Shooting Times & Country 16-Mar-2022

If you don’t sit in front of your computer from time to time watching Jack’s Game — the 1980s series produced by Yorkshire Television in which Jack Charlton heads off to get involved in all sorts of fieldsports — you’re missing out. Last week, I took to YouTube to watch the episode on pheasant shooting. I was struck by two things. The first was that the Guns shot every bit as well with old side-by-side boxlocks as most of us do with our over-and-unders. But more importantly, I was struck by the figures Jack Charlton gave. He noted that “10 million pheasants are shot in the UK each year, half of which are wild — in dry counties such as Norfolk — while half are reared and released”. We could spend all…

The avian influenza (bird flu) outbreak that hit the UK through the winter is easing — but it remains a potential threat to the next shooting season. Figures published late last year showed that, in total, more than 100 cases of the disease have been recorded in the UK. This is almost four times the total recorded in the previous worst outbreak. Unlike the figures used to monitor human diseases, a case relates to an outbreak not to a single bird, so each case may involve multiple birds. The outbreak began in late October and rapidly accelerated through November and December. After slowing significantly in January and February, the signs are that the outbreak is continuing to slow through the first couple of weeks of March. However, concern remains around the control measures…

Two key Government reviews are set to begin in April. The Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency will jointly launch the public consultation element of their two-year lead ammunition review. This consultation will follow the publication of a ‘restriction dossier’, which will set out what restrictions the agencies propose to introduce on the use, sale and manufacture of lead ammunition. Shooting Times expects shooting organisations are likely to focus on slowing the introduction of restrictions to allow for time to build confidence in alternatives. They are also expected to push back on restrictions on small-bore shotgun ammunition, small-calibre rifle and ammunition and air rifle pellets, where good non-lead alternatives that are any good are yet to be developed. Also in April, firearms licensing fees are to be reviewed. The fees for…

A hunt saboteur has been fined after attacking a car that contained two children under the age of four. The woman, who has been named as Tracey Cox, was among protesters from three different animal rights and hunt saboteur groups that were trying to disrupt a fun ride organised by the Cottesmore hunt in April last year. Cox struck the bonnet of the vehicle, damaging it and alarming the children inside. She was sentenced to a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £200 to the victim, plus a surcharge of £22 and £85 in costs in a hearing at Leicester Magistrates Court. Polly Portwin, director of the Countryside Alliance’s Campaign for Hunting, said: “While animal rights extremist groups such as this are small in numbers, they can nevertheless be violent and…

CROPS The window of opportunity for sowing game crops is rapidly approaching. If you haven’t done so already, speak to your seed merchant about what would suit your plots. Crops requiring lower inputs may well be attractive this year, considering that costs are likely to be high. BIRDS Step up crow control. Spring is peak crow-trapping season and not only are the crows territorial and therefore easier to catch, but there are lambs and chicks that require protection. Laws have changed significantly in recent years and vary around the UK, so speak to a shooting or gamekeeping organisation if you are unsure about the law or about what is necessary to comply with the general licences.…

An attempt to restrict the ownership of pump-action shotguns has failed at Westminster. Labour MP Luke Pollard introduced a private members’ bill in an attempt to restrict pump actions after the tragic shooting in his Plymouth constituency last year. The bill was debated as a ‘10-minute rule’ bill, which strictly limits the amount of parliamentary time allotted to a proposed law. Introducing the bill, Mr Pollard said: “I want to rid our communities of these dangerous and unnecessary pump-action weapons that are currently held in homes throughout the country.” The proposed bill would have restricted the storage of pump-action shotguns so that they could not be kept in the owner’s home. Bill Harriman, BASC director of firearms, said: “The Plymouth shooting was a horrific tragedy. However, it is only right that no knee-jerk…