CATEGORIES

Following the drill on cover

If 2020 has so far proved a nightmare year for game crops, all is not lost, says Liam Bell

Gamekeeper

Our fragile wildlife would be better served if campaigners opted for the ‘challenging shot’, rather than always taking aim at easy targets

Heed the call of the wild

Graham Downing explains why every shooter should experience the thrill of pursuing truly wild duck and geese at least once in their lives

Beretta 687 Silver Pigeon III Field £2,245

The go-to gun for many game shooters has had an upgrade; Mark Heath looks at what’s changed, what has stayed the same and how it shoots

All aboard for a sporting pilgrimage

Tasted just once, Highland hunting culture draws you back to the rivers, heather and hills time and time again, says Peter Glenser

A few for the pot

Graham Lorne looks back fondly on a time when rough shooting was readily available

Heading Through A Purple Patch

Simon Garnham heads to wild West Yorkshire for his first taste of driven grouse shooting

Whistle up a storm

Learn how to distinguish and imitate their calls and you will lure in the wildfowl to your gun, says Graham Downing

Time to turn up the heat

An early August heatwave ramps up the pressure but Tom Payne maximises his chances at pigeon on a baled pea field

Hunter's paradox

A nine-year-old shows wisdom beyond his years while helping to check the trap line in our new series about encouraging youngsters to get involved in fieldsports

Foam on the range

Canada geese offer testing sport and some fantastic meat for the pot, so Tom Sykes sets out some old-school decoys to lure them into shot

A land fit for duck?

Swathes of wonderful wetland duck habitat have been lost to industry and agriculture, but Mike Swan says there are reasons for optimism

The rhythms of nature

August is a month of preparation and anticipation ahead of the start of the season and Barry Stoffell is glad to be back into the old routine

The golden acre

Creating or rejuvenating a pond is the ultimate conservation quick fix, rapidly providing a rich habitat and sport, as Richard Negus explains

Fending off the northern invaders

Orkney is being overrun by geese to the ire of its farmers, but a longer season means more Guns can do their bit

A bit of hit and miss

Staying out till the wee small hours, Stanley Duncan contemplates whether foul weather is really better for going out wildfowling

Expensive? Depends How You Look At It…

Is it worth forking out for extra kit for nocturnal pest control or can the gear you already have be adapted? Mat Manning offers some tips

The gift of the garb

Practicality and royalty have been major influences on sporting clothing down the decades. Sam Carlisle is a dedicated follower

Tawny goes into orbit

Simon Whitehead is delighted to have his prized lurcher back in work but a tough retrieve is a reminder that our animals aren’t machines

Pigeon with promise

A summer’s afternoon on the stubbles offers testing sport and the chance of hitting a magical milestone

Why you should apply ‘the onion'

We know our gundogs are increasingly tempting to criminals, but what more can we do to keep them safe? Matt Cross investigates

Small rivers on the edge of the precipice

A 22lb salmon caught on the Avon was the fish of a lifetime but such a catch will never be seen again unless we act fast, says Mike Swan

How do you like them (crab) apples?

Small and sour, Malus sylvestris isn’t the most palatable of foraged finds, admits John Wright, but it’s amazing what a little added sugar can do

Beretta Vittoria comparison £1,815/£2,145

Beretta’s Silver Pigeon series takes a lot of beating and its smaller Vittoria model comes in two versions, put to the test by Mark Heath

Eurovision coat contest

A good shooting jacket is worth its weight in gold. Richard Negus tests the Continent’s finest, from Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the UK

Clever by haaf

Brought to Scottish shores by the Vikings, the art of haaf netting has been practised for centuries but could now be at risk of dying out, laments Sir Johnny Scott

Arrowing experience to fill lockdown hours

While some took up breadmaking and learning new languages during the COVID-19 lockdown, Soldier Palmer turned to archery

Watch this space

The ultimate face mask was bound to tempt post-lockdown buyers but will other luxury items fare as well without the events at which to flash them, wonders Roger Field

WHIPPING-IN THE RIGHT WORDS

A top hunting correspondent must master a strange horse, unknown country, and capture the colour of the day – while staying in the saddle

Manors fit for an Englishman

Restoring our grey partridges and the farmland ecology they depend on reaps conservation rewards far beyond just a shootable surplus of the gamebird, as work on four pioneering partridge manors proves