IT training shooting times and country TruePDF 13 march 2019

DUCKLINGS: MAKE A CRUMB FEEDER TO IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES

Since 1882

13 MARCH 2019

Whiffling
pigeons
The art of
lofting poles
FERRETING

Bolting bunnies
in a Suffolk
garden
TE AL

The greatest
of all ducks?

R AT TING

FAST AND FURIOUS
SEALYHAM TERRIERS

GAME COOKERY

SLOW-COOKED
VENISON TORTILLAS

Serengeti in the city

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DOG OF THE WEEK
In association with Orvis

For all things dog, Shooting Times recommends Orvis.co.uk
Outdoor outfitters, instructors and apparel makers since 1856.

Sybil
Sybil, a Sealyham terrier, has perfected the arts of scrounging, snoring and barking loudly at intruders
both inside and outside her domain. She picks-up with the rest of the pack at Compton Manor shoot.
Owned and photographed by Deborah and Robbie Gates


13.03.19
Issue 6,131

£24.99

Subscribe to Shooting
Times today and never
miss another issue of
Britain’s original and
best fieldsports and
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Patrick Galbraith, Editor

shootingtimessubs.co.uk/23AV

SAVE

0330 333 1113 Quote code: 23AV

UP TO

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14

Roost shooting in Suffolk
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Raining, rats and dogs
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Follow Patrick on Twitter
@paddycgalbraith

Contents
NEWS & OPINION

36

06 NEWS

40 FERRETING

10

PRODUCTS

REGULARS

12

LETTERS

30

SOLDIER PALMER

FEATURES

32

SHOTGUN TEST

14

PIGEON
SHOOTING

38

GAMEKEEPER

18

RATTING

22

46

GUNDOGS

CIC

26

48

ILKLEY MOOR

SPORTING
ANSWERS

28

COOKERY

58

SHARPSHOOTER

FORAGING

44 CONSERVATION

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NEWS
A booming elephant population
has been the main motive for
those seeking to lift the ban

Botswana to lift hunt ban?
The government of Botswana, which has the world’s largest elephant
population, is considering lifting a ban on hunting the animals

A

hunting ban in
Botswana may
be about to come
to an end after
a group of government
ministers asked President
Masisi to change the law.
The ban was introduced

by former president Ian
Khama in 2014 and was
described in Botswana’s
Sunday Standard newspaper
as “the ultimate victory
by photographic safari
investors against trophy-

Mbaiwa of the University
of Botswana said the ban
“has led to a reduction of
tourism benefits to local
communities such as income,
employment opportunities
and provision of housing
for the needy and elderly.
Reduced tourism benefits
have led to the development
of negative attitudes by rural
residents towards wildlife
conservation and the increase
in incidents of poaching in
northern Botswana.”

ALAMY / A. WARD / C. WARREN / J. NIEMAN

“The increased expansion of
the elephant population has
impoverished communities”
hunting safari tourism

investors, their long-time
rivals”. Questions were
raised over Mr Khama’s
connections to the
photographic safari
business and to antihunting campaigners.
A formal study of the ban’s
effects by Professor Joseph

A booming elephant
population has been the main
motive for those seeking to lift
the ban. In June Botswana’s
parliament unanimously
supported a motion to repeal
the ban. Tabling the motion,
Kostantinos Markus MP told
parliament that “Botswana
has approximately 237, 000

, I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

elephants as compared
with our carrying capacity
of 50,000, because there
is no hunting of elephants”
and that “the increased
expansion of the elephant
population in Botswana has
impoverished communities,

where crop damage and lack
of harvest due to elephants
is prevalent”.
The new report, which was
published on the Facebook
page of the Botswanan
government, made a list of
recommendations including
that the hunting ban is lifted
and that the government
should “develop a legal
framework that will create

an enabling environment for
growth of a safari hunting
industry”. The ministers
recommended “regular
but limited elephant
culling and establishment
of elephant meat canning,
including production of pet
food and processing into
other by products”.
Botswana’s neighbours,
Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe
and South Africa, all have
thriving hunting industries
attracting visitors from
around the world. Elephant
hunting costs from $30,000

to $50,000 (£22,900 to
£38,170) for a 10-day hunt.
Matt Cross

Namibia’s hunting industry is thriving and plays a vital role in conservation


Email your stories /

Shooting ends on NRW land

Weekend Twitter poll
Which is the best terrier for ratting?
54% Jack Russell
31% Patterdale
9% Plummer
6% Sealyham
follow us @shootingtimes

Respondents: 212

To do this week
The move to ban pheasant shooting on NRW-managed land was criticised for its lack of clear rationale

Thebanonpheasantshooting
on land managed by Natural
Resources Wales (NRW) has
come into force. The existing
leases expired on 1 March
and will not be renewed.

The decision to end
shooting and rearing of game
birds on land managed by

NRW was taken by former
Welsh environment minister
Hannah Blythyn and went
against advice from an expert
report.Themovewasopposed
by fieldsports organisations
and drew criticism for its
damaging effects and lack
of clear rationale.

Ms Blythyn, who has
now been demoted to
deputy minister for housing,
subsequently tried to
distance herself from the
decision, claiming that she
had merely expressed
a view and NRW was not
required to act on it.

Scots salmon rivers classified
The classifications of
Scotland’s 173 salmon
rivers for 2019 have been
announced.Theclassification
determines whether

mandatorycatch-and-release
will be enforced on a river.
Scotland’s four largest
salmonrivers—theDee,Spey,
TweedandTay—haveallbeen
givencategoryonestatus,
meaning that the current level

ofcatchissustainableandthat
thesmallnumberofanglers
killingfishonthoseriverswill
beabletocontinuetodoso.
Theclassificationsystem
hasbeencriticisedinthepast
forthetendencyofriversto
movebetweengradings for
noclearreason.
DuncanFergusonof
theScottishGamekeepers
Association Fishing Group,

commented:“Morethought
iscertainlygoingintoitnow
thanattheoutsetbutthere
isstillanissueoverusing
rodcatchasanindicator
ofconservationhealth.
Ifriversarenotgettingthe
fishnumbersthenthatcan
discouragefutureanglers.

Thatwillaffecttherodcatch
figuresagain,whichmakes
a mockery of the equation.”

With the trout season

F I S H now open on many

English, Welsh and Northern Irish
rivers, and opening on 15 March in
Scotland, stiller, warmer days will offer
opportunities to find a fish.
Nymph fishing is often the most
successful method early in the season.
Classics like the Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear
and Pheasant Tail Nymph will produce
resultsbutanglersofamoremodernbent
oftenlooktosuper-heavyCzechnymphs
cast upstream and trundled down the
stream bed to tempt early trout.
With

G O Q U A C K E R S spring
finallyarrivingitisalmostducklingtime.
Ducklingswon’teatforthefirst24to48
hours,butafterthatchickcrumbsmake
agreatfeed.Ducklingsshouldbefed
adlibsokeepfeederstoppedup.
Chooseyourcrumbwithcare.Some
chickcrumbsaremedicatedwithdrugs

thathelptopreventcoccidiosis.These
areunsuitableforducklings,soavoidany
crumblabelledas“medicated”,“contains
ACS”or“containscoccidiostats”.Check
withyourfeedmerchantifyouareunsure.
DownloadtheGWCTguidetobuilding
a feeder at po.st/ducklingfeeder.

Scotland’s “big four” — the rivers Dee, Spey, Tweed and Tay — have been given category one status

I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D; -


NEWS
The 2019-2020 season
for mountain hares will
open on 1 August

EVENTS DIARY
16 -1 7 M A R C H
WEST OF ENGLAND
GAME FAIR
Royal Bath & West
Showground,
Shepton Mallet,
Somerset
www.westofengland
gamefair.co.uk
23-24 MARCH
DEERSTALKING FAIR

Border Union
Showground,
Kelso,
www.deerstalking
fair.co.uk
29 MARCH
GAME SCOTLAND
2019 CONFERENCE
Perth Racecourse,
Perth
po.st/Game
Scotland2019
30 MARCH
RANGE DAY —
BARONSCOURT
ESTATE
Cashty Quarry,
Newtownstewart
Tel 02892 605050 or
email
po.st/BASCrangeday
16 APRIL

B. PHIPPS / ALAMY / J. MILLAR

YOUNG SHOTS
ACTIVITY DAY
Penrhiwpal
Shooting Club,
Rhydlewis,Llandysul

Tel 01244 573029
or email sian.mean@
basc.org.uk
po.st/BASCYoungShots

Hare season mired
in controversy
Characterised by disputes over the animal’s decline, an
eventful mountain hare season has come to an end
Scotland’s most controversial
mountain hare hunting season
to date, which has been marked
by disputes over the role of grouse
moor management and forestry
in driving declines in mountain
hare populations, has closed.
In March 2018, a series of
covertly filmed videos were
released showing mountain hare
culling operations on moorland in
the Highlands. Despite the videos
showing fewer than 10 hares being
shot, they were met with a strong

response from Scottish politicians.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon
commented that “large-scale
culling of mountain hares could put
the conservation status at risk and
that is clearly unacceptable”.

The next major development
came on the first day of the grouse
seasonwhenapaperwaspublished
claiming that mountain hare
populations on moorland in the
eastern Highlands have declined
by 99 per cent since the 1950s. The
blame was put on grouse moors

commissioned by Scottish Natural
Heritage (SNH). A closer look at
thepaperrevealed,amongother
problems,seriousdoubtsabout the
methods used to count the hares.
InNovember,afreedomof
informationreleasefromSNH
obtainedby ShootingTimes gave
detailsofalltheout-of-season
licencesgrantedtocullmountain
haresinScotland.Therelease
showedthatnoout-of-season
licencesweregrantedtocullhares
ongrousemoors.Italsoshowedthat

“One woodland had culled nearly
1,000 hares out of season”

Nicola Sturgeon condemned the
hare culls as “unacceptable”

. I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

culling hares to prevent the spread
of louping-ill virus from hares to
grouse. Journalists were notified
of some of the paper’s contents in
advance by an RSPB press release.
This meant that stories were
carried in the national media before
shooting organisations were able
to read the paper and respond.
Thepaper’sconclusionswere
contradictedbyothersources
ofevidence,includingtheGWCT’s
Gamebag Census and a report

woodlandplantingschemeshad
madeextensiveuseofthelicences.
One,theAuchtertipperNewNative
Woodland,hadcullednearly1,000
haresoutofseason.Thewoodland,
whichhadwonanawardsponsored
bytheWoodlandTrust,wasplanted
onaformergrousemoornear
CarrbridgeintheHighlands.
The 2019-20 season for
mountain hares will open
on 1 August.
Matt Cross

Email your stories /

Alliance slams Cheshire PCC’s
“wasteful” focus on hunting
TheCountrysideAlliancehas
hitoutatthePoliceandCrime
Commissioner (PCC)for
Cheshireoverwhatitcalled
a“wasteful”focusonhunting.
PCCDavidKeane,who
narrowlyavoidedavoteof
noconfidenceinDecember,
calledapublicmeetingto
questiontheChiefConstable
overhispolicingofhunting.
In2017,huntingincidents
madeupjust0.06percent
ofthe273,000incidents
reportedtoCheshirePolice.
Despitethis,MrKeanechose
tocommissionareportto
adviseonhowhunting could
bepolicedbetter.
TimBonnerofthe
CountrysideAlliancesaid:
“TheCheshirehuntsoperate
entirelylegallyandhavealways
co-operatedwiththepolice.”
Meanwhile,BASChas

announcedthatitismaking
a complaint to the PCC for

NorthWalesovertweets
bytheNorthWalesrural
crimeteam.Theofficers
haveretweetedanumber
of what have been seen as

anti-shootingnewsstories,
culminatingwiththeretweet
ofastorybasedonapress
releasefromtheLeague
Against Cruel Sports.

Amo was stolen
during last year’s
Midland Game Fair

Missing springer is
reunited with owner

Of 273,000 reported incidents, 0.06 per cent related to hunting

A Sussex breed fit for royalty?
The Sussex Spaniel
Association has denied
reports in the Daily Mail that it
urged the Duke and Duchess
of Sussex, Prince Harry and

his wife Meghan Markle, to get
aSussexspaniel.
Theassociationwas
reportedtohaveencouraged
theroyalcoupletohelpsecure
thefutureofthebreed,of
whichonly34puppieswere
registeredin2018.
Butwhencontacted
by ShootingTimes, the
associationsaidthatwhileit
wouldbedelightediftheroyals
didchooseaSussexspaniel,it
hadnotapproachedthem and
hadnoplanstodoso.
Whilehehasn’t
encouragedtheroyals
togetaSussexspaniel,
enthusiastIanSmithis
keentoencouragegundog
handlerstoconsiderthe
breed. “They are very

NEWS IN BRIEF

Amo,thespringerspanielstolenduring
lastyear’sMidlandGameFair(News,
26September),hasbeenreunitedwith
herowner.Thestolenspringerbitchwas
foundwanderinginBedfordshire

171daysaftershewasstolen.
Amo’sownerBibbyCurtissaid:“Amo
willbetuckedupinmyarmsallevening
andIamsocontent,happyandbeyond
overwhelmedtohaveherhome.Words
cannot describe how I feel right now.”

Firearms licensing
consultation

Bred for beating: the Sussex spaniel is the perfect flushing dog

methodicaldogsandvery
rarelymissabird,”saidMr
Smith,whohasfourSussex
spaniels.Hedescribedthem
as“slowerthanacocker
or springer but also much

steadier”.Whiletheyarenot
naturalretrievers,hesaysas
flushingdogstheyareperfect.
“Theywerebredforbeating
andtheyaretheideal dog
for it,” he added.

The Government has announced
that a public consultation on plans to
introduce statutory firearms licensing
guidance will begin by July this year.

It will include measures to resolve
the crisis affecting the firearms
licensing medical procedure.
Home Office ministers had given
repeated assurances that the problems
with the medical procedures will be
addressed as part of moves to place
the existing advisory guidance on
a statutory footing. However, until
the debate no timetable for this
had been confirmed.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
@SHOOTINGTIMESUK

I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D; /


PRODUCTS

Visit us online / shootinguk.co.uk

From the gun shop
Our weekly round-up of the best and latest must-have kit on the shelf
1

Chevalier Navste WS coat
£239
w.chevalier.se
atfortheactivefieldsportsenthusiast.

silenttechnicalgarmenthas
fortablecuffswiththumbholes,aswell
nderarmventilationthatregulatesyour
perature.Itisgreat for stalking through
wet woodlands.

2

Härkila Alta rucksack in Melton wool
£209.99
w.harkila.com
mandnoiselessrucksackmadefor
otingwhereaminimumofstorageis
uired.Ithasadjustablecompression
pstokeepitcomfortablycloseto
body.Thereisalsoadetachable
gun holster and two game carriers.
3 Ledlenser P7 LED torch

3

RRP £65.95
www.ledlenser-store.co.uk
TheLedlenserP7isbrighterthanthe
previousmodelandboastsanumberof
newfeatures.Alargerswitchensuresbetter
gripandeasieroperationwhenwearing
gloves,whilethedynamicswitchenables
simplelight-outputselectionandthus
the tailoring of light to suit your needs.

y quilted gilet

letisinspiredbythose
elifeinthecountryside
-qualitydesignthatis
forthefieldyetsmart
otown.Thismen’sgilet
edeacrosstheshoulders
zippedhandpockets
e-front zip.

4

e scope cover
5

'& I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

o.uk
opecoverisdesigned
rmaximumprotection
atchesandmoisture.
sefulpieceofkitwhen
atherconditionsasit
rreachingtheopticlens.
ost guns and comes in


AN EXTREMELY RARE 12-BORE
SIDE-OPENING ROUND-ACTION

EJECTOR GUN BY J. DICKSON
& SON, NO. 4178
Sold for £57,500

A FINE FLINTLOCK SEVENBARRELLED GOOSE RIFLE,
BY HENRY NOCK, LONDON,
LATE 18TH CENTURY
Sold for £22,500

Antique Arms, Armour
and Modern Sporting Guns
Montpelier Street, London | 22 and 23 May 2019

ENTRIES NOW INVITED
Closing date 10 April

Prices shown include buyer’s premium. Details can be found at bonhams.com

ENQUIRIES
Antique Arms & Armour
+44 (0) 20 7393 3807


Modern Sporting Guns
+44 (0) 20 7393 3815

bonhams.com


LETTERS

LET TER OF THE WEEK
ISSN: 0037-4164
Shooting Times, TI Media Ltd,
Pinehurst 2, Farnborough Business Park,
Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 7BF.

For editorial enquiries:

01252 555220
For picture enquiries:

Subscription hotline:
0330 333 1113

Editor Patrick Galbraith
Deputy editor Ed Wills

Brand assistant Sarah Pratley
01252 555220
Group art director Dean Usher
Art editor Rob Farmer
Picture editor Max Tremlett
Chief sub-editor Sarah Potts

Deputy chief sub-editor Nicola Jane Swinney

News editor/Digital editor Charlotte Peters

www.shootinguk.co.uk
Group shooting editor Jonathan Young

Managing director Steve Prentice
Group managing director Andrea Davies
Classified advertising
Felicity Bateman 01252 555205

Display advertising
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Charlene Homewood 07815 712678

Laurence Pierce 07971 605143

Group advertisement manager
Stuart Duncan

Advertisement production
Tony Freeman

Innovator (for loose and bound-in inserts)
020 3148 3710
Can’t find ST? 020 3148 3300
Back issues 01795 662976


Shooting Times is the official weekly journal
of BASC and the CPSA
BASC Marford Mill, Rossett LL12 0HL
Tel 01244 573000
CPSA PO Box 750, Woking, GU24 0YU
Tel 01483 485400

Wereservetherighttoeditletters.Nolettershouldexceed250
words.Letterswillnotbeusedunlesstheauthorisprepared
tohavetheirnameandcountyofresidencepublished.
Lettersshouldbeaddressedto:TheEditor,Pinehurst2,
FarnboroughBusinessPark,Hants,GU147BF,oremail
STletters@ti media.com.Pleaseincludeadaytimetelephone
number and postal address.

This week’s cover image was
captured by Daniel Gould

D[l[h jee ebZ \eh j^_i X[Wkj_\kb ifehj
I was recently in John Radcliffe
Hospital in Oxford, waiting
to see my son after his eye
operation, when I was politely
interrupted while reading
Shooting Times by a gentleman
being pushed in a wheelchair
by his daughter. He started
a conversation with me
because he had noted
my reading material.
He was a fellow shooter.
His daughter told me that he
had shot all his life, and he had
picked-up on several estates in

the Oxford area until the onset
of Parkinson’s disease and

recent macular degeneration
meant he had to stop.
During the exchange of
shooting experiences over the
next 20 minutes, it became
clear to me that here was
a man passionate about
country pursuits. Now in his
later years and in a wheelchair,
with all his difficulties, he still
found energy and time to brace
pheasants and partridges
every other week at a local

shoot. His daughter took time
to travel across country to take
him to join in with our beautiful
sport, experiences and jovial
chat, helped along by a glass
of warming sloe gin.
Thank you Shooting Times
for this brief meeting. It gives
me pride in the camaraderie of
the game-shooting syndicates
and it is clear that no one is too
old to be involved. It is not only
a sport, it is a way of life. Long
may it continue.
T. Dowson, North Yorkshire

IN ASSOCIATION WITH AIGLE
The winner of Letter of the Week will receive a pair of Aigle’s
Parcours 2 Vario wellington boots. Keeping your feet
comfortable, these boots will be the perfect
addition to your country attire. For more
information, visit www.aigle.com.

AN AERIAL BALLET
Hind stalking with my son George
a few weeks ago on the west coast
of Scotland, we watched a golden
eagle — with its huge ungainly
wingspan — chase a woodcock
for two or three minutes, ending
up very close. The woodcock
dodged, the eagle did handbrake
turns, the woodcock gained
30 yards, then the massive
acceleration from huge wings
closed the distance until it jinked
again and the theatre repeated.
We could hear the wings beat
the air, see the eyes, huge beak
and count the talons as the eagle
stretched to reach the prey just
before the next swerve. The
woodcock was eventually
caught on the wing.
It was an extraordinary
experience. I wonder if others

have witnessed this deadly
aerial ballet?
R. C. Bruce, by email
Shooting Times columnist
Patrick Laurie, who lives in
Galloway, responds: I’ve seen
eagles eating almost everything
except woodcock and I’ve seen
woodcock being eaten by almost
everything except eagles.

'( I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

POLICE NOT
ALWAYS ON SIDE
I disagree with Mr. I. Barnett
(Letters, 27 February); the
police are not always on the
side of law-abiding shooters and
clear examples of this should be
publicised. I was once a victim
of disgraceful behaviour by the
Bedfordshire police. Though it
was 50 years ago, I have never
been able to forget nor forgive it.
In 1965, the Boundary
Commission ruled that the town
where I lived, Linslade, should be
moved from Buckinghamshire
into Bedfordshire. As a result,

Linslade’s (Buckinghamshire)
police station closed and my
firearms certificate (FAC) had
to go in for a “change of address”,
though only the county changed.
The house and road remained the
same, as did the guns involved.
But there was a problem.
Buckinghamshire Police told
me that, under the rules of
Bedfordshire Chief Constable
Henry Pratt, all .22 target
shooters had to buy their
ammunition at the range and
leave unused ammunition there.
So my right to buy and keep
ammunition for my .22 target

pistol would be withdrawn.
They said this was because .22
ammunition had found its way
to a poacher in Bedfordshire.
I protested that the range
where I used that pistol was
still in Buckinghamshire and,
as Buckinghamshire shooters
brought their own ammunition,
there was none available on
the range. I also said that the
police should prosecute those

who had broken the law and
not make problems for lawabiding shooters.
Despite my protest, my
FAC came back with my right to
buy and keep .22 ammunition
removed. This prevented me
from using my pistol. My new
(Bedfordshire) police station
was in Leighton Buzzard, which
is adjacent to Linslade. Their
local officers could see how
mean-spirited it all was. One
officer phoned Bedfordshire
Firearms Department on my
behalf, only to have my complaint
dismissed with contempt.
Bedfordshire expected me
to accept this abuse of power.
Instead, I contacted the National
Rifle Association UK for advice.
It had already heard of Pratt’s
hostile behaviour and told me


Email your letters /
that his was the only police force
in Britain implementing such
a rule. It advised me to write
to Chief Constable Pratt and
threaten to take the matter

to the Quarter Sessions.
Only when I did this did
Bedfordshire restore my right
to buy and hold .22 ammunition,
though with poor grace, quite
unnecessarily cutting my
ammunition allowance for
another gun, which put me
to yet more trouble.
There are many honourable
policemen in Britain. My .22 pistol
is now in the custody of one such,
living now on the other side of
the world. But this makes it all
the more important to expose
officers such as Chief Constable
Pratt. I hope this letter achieves
that. Parliament did not entrust
the task of firearms licensing
to the police for the necessary
powers to be misused like this.
P. Pepper, Surrey

LACK OF CHOICE
Like J. Knott (Letters, 2 January)
I decided to convert from plastic
to paper, but to my surprise my
bog-standard choice — 70mm
30g No.5/6 — was not available.
Hull does one at 65mm, 30g,

Eley 67mm, 30g and Gamebore
65mm, 30g. In the end I chose Eley
as they were the fastest at 1,425.
Manufacturers seem
to think that the only demand is
from those Shots with very old
guns. Perhaps the Countryside
Alliance, BASC, National
Gamekeepers’ Organisation and
others could start a campaign
with your support?
I. Haddon, by email

GETTING IT RIGHT
Regarding your article
introducing newcomers to
shooting (Starting with a bang,
27 February), I wondered why
you used such poor pictures. In
the first picture the newcomer
is wearing no eye protection, the
instructor has cartridges in one

NEXT WEEK IN

FINDING
EVIDENCE
In responding to my
letter of 23 January,
Matt Cross says

there are legitimate
questions to be asked
about salmon farming
and hopes Shooting
Times will continue
to ask them. That is
fine but might be best
asked over a cup of coffee with
someone like Gilpin Bradley,
who I am sure would be
happier to have someone talk
to him face to face rather than
sit back and speculate.
I would also hope that any
search for “evidence” would
not be done in the manner of
trespass and covert filming
as was done in the first article
I saw bearing Mr Cross’s
name, given that these are
rightly condemned when
done by the RSPB or RSPCA.
Using a canoe seriously
breached the biosecurity
of the cage site.
J. G. Spence, by email

Matt Cross responds: While
a cup of tea with Mr Bradley
might well be enjoyable and

informative, it would not be an
effective way of discharging
my responsibility as a
journalist to inform the public.
Mr Bradley would have been
welcome to respond to any
of the points raised and I am
confident that, had he done

hand — does he have control of
the gun? — and there is no hearing
protection either.
The pupil has his eyes nearly
closed; he should keep both
eyes open. He has poor stance
and is leaning back; that’s going
to hurt. I am all for encouraging
newcomers to shooting but
please do it correctly.
M. Hardy, BASC instructor,
by email

SIZE MATTERS
Is smaller better? In praise
of shooting with lighter
cartridges.

Matt Cross’s piece in the
2 January issue was the
subject of the original criticism

so, Shooting Times would
have published his response.
I reject the suggestion that
the article contained any
speculation; it was robustly
based on information
provided by the salmon
producers themselves.
I think in some cases
entering land without
the owner’s permission
and conducting filming
is perfectly justifiable in
the public interest and as
long as no person is being
covertly filmed, I have no
objection to it. Trespass is
a civil matter in Scotland and
salmon producers may seek
injunctions to prevent it if they
wish. All of the equipment
used by the campaigners
I met is disinfected according
to industry-standard
protocols,withtheappropriate
disinfectant to prevent any
biosecurity breach.
The Editor responds: The article
is about novices getting into

shooting. The reality is that when
people first try something they
tend not to look like experts and
nor should they feel like they
ought to. Safety is paramount in
our sport and good technique is
a vital part of shooting well, but
friendliness and positivity are the
key to bringing people into the
fold and shoring up our future.

‘‘The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please.
We have it in trust. We must account for it to those who
come after.’’ King George VI

ACCESS ALL AREAS
How easy is it for disabled
people to participate
in fieldsports?

THE LONG ARM
Pigeon shooting and the
law; everything you need
to know to avoid trouble.

LOVE ME TENDER
RosePrince’srecipe
formakingthemostof
red-leggedpartridgesby
cooking them in parchment.

...AND MUCH MORE!

I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D; ')


Pigeon shooting

Fun afoot in a
roosting wood
Farrier by day, pigeon shooter by night,
Ashley Holmes takes our intrepid reporter
Richard Negus deep into the Suffolk forest

TAYLORMADE PHOTOGRAPHY

I

have known Ashley Holmes for
persuasion. Sadly, a weekend outing
more than 15 years and I am sad
was not on the cards for me, so I found
to say I think the poor man may
myself in Ashley’s company towards
have gone mad. The signs are
the middle of the month.
clear. First, he gladly does a job that
Before we went shooting Ashley
requires him to clutch red-hot pieces
had to shoe a very smart hunter for

of metal while standing near the bits
a client, thankfully one who is a prompt
of horses that your mother told you to
payer. The grey mare, Gertie, stood
avoid. Secondly, if he survives getting
patiently as the farrier went about his
kicked by his four-legged clients, some
craft. Shoes now expertly fitted and
of his two-legged customers believe
the horse back in her box, ready for
that invoices need only be paid with
a day out with the Suffolk Hunt in a few
the regularity of a blue moon. Finally,
days’ time, our thoughts turned from
and I think this may be conclusive, he
equine to avian.
claims to be “glad the game season is
over” so that he can get back to some
Very good roost
“proper sport — pigeon shooting”.
Our destination was a wood of
My amateur identification
about six acres described by Ashley
of Ashley’s condition came
as “a very good roost”. The
about after I phoned the
pair of us, plus Ashley’s
34-year-old Suffolkcocker Olive, pulled
based farrier in late
up in my Land Rover.

January. It was the
We were joined by
usual post-season
Richard Miller,
conversation:
a gardener and
high birds,
another selfpredators,
confessed pigeon
woodcock
obsessive — I now
numbers and all
feared the madness
the other nonsense
may be contagious.
that we shooting
From the back of
people find hugely
Richard’s vehicle leapt
Ashley Holmes shoes
important. It was at the
his enthusiastic sprocker
Gertie, ready for hunting
end of our chat when
Ellie, and he pulled out
he dropped the pigeon
a bag of lofting poles and
bombshell. I was shocked.
decoys. We walked along the ride, past
Ashley is a member of a rather

some woodland being coppiced and
smart driven syndicate situated in
arrived at our planned ambush site.
Suffolk’s only hilly bit. I assumed
Ashley explained why they, and
that he was firmly in the tweed
the pigeons, favoured this spot.
camp and had shunned the world of
There were a large number of Scots
hides, decoys and camo. So before
pine amid the leafless hardwoods,
letting him end the call, I secured
offering warmth, wind protection and
an invitation to join him out roost
security to roosting pigeons. A mass
shooting to confirm my diagnosis.
of brambles in the wood bottom not
The first Saturday in February is
only aided our camouflage but also
to pigeon shooters what the Glorious
provide an autumnal food source
Twelfth is to those of the grouse
of blackberries for the pigeons.
'* I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

With all the decoys in the trees
Ashley and Olive wait patiently
for pigeons to flight in to roost

Pigeon shooting
Ashley and Richard
Miller set up the
roosting decoys while
Richard Negus looks on

Looking out of the wood into
the valley beyond, Richard showed
me the devastation the woodies
had wreaked upon a nearby field of
oilseed rape. The crop appeared as if
it had been grazed by sheep, so neatly
had the grey pests stripped it. Richard
then pointed out the flightlines that
the pigeons used to come into this
wood, their crops stuffed with rape
seed. As a strong wind picked up, the

from a swaying branch is a different
matter. This explained why the end
of his lofting pole boasted a funnel
made from half a tonic water bottle.
This simple addition ensures your
evening’s sport doesn’t end in
*+c_dkj[ie\Ybkciofeb[mWl_d]
as you vaguely poke at a plastic bird.
Decoys in position, Richard
placed himself in the middle of the
ride. Ashley and I went closer to

“There were a large number of Scots pine
amid the leafless hardwoods, offering
warmth and security to roosting pigeons”
pair fitted the loft poles together with
confidence. I looked on, still as yet
convinced about their sanity.
Two trees were chosen to hang
the full-body decoys in. One on the
outermost edge of the wood would
act as a magnet. The other, about 30m
further along the ride, would draw
the birds in past our guns. Experience
had taught Richard that while lifting
a decoy into a tree in the light is an
easy task, retrieval in near dark

the woodland edge. Steve Taylor,
the brilliant photographer who
accompanies me on all of my
Shooting Times escapades, had
kindly loaned me his cocker bitch,
Pip, for the evening.
As I rested my back against
a beech tree to help hide my
silhouette, Ashley pointed to the pines
at my rear, liberally splattered with
pigeon guano. To my right I could see
groups of pigeons flying at speed

The lofting decoys

with a plastic bottle to
make them easier to
retrieve in the dark

I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D; '+


Pigeon shooting
Sprocker Ellie makes
a smart retrieve

in the direction of a wood on the other
i_Z[ e\ j^[ lWbb[o$ 7 i^ej Xhea[ j^[
i_b[dY[ \hec co b[\j1 H_Y^WhZ mWi _d
WYj_ed$ 7dej^[h i^ej hWd] ekj$ J^[
“peep peep” of his whistle indicated
j^Wj ;bb_[ ^WZ X[[d i[dj ekj ed
W h[jh_[l[$ ? ijWhj[Z je medZ[h _\ ? ^WZ
X[[d iec[m^Wj fh[ikcfj_l[ _d co
Yedi_]d_d] j^[i[ f_][ed \WdWj_Yi je
8[ZbWc$ J^_i mWi ][jj_d] [nY_j_d]$

Fleeting glimpses

Ij[l[ f_Ya[Z ^_i mWo j^hek]^ j^[
kdZ[h]hemj^ jemWhZi ki$ F_f mWi
Z[b_]^j[Z je i[[ ^_c$ 7i Ij[l[ hW_i[Z
^_i YWc[hW W ƒWi^ e\ ]h[o YWk]^j co
[o[ _d j^[ dem hWf_Zbo Z[iY[dZ_d]
]beec$ ?j mWi W f_][ed"W]beh_eki

ieb_jWho f_][ed$
?j ƒ[m b_a[ W heYa[j X[jm[[d
j^[ jh[[i" `_da_d] WmWo Wj j^[ i_]^j
e\ Ij[l[¿i ekjb_d[$ ? W_c[Z WdZ »
^Wbb[bk`W^ » co Əhij XWhh[b jkcXb[Z _j
_dje j^[ Xh_Whi$ F_f d[[Z[Z de i[YedZ
X_ZZ_d] WdZ XekdZ[Z ekj je h[jh_[l[
co X_hZ" _]deh[Z c[ WdZ fhekZbo
]Wl[ _j je ^[h h[Wb Xeii$ ? Y^Wbb[d][
Wdo ]kdZe] ^WdZb[h" ^em[l[h [nf[hj"
je WYY[fj W h[jh_[l[ m^_b[ Wj j^[ iWc[
j_c[ Whj_ij_YWbbo f^eje]hWf^_d]j^[
m^eb[ fheY[ii$
:Whad[ii \[bb WdZ m[ h[bkYjWdjbo
W]h[[Z je i[[ _\ j^Wj fbWij_Y \kdd[b
meha[Z$ JWa_d] Zemd j^[ Z[Yeoi"
we went over what we had done
There followed 90
minutes of utter
inactivity as the
pigeons shunned
the roost wood

Co d[Ya WY^[Z \hec ijWh_d] kf _dje
j^[ YWdefo" [o[i mWj[h_d] Wi ? if_[Z
ƒ[[j_d] ]b_cfi[i e\ X_hZi Wi j^[o ƒ[m
Whhem#ijhW_]^j \Wh WXel[ j^[ jh[[i"
i^kdd_d] j^_i ¼l[ho ]eeZ heeij½$
7i^b[o ijW][#m^_if[h[Z0 ¼H_Y^"
beea je oekh h_]^j$½ 9ec_d] _d

“Pip doubtless
wondered why she
had to sit with a
chap who couldn’t
shoot straight”
YedƏZ[djbo je ekh Z[Yeoi" W bed[
f_][ed ƒWh[Z _ji m_d]i Wj j^[ bWij
cec[dj Wi _j h[Wb_i[Z _ji d[m#\ekdZ
\h_[dZi m[h[ \Wa[$ ? hW_i[Z co ]kd »
idWf i^eej_d] _i ed[ e\ j^[ \[m j^_d]i
? fhe\[ii je X[ Yecf[j[dj Wj » WdZ
c_ii[Z m_j^ Xej^ XWhh[bi$ Co \W_bkh[
mWi j^[ ^WhX_d][h e\ W f[h_eZ e\
WhekdZ /& c_dkj[i e\ _dWYj_l_jo$
J^[ meeZ \W_b[Z je b_l[ kf je
[nf[YjWj_ed$ M^o mekbZ j^_i ckY^#
ki[Z heeij X[Yec[ W ]^eij jemd5
H_Y^WhZ i^hk]][Z$ ? beea[Z Zemd Wj
F_f$ I^[ ZekXjb[ii medZ[h[Z m^o i^[
^WZ je i_j m_j^ W Y^Wf m^eYekbZd¿j
even shoot straight.
M[ f[hi[l[h[Z" beea_d] iaomWhZ
ceh[_d^ef[j^Wd[nf[YjWj_ed$
', I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

mhed]$ fh[fWh[ je \W_b ]e[i j^[ iWo_d]" o[j
7i^b[o WdZ H_Y^WhZ m[h[ ceh[
fh[fWh[Z j^Wd oekh ceij WhZ[dj Xeo

iYekj$ J^[ i_cfb[ Wdim[h_im[Z_Z
nothing wrong.

Wily and wild
F_][edi Wh[ m_bo WdZ m_bZ" WdZ
? kh][ oek je jh[Wj Wdoed[ m^e iWoi
j^[o Wh[ [Wio m_j^ Yedj[cfj$ M[
l[djkh[Z _dje j^[_h j[hh_jeho WdZ
m[ beij$ J^_i b[\j c[ _d W gkWdZWho
Wi m[ fWYa[Z WmWo ekh c[W]h[ XW]
e\ Əl[ X_hZi$ MWi 7i^b[o cWZZ[h
j^Wd W Cec[djkc hWbbo5 MWi f_][ed
i^eej_d] jhkbo X[jj[hj^WdWZh_l[d
f^[WiWdj ZWo5
? Wc Z[b_]^j[Z je h[fehj" kfed
h[ƒ[Yj_ed" j^Wj co ebZ \h_[dZ _i
j^ehek]^bo iWd[$ J^_i mWi jhk[ ifehj"
dej^_d] cWdk\WYjkh[Z" dej^_d]
]kWhWdj[[Z"WdZWbbj^[X[jj[h\eh_j$



Ratting

“It turns full-grown
men into little kids”
With a bobbery pack and a chainsaw for smoking out, a determined
bunch, including Patrick Galbraith, set out for a good day’s ratting

A. SCOTT

I

t was about 4am with rain falling
hard from the London sky and
people spilling out of nightclubs
on to the greasy streets. As I sat
waiting for the red signal to change,
I noticed a man slumped against the
traffic lights. Then movement at his
feet caught my eye, a dark object
leaving a wake in the oily puddles. Its
thick pink tail was the last I saw of it as

it slipped through a grate and slunk off
into the sewers.
“What you all the way down here
for?” enquired the checkout attendant
at the petrol station, three hours later,
in a thick Herefordshire accent. “I’m
ratting with those guys,” I replied,
gesturing to the forecourt where
a group of men in West Midlands Rat
Pack sweatshirts were waiting for me.
“It’s big round these
parts,” she said.
“When I was a little
girl I used to be out
most Saturdays.”
Reassured that

I was in some sort
of ratting Mecca,
I jumped into the car
and followed the boys to
the first farm. Herefordshire
is famed for its bucolic
beauty — dark red cattle
graze verdant slopes, the
Wye is full of plump sea
trout and the area is dotted
with pretty village pubs.
This, though, was
Herefordshire beyond
the Countryfile conception.
A dead rat lay in the corner

on hand; and Steve Hall had a sweet
15-week-old Patterdale bitch called
Tarn. Adrian Ward’s Plummer terrier
mWi d[l[h \Wh \hec j^[ \hWo WdZ D[bb"
a smoothcoated Patterdale, was
a fiery little savage.
As soon as the boxes were opened,
the dogs leapt out and started
marking on a pockmarked sandy
bank outside a shed. The modus
operandi is to remove the bar of
a chainsaw, stick a pipe over the
exhaust and channel the fumes
into the ground to smoke the rats

out into the jaws of waiting dogs.

Hierarchy
The first site looked perfect but,
despite Steve’s best efforts, the rats
refused to bolt. There is an interesting
hierarchy among ratting dogs — the
terriers tend to do all the digging
then one of the lurchers, poised like
a spring on the edge of the action,
catches the rats when they try to
escape from the melee unseen.
In this case the lurchers decided
that the best place to be was inside the
barn and we’d all got it wrong. Bowing
to their superiority, we followed them
and rooted around in an attempt to

“The lurchers decided that the
best place to be was inside the
barn and we’d all got it wrong”

Tarn, the young Patterdale;
the rat pack let the puppies get
involved as early as possible

'. I>EEJ?D=J?C;I9EKDJHOC7=7P?D;

of the barn, a collie threatened
to bite me and the wind

whipped up under my collar,
blowing the rain down my neck.
The West Midlands Rat
Pack was founded around
three years ago and is made
up of an impressive array of
plucky little dogs. To mention
just a few, three Sealyhams
were in attendance with Will
Johnson; a Bedlington was

flush the enemy. The enthusiasm of
the busy pack suggested we were in
the right place but as the minutes
passed, human optimism dwindled.
Then, from outside the shed,
a cry went up: “They’re out here
just walking round.” Sensing the
excitement, the dogs tore out into
the rain, lurchers at the front and
Sealyhams at the back, but we were
too late. The rats had given us the slip
and were making off for Wales.


From there we moved on to
a knotted, rooty bank, which proved to
be a struggle. Then we dismissed a ratinfested pile of asbestos on health and
safety grounds — the dogs’, not ours.
At this point, the mood was at

a low ebb. “I gave up my gun on
the syndicate I was on this year,”
mourned Peter Herbert. “When
ratting’s good it turns grown men
into little kids.”
“I’m sure things’ll pick up,”
I replied in the way we do when we
have absolutely no idea how things
are going to go. A short drive away
there was rumoured to be a hedgerow
and some maize that were both
teeming with rats but it was agreed

Spades and
forks can be
more useful
than the
smoker as Sam
Lynch (left) and
Steve Hall get
stuck in

Will Johnson’s
young
Sealyham,
Bonny


Ratting

Once the first sod is removed, the dogs mark
which direction of the tube to follow

Terriers Pippa (left)
and Nell make sure
the rat is dead

we should finish our rounds at the
farm and leave the best until last.
¼? im[Wh ? iWm W ^k][ ed["½
? el[h^[WhZ iec[ed[ iWo _d W M[bi^
WYY[dj$ HekdZ_d] W Yehd[h" ? iWm M_bb
@e^died" I[Wbo^Wci _d \hedj e\ ^_c"

IkZZ[dbo" W bWh][ hWj Xhea[ \hec j^[
XWda WdZ ifbWi^[Z _dje j^[ mWj[h$ Hee"
W bkhY^[h m_j^ Wd Wfj_jkZ[ \eh `kcf_d]"
cleared the stream in an instant and
Y^eff[Z j^[ heZ[dj Wi _j iYhWXXb[Zkf
j^[ \Wh XWda$ 7 Y^[[h m[dj kf$

“The rat packs are using the likes of
Sealyhams and Bedlington terriers
for their intended purpose”
ijWh_d] bed]_d]bo Wj W ^[Wf e\ Yem
Zkd]$ IWc BodY^ ifhWd]_djeWYj_ed
with the chainsaw.
M_j^_d (& i[YedZi jme bWh][ hWji
^WZ X[[d WYYekdj[Z \eh" ed[ e\ j^[c
Xo BkYWi j^[ I[Wbo^Wc" WdZ j^[ ^kdj

mWi ed \eh W j^_hZ$ ¼M^Wj Z_Z ? j[bb
oek"½ i^ekj[Z emd[h M_bb$ J^[d"
iWZbo" j[cf[hi ƒWh[Z$ D[bb Wjj[cfj[Z
je ckiYb[ _d ed B_bbo j^[ I[Wbo^Wc¿i
fWjY^ WdZ W iYhWf [dik[Z$ ?j mWi
decided we all needed to calm down
WdZ cel[ ed je j^[ bWij ifeje\j^[ZWo$

M[ f_Ya[Z ekh mWo j^hek]^ j^[
kdZ[h]hemj^ WdZ ijeff[Z m^[h[ j^[
^eb[i m[h[ cWdo$ J^[ i_]^j e\ Ze]i
j[Wh_d] kf j^[ ijh[Wc" X_j_d] WmWo
_d Wd Wjj[cfj je fbkYa j^[ YWddo
Yh[Wjkh[i \hec j^[ \Wij#ƒem_d] mWj[h"
mWi [dek]^ je cWa[ [l[d j^[ ceij
i[Wied[Z\en^kdj[h^ebbeW_dZ[b_]^j$

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iec[j^_d] _cfehjWdj1 j^[o Wh[ ki_d]

j^[ b_a[i e\ I[Wbo^Wci WdZ 8[Zb_d]jedi
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m^[h[ j^[ fkXb_Y" _d j^[_h _]dehWdY["
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ed j^ei[ iWX[h#jeej^[Z cedij[hi j^Wj
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beneath the streets.
You can watch videos of the West
Midlands Rat Pack in action on the
“Mr Johnson working terries” and
“Flying whippet” YouTube channels.

Billowing smoke
M_j^ j^[ [nY[fj_ed e\ W l[ho bWh][
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j^[ YWi[ _d ifehj_d] fkhik_ji" \ehjkd[
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mWo XWYa je j^[ YWhi" j^[ Ze]i ijWhj[Z
cWha_d] Wbed] W h_l[h XWda WdZ m[
Z[Y_Z[Z _j mWi mehj^ W Ykhieho fkdj$
IjWdZ_d] X[bem ki m_j^ ^_i \[[j _d
j^[ i^Wbbemi" 7Zh_Wd MWhZ i[j je meha
m_j^ j^[ Y^W_diWm WdZ icea[ ijWhj[Z

billowing out the holes among the
wild garlic.

L-R: Steve Hall, Will Johnson, Sam Lynch, Peter Herbert and Adrian Ward get ready to start ratting

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