JOTTINGS FOR WILDFOWLERS

The curlew has become a conservation icon, but it's clear that legislating against shooting them has done nothing to help numbers

Stalking Diary

There's comfort to be had in passed-down stories of a bygone age as uncertainty continues to grow over the future of our rural way of life

Upland keeper

The onset of spring brings with it new arrivals and a feast for the senses on the ground and in the air throughout the day and night

Country Diary

Our curlew need solutions today, not in the future, and focusing on what we can change instead of what we can't is the first step forwards

Virus carried by ticks confirmed in the UK

The UK Health Security Agency has announced a case of tick-borne encephalitis in England for the first time, worrying deerstalkers

Household damage due to grey squirrels is on the rise

New figures reveal just how much of a nuisance the exploding grey population is becoming, with one insurance claim costing £30,000

Anyone Fancy Coney Carbonara?

Cooking rabbit well can be a real challenge but with some expert advice our aspiring chef reckons he’s cracked it

How To Make Sure The Gunline Is In The Right Place

Liam Bell offers some guidance on how to make sure the gunline is in the right place

Wild greys need the ‘three-legged stool'

Successful reintroduction of our native partridge is complex and there are several things we can do to give it the best possible chance

Just another bloke on the Gun bus

George Browne crunches the numbers as he tries to build up a realistic pen portrait of the ‘ordinary shooting person’

Stalking Diary

There are some beasts that you simply cannot walk past and a redletter day on the hill with a former mentor ends with a perfect stalk

The ‘grey grouse' is a very fine pretender

Opportunities to take on the king of the gamebirds are few and far between, but the humble pigeon is a worthy stand-in for Blue Zulu

Find a fungi for that bunny

Rabbit, brown trout or venison pair beautifully with four of our tasty native mushrooms; John Wright simply has to pick the perfect wine

Terrierists at large

It would be almost unthinkable to go anywhere without the dogs but travelling with them is often a bit of a nightmare, says Petrel

Nippon out to bag a monster

The Ukrainian forests contain a subspecies of sika much bigger than our own — but they can be very hard to find, says Thomas Nissen

Scottish gamekeepers oppose ban on lead

The SGA remains unconvinced by the evidence when it comes to how humane and safe non-toxic loads are for wildlife management

Bring back the pack

David Tomlinson recalls an era when a number of notable English landowners favoured shooting over a team of Clumber spaniels

Gamekeeper

The return of shooting after lockdown has been rather patchy, but it will be a boost for thousands of keepers, beaters and shoot helpers

The heyday of the Home Shootings

David S D Jones charts the rise and fall of one of Scotland’s most famous private sporting estates

Flightline theory

Why wait for pigeons to return to favoured feeding areas when you can find them on everyday flightlines? It’s worth a try — but planning and recon are vital

It's not all high birds and rolling redlegs...

Richard Negus seeks the advice of a brace of renowned partridge Shots before taking on the challenging Alectoris rufa of East Anglia

It's light work on the foxes

Simon Garnham breaks out the rifle and goes in search of Reynard when he discovers a telltale pile of pheasant feathers

Barking up the right tree

Hunting black grouse and capercaillie with a pointing dog in Sweden is both noisy and nerve-racking, as Thomas Nissen discovers

Savouring late summer

With the pheasant poults safely fed and watered, it’s time to enjoy the beauty and bounty of our glorious natural world

Better late than never

It takes years to train a gundog but seconds to ruin one, so use the weeks before your first day to iron out any issues, urges Ellena Swift

School's out for the best

It’s an anxious time of year, writes Ellena Swift, when new dogs are introduced to shoots and some will require more training

Suffolk at centre stage

After last year’s event was cancelled by COVID-19, David Tomlinson is looking forward to the forthcoming IGL Retriever Championship

Did Covid Kickstart This Rabbit Revival?

Rabbit numbers have dropped by 60% in the past 20 years but, after 18 months of lockdowns, numbers are rising, says Simon Whitehead

The Lightning Thread

Subtitled Fishological Moments and The Pursuit of Paradise, this rich memoir celebrates the unique tranquility that can be found in fishing

Why our game is still stuck in a class divide

Once expensive and with barbaric laws of protection, game is more affordable today but struggles to shake off its past, says Rose Prince