Shooting times and country TruePDF 20 march 2019

High numbers of both red stags and roe deer are being shot out of season 37,000 Scottish deer culled ,I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D; NEWS “Seventy-five per cent of red stags culled were sh

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20 MARCH 2019

GAME COOKERY

PERFECT ROAST PARTRIDGE

After a tiring day out carp fishing, Hungarian wirehaired vizsla Sika enjoys sitting down to watch

Countryfile At the age of five, he feels that he is in his prime and looks forward to the next partridge season.

Sika

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 by Nick Heath Photographed by Farlap Fieldsports Photography

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Patrick Galbraith, Editor

Follow Patrick on Twitter

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

The Forestry Commission Scotland culled more than 37,000 deer by out-of-season and night shooting, using a standing “general licence”

Afreedom of

information request

has revealed heavy

and increasing

out-of-season culling and

night shooting by Forestry

issuedannuallyallowstheyear-AdditionallicencesheldbytheFCSallowout-of-seasonshootinginunenclosedwoodlandandnightshootingofdeerusingvehicle-mountedspotlights

Thetrendtowardsgreateruseofout-of-seasoncullinghasparticularlyaffectedreddeer

In the period 2010 to 2016, out-

of-seasoncullsmadeuplessthan50percentofreddeerculling.Thisroseto55percentin2016-2017andto68percentin2017-2018.Thetrendhasbeenespeciallystrongwithmale red deer; almost 75 per cent

ofstagsculledbytheForestryCommissionScotlandwereshot outofseasonin2017-2018

Thewidespreaduseofthermal-imagingdeviceshasincreasedtheeffectivenessofnightshooting.Consequently,authorisationofnightshootinghasincreaseddramatically

Numbersofreddeershotatnight have tripled from 1,573 in

2010-2011to4,513in2017-2018 Numbersofroedeershotatnighthaveincreasedevenmoresignificantly—from2,829in2010-2011to7,425in2017-2018.Theincreaseinthenightshootingofroedoeshasalsobeenmarked, withmorethan50percentofallfemalesnowshotatnight,upfrom 27 per cent in2010-2011

High numbers of both red

stags and roe deer are

being shot out of season

37,000 Scottish deer culled

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

NEWS

“Seventy-five per cent of red

stags culled were shot out of

season in 2017 to 2018”

The use of thermal imaging has made night shooting of deer much easier

Shooting boost to economy

Gundog winners at Crufts

“SomeofthesemoorsareSitesofSpecialScientificInterest,withfragilehabitats,and they have not considered

thelevelofpublicsubsidyittakestokeepother rural activitiesafloat

“Noteveryonelovesgrouseshootingandweacceptthat,butthereneedstobeanacknowledgment,asthereportstates,thatmanybenefitsarederivedfromanactivitywhichisnotgoingcapinhandallthetimetothepublicpurseorrelying

Sheaddedthathehadn’tdonemuchbeforebecausehewas“abitof a whinerasapuppy”

SharonPinkertonofBareve,theownerofEsmee, the German wirehaired

pointerthatwonsecondprize,saidproudlythatEsmee:“haspicked-upondrivenshootsandseems toreallyenjoyit”

However,duetotimeconstraints,sheaddedthattheyhaven’thadtimefor formalfieldtrials

Farfrombeingapamperedpooch,Esmeereportedlycelebratedhervictory“withagoodrunaroundthefields”and thennoddedoff

Goldenretrieversmadeupthehighestnumberofentriesinthegundogbreed category,with537

GundogsalsodidwellintheUKvulnerablebreed’sgroup.Acurlycoatedretriever tookthereservehonours,withotherthefinalistsincludingaClumberspaniel, aSussexspanieland

a Gordon Setter

Sharon Pinkerton’s Esmee, a German wirehaired pointer, at Crufts

Alex Hogg points out that shooting doesn’t drain the public purse

I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;-Email your stories / STeditorials@ti-media.com

To do this week

AT T E N D VisittheannualDeerStalking Fair,heldattheBorderUnion

ShowgroundinKelso,from23-24March.Ifyou’refeelinglucky,buyaraffl e ticketinaidofresearchintomotorneuronediseaseandyoucouldwinaBrock&Norriscustom-builtrifle

OtherhighlightsincludeScottishNaturalHeritagepresentingitsBestPracticeWildDeerInitiative,whichprovidesguidanceonthelaw,publicsafety,foodsafetyanddeerwelfare.Therewillalsobebutcheryandcookingdemonstrationsfromtopchefs.Visit www.deerstalkingfair.co.uk

S U R V E Y TheGamekeepers’ WelfareTrusthasorganiseda

confidentialonlinesurveytojudgehowbesttohelpthosein need It only takes10minutesto

completeandallgamekeepers,stalkersandgilliesshouldlettheirthoughtsbeknown.Totakethesurvey visit.po.st/

GWTsurvey

Weekend Twitter poll

27% Muntjac buck 42% Roebuck 22% Red hind

9% Roe doe

What would you rather shoot?

follow us @shootingtimes Respondents: 189

An extensive tagging programme has provided researchers with vital insight into this mysterious bird

of the UK’s wintering woodcock

Scientists from the GWCThave been fitting tiny satellitetags, weighing less than 10g,

to woodcock to study theirmigrations The tags use a solar-powered battery that transmits

for 10 hours in every 58 Orbitingsatellites then triangulate theposition of the tag and pass the data on to researchers

The tags record the routes thebirds are using, where they breedand where they rest during theirmigrations The data has shownthat the birds are typically leavingtheir wintering sites in mid-March

to early April and departing

their breeding sites from lateSeptember to late October

Tagginghasalsoprovidedsomeinterestinginformationontheareasthat woodcock use It was foundthat birds on the same winteringsitecomefromamixtureofdifferentbreeding grounds and that theyreturn to the same breeding and wintering sites year on year

Some of the most strikingfindings relate to the distancesthat woodcock migrate andthe time it takes them to do

so Migrations from northernNorway were found to take threeweeks, whereas birds flying tothe UK from central Russia tookeight weeks Three tagged birdstravelled around 4,000 milesannually to breeding sites in

Siberia Incredibly, one male bird

is estimated to have flown nearly 24,000 miles in its lifetime

As well as ringing birds andfitting satellite tags, the GWCThas been experimenting with theuse of GPS loggers which recordthe birds’ whereabouts with greataccuracy, but which have to bephysically recovered from thebird Seven birds carrying thesetrackers have been caught and the data recovered

Two of the birds, Fuchsia andBlue, wintered in the RussianRepublic of Karelia near the border with Finland However, they

displayed remarkably differentways of returning to the UK WhileFuchsia chose to stick to the northEuropean coast followed by a shorthop across the English Channel,Blue flew across the North Seafrom Denmark to the Norfolk coast then on to Cornwall

Matt Cross

Woodcock data gives new insight

“One bird has flown nearly 24,000 miles in its lifetime”

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

NEWS

Hesaid:“Itwouldbemuchsimpler but obviously would

needtobepassedby the powersthatbe.”

FishingontheriverTweedgeneratesabout£24million forthelocaleconomyandsupportsaround500jobs.OfficialfigurespresentedtotheriverTweedcommissionersshowedthetotalsalmoncatchin2018was6,129—morethan15,000catchesdown

PatientsshouldalsobemadeawareoftheGPpracticestance on fi rearms inadvance

JackKnott,campaignsmanagerattheCountrysideAlliance,commented:“NoteveryGPisopenfornewapplicantsandnoteveryGPisclosetowhereyouliveandwork—itisnoteasytochange GPsurgerieseither

“Thisisanotherdelayinthecertificateapplicationprocesswhichshootersshouldbeawareof.WehavealsoheardofGPpracticesbandingtogetherwhoareconscientiousobjectors

TheHomeOfficeGuideonFirearmsLicensingsaysthattheshootingcommunityshouldnotbedisadvantagedbythisprocess–butdelaying applications does this.”

The study will show if the birds’ diet is leading to fewer salmon

AGP’sstanceonfirearmscould delay any fi rearm application

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

N E W S I N B R I E F

TheBritishGameAlliance(BGA)hasgainedmonetarysupportfromBASC,whichhasalsogivenaccesstoexpertstafftohelpsecurethefutureofshooting.ABGAspokesmantoldShootingTimesthatitsmainincomein2018hadbeenfrom£130,000ofsubscriptions,donationsof£290,000andavoluntary gunlevywhichraised£66,000

BASCcouncilmemberPeterWatson,whohasjoinedtheBGAboard,commented:“BASCandtheBritishGameAllianceareworkingtogethertoensurethatassuredgamemeatentersthefoodchainandthattheBGAAssurancescheme,whichreferencestheCodeofGoodShooting Practice,

The Honourable Mr Justice AndrewBaker refused permission for a judicialreview of the decision and ruled the application out of time

A spokesman for the bodiesinvolved commented: “The threeorganisations would like to thank theshooting community within Wales andfurther afield for their support We may not have got

the result wewanted but thelegal challengewas the rightthing to do,and we willall continue

to fight forthe rights ofshooters andevidence-based public policy.”

Pheasant shooting legal challenge lost

Email your stories / STeditorials@ti-media.com

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

@SHOOTINGTIMESUK

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Beavers cause havoc across the pond

Further to Richard Hardy’s article about beaverintroductions (The anarchist

in our rivers, 6 March), BBC2showed a programme calledNatural World — BeaversBehaving Badly It recountsthe havoc created by beaversaround the town of JacksonHole in Wyoming, US TheWyoming Game & FishDepartment has had to employ

a full-time ranger to trapand relocate beavers whoseactivities cause flooding, which threatens local properties

Where will the rewilders findthe funds and new locations

to do this in the UK? Usuallyrewilding enthusiasts argue

that the reintroduction

of extinct animals trumps all modern way of lifeconsiderations, so affectedpeople should accept thelosses, move or society shouldpick up the bill I would like tosee how they sell this in today’spolitical and economic climate

Despite the good work done

by the Wyoming ranger, manytroublesome beavers are beingillegally shot around the town

This could be another potential flashpoint with the antis

I would recommend thatRichard continues his research and sharpens his factualarguments against therewilding of beavers on his

beloved Wessex chalkstreams

I once read some seriousresearch into the impact

of beavers on local wildlife

in Wyoming It reported thatinitially their ponds significantlyimproved water-based wildlife but, over time, silting andbarriers created by the beavers’dams caused a major decline

of fish that need to migrate

to upstream spawning redds Beavers instinctivelyreact to all water that bypass their dams so that fishladders were soon blocked

The Wyoming Game & FishDepartment had no solution

to this problem

C Norris, by email

MINKANDTHEIR SAFEDESPATCH

I am extremely concerned thatyou published an image showingsomeone despatching a mink

at some distance from the cagewith a shotgun (A raft of change,

27 February) As a keeper with

50 years’ experience, includingtrapping a large number of mink inthat time, I feel that a 22 at point-blank range would be safer, moreefficient and cause less damage

to the trap or cage than themethod depicted in your image

G Gall, Perthshire

Mike Swan responds:

Photographs can be deceptive At

10 paces, using an ordinary gameload of No.6 lead shot, a mink isreliably killed every time with nodamage to the heavy weldmesh ofthe trap For the many people who

do not have a firearms certificatebut do own a shotgun, this gives

a simple solution In many ways

a 22 rimfire is overkill and thebullet is bound to pass through

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

the mink, possibly damagingthe trap on exit This is why theGWCT-preferred method uses

a powerful air pistol at blank range, with the aid of trapcombs to restrain the mink for

point-a relipoint-able crpoint-anium shot Youneed 177 calibre, with pointedsteel Prometheus pellets to getadequate penetration All this

is described in full detail in theGWCT’s mink raft leaflet, visit po.st/minkraft

GENERALAND SPECIALIST

As a 70-year-old who has had

a lifelong interest in nature,shooting and fishing, wherever

I go I subconsciously observehabitat and behavioural changes

of the wildlife I encounter Overthe past half a century I havewitnessed a great increase in thenumbers of general predatorssuch as foxes, badgers, buzzards, crows and magpies, which allseem to benefit one way oranother from human activity

They are not dependent

on any one food source but canchange and adapt their diet to suitwhatever is available We haveall seen buzzards following theplough for worms and grubs, aswell as killing and eating released pheasant poults, while thecorvids will happily rake throughour rubbish for scraps of food.All this extra food we makeavailable to these predatorsallows more of them to survivelean times and produce moreoffspring, while specialistpredators cannot adapt the sameway to changing conditions so

ISSN: 0037-4164

Thisweek’scoverimagewas

captured by Nick Ridley

Shooting Times, TI Media Ltd,

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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

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Chief sub-editor Sarah Potts

Group shooting editor Jonathan Young

Managing director Steve Prentice

Group managing director Andrea Davies

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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

The goosander’s normal diet is generally small fish and the odd eel

OUT WITH A BANG

How pigeon fans can make the most of the last of roost shooting

FULL TO BURSTING

Drey poking in greysquirrel-infested woods in Kent

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

populations drop However,

I have been observing a specialist

predator adapting to changing

conditions and this has allowed

its population to increase

dramatically The goosander is

a predator of small fish including

salmon and sea trout smolts

My wife and I regularly walk

the banks of the river Teith at

the Callander Meadows in the

Trossachs Many people come

here to eat their fish suppers or

bring bread to feed the mallards,

swans and gulls It is there that

I have observed the unusual

behaviour of the goosanders

Usually they would remain

out in midriver away from

the majority of ducks, diving

occasionally and catching the

odd small fish or eel But last

year I noticed that some were

swimming among the ducks

when they were all trying to

grab the bread and scraps

being thrown to them At first

I thought that the goosanders

were feeding on minnowsand other small fish attracted

by the crumbs in the water

However, I noticed that

a goosander was actuallysquabbling with the ducks and grabbing pieces of bread

Last week we had a run out

to Callander and ended up atthe riverside with a fish supper,along with lots of other visitors,many of whom were feedingbread and chips to the ducks andbirds There were three pairs ofgoosanders among the throngs

of ducks and they were catchingscraps and eating them Onehandsome male goosander wasjumping up on to the bank andtaking chips thrown to him

I have noticed a great increase

in the numbers of goosanders onthis half-mile stretch of the river

in recent years and, last spring,

I counted 13 pairs on it, at a timewhen hard-pressed populations

of salmon and sea trout smoltswould be migrating through it

on their way to the sea

My theory is that thegoosander has become

a generalist, subsisting on

an unusual chip and bread dietduring lean times on the river,ensuring the survival of a greater breeding population

The increased predation

by these additional birds may

be another factor that is having

a detrimental affect on thesurvival of salmon smoltsheading for the Forth estuary

Perhaps those people whoare investigating the depletion

of our salmon and sea troutstocks may wish to considerthis factor as one reason When

I got home, I checked my birdbooks and every one said thatthe diet of the goosander wasfish I think these should now berewritten to say “fish and chips”

R B Smith, by email

FERRETSANDRHD2

First I would like to express mydelight reading more storiesregarding falconry May thiscontinue — I know it is mainly

a shooting magazine but byand large we all share the same interests

My main concern is thespread of rabbit haemorrhagic disease 2, a horrible man-made illness now affecting ourbeloved brown and blue hares

Devastating in the least, it’s badenough with the decline of mymain quarry, the rabbit Let’shope something can be donesoon to help stop its spread

On reading the article (Can

we save the hare?, 27 February)

I wonder if this disease could bepassed on to ferrets Many of usfeed our ferrets with rabbit, andeven our hawks Perhaps Dr Bellcould tell us if this is possible

G Rose, by email

Dr Diana Bell responds:

To my knowledge there is nocurrent evidence that RHDV2can infect species other than rabbits and hares

PONDERING

ONPONDS

Richard Negus gives

much food for thought

in his article about what

is sporting in regard to

flightponds (Sporting

or greedy?, 6 March)

Being both a coastal

wildfowler and an occasional

flightpond shooter, I can

see the joys of both forms

of shooting But I share his

concern about exploitation

of wild duck on ponds just

inside the sea wall

This is particularly the

case when you consider

the rigmarole that many

wildfowling clubs have

to go through to negotiate

their modest use of coastal

Sites of Special Scientific

Interests with Natural

England/Natural Resources

Wales, while watching the

nearby flightpond shooters

taking what they wantwithout regulation

As an aside, I have toquestion how many “muddy fish” tasting shovelersRichard has eaten? Like him,

I rarely shoot one but when Ioffered a brace in a taste testwith mallard to some dinnerpart guests, no one could tell which was which

M.Swan,Shooting Times contributor

Dog breeding

The best start in life

The first litter of puppies from a prized gundog is a steep learning

curve; Jeremy Hunt charts the process from the mating onwards

she is receiving a high-quality diet ofaround 26 per cent protein; not onlymore food but also better-quality food

Make note the first day of the heatand get in touch with your vet as soon

as you see the first blood spots Youmust take a blood test to assess thebitch’s progesterone level At FenwayLabradors, we usually take the firstblood test around day eight The testwill pinpoint the ovulation date and enable you to plan the mating

Don’t simply assume that a bitchwhich is standing for another bitch

or turning her tail is an indication thatthe time is right to mate A lot of bitcheswill appear to want to mate and mayeven be mated by a dog despite thefact that they have not ovulated When

Over the coming months,

many gundog bitches will

cast off the lissom figures

they acquired during

the shooting season They will take

on a more matronly demeanour

of pregnancy as they are given the

important job of producing a litter

of spring or summer puppies But

how prepared are first-time owners

for what lies ahead?

From conception to the day the

first puppies are sold is around 18

weeks — a time when high standards

of management and care of the bitch

and her whelps are essential Yet all too

often it’s the inexperience of novice

owners that triggers problems which

could so easily have been avoided

Tip-top condition

To help achieve a pregnancy in the

first place a bitch needs to be in good

physical condition If the shooting

season has taken its toll, increase her

daily feed ration but also make sure

a litter and no litter We always give awheat-germ supplement from the firstday of the heat and continue with it for about three weeks

Make sure your bitch has had awee prior to the mating but do not lether do so again until about two hoursafterwards for obvious reasons Wekeep our bitches calm and quiet for

at least two weeks after a mating —

so no stressful situations or vigorousexercise or jumping I believe it just gives everything time to settle

Feeding should continue as normaluntil the sixth week of the pregnancybut always provide a high-quality diet

“A lot of bitches will appear to want

to mate — and may even be mated — despite the fact that they have not ovulated”

From conception

to the day the first

puppies are sold

is around 18 weeks

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Keep a close eye on the amount the puppies eat

During week six, we start to increase

the feed so that the bitch is soon getting

about twice her normal daily ration,

probably fed in three feeds If complete

diets are proving too “bulky”, consider

introducing some raw feed The aim

at this stage is for quality nutrition

that will ensure a good milk supply,

a healthy bitch and strong whelps

Avoid any situations that may

stress the bitch, particularly during

late pregnancy I know of occasions

when in-whelp bitches exercised in

public places have had a contretemps

with another dog and the seemingly

assured pregnancy has been

“absorbed” because of the trauma

Successful whelping

Stay with the bitch during the

whelping She will want to scratch

and make a bed so try tearing up

newspapers into strips ahead of the

big day Bitches love it and you can

replenish it during the whelping

First-time owners are always

surprised at how messy a whelping

can be Once over, clean out the bed

and replace with fleece bedding for

the bitch and puppies This will need

changing regularly as liquids will

“wick” through the fabric

Ensure the bitch has plenty of torn-up newspaper

to make a bed

Clean the bed thoroughly after whelping and

provide fleece bedding; you should change it often

Give the bitch goat’s milk with honey to keep

her hydrated during the whelping and for a few

days after

But do provide water too

Pig rails on the whelping pen will help to prevent the

puppies from being squashed

Ensure all her teats are being emptied

Encourage your bitch to eat by providing

good-quality, high-protein food

Whelping help

The main priority is to get a bitcheating well as soon as you can afterthe whelping However, most bitchesfeel lacklustre and often refuse theirnormal food We feed boiled chickenand chicken stock to bitches for three

or four days after whelping It’s a greatsource of protein and the liquid stock fuels milk production

We gradually switch over to

a complete feed for the rest of thelactation We ensure it is one of thetop-quality feeds available for bitchesnursing a litter, with protein content

of around 30 per cent Cost should not

be an issue, so feed the best you can

If your puppies are in a kenneloutside you will need a heat lamp Theheight of the lamp above the litter iscritical — its job is to keep the puppieswarm, not to “bake” the bitch in the

process You may have to adjust theheight of the lamp above the whelping box, especially if you feel the bitchand puppies are becoming too warm

It’s equally important to positionthe lamp so that it gives direct heat

to one end of the whelping box rather than in the centre It means the

puppies and the bitch can gain somerespite by moving away from it if they feel it is too warm

Make sure puppies are wormed attwo-and-a-half to three weeks, then atfive weeks and again at seven weeks

Ask your vet about using a productthat will also eliminate giardia, which

Dog breeding

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During the whelping a bitch loses

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be stressed and probably panting if

she is under a heat lamp Take steps to

avoid dehydration because the sooner

the bitch can start producing copious

amounts of milk the better

Goat’s milk mixture

Many people underestimate how

dehydrated a bitch becomes during

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enough water is a waste of time, so

throughout the whelping we give

goat’s milk with some honey dissolved

with a little warm water Because

bitches need this intake of liquid to be

maintained for the days immediately

afterwards, we never rely on her to

take in water voluntarily — though

it is always on offer

;dikh[ j^[ m^[bf_d] Xen _i bWh][

enough for the bitch to stretch out

and fit a pig rail to avoid puppies being

squashed against the sides Most

bitches tend to prefer to lie on one

particular side — a preference that can

lead to some teats not being emptied

fully, especially if it’s a small litter

To check all the teats are emptied

evenly, remember which way your

bitch’s head was facing when you let

her out to relieve herself If you do that

you can ensure that when she returns

her head is facing the other way to

make the other side of the teats more

available to the puppies

can cause diarrhoea in young puppies.IjWhj m[Wd_d] fkff_[i Wj WhekdZ j^h[[weeks If you use one of the top puppy-weaning foods the palatability is sogood that they will take it soaked and mushed from the outset

Sensible puppy feeding

Feeding puppies from three weeks

to the time they leave at about eightweeks is often handled badly bynovices By three weeks a litter should

be getting four meals a day Watch thepuppies eat and keep a close eye ontheir weight for guidance on steadily increasing their intake

Feed too much and you get tummy upsets; feed too little and puppiesZed¿j ]hem$ =[j _j ifej ed WdZ oek m_bbhave super, healthy puppies In manycases, puppies do not get fed enough,nor fed often enough, in the last threeweeks before they leave From six toseven weeks they will be increasingly less reliant on the bitch Wean

carefully and keep a close eye onthe bitch’s teats and milk supply.The first three weeks of rearing

a litter should have the bitch as theprime focus and she’ll need up to fourfeeds a day Don’t skimp here — she needs all the help she can get

When the puppies start to eat solidfood your work really starts, but themore time you devote to rearing alitter the easier it will be There will

be less risk of problems and the health

of the bitch and her puppies will be

a testament to all your efforts

“Feed too much and you get tummy upsets;

feed too little and puppies don’t grow”

Keep a close eye on the weight of the puppies as this will help in knowing how much to feed them

The more time you put in to raising a litter, the easier it is to produce happy, healthy puppies

7HO  

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Shotgun ballistics

Making a killing

We owe it to our quarry always to attempt a quick death but how

much diff erence does shot size make? Mike Swan investigates

pellets into supposedly vital organs but you need to hit the brain or neck

to cause instant collapse You could say that I nearly missed that bird behind, but it is also fair to point out that No.7 pellets — lead in those days — went right through They were perfectly adequate to kill that mallard outright if I had hit the sharp end

We are all notoriously bad at range estimation, but I’ll say that mallard was about 30 yards away

Acouple of days ago I shot a

female mallard that was so

clearly falling that I took

my second shot at another

bird,” I wrote in a letter to Shooting

Times in 1986 “After this the fi rst bird

levelled out, climbed and fl ew on

for a couple of hundred yards before

planing down on to a tidal creek

“After settling, the bird rolled

over and died When plucked it had

14 pellet entries; 11 in the body and

three through the muscles of the left

wing Three pellets had passed right

through, including one through the

heart, but there were no pellets in the

head or neck.”

The point of this tale, as I wrote all

those years ago, is that you can put

to post-mortem and relate how a bird died to where the pellets went I’ll bed]h[c[cX[hW9WdWZW]eei[j^Wjdropped with a broken wing but was alive with its head up on the mud when the rest of the skein passed out of sight Its body had multiple shot holes — again with some right through — but I still had

to break its neck when I retrieved it.Then there was a recent right-and-left at mallard; look at the picture

(above right) and speculate which died

“There is a fashion for heavy

20-bores to fi re what are 12-bore

loads at high pheasants”

The fatal

“shock” effect

of several pellets is nonsense

Many so-called

“droppers” have

at least one pellet through the heart

Always keep

an eye out for collapsed birds after you shoot

in the air: the one with a couple of

pellets in the neck, or that with eight

or nine shots to the body? The answer

should be obvious by now

Keep watching

Have you ever “missed” a bird, only

for it to collapse after fl ying on for 200

yards or so? You should always watch

after you shoot, especially if you

see a feather or two come fl oating

down Remember that shotgun

shooting is not an exact business;

you are throwing a random scatter

of shot at a moving target When you

also realise that the head and neck

of a pheasant is not much bigger than

a clay pigeon viewed side on, you will

realise how easy it is to hit the body

but not the real target

I’ve looked at a lot of those

“droppers”, from pigeons that

land in a distant tree then

collapse, to ducks that tumble

out of the sky after 20 seconds,

and pheasants that land and die

In pretty much all cases, they

have at least one pellet through

the heart, and probably some lung

damage too

Part of the reason for this article

is Tom Payne’s account of testing

.410s (Can you kill cleanly with

small-bore guns?, 28 November 2018), and

the correspondence that followed

However good you think you are with a

.410, it stands to reason that the heaviest

obtainable load, at about 19g, cannot

compete with 30g through a 12-bore

I’m glad that Tom came down against

using 410s for serious gameshooting

Changes in the market

Having recently taken on a 20-bore for

rough shooting, I am also bemused by

what has happened to the cartridge

market since I used one as a teenager

There is a fashion for heavy 20-bores

to fire what are basically 12-bore loads

at high pheasants My whole reason for

the 20 is to carry a lighter gun and less

weight of cartridges when pottering

about the woods I need to be

mindful of slightly lesser capabilities,

of course, but most of my rough

shooting is not long-range work

Let’s be clear, lots of people are

kidding themselves about their

supposed prowess with small bores

If you push 18g or 19g through a 410

you might just as well use a 28-bore

Similarly, 30g or 32g through a 20-bore

would be better in a 12 If you argue

that the smaller bore is lighter, you will

be punishing yourself unnecessarily —

there is a maxim that says to keep recoil

under control, you need 6lb of gun

for every ounce of shot It is also true

that a gun is likely to pattern best when

firing nothing longer than a square

load; where the length of the shot

charge is no more than its diameter

That amounts to 36g for a 12-bore, 23g

for a 20, and about 12g for a 410

Shotgun ballistics

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

The past 25 years have brought a wholeraft of new questions, for wildfowlers inparticular but also for those shootingover wetland Sites of Special ScientificInterest, and anyone shooting over wetplaces in Scotland I am still amazed

at how little understanding some have when it comes to lead substitutes

Steel is significantly less densethan lead, so you need bigger pellets

to get the same pellet weight Theconventional wisdom is to go up two sizes

Bismuth is similar density to lead

so stick with the same shot size Thesedays,frustratingly,No.5s seem to be thesmallestavailable.Ihaveasmallstockof6s that I consider better for wigeon and teal, not to mention the odd snipe

TungstenMatrixissimilardensitytolead

so the same size rule applies, but again

I cannot trace smaller shot than No.5s.HEVI-Shot is marginally denserthan lead but be cautious about thehype; stick to the same size and do not expect miracles

S H O T S I Z E F O R L E A D S U B S T I T U T E S

I think Tom would have been moresatisfied with his 410 performance withsmaller shot than No.5s I like relativelysmall shot Those No.7s passing throughthat mallard at 30 yards tell me thatpenetration is perfectly adequate atthat range If you want to maximisethe range at which you can reliably kill

game with a magnum 410, I’d suggest

a 19g trap load of No.7½s or No.8s

Lately I’ve been very happy withthe performance of 21g loads of No.7½ through my 20-bore This will begiving me a pellet count not far short

of 28g of No.7s, which was for manyyears my favourite all-round load foreverything from decoying foreshore ducks to pigeons, woodcock and

“normal” driven pheasants

“A clean kill is even more important

on the shore, where a wounded duck

can dive and make its escape in a trice”

When I started wildfowling, myfather issued me with game loads

of No.6s but I soon graduated to

^_i \Wlekh[Z beWZ » ;b[o >ocWn _dNo.6 but 36g rather than 30g Hisexplanation was not extended rangebut rather a denser pattern, so thatteal were more likely to be killedcleanly This is always importantbut never more so than on the shore,where a wounded duck on water can dive and make its escape

I tested his advice and tried No.5sfor extra knockdown but it did nottake me long to realise that there were more divers and fewer dead birds.The key things for me are having

a dense enough pattern to reliably hit the head or neck, sufficientpellet energy to break the spine,then pointing your gun at the front.7i W :ehi[j \Whc[h iW_Z je c[ m^[d

I knocked a tail feather out of apheasant: “Never mind the a***,boy, shoot it in the head and the a*** will die.”

A gun is likely to pattern

best when firing nothing

longer than a square load

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Cute as a

button buck

left off the “desirable” quarry list;

perhaps lacking the thrill of a roebuck

or the romance of red deer They areengaging animals, just as enjoyable towatch and pursue as any other deer

it for the habitat; forthe trees; for thedeer themselves —keeping numbers incheck — for the meat,

or for me? As hunters,taking moments toreflect, whether youshoot one deer a year

or 100, is a healthything to do I don’t do it for any kind

of thrill, I do know that I’m usually

so focused on the shot, I don’t have anemotional response until afterwards

The crack of the rifle splitsthe morning A doe and the buck

THE MIST HUNG

across the open fields in

the pre-dawn light Dew

soaked my trouser legs

as I stalked along the edge to the

wood, carefully cresting each rise,

listening and looking for movement

ahead As the sun rose, my careful

measures were rewarded by the

sight of three roe, blissfully unaware,

chasing through the long grass below

me Without the pressure of a client

waiting to take the shot, I simply sat

and watched them

I enjoy this time of year as a chance

to manage roe does in and around the

woodlands and crofts, to put some

meat in the freezer As an former

vegetarian, I do wonder why I hunt on

a pretty regular basis Having spoken

to several other veggies and

ex-vegans who’ve also made the switch,

it’s an ethical dilemma we’ve all

wrestled with But none of us regret

the move to be more accountable in

sourcing food for our plates

Watching the two does and young

button buck at the foot of the hill, not

100m away, I feel they are too often

a moment I wait until the pair aregone before heading down the slope.Despite knowing where she’s lying,

I follow blood spots from the shot site

Kneeling beside the fallen doe, I take a moment

to admire her thick,smoky winter coat,marred only by

a few scruffy hairsaround the entrywound I pat her

on the neck by way

of thanks and pull out my knife

In this way we movethrough February and_dje CWhY^$ ?j _i Wj j^_i fe_djthat my calendar begins tofocus more on office work, planningthe year ahead I look back to the hillsbecause I can’t go a month withoutmentioning red deer; those of youwho have read my columns will beaware of the strange turn the rut took

Admiring deer at play doesn’t

stop the hunter pulling the

trigger but pausing to think

about what we do is healthy,

iWoiC[]WdHembWdZ

Highland stalker

Watching the deer

is a simple pleasure

last year Estates all reported a dearth

of mature stags My older colleagues

believe this is a result of the bad

m_dj[h _d (&&/ɚ(&'& _d m^_Y^ cWdo

calves were lost to the cold

Game dealers were the barometer

of this shift, with many seeing a

considerable decrease in the volume

of deer they had to process Some

even had to lay off staff I saw last

season as a reminder that deer

management must be adaptive, and

that sustainable deer management

has to consider socioeconomics of

the rural communities that practise

it, as much as the environment

Controversial

As those of you with an eye on social

media will be aware, many

of my colleagues have already taken

to the hills to undertake another

politically charged land management

practice — muirburn; the controlled,

and controversial, burning of heather

While some insist using fire is an

unnatural process, research now

suggests that our ancestors, pre-Homo

sapiens, were utilising fire as a tool in

Africa more than a million years ago

Without going in depth on the subject,

muirburn is carried out primarily

to create different habitat zones to

enable birds to feed, nest, roost and

hide from predators, and to mimic

wildfires and create open areas for

ungulates — in our case cattle, sheep,

deer and hares — to graze

Burning remains an inherently

political topic in the UK, with reams

of data and research gathered and

collated over many decades There

has been a recent review of much

of this data, commissioned by the

Scottish government as part of a

report into grouse moor management

and carried out by the James Hutton Institute and Scotland’s Rural

College (SRUC) under the ScottishEnvironment, Food and AgricultureResearch Institutes (SEFARI) banner

It found there were large gaps in theinformation and studies available

Effects of fire

The review showed that we still don’tknow what muirburn does below theground Good or bad, there is verylittle data on how burning frequencieshave changed over time and almost

no information about what effect

fi re intensity has on the surrounding

“Kneeling beside the fallen doe, I take a moment to admire her thick, smoky winter coat”

environment or biodiversity overtime If you have a bit of free time,the report is worth a read: visit po.st/muirburn

While its detractors suggest

it is a driver of climate change anddestructive to a range of species andhabitats, there is clearly a lot still tolearn I have no intention of divinginto the politics but I do believe it is

an undeniably useful managementtool, when used responsibly andfollowing the Muirburn Code

Groups around the world arereadily acknowledging the use of fire

in the landscape management toolkit.With that in mind, make the most ofthe balmy weather and to those of you

in the hills, be sensible and stay safe

Megan Rowland is the assistant land manager on Gordonbush estate, where she assists with deer and habitat management, stalking and guiding.

Highland stalker

Muirburn, the controlled burning of heather, is ancient way of managing the land for wildlife and to provide grazing for sheep and cattle

Megan has no problem

with raising the rifle

after enjoying the sight

of the deer at play

Heat of the moment

Whether you are shooting pests or controlling stock levels, the new thermal-imaging kit on the market is invaluable, says Chris Parkin

The Accolade binocular — or more correctly bi-ocular — device has the same single objective lens

as the Pulsar’s Helion monocular but twin eyepieces allow for a more comfortable field of view on the internal screen There is a longer-lasting effect on your night vision

There is no doubt that

thermal-imaging

equipment must be

at the forefront of

shooting technology It comes

with a moral argument

about sporting ethics versus

serious vermin control

at the buyer’s discretion

But the capability to see

quarry species, in conditions

once considered unlikely or

impossible, is a revelation to

those trying it for the first time

Pulsar is perhaps the best-known

brand in the rifle-shooting world for

these optical devices to spot animals

then aim a shot through the rifle The

uncooled microbolometer sensors

that detect the faint traces of heat

are incredibly sensitive, yet have

now reached a temporary plateau; at

the top of the market, the capability

has remained constant for the past

12 to 18 months But the associated

ergonomics and electronic tools have

been added to and improved

If anything, the cost of the top

models has increased rather than

diminished However, the technology

has filtered down to more economic

additions to your kit bag Because

it is seen as a fast-evolving market —

with new models launched every six

months or so — buyers want the new

model while ruling out the falling

price of what was perfect for them

half a season ago

Smooth motion

Pulsar’s XP50 Trail rifle scope and

Accolade binoculars use the same

thermal core with 640x480-pixel

thermal sensor and internal screen

resolution These provide a detection

range up to 1,800m on a 1.7m tall

object The 50Hz refresh rate ensures

smooth motion of whatever is being

viewed Onboard photo/video

capability is included, with storage

and download capability, either

wired to a PC or wirelessly via the

Stream Vision application on a

smartphone or tablet Either can

be used for live display

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

than simply the immediate narrowing

of your pupils from a bright light; you have to deal with it if you want to get the most from the capability offered There is a 2.5-20x magnification with intuitive menu structures to control eight colour palettes, screen brightness, contrast and other factors that can be tuned to meet the requirements of your operating environment The three observation modes in the menu are pre-set values for these controls, so it makes most sense to tailor them

The “X”-shaped layout of the button control

on the Pulsar Accolade bi-ocular is more comfortable than the older in-line style

Both units can be connected via USB cable to a desktop computer or wirelessly using the Stream Vision app

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

to suit Each eyepiece has individual

focal control The image quality

never gets nudged laterally out of

position and because they lock more

securely into your bony eye sockets,

with variable interpupillary distance

between them, they focus like the

single monocular units

Any animal within direct line

of sight can be detected in darkness

— not forgetting daylight — because

the devices detect and process the

information into a more recognisable

visible picture to the user Quarry

moving through undergrowth or partially obscured by solid objects can be picked up more easily depending on which of the eight colour palettes on the Accolade (or two on the Trail) is used; either white, black or more vivid tones The white equalling hot gives an image similar

to black-and-white television, though the red-hot palette on the Accolade does add a little more definition to the hotter spots on a specific bulk target

Range estimation has now been addressed on both these models The

latest LFR addition to either unit is

a laser rangefinder that will project

a reticule in the binocular or scope

to aim and ping the laser This will display range to target in metres or yards, also compensating for the up- or downhill angle A secondary scan mode can be applied to make this a continuous process, with range displayed every second

Both units have automatic off functions and are controlled with simple intuitive menu structures by the buttons on top, in-line on the Trail

or in an “X” layout on the Accolade Both share the same “language”, so once you are familiar with one the other is straightforward There are slight differences due to the greater number of colours on the Accolade The Trail has a full zeroing capability with 14 reticule shapes in two colours

to coincide your point of aim and impact, once fitted to a rifle

Undetected by quarry

The standard unit is supplied with twin claws to attach to a Picatinny rail and other options are available

It can be shared between three rifles, each having a primary zero with five secondary values that allow quick access to longer-range shots, with all usual caution applied

Picture-in-picture is a small box

in the upper screen with higher magnification, allowing you to keep the overall wide field of view The 1.6x base-level optical magnification edj^[JhW_bWdZ($+nefj_YWbpeec

on the Accolade can each be digitally cW]d_Ə[Zje'($.eh(&n$J^[Z[[f joy of thermal imaging, as with daylight optics, is that the quarry has no indication of your presence,

so you become the ultimate “fly

on the wall”

At close range relative to the size of the animal, definition is spectacular, even showing thermal variation across bony legs or velvet antlers As distance increases, the ability to watch animals go about their daily life is the key to identifying what they are It’s important, especially

“The deep joy of thermal imaging

is that the quarry has no indication

The XP50 Trail rifle scope

has clear and

easy-to-navigate menu structures

off if you stand the rifle up above 70°

or lay it on its side It also tells you ifyou are canting the rifle more than5° from vertical during the shot

The rechargeable IPS5, 5.2A-hbattery is reliable Larger IPS10batteries are available for even longerduration than the solid six to eighthours’ use the standard one allows

Thermal imaging is a valuable toolwhen you consider the time and effort

it can save in daily use, the number

Optics

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

For more information, visit www scottcountry.co.uk or tel 01556 503587.

when making a shot with thermal

imaging, not to assume hot is what

YWd X[ i^ej$ =[d[hWbbo oek Zed¿j i[[

what you should avoid, such as small

XhWdY^[i eh XWhX[Z m_h[$ H[c[cX[h

that thermal only shows what you

want to hit, not what you need to miss

No problem in fog

HWXX_ji WdZ ^Wh[i Wj kf je ,&&c Wh[

visible without any issue, foxes or

deer beyond that When the air is cool

and dry, damp air diminishes range

and definition but funnily enough,

thick fog and mist that would normally

end your day, often become quite

transparent with thermal imaging

The 17μm (micrometres) sensor

of the XP50 Trail and Accolade is the

highest capability Pulsar offers to the

civilian market for the greatest level of

_cW][ Z[Əd_j_ed$ >em[l[h" Z[f[dZ_d]

on your needs, don’t assume the most

expensive is the best There are minor

variations across the Pulsar ranges

with smaller 38mm objective lenses

that may suit your needs better at lower

cost, especially in close quarters where

low magnification is crucial

These XP50s both boast fully

waterproof IPX7 ratings and the

Trail scope automatically turns

of animals that can be seen to pursue

or counted to assess populationlevels If your joy in the sport is purely

to hunt, stalk and go head-to-headwith the game, thermal may not befor you When predator control toprotect stock is a priority, you can

no longer discount thermal imaging

as a fashion; it is a seriously capabletool The capability available is far

in excess of what can be shown in asmall review, so take any opportunitypossible to try some thermal-imaging equipment for yourself

“When predator control to protect stock

is a priority, you can no longer discount

thermal imaging as a fashion”

The Trail XP50 LRF adopts familiar rifle scope ergonomics to that of a regular daylight scope

The Trail scope has full zeroing capability with

14 reticule shapes to coincide your point

of aim and impact

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'FYCTF  &KCPC 9CVUQP

Game and Wildlife Programme Manager

Askham Bryan College

Full Time

£33,872 - £36,997

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Game and Wildlife Department which has an outstanding reputation in the industry

for training and developing the next

generation of Gamekeepers and Wildlife

Managers.

This role will lead on course management at both our York and Penrith site and will work with the Head of Department to drive forward quality ensuring high standards

across the programme.

This is a highly rewarding post which would suit an individual with excellent knowledge

of the industry set within a unique

Pigeon shooting

Birds, you and the law

The game season’s over, you’ve got a great new permission and it’s teeming with pigeons — but are you sure it’s legal, asks Tom Payne

make the correct and safe decision about where you are shooting You should also be able to communicate eff ectively with the public

Get permission

It is our responsibility to make sure that, before pulling the trigger in any fi eld, wood, hedgerow or copse, certain things are in place The fi rst is permission of the landowner, farmer, gamekeeper or other party who has the authority to grant it Without this permission you are falling foul of the law With it granted you should be fully aware of where you can and can’t go

There are many legal issues

to consider when pigeon

shooting, including rights of

way, highways, residential

or sensitive areas, and how you deem

a fi eld safe to shoot over I have been

in many situations when I’ve been

approached by walkers, residents and

riders; not because I’ve been in the

wrong but simply because they are

interested in what’s going on or they

want to share some local knowledge

If you are responsible enough

to own a shotgun, you should be

responsible enough to make sure

that you use common sense and

I would always advise having a map

of the farm highlighting boundaries, showing where you can and where you can’t go, also highlighting residential areas, footpaths or any public rights of way You must know where you are and are not allowed

to take your vehicle and whether you can retrieve fallen birds from d[_]^Xekh_d]bWdZ$;dikh[j^Wj"

with your granted permission, you completely understand the estate

or farm you are shooting over

Know your quarry species It’s amazing how many pigeon shooters cannot identify what is legal quarry

and what is not (see p.30$EkhW_c

is to control woodpigeons and this i^ekbZX[j^[cW_d\eYki$>em[l[h"other birds will present themselves over decoys on a day’s shooting

They could include corvids and feral pigeons which are legal, but stock doves — which are increasing in this country meaning will see them more and more — and racing pigeons are

When choosing an area in which to shoot, take any public rights of way into account

Pigeon shooting

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

Leaving firearms in a car when you

go on reconnaissance throws uppotential problems

Condition 4b of yourshotgun certificatesays: “Where ashotgun to whichthe certificaterelates is in use

or the holder ofthe certificatehas the shotgunwith him forthe purpose ofcleaning, repairing

or testing it or forsome other purposeconnected with its use,transfer or sale, or theshotgun is in transit to

or from a place in connection with its use or any such purpose, reasonable precautions must be taken for the safe custody of the shotgun.”

In essence, if you are leaving a gun

in the car, the car must be locked and it would be sensible to hide it, particularly

if you’re in a built-up area

Walking off into

a fi eld with a pair

of binoculars while leaving a gun on

a front seat with the window down could turn into

a real disaster

if some unsavoury character were

to walk by

If you are shooting

in an area with public rights of way nearby,

be alert to the fact and don’t leave your gun

in the hide when you leave to pick-up

or clear up at the end of the day There

is always that risk of someone deciding

to walk off with it

F I R E A R M S

What is legal and what is not

is more complicated than many pigeon shooters think

not legal It is worth mentioning

that a racing pigeon that decoys

has gone feral but in the letter of the

law is still protected Turtle doves

and rock doves are protected but

collared doves are legal, except

in Northern Ireland

What is legal and what is not

is much more complicated than

many pigeon shooters may think

To make it as simple as possible, you

are there to control woodpigeons

so shoot woodpigeons

Documents should be carried with

you; a photocopy of your shotgun

certifi cate, insurance through a BASC

membership card, for example, and

legal documents for your vehicle

These are not legal requirements, as

they can be presented later, but to

save the hassle keep them in the car

Rights of way

There is no legal requirement that

states you cannot shoot in a fi eld

with a right of way; moreover there is

nothing to say you cannot shoot over

or next to a right of way if you have

reason to do so Pigeon shooting is

a legitimate reason However, do

apply common sense

It is illegal if you cause any danger or

harm to the public using these rights of

way If a footpath is well trodden, you

must be aware at all times If there

The harvest

If you are consuming your shot pigeons or giving them away to friends and family, there are no legal food hygiene licences needed If you are selling birds in the feather to a game dealer who sells them on to the primary consumer, again, no food hygiene certifi cates are needed The establishment the birds are sold to carries all the correct food hygiene certifi cates to dress and prepare them to sell to the primary consumer

However, if you are dressing and selling birds into the food chain and

to the primary consumer, you must comply with food hygiene standards

You need suitable premises to dress and prepare the pigeons and correct facilities to dispose of waste product You will need to have your premises passed and certifi ed by the environmental health and Food Standards Agency

“A racing pigeon that decoys has gone feral but in the letter of the law is still protected”

If you are selling birds into the food chain you need to comply with food hygiene standards

Be legally responsible and always obtain the landowner’s permission

before shooting

of ducks and they were catchingscraps and eating them Onehandsome male goosander wasjumping... inparticular but also for those shootingover wetland Sites of Special ScientificInterest, and anyone shooting over wetplaces in Scotland I am still amazed

at how little understanding some have when...

“droppers”, from pigeons that

land in a distant tree then

collapse, to ducks that tumble

out of the sky after 20 seconds,

and pheasants that land and die

In pretty much