]e\ Əl[ X_hZi$ MWi 7i^b[o cWZZ[hj^Wd W Cec[djkc hWbbo5 MWi f_][edi^eej_d] jhkbo X[jj[hj^WdWZh_l[df^[WiWdj ZWo5

? Wc Z[b_]^j[Z je h[fehj" kfedh[ƒ[Yj_ed" j^Wj co ebZ \h_[dZ _ij^ehek]^bo iWd[$ J^_i mWi jhk[ ifehj"dej^_d] cWdk\WYjkh[Z" dej^_d]]kWhWdj[[Z"WdZWbbj^[X[jj[h\eh_j$

“Pip doubtless

wondered why she

had to sit with a

chap who couldn’t

shoot straight”

Ij[l[ f_Ya[Z ^_i mWo j^hek]^ j^[

kdZ[h]hemj^ jemWhZi ki$ F_f mWiZ[b_]^j[Z je i[[ ^_c$ 7i Ij[l[ hW_i[Z

^_i YWc[hW W ƒWi^ e\ ]h[o YWk]^j co[o[ _d j^[ dem hWf_Zbo Z[iY[dZ_d]

]beec$ ?j mWi W f_][ed"W]beh_eki

ieb_jWho f_][ed$

?j ƒ[m b_a[ W heYa[j X[jm[[dj^[ jh[[i" `_da_d] WmWo Wj j^[ i_]^je\ Ij[l[¿i ekjb_d[$ ? W_c[Z WdZ »

^Wbb[bk`W^ » co Əhij XWhh[b jkcXb[Z _j_dje j^[ Xh_Whi$ F_f d[[Z[Z de i[YedZX_ZZ_d] WdZ XekdZ[Z ekj je h[jh_[l[

co X_hZ" _]deh[Z c[ WdZ fhekZbo]Wl[ _j je ^[h h[Wb Xeii$ ? Y^Wbb[d][

Wdo ]kdZe] ^WdZb[h" ^em[l[h [nf[hj"

je WYY[fj W h[jh_[l[ m^_b[ Wj j^[ iWc[

j_c[ Whj_ij_YWbbo f^eje]hWf^_d]j^[

m^eb[ fheY[ii$

:Whad[ii \[bb WdZ m[ h[bkYjWdjboW]h[[Z je i[[ _\ j^Wj fbWij_Y \kdd[bmeha[Z$ JWa_d] Zemd j^[ Z[Yeoi"

we went over what we had done

Sprocker Ellie makes

a smart retrieve

There followed 90 minutes of utter inactivity as the pigeons shunned the roost wood

at the petrol station, three hours later,

in a thick Herefordshire accent “I’mratting with those guys,” I replied,gesturing to the forecourt where

a group of men in West Midlands RatPack sweatshirts were waiting for me

“It’s big round theseparts,” she said

“When I was a littlegirl I used to be outmost Saturdays.”

is famed for its bucolicbeauty — dark red cattlegraze verdant slopes, theWye is full of plump seatrout and the area is dottedwith pretty village pubs

This, though, wasHerefordshire beyond

the Countryfile conception.

A dead rat lay in the corner

of the barn, a collie threatened

to bite me and the windwhipped up under my collar,blowing the rain down my neck

The West Midlands RatPack was founded aroundthree years ago and is made

up of an impressive array ofplucky little dogs To mentionjust a few, three Sealyhamswere in attendance with WillJohnson; a Bedlington was

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, a dark object

leaving a wake in the oily puddles Its

thick pink tail was the last I saw of it as

a smoothcoated Patterdale, was

a fiery little savage

As soon as the boxes were opened, the dogs leapt out and started

marking on a pockmarked sandybank outside a shed The modusoperandi is to remove the bar of

a chainsaw, stick a pipe over theexhaust and channel the fumesinto the ground to smoke the ratsout into the jaws of waiting dogs

Hierarchy

The first site looked perfect but,despite Steve’s best efforts, the ratsrefused to bolt There is an interestinghierarchy among ratting dogs — theterriers tend to do all the diggingthen one of the lurchers, poised like

a spring on the edge of the action,catches the rats when they try toescape from the melee unseen

In this case the lurchers decidedthat the best place to be was inside thebarn and we’d all got it wrong Bowing

to their superiority, we followed themand rooted around in an attempt to

flush the enemy The enthusiasm ofthe busy pack suggested we were inthe right place but as the minutespassed, human optimism dwindled Then, from outside the shed,

a cry went up: “They’re out herejust walking round.” Sensing theexcitement, the dogs tore out intothe rain, lurchers at the front andSealyhams at the back, but we weretoo late The rats had given us the slip and were making off for Wales

“The lurchers decided that the best place to be was inside the barn and we’d all got it wrong”

Tarn, the young Patterdale;

the rat pack let the puppies get

involved as early as possible

Spades and forks can be more useful than the smoker as Sam Lynch (left) and Steve Hall get stuck in

Will Johnson’s young

Sealyham, Bonny

From there we moved on to

a knotted, rooty bank, which proved to

be a struggle Then we dismissed a

rat-infested pile of asbestos on health and

safety grounds — the dogs’, not ours

At this point, the mood was at

a low ebb “I gave up my gun on

the syndicate I was on this year,”

mourned Peter Herbert “When

ratting’s good it turns grown men

into little kids.”

“I’m sure things’ll pick up,”

I replied in the way we do when we

have absolutely no idea how things

are going to go A short drive away

there was rumoured to be a hedgerow

and some maize that were both

teeming with rats but it was agreed

(&I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

we should finish our rounds at the

farm and leave the best until last

¼? im[Wh ? iWm W ^k][ ed["½

? el[h^[WhZ iec[ed[ iWo _d W M[bi^

WYY[dj$ HekdZ_d] W Yehd[h" ? iWm M_bb

@e^died" I[Wbo^Wci _d \hedj e\ ^_c"

ijWh_d] bed]_d]bo Wj W ^[Wf e\ Yem

Zkd]$ IWc BodY^ ifhWd]_djeWYj_ed

with the chainsaw

M_j^_d (& i[YedZi jme bWh][ hWji

^WZ X[[d WYYekdj[Z \eh" ed[ e\ j^[c

Xo BkYWi j^[ I[Wbo^Wc" WdZ j^[ ^kdj

mWi ed \eh W j^_hZ$ ¼M^Wj Z_Z ? j[bb

oek"½ i^ekj[Z emd[h M_bb$ J^[d"

iWZbo" j[cf[hi ƒWh[Z$ D[bb Wjj[cfj[Z

je ckiYb[ _d ed B_bbo j^[ I[Wbo^Wc¿i

fWjY^ WdZ W iYhWf [dik[Z$ ?j mWi

decided we all needed to calm down

WdZ cel[ ed je j^[ bWij ifeje\j^[ZWo$

Billowing smoke

M_j^ j^[ [nY[fj_ed e\ W l[ho bWh][

hWj j^Wj feff[Z ekj e\ W ^eb[ WdZ

Z_iWff[Wh[Z _dje Wdej^[h" j^[

WffWh[djbo heZ[dj#_d\[ij[Z ^[Z][ mWi

W Z_iWffe_djc[dj$ 8kj Wi _i ie e\j[d

j^[ YWi[ _d ifehj_d] fkhik_ji" \ehjkd[

\Wlekhi j^ei[ m^e f[hi[l[h[$ Ed j^[

mWo XWYa je j^[ YWhi" j^[ Ze]i ijWhj[Z

cWha_d] Wbed] W h_l[h XWda WdZ m[

Z[Y_Z[Z _j mWi mehj^ W Ykhieho fkdj$

IjWdZ_d] X[bem ki m_j^ ^_i \[[j _d

j^[ i^Wbbemi" 7Zh_Wd MWhZ i[j je meha

m_j^ j^[ Y^W_diWm WdZ icea[ ijWhj[Z

billowing out the holes among the

wild garlic

IkZZ[dbo" W bWh][ hWj Xhea[ \hec j^[

XWda WdZ ifbWi^[Z _dje j^[ mWj[h$ Hee"

mWi [dek]^ je cWa[ [l[d j^[ ceiji[Wied[Z\en^kdj[h^ebbeW_dZ[b_]^j$

“The rat packs are using the likes of

Sealyhams and Bedlington terriers

for their intended purpose”

J^[ m[Wj^[h ^WZ dej X[[d a_dZ jeki$ ¼M[ Zed¿j b_a[ _j" j^[ Ze]i Zed¿jb_a[ _j" WdZ j^[ hWji Zed¿j mWdj je Xebj_d _j$ 8kj ? ^ef[ oek¿l[ ^WZ W ]eeZZWo"½ iW_Z M_bb Wi m[ bW_Z ekj j^[ ibW_d$

?j ^WZ X[[d Wd [nY[bb[dj ZWo$ J^[M[ij C_ZbWdZi hWjj[hi Wh[ ed[ e\

W d[m Xh[[Z e\ j[hh_[h fWYai" W ]hekfe\ f[efb[ m_j^ ijeYa#Xhea[d Ze]i m^eh[Ye]d_i[ j^[ d[[Z je fhel_Z[ W ]eeZi[hl_Y[ _d ehZ[h je m_d d[m Yekdjho$8[oedZ hWj Yedjheb j^[o Wh[ Ze_d]iec[j^_d] _cfehjWdj1 j^[o Wh[ ki_d]j^[ b_a[i e\ I[Wbo^Wci WdZ 8[Zb_d]jedi

\eh j^[_h _dj[dZ[Z fkhfei[ _d W mehbZm^[h[ j^[ fkXb_Y" _d j^[_h _]dehWdY["Wh[ jkhd_d] j^[c _dje f[ji$

J^Wj [l[d_d]" ? [o[Z kf j^[ ZhW_d

? fWii[Z j^Wj cehd_d] WdZ j^ek]^jf[h^Wfi iekj^ BedZed d[[Zi W hWjfWYa$ 7 YhWYa igkWZ e\ j[hh_[hi je jWa[

ed j^ei[ iWX[h#jeej^[Z cedij[hi j^Wj]eh][ j^[ci[bl[i ed Y^_fiWdZb_l[beneath the streets

You can watch videos of the West Midlands Rat Pack in action on the

“Mr Johnson working terries” and

“Flying whippet” YouTube channels.

Terriers Pippa (left)

and Nell make sure

the rat is dead

Once the first sod is removed, the dogs mark which direction of the tube to follow

L-R: Steve Hall, Will Johnson, Sam Lynch, Peter Herbert and Adrian Ward get ready to start ratting

* )'22 *% % *$-1

  -0

   

((  SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE

in 2018 After reporting an

increased number of heads

presented for measuring

in 2017 — the best on record — we

were prepared for a slower year in

2018 Reports from stalkers across

the country were suggesting lower

numbers of quality bucks

As so often happens, a result

perhaps of the increased feed

available in winter and despite the

Beast from the East taking some lesser

specimens, this was not to the case

Numbers presented for assessment

rose to a new high of 1,710 heads,

387 of which were English roe — 400

were Scottish roe — and 308 reached

medal standard, an increase of 28 per

cent Of these, 64 were of gold medal

quality, another increase on last year,

this time by 22 per cent

That said, in terms of individual

UK quality, with the number of heads

exceeding last year’s tally, the quality

was slightly down Fewer heads

scored more than 160 CIC points

The huge ones of the past were

not so noticeable

Members of the CIC team enjoyed

the opportunity to remeasure — or

at least attempted to remeasure —

Major Peter Baillie’s famed monster,

shot in Hampshire in 1974 The very

speediest of readings were required

in gauging the volume of this porous

head, as were lengthy waits between

repeated attempts

Records smashed — and some surprises

Tony Dalby-Welsh looks back over a record year, in which the usual

counties dominated and more trophies reached medal standard

We arrived at a consensus inpreparation for the head being shown

at the World Hunting and NatureExpo in Budapest in 2021, despite

an inevitable rider on accuracy Itwas interesting to scrutinise the firstmeasurements taken and note the differences since

“With an average

beam length of

30.65cm, the head

goes into the top

four longest roe

antlers recorded”

FAREWELL, CHARLES

One of the UK CIC’s seniormeasurers, Charles Fenn,died suddenly in late October

2018 Having been a measurer for more than 20 years,

Charles had become verymuch an expert on sika, hispreferred species Havingalso developed an expertise with African species, hewas appointed a seniorinternational trophy judge

in 2016, contributing to thework of the InternationalTrophy Evaluation Board(TEB) and representing the

UK TEB in that forum

Those who knew Charlesalways speak of his readiness

to help stalkers, to explainthe somewhat esoteric ways

of the measuring systemand to encourage hunters

to look after their quarry

in the spirit that the CIChas always embodied He will be sorely missed

Dr Richard Meyer’s Wiltshire head scored 205.62

* For full gold, silver and bronze medal

tables, visit www.shootinguk.co.uk

Sam Nicholls, Somerset

Mr P Kirsopp, Northumberland

170.05

CIC POINTS4

N Johnson, Hampshire

162.25

CIC POINTS5

(*  SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE

ENGLISH AND WELSH ROE TOP 50 GOLD-MEDAL HEADS

Three counties continue to stand

out in terms of the quality of heads

Hampshire led the field with 49

heads, of which 15 were gold medals

Wiltshire followed with 47 heads,

though only four made gold Somerset

produced 43 heads with nine golds

These were followed by Oxfordshire,

27 heads and seven golds; Dorset

with 20 heads but only three golds;

and Gloucestershire with 14 and

three golds

Other consistent producers

of medal heads, albeit in smaller

numbers, are Northumberland with

four golds from 13 heads, Cumbria

with nine heads and Worcestershire

with four heads, two of which were

healthy golds

Mr P Kirsopp’s Northumberland

head measured 170.05 CIC points, the

highest-scoring head from that county

to date Dr Richard Meyer had another

Somerset head at 153.28 points and

others of note include Sam Nicholls’s

185.53 head, again from Somerset

Stalkers are often surprised by

the results of their activities and ever

more pleasantly surprised when the

result is a gold medal Kevin Hicks’s

146.05-point head is a good example,

as is Declan Mouland’s slightly smaller

head at 131.45

Wide heads don’t always score

well, but Aaron Holmes’s 152.78 head

from Dorset proved an exception to

the rule, as did Mike Bagnowiec’s very

narrow head from Gloucestershire,

which scored 135.67

When a hunter produces the

fruits of his labours from a period

of years it is always gratifying to see

the care with which they manage

their deer populations One of these

was a Belgian hunter whose careful

management of an estate in southern

England has brought increased

quality over the year There was

a range of medals from gold, at just

over the threshold at 131.53 CIC points,

down to a bronze at 105.2 CIC points

It’s not always only about size

SPAN LENGTH (cm) WEIGHT (g) (cc) POINTS

FOR COMPLETE LIST SEE ONLINE AT WWW.SHOOTINGUK.CO.UK

As part of the CIC’s contiwork to ensure absoluteconsistency in measurincontinuation traininghas been a major facet

of our measurers’

lives We have three newly qualifiedmeasurers in Englandand two more north of thborder In addition, longestanding certified measuhad additional species tr

to give them the qualificanecessary to measureEuropean and world specbrought into the UK, a truinternational capability texists within the UK TropEvaluation Board (UKTEThis has ensured thatCIC-accredited measure

in the UK will have theircredentials re-evaluated

nternationally, alongcation in 2019 Theyeived an update onrnationally approvedmeasuring techniques, which assures thealidity of assessmentsout by the UK team

list of measurers visit teb.com

9 members of the team attendance at theAnglian Game Fair, theorthern Shooting Show,

he Highclere Countryhow, the Game Fair, theFrampton Country Fairand the Midland Game

& Country Fair

All dates are on theCIC UKTEB website,

as are contact detailsfor all CIC-qualifi ed measurers

L O O K I N G A H E A D

Declan Mouland’s head scored 131.45 for a gold medal

  _ ZHSLZ'MS\LJ\ILJV\R c ^^^MS\LJ\ILJV\R

ÕÊÌ >` Ì Ìi ÞÕ Ü>Ì >

>Ê Lii Ì ÕÊ] Üi >Ûi }i Ü` LÕĂiĂ Ì > ÊÕ«iĂ ivwViÌ wĂi] Üi V>½Ì Ì> ÞÕ iÕ} vĂ ÞÕĂ iÝViiÌ ÊiẶVi

E i« Üi Ü ViĂÌ>Þ Li Ì >° /> ÞÕ°»

'FYCTF  &KCPC 9CVUQP

Land management

Return of the raiders

The shooting ban on Ilkley Moor has been in place for a year, as has its new management — how is it and its wildlife faring, asks Charles Hartley

In August last year I wrote about the catastrophically hot summer that left the moor much quieter than usual and meant the curlew left their nesting grounds early, unable to feed

in the baked earth Since the ban, the biggest problem on the moor has not been the lack of management but the

bizarre mood swings thrown

by Mother Nature

The shooter in me wants to be able to shout “I told you so” to the shoot management naysayers, blaming the disappearance

of the gamekeeper forthe summer struggle,but the sensible scientistwithin won’t allow it

It would be too easy totake the failure of nestingcurlew and make it fit a preconceivedargument, but this would not be a fairinterpretation More time is needed

to see the true impact and the initialsensationalism on either side of thedebate must give way to a sensiblehead and open eye

country erupt into life

on the Glorious Twelfth,

becoming a celebration

of wildlife, friendship, sport and

business Old mates get together in

the beating line, Guns salute passing

squadrons of grouse and the hills

echo with curlew lifted by the

activity below This scene

has been mirrored

on Ilkley Moor for

much of the 20th

century; business

has taken place

and from my own

experience nature

has flourished

Come 10 December

the season was gone,

but for the first time

in a decade not a single

shot had been fired, brace

consumed nor friendship reunited

on the moor above my home It has

almost been a year since Bradford

Council decided to end Bingley Moor

Partnership’s (BMP) lease at Ilkley and

the management it brought, so what

changes have I seen in this time?

Controlling predators

The tide of bracken is still at bay

Medicinal grit boxes were still fi lled when abandoned within the council area and, as these emptied, grouse still had access to grit provided on the surrounding privately owned and managed moorland And after

a decade of hard work by keepers, numbers of foxes and crows are under relative control

This is great and if I can

be writing thesame of grousenumbers inanother year

or two I will be

In 2018 Bradford Council decided to end Bingley Moor Partnership’s lease at Ilkley

“The initial sensationalism on either side of the debate

must give way to a sensible head and open eye”

Land management

I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;(-a hI>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;(-appy mI>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;(-an But if I I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;(-am right thI>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;(-at the

above factors are holding the species

in check, this good news may not last

Refl ecting back to before BMP took

the lease, grouse numbers were not

as good as they are now and a betting

man would presume a return to

previous form

It is the last point, that of predator

control, which spells the most

imminent doom for ground-nesters It

was the rise in the number of corvids in

j^['/-&iWdZ'/.&ij^Wjh[WbboijWhj[Z

to turn the screw for grouse numbers

before the BMP had its opportunity

to bring them back from the brink

Until it relinquished its position last

year, it had worked hard to control

corvids both on the moor and on the

farmland surrounding it

But even with the BMP’s work the numbers of winged vermin have always been high Without control

I dread to think what their “natural”

numbers will be and worry about the consequences this will have

Carrion threat

In May last year, when grouse were busy on their nests, I found myself sunk into a heathery nook on a warm evening as summer tussled with spring

Over the horizon a pair of carrion crows worked their way towards c["Yheii_d]fWj^i[l[ho)&oWhZiWi

j^[ogkWhj[h[Zj^[^[Wj^[h'&\jeƇ

the ground The heads of expectant mothers sank into the heather as the crows criss-crossed ever closer, with the precision of a machine

I felt helpless knowing that the new promise of life around me did not stand a chance against such

a well-rehearsed pair of vultures

This display was while they were under management, so imagine this multiplied many times over

Badgers have always been regulars here and in the past few years I have been seeing more of them; much to

my father’s displeasure, as his lawn is now pockmarked by their rooting Of course, this is not a species that can be controlled but it represents another problem for a ground-nesting bird with the badgers’ penchant for eggs

I spoke to Steven at Double Stones,

a neighbouring shoot, and he too has noticed a large increase in badgers, which is not good news for our birds

Worrying trend

I have always been told that bad things come in threes and this is no exception When I was a teenager, before the time of the BMP, my neighbour had a wonderful lake

fi lled with brown trout and mallard Night after night I woke to the panic-stricken duck calls as the local foxes made their raids, but as management came and fox control began, the predatory equilibrium shifted, the ducks slept soundly and so did I Fox numbers were kept to a healthy level, with only their tracks and signs of an occasional kill to give them away.Since management ended, I have started to see foxes with worrying regularity; not only their tracks but also their sleek fi gures in the headlights of

my car Frustratingly I don’t see them

in the beam of my lamp Steven echoes this, with many more foxes appearing

on his patch The concern is that they now have a safe haven on which to launch their raiding parties

Though the impact has yet to be felt, there is a trend emerging here, and if the badger, fox and corvid populations continue to rise, there will only be one outcome for our beloved grouse and other species that call the moor home

A continued rise in badger, fox and corvid populations spells bad news for the grouse of Ilkley Moor

With winter at its end, the number of grouse on Ilkley Moor is currently healthy – but for how much longer?

Venison barbacoa

tortillas are easy

to make and full

of flavour

I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;(/

A tasty street-food-style dish, venison barbacoa is tender, juicy and

ideal for parties — just be sure to make enough, says Cai Ap Bryn

Venison

the Caribbean but is nowconsidered more a Mexicanstyle of cooking Using chipotle,fresh coriander and cloves, barbacoa is

perfectly suited to venison as it really

enhances the flavour of the meat This

recipe uses a shoulder of venison for

“low and slow” style cooking The meat

becomes extremely tender, absorbs all

the flavours from the marinade and simply

falls off the bone The smoked chipotle

won’t blow your head off but leaves an

intense flavour with just the right amount

of spice You can make this dish in the

kitchen or, like me, on the barbecue when

weather permits Just be sure to make

enough, as they won’t last long

I have always been a fan of big flavoursand spices in my cooking Using a shoulder

of venison is a good way to feed a number

of people from one dish Simply place thebarbacoa in the centre of the table alongwith the sides and let everyone get stuck into some quality food

We are lucky that we have a growingpopulation of deer in this country Deermanagement is high on the agenda at thistime of year, particularly for roe does as

we come towards the end of their shootingseason After the mild winter, stalkers will

be looking to cull more than usual to ensure the rest of the herd stays healthy

It is therefore not hard to find a goodvenison supply and, with many social mediagroups and organisations promoting the

benefits of game, there has never been

a better time to try something new Thisrecipe is very easy to make and serves wellout of the oven or slow cooker A must try

VENISON BARBACOA TORTILLAS

SALT AND PEPPER

3 RED OR GREEN JALAPEÑO

2Place the venison shoulder in

a baking dish and pour over themarinade Cover the dish and place in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight

3Preheat the oven to 170°C, cover

the dish with foil and bake for

5 to 6 hours

take off the foil and pull meat apart using two forks

5To make the tortillas, put the

flour in a bowl along with the salt

Slowly add the water and knead untilthe water and flour are mixed togetherevenly Cover the dough for an hour

to allow it to rest

6Divide and roll the dough into

(& XWbbi » j^_i m_bb cWa[ hek]^bo(&,_djehj_bbWi$FbWY[[WY^Zek]^XWbb

on a firm surface and press downwith the bottom of a pan to produce

a decent circle

7Place a frying pan on a high heat

Lightly grease the pan and fryj^[ jehj_bbWi \eh (& je )& i[YedZi

on each side Set aside to rest

To serve, place pulled venison inthe middle of each tortilla, add someextra fresh coriander, diced red onionand, if you want some extra heat, somechopped chilli Finish with a squeeze

of lime, serve and enjoy

Game Cookery

“The meat becomes extremely tender, absorbs all the flavours from the marinade and simply falls off the bone — perfect”

FOR THE CORN TORTILLAS

300G MASA HARINA FLOUR

½ TSP SALT 360ML WATER

Ingredients

Until it relinquished its position last

year, it had worked hard to control

corvids both on the moor and on the

farmland surrounding it

But even with the BMP’s... still fi lled when abandoned within the council area and, as these emptied, grouse still had access to grit provided on the surrounding privately owned and managed moorland And after

a decade... Northumberland with

four golds from 13 heads, Cumbria

with nine heads and Worcestershire

with four heads, two of which were

healthy golds

Mr P Kirsopp’s Northumberland