CATEGORIES

What You Cannot Learn On The Peg

Many of the best Shots started young and had a rural upbringing, but there are other ways to become a good all-rounder, says Tom Payne

SsangYong Musso Saracen £34,250

The South Korean manufacturer is aiming to take the pickup market by storm and Ed Coles is impressed with this powerful workhorse

Getting back in the black

Once an excuse for a jolly get-together, May-time rook shooting is now a conservation necessity to protect both rare birds and tender crops

A tough act to follow

A wounded roe proves unusually tricky to track down, but deer dog Jazz gives it his all

Something for nothing

‘Shed hunting’ is a popular and rewarding close-season pursuit, as Barry Stoffell discovers on a day of fossicking in the hills of Kerry

LACS under investigation by the Charity Commission

A campaign of harassment by activists against a fundraising site they see as supporting hunting was brought to the regulator’s attention

Putting the wind up them

Over-shooting will not protect crops; you need a well thought-out plan of attack — and the right conditions, says Tom Payne

Non-toxics on woodpigeons

Simon Reinhold looks at how the latest steel offerings perform in real shooting situations

Back on the rails

The coot shoot at Hickling Broad was once a big part of Norfolk’s sporting scene, says Simon Reinhold

A boy's best friend

With plans to breed from Mabel afoot, Charlie has his heart set on a pup of his own, so father, son and dog head out for a spot of training

Sport On Our Beaches

While a holiday abroad may be off the cards this year, you don’t have to miss out on great food — catch and cook your own, says Nick Fisher

The first steps

Patrick Hook recently discussed why people start foxing and here he looks at how to begin doing so

Seated shooting

If you are confined to a wheelchair, what difference does gunfit, length and weight have on your shooting? Richard Faulks finds out

Lies, damned lies, and statistics

Robin Scott has a case of the heavy-metal blues as he considers the inevitability of the transition from lead ammunition to more ‘sustainable’ alternatives, but questions the presented facts that justify it

The social network

Philip Reynolds speaks to Jo Perrott, founder of the Ladies Working Dog Group, an online community for women dog handlers that is breaking new ground

Ups and downs

By this lesson, the third in a series of six, you should have a good foundation to progress, says Tony Bracci

The wanderers

Ed Cook takes a look at wild rabbits around world and the significant impact they have had

Round two – a knockout

Perseverance pays for Geoff Garrod over a field of spring drillings

Feathered friend

Tom Sykes is always keen to test new ideas and to this end modified his owl decoy with interesting results

Expect the unexpected

Jon Snowdon believes if there is one thing you can say about roe deer management, it is that it’s unpredictable

All this and more

Peter Theobald guides you through the essential kit and key props he uses for a successful day on the woodies

Ahead of the Game

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s 57 years as patron of the GWCT reflected a pragmatic, pioneering approach to conservation

RED LABS RISING

Once shunned in favour of the ubiquitous black, the fox-red labrador is now becoming increasingly popular, as Giles Catchpole relates

Screaming from the rooftops

A sky filled with shrieking, swooping swifts is one of the true delights of summer. But it is one we need to work hard to protect

Trials and variations

As the line between gundogs and trialling dogs grows ever wider, David Tomlinson wonders whether it’s time to split the breed standards in two

Braced for the plunge

No matter whether you call it ‘wild’ or ‘cold-water’ swimming, it offers peace, exercise and a primeval sense of being at one with nature

The pleasures of black powder

Using a muzzle-loader marries sport, heritage – and the satisfaction of customising one’s experience

Perfect on parade

There may not be the usual Trooping the Colour this year, but a new crop of horses is keeping the Household Cavalry as busy as ever

CARING FOR KENNELS

Legal changes and trail hunting have placed different pressures on our packs. How are today’s huntsmen responding to the challenges?

The Simple Joy Of Summer Shooting

With long days to savour, Will Garfit invites you to join him in a pigeon hide to experience the thrilling combination of testing sport and pest control