While spring hasn’t quite yet sprung as I write this, you can smell it in the air. The odd sunny day and the scent of freshly cut grass signals the start of the season, and the snowdrops and crocuses have made way for the primroses and daffodils. But the more consistent cold and wet conditions mean the trees remain bare, making it very easy to see squirrel dreys.
Ever since being introduced to our countryside in the 1870s, the grey squirrel has wreaked havoc on British habitats, causing problems to forests and native wildlife, devastating songbird and ground-nesting bird populations and being a nightmare to gamekeepers. So what better way to make the most of spring than to load up the freezer with these pests?
Stuart Eborall of Warwickshire Wild Game invited me to help control the numbers of squirrels on his rights one morning. While they are being controlled very well across all of his rights, he has seen a sudden increase in sales and orders for these delicious critters and so needed a hand along with some recipe ideas.
I packed my trusty gas stove and off I went. I was hoping for one of those rare sunny spring days, but alas it was not to be. A damp, drizzly grey day greeted me, complete with a nip in the air. But, fortunately, Stuart’s friend Tom Gosbell from Thomas Jacks came up with the goods to cheer me up, by letting me use his Pulsar Axion 2 LRF XQ35 spotter — and what a bit of kit this is. My day was suddenly a whole lot brighter.
Denne historien er fra April 19, 2023-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra April 19, 2023-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