Shooting snipe is a pretty specialist form of game shooting. Not many people have the desire, passion or opportunity to take on this brilliant adversary. A common snipe’s flying ability right from flushing certainly matches that of its bigger cousin, the woodcock. The snipe is often a feature of the uplands but its habitat is varied and they can be seen across the country from boggy marshes, to reeds to wetland to flooded grazing fields and ditches.
We have three snipe species in this country. The first, the common snipe, is the only one that makes superb eating. The second is the jack snipe, which is protected, as is the third species, the very rare great snipe. Once more commonly seen on these shores, sightings of great snipe are now few and far between. There were 56 spotted in 2019. The adults are slightly larger than a common snipe and much bulkier. Their wings are broad and can be identified by a pale wing bar in flight.
Behaviour
The jack snipe is surprisingly easy to identify on the wing. Though it is only slightly smaller than the common snipe, its behaviour gives it away. It is a small, stocky bird with a shorter beak and it sits incredibly tight until flushed. It will generally flush under your feet if there is no dog around. It also flushes in silence and will keep low for quite some distance before pulling up then heading back to the ground.
Common snipe, on the other hand, will flush at distance or at the first sign of disturbance. Normally, they will speak on the wing and, as they flush, you will hear screeching while they jink skywards before straightening up. You won’t then see the same bird that day.
Denne historien er fra January 20, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra January 20, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside