Calls to 'lek it be' to protect capercaillie

With numbers of this iconic bird declining to around 500, police and wildlife rangers have been conducting dawn patrols around lek sites

GWCT's annual bird count paints a positive picture

The GWCT's 10th Big Farmland Bird Count was another success, and the results highlight the benefits that shooting brings to conservation

Playing the waiting game

A quiet morning team as multiple soon hots up for the animals require tracking

Stealing a March on a mini monster

Now is the ideal time to stalk our smallest deer species — it may be diminutive, but in ever-growing numbers muntjac can do a considerable amount of damage

Salt of the earth

Rich in important nutrients, sea purslane can be used in a great variety of dishes. John Wright reassesses its appeal

Sizing up the problem

Dwarfism is a relatively common disorder in labradors, but it’s not always obvious if a dog has the condition

The building blocks have been destroyed

The British countryside has been utilised repeatedly over the years, and Lindsay Waddell examines the damage humans have caused

The cannon fodder of the natural world

Recalling the fate of a nest of chicks from his youth, Soldier Palmer ponders on the fast-producing, hardy birds known as meadow pipits

Why you must learn the language of snow

It may seem like the perfect conditions, and it is certainly pretty, but you must always be on your guard in snow

Serious matters

How well do you tip a keeper after a shoot?

Going beyond the letter of the law

While a car gun box isn’t a legal requirement, it can pay dividends in the peace of mind it offers you when out and about

The constant evolution of a shooting man

Who shoots, what we shoot and how we do it is always changing

Leading the rabbits down the garden path

Fed up with decimated flower beds, Charles Hartley looks for a budget air rifle to get the job done but finds a gun worthy of heirloom status

Beating the drum for social wellbeing

Beating isn’t just good exercise, it fosters communities, promotes inclusivity and has mental health benefits too

The new cub in town

The nation is split regarding urban foxes but one thing is for sure — no amount of easy pickings will stop them predating on our cherished species

When a clinical approach is needed

With the local roe causing untold damage to surrounding habitats, all tactics come into play in order to control the booming population and protect biodiversity

A polluted tideline

Peter White examines how changes in light and cleanliness are having troublesome effects on our marshlands and their cherished inhabitants

Statistically speaking

The Kennel Club's annual breed registration information paints an interesting picture of modern buyer behaviour, says David Tomlinson

The basics matter

With competitions on the horizon, it could be the simplest picks that prove the hardest for even the most seasoned dogs, says Ellena Swift

At the front of the pack

Mat Manning tests Hikmicro's Raptor RQ50L binoculars, which offer full-colour daytime viewing with thermal, infrared and a rangefinder

Settling the score on pests

With the greys causing damage and plenty of orders to fill, Leon Challis-Davies gets into the woods and whips up a Mexican treat

Like a sort of bereavement

We often grow fond of the things that share our sporting lives, says Laurence Catlow

Outdoor education

Jim Old enjoys a rewarding early-morning stalk in Hampshire, but he discovers the hard work really starts after the trigger is pulled

Crate expectations

Transporting your dog in a vehicle isn't merely a question of finding a comfortable bed, it must comply with the law too, says Jamie Tusting

Making all the wrong noises

While genetics can play a part, unwanted whining or barking is often due to mistakes made in training, explains Ellena Swift

A sporting life in Africa

It's a waiting game for some much-needed rain as the prolonged drought takes its toll

When the bird's not as easy as it looks

Tom Payne finds out why those simple 'sitters' are often the ones most frequently missed and advises on how to put things right

There's something primordial about it

Hunting is a sport that transcends borders, reveals Miles Malone as he guides a keen German visitor on a memorable muntjac stalk

Hunting on a road less travelled

Stalking in an area of Botswana that has been closed off since the 1960s illustrates how much buffalo can offer to both hunters and the local community

Are pheasants really eating our adders?

With gamebird releasing in the firing line for the UK's decreasing adder population, Graham Lorne wonders if the claims stack up