Shooting Times & Country Magazine - June 07, 2023

In this issue

A dedicated group of fans
Simon Reinhold looks at the non-toxic options for small-bore shotguns.

Luring in the corvids
Good decoying is needed to make a dent in these avian ruffians..

Red grouse on the decline, while red kites are booming

The newly released 2022 Breeding Birds Survey gives an accurate insight into the UK bird population, with some interesting figures

1 min

Wildfire could be UK's largest

A wildfire warning was extended across many parts of Scotland last week as a major fire near Cannich, south of Inverness, blazed. Forestry and Land Scotland suspects the fire, measuring approximately 8km by 8km, was started by wild campers

1 min

Bird flu concerns stay mostly in background

Avian influenza is still present but there seems to be little effect so far on chick and poult prices, though there is not a surplus in availability

1 min

Reinhold beside-by-side himself

Over 1,130 competitors took part in the English Open Sporting Clays Championship at the end of May, at Eriswell Lodge, Suffolk

1 min

Country Diary

A visit to Finland, where black grouse and capercaillie are plentiful, highlights just how shooting and conservation can go hand in hand

3 mins

Gamekeeper

Many landowners are once again taking a more regenerative approach to farming, and there are great lessons to be learned from the past

3 mins

Stalking Diary

The quarry is the only familiar sight and sound during a stalking trip in South America, as a red stag leads the group on a three-day epic

3 mins

JOTTINGS FOR WILDFOWLERS

A blank fishing excursion is a reminder of other outings that didn't quite go to plan, including a four-hour round trip to the estuary

3 mins

Non-lead shot for the small but mighty

They might be lacking clout in the marketplace, says Simon Reinhold, but fans of the 16-bore are a committed group and there is a demand

6 mins

Racecourse rabbiting

With the crafty coney damaging turf and crops, a change of tactics is needed to keep reducing the local population over the warmer months

5 mins

The ruffians of the avian world

An impressive pattern of decoys is just the ticket to lure in those wily crows feasting on maize seeds

5 mins

The true cost of a part-trained puppy

As more owners seek to buy a dog with the basics already in place, Ellena Swift investigates the work that goes in behind the scenes

6 mins

Of ticks and men

Al Gabriel looks at the correlation between deer and tick numbers in the UK and how we can manage these arachnids

5 mins

My first deer

For Charlie Blance, two species in one day was enough to push her to pursue a stalking career

3 mins

Birds in the back garden

There's nothing as quintessentially English as the woodpigeon, says Graham Lorne, but their behaviour has changed markedly

3 mins

A taste of what we do

Intrigue often leads to understanding, says Will Pocklington, who finds that food is just the way to get the conversation started

2 mins

Serious matters

A simple bird call crystallises the problems of the countryside

3 mins

Conservation is a three-legged stool

The 'balance of nature' isn't always as it seems, says David Whitby, and predator control must work alongside habitat and food supply

5 mins

Pulling in the birds

After running out of luck with whirlers and flappers, Blue Zulu goes back to decoying basics and ponders on recycling his claret bottles

5 mins

Is 'cocker rage' real?

New research on the health of cocker spaniels resulted in a flurry of headlines, but David Tomlinson looks deeper into the science

5 mins

Keep up with these creatures of habit

Don't leave fox control until it's too late - learn their behaviour and use it to your advantage to gain the upper hand

4 mins

Gunroom

Introduced in 1896, the semi-automatic Mauser 96 became a favourite of officers across Europe and dominated the market for nearly 40 years

3 mins

Beaten by the heat

Thanks to an incredibly dry May, Arthur Oglesby reveals that he is struggling to find much fishing to offer to his incoming customers

5 mins

Sharpshooter

The shooting community is often threatened with new legislation, but how potent such threats turn out to be may well depend on timing

2 mins

Read all stories from Shooting Times & Country

Shooting Times & Country Magazine Description:

Since its launch in 1882, Shooting Times & Country Magazine has been at the forefront of the shooting scene. The magazine is the clear first choice for shooting sportsmen, with editorial covering all disciplines, including gameshooting, rough shooting, pigeon shooting, wildfowling and deer stalking. Additionally the magazine has a strong focus on the training and use of gundogs in the field and, because it is a weekly publication, the magazine keeps readers firmly up-to-date with the latest news in their world.