There are very few jobs where the entire public has expectations of you. Prime minister, managing the England football team, head of state. All of these carry with them a level of prestige and financial reward befitting that pressure. It is rather interesting, then, that the farmers and land managers whose job often is to put food on our plates are also expected to provide a diverse mix of nature, good habitat and a beautiful countryside for us all to enjoy.
Far from receiving acclaim, there’s a general sense of mistrust of farmers when it comes to their unofficial role as custodians of the countryside. Yes, biodiversity is in global decline. Yes, changes in agriculture, often during the 1960s and 1970s and incentivised by government, have contributed. What is often overlooked is the many men and women driving conservation success on a local level.
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RSPB gives mixed message on shooting
Having recently attended the RSPB’s virtual AGM, Conor O’Gorman discusses the outcome of the charity’s year-long review of game bird shooting
Causeway for concern
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Through a purple patch
The Garrows Estate is taking a conservation-focused approach to restoring the wildlife populations and biodiversity on the Scottish heather moorland.
When the wheels fall off
Losing form on a day’s shooting can be infuriating, especially if you’ve been shooting like a god up to that point. Simon O’Leary looks at some common causes and how to remedy them
Beaches, books & bad behaviour!
The annual Kay family vacation to Northumberland offers a chance to give the cockers a blast on the beach – although they don’t always shower themselves in glory, as Ryan Kay recalls...
Using the Stop whistle
Now you’ve instilled the basics, it’s time to up the ante with some more tricky distance work. Howard Kirby explains how to take the core Stop whistle command to the next level
The humble teal
They may be tiny, but as far as Rupert Butler is concerned, the appeal of this little duck is huge. He recalls some of his most memorable nights in pursuit of these aerial acrobats
Fab all-rounder
Mike is impressed with the Fabarm Elos B2 Field Notte, which offers great value for money, is suited to fieldwork or clays and is future-proofed for use with steel in all choke constrictions
CALL OF THE WILD
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A yen for the Fens
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