The fallen giants of gun retailing

The household names of Harrods and Army & Navy were stalwarts of the firearms trade, as Simon Reinhold reveals

Gamekeeper

After a year of uncertainty due to Covid, shoots are receiving bookings and, even more importantly, prompt payments for the coming season

Stalk or stay put?

During a final cull outing, a roe doe and her yearling are perfect candidates, but they present the stalker with a difficult dilemma

Have dog, will travel

Owners are prepared to clock up the miles to get back out in the field after a year of lockdown, as David Tomlinson discovers in Suffolk

Earning his crust...

A gap in Charlie’s busy schedule allows father and son to revisit the lake where the boy caught his first fish to have another go at the carp

Right place, right time, right line

A spot of pigeon decoying over the last of the year’s spring drillings provides the perfect opportunity to see if a hard lesson from the past still holds true

From cover to cover

The range of crops is seemingly endless and selecting the right one for a shoot is vital. Jamie Tusting sorts the maize from the seed mix

Rattled by some unusual sightings

It doesn’t matter whether you spend all your life outdoors, there are still some surprising sights and sounds that you will never ever forget

Go braque to basics

A host of French gundog breeds remain a mystery to British owners, but David Tomlinson believes the Bourbonnais is a potential star

Making hens meet

Soldier Palmer recalls his efforts to restore grey partridges in Scotland and his realisation that the old-fashioned ways are very hard work

Conflict, culls and colonies

Tales of huge numbers of wild boar are probably exaggerated and there is no reason why a UK population cannot be sustainable

Country Diary

Discussions about the future of the UK’s farmland yield fascinating results, but there are clear dangers in the countryside access debate

Birds are full of beans

Signs of spring are everywhere and the pigeons are greedily coming in to feed — but not necessarily in the right place for R W Salisbury

A beautiful story

There are a number of important reasons that we keep deer heads, says Graham Downing, not least because they are an essential record

What Makes The Best All-Rounder?

There is no one breed ideally suited to all shooting disciplines, so it is crucial to concentrate on temperament and ability, says Ellena Swift

Polishing your form

Perhaps always carrying a gun is a step too far — but continual gun handling and aiming will make you a better Shot, reasons Scolopax

Sweet music to herald the spring

The new season is a time to celebrate growth and regeneration — and an opportunity to prove that we’re still feeling young at heart

When is it a time to kill?

Whether you rear your birds or buy them in, the fox will never be far away from them so don’t lower your guard, says Robert Bucknell

Time for hip shake-up

The current scoring scheme is the best health resource available but a few tweaks could make it more efficient, argues David Tomlinson

On cloud nine with the perfect high seat

High seats are an invaluable part of the deer management toolkit and Barry Stoffell says it’s not too hard to knock one up yourself

Next season in sight

If it isn’t lost to Covid, next season will come round quickly so make sure you’re ready by putting in that vital practice, says Tom Payne

Reaching the heights in a plum job

With damage by munties apparent in the woodland, a morning stalk fails to find the culprit but a plum orchard yields the perfect opportunity

Kennel Diary

Moving to a new hunt is daunting but you soon learn about each individual hound, says Harry Beeby

A sporting life in Africa

Disease is rife out here but at least when you get a bout of Covid you don’t feel left out

Gentlemen Of The Marsh

Graham Downing examines how wildfowling was elevated from a pot-filling pursuit to one of the grandest of sports

Where Did All The Good Young Keepers Go?

Being a keeper requires more than simply a love of shooting; Will Pocklington asks three old hands what they look for in new recruits

A Helping Hand For Man's Best Friend

Few people are aware that dogs can suffer from bouts of depression but there are simple steps to help lift their spirits, says Ellena Swift

All the gear, no idea

A trip to catch zander, the cod of the canal, for a fish supper quickly proves that fancy kit is no guarantee of success

Reviving an old ritual

A traditional final pheasant day is the perfect chance to take stock after a strange season of aborted days as well as memorable ones

Kennel Diary

As snow brings an end to the current season, a game of musical chairs begins, says Harry Beeby