CATEGORIES
High Birds And Holidays
Though shooting pheasants and ducks began in the 1500s, it was a tour of Europe that brought about driven sport, reveals Alex Keeble
Country Diary
How have we reached a point when people claiming they are RSPB employees demand to search a 75-year-old keeper’s car for ‘evidence’?
Blind Bit Of Difference
Is colour really a factor in gundog ability? Ellena Swift looks at the oft-repeated claim that chocolate Labradors make poor retrievers
Climate Change? It Means More Snipe
Two decades after the first hair-raising squeak of the snipe on the Galloway hills, Patrick Laurie is still flummoxed by the feisty birds
Reasons To Rough It
Few things can beat a day on the grouse moor amid the majestic beauty of the Pennines and Richard Negus falls under their spell
Some Bunnies Have All The Luck
Determined to improve his rabbiting skills, Ed Wills joins a ferreting expedition and, after a shaky start, finds a more relaxed approach pays dividends
Play To The Whistle
It’s all too easy to reach for the whistle when a voice command fails but you must make sure the basics are in place first, says Ellena Swift
Time To Steel Ourselves
It’s a long-running debate among shooters — should we move away from lead shot in favour of steel? Matt Cross examines the options
Bittersweet And Beautiful
Autumn is the perfect time to linger in the golden sunlight, relish the scents and colours, and look forward to the shooting season ahead
Rain Is A Trial Too Far
The pointer and setter trials were plagued by dreadful weather and a lack of birds, leaving no clear winner, reports David Tomlinson
Only Time Will Teal
An invitation to shoot a flight pond is always a delight but will they come in or will Patrick Galbraith have a wasted journey to Scotland?
Remington Model 700 Mountain SS
Remington’s Model 700 is one of the most copied guns in the world — and not without reason. Bruce Potts tests the latest stainless steel design
Moby Dick The Mackerel
There are some big mackerel in Lyme Bay and local fishermen report some mighty runs. So where the hell are they, wonders Nick Fisher
Secrets Of Grouse In A Windswept World
An annual pilgrimage to the Highlands takes Richard Hardy into a mysterious landscape where rocketing grouse can be flushed by eager terriers
Make Your Voice Heard On Future Of General Licences
Shooting bodies call on members to take part in a new consultation on general licences just announced by Defra and Natural England
Upland Keeper
With the EMBER study and edicts from Natural England, damage is being done that means we are at risk of losing our cherished uplands
Going Back To Getting It Right
It happens; one moment things are going well and then suddenly, we can’t hit a thing. Tom Payne looks at how to find form again
Wildfowl Arrive In Huge Numbers
A full moon and north-westerly winds bring arrival of migratory ducks and geese to northern areas of UK
Full Marks
Connecting with a bird is tough enough but marking where it falls — particularly if it’s pricked — can be even harder.
The Long And Short Of It
Looking after reptiles and amphibians is an important part of the conservation process. But you can help them to survive
Country Diary
Harvest should be a time of celebration — but in deepest rural Suffolk it means the arrival of criminal gangs intent on illegal hare coursing
The Lure Of High Water
Tom Sykes sets an ambush for ducks on an inland flooded field and explains some of the tactics he has employed to shoot it successfully
Going Down A Storm
As gale-force winds descend on Cumbria, students from Newton Rigg College deliver a challenging partridge day. Curtis Mossop reports
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Massive Galloway stags can weigh as much as 25st — a throwback from wapiti blood introduced in the 19th century, says Patrick Laurie
My Worst Shoot Day
As far as I am concerned, a proper day’s shooting comes with uncertainty.
Gove Gifted With A Brace Of Birds
Defra secretary Michael Gove said that enjoying game meat is just one of the many benefits created by sustainable shooting activities
No One Expects The Spanish Acquisition
As well as releasing up to 5,000 wild grey partridges, a shoot hatches eggs from Spain to provide fantastic sport, as Tony Jackson discovers
Capital Sport In Narnia
A day’s shooting provides the raw materials for flies for Will Martin and friend to try their luck at London’s best-kept fishing secret
The Kindest Cut Of All
Sometimes burning heather can be impractical or even dangerous, but cutting it can rejuvenate precious moorland, says Patrick Laurie
Gamekeeper
More than 30 years on, a day’s loading on a grouse moor brings to mind a glorious shot at a blackcock and a headkeeper’s displeasure