Fieldsports Britain – Gamekeeper’s Rounds
Paul Childerley shows how gamekeeping is not just one job. It’s a whole series of roles that amount to a bright future for wildlife in our woodlands and wild places. He is out feeding pheasants and ducks, which benefit all kinds of birds and animals on his shoot in Bedfordshire. Plus he is trying […]
Squirrel shoot with .410 and Zeiss thermal
Gamekeeper Paul Childerley finishes his rounds looking after pheasants and ducks, and then he takes time to carry out shoot management. Today, it is squirrels. If he can shoot a few grey squirrels, he will improve the chances for the trees on his shoot, and trees in this lowland landscape are good for all […]
Shooters plan Scottish grouse protests – Fieldsports News, 25 November 2020
Here are the links: Country people plan anti SNP demos – Fieldsports News Lockdown means keepers spot disease early StDavids-Gamebirds.co.uk PM urged to extend public’s right to roam on private land – The Guardian Packham Christmas profits benefit Wild Justice ‘charity’ – Fieldsports News RSPB accused of dropping neutral stance on shooting – GWCT Big […]
Why pay more than necessary for a riflescope?
You can spend a large sum of money on a high-end scope, but will it actually put more meat in the freezer? Of course a top-end scope may give you a few more minutes’ shooting at dawn and dusk, but Dan Pool of Braces of Bristol thinks there’s a law of diminishing returns at […]
Meopta Optika6 1-6×24 RD SFP riflescope – review
If you shoot driven boar or practical rifle competitions, you need the right scope for the job, something designed for fast, reflex shooting. James Fowler at distributors RUAG knows his stuff, so what does he recommend? “The Meopta Optika6 1-6×24 is ideal,” he says. “It’s a nice compact scope that’s the perfect fit for […]
Bergara B14-R .22LR rimfire training rifle – review
Why would you want a .22 rimfire version of a centrefire Hunter Match Rifle? The obvious answer is running costs. With the price of centrefire ammo, a .22 rimfire allows you to practise to your heart’s content without worrying about the cost. But it’s also a lovely little rifle to own and use in […]
Bergara BA13 TD take-down rifle – review
How about a rifle that you can take down like a shotgun and pack into a rucksack? That’s the Bergara BA13 TD take-down rifle. “It’s a little single shot, break action rifle and it’s incredible,” says James Fowler of distributors RUAG. “It gets called the keeper’s gun because it’s compact and they can put […]
Webley Raider Classic air rifle – review
Webley Raider Classic review Ryan Charlton from Highland Outdoors with a Webley Raider Classic Webley is one of the oldest names in the gun trade. The company has produced some of the most famous firearms the world has ever seen, including some classic airguns. They’ve moved with the times, of course, and modern Webley airguns […]
Bergara B14 HMR rifle – review
What rifle do you choose when you work for the importer and could take your pick? For James Fowler of RUAG there was no hesitation – he tried the Bergara B14 and fell in love straight away. “It’s a versatile rifle that you can use for hunting or match shooting,” he says. “The HMR […]
Best spring-powered air rifles for under £400
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYjScrprPbY Pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) airguns tend to get all the glory nowadays, but don’t overlook the good old spring-powered guns if you simply want an inexpensive airgun that will give you hours of fun in the garden, as well as killing the odd rat, rabbit or pigeon. “PCS are great, but by the time you’ve […]
Yildiz Pro Black Sporter – review
You can spend £10,000-plus on a competition sporting over-and-under shotgun, but for a fraction of that price Yildiz offer its value Pro Black, offering all the basic sporting features. “The range starts at £1,349 for a grade 3 non-adjustable model, with the adjustable version selling at £1,899,” explains Richard Ryan of Yildiz importers Raytrade. […]
Webley & Scott 912 sideplate shotgun – review
You don’t need to spend a fortune these days on a gun that will look the part and do a great job on clays, rough or game shooting. There are some excellent guns available for under £1,000 – and this stunning over-and-under Webley & Scott 912 is a great example. Fieldsports Channel’s viewer research […]
Country people plan anti SNP demos
Members of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association are planning local protests in the run-up to the 2021 Scottish elections. Reacting to the SNP government’s attack on grousemoors, country people will campaign against the nationalist politicians who want to end their way of life. The SGA says it has dealt with an unprecedented number of calls, messages […]
Europe bans lead shot over wetlands
The European government on 26 November pushed through a ban on lead shot over wetlands, leaving pro-shooting groups in Brussels and Strasbourg aghast. Shooters in North European countries, especially Scandinavia, point out that most rural land is wetland, by the European definition. But on 30 November, the EU Committee, a body within the Swedish parliament […]
Scottish government lashes out with grouseshooting restrictions
The Scottish government has lashed out at grouseshooters with a raft of measures designed to restrict the sport. It plans to introduce licensing for both ‘grouse shooting businesses’ and muirburn, and it is threatening a ban on medicated grit. Muirburn licences will only be given out ‘in order to protect wildlife and habitats’, and no […]
Crawling boar range 😭 🐗
Planning to go boar hunting? You know how you look at a running boar range and say to yourself or, worse, to your friends, ‘I bet I could build one of those for a tenth of the price’? Well, we did. And the results are less than spectacular.
New gun bans heading to the UK – Fieldsports News, 25 November 2020
Here are the links: England faces new round of gun bans. Take part in the Home Office survey Shoots resume on 2 December after government double U-turn – Fieldsports News Grouse shooting under ‘sustained attack’ as ministers back muirburn ban – Daily Telegraph JCB hoists hunt sabs’ car to stop attacks – Kent Messenger […]
Two ways of shooting rabbits, with Sam Green
World champion shot Sam Green shows two methods of rabbit shooting. When it’s a quartering target, keep the gun behind it and push through. When the target is square on, Sam says it is better to switch to maintained lead. He shows how that works. For Browning, go to Browning.eu Sam shoots with a […]
Fieldsports Britain – fallow deer mass gathering
Only in a handful of places on Earth do fallow deer congregate in numbers for their annual ‘lek’. We are at one of them, in Sussex, with headkeeper David Whitby, to witness one of the marvels of the natural world. David talks about deer management here, and we go stalking inside and outside the […]
Boris’s new lockdown dates cock-up
Planning to go shooting in England on Wednesday 2 December? First the government said it was legal, then they said it was illegal, now they say it’s legal. You can hold a driven shoot on 2 December 2020. Members of the UK government, including prime minister Boris Johnson, announced that 2 December 2020 […]
Princess Diana’s family gun for sale
Do you want to buy Princess Diana’s shotgun? It’s a good quality .410 by Curry of Birmingham and it is up for auction on 8 December 2020. Her family won’t confirm that she used this gun, but the evidence points that way. Boys and girls usually start shooting with a small-calibre .410, 28-bore or 20-bore […]
Waders for Real: saving wading birds
Ben O’Rourke “We’ve learnt a lot through working with the GWCT about how we approach things, how I approach my work, planning it and the effect I can have on the work we put in,” says gamekeeper Rupert Brewer of his involvement in the Waders for Real project. Gamekeepers like Rupert are an essential […]
Shooterking Huntflex jacket and trousers – review
Shooterking’s Huntflex is a range of clothing aimed at most gameshooting and stalking styles. We talk to two professionals about how they use it. Click here to watch Paul shooting in a Huntflex Winter Skeet Jacket The Huntflex jackets and trousers range from Shooterking is designed to be a great-value option for demanding […]
Thermal spotter vs hunting binoculars
Tim Pilbeam is deerstalking with a difference: he’s fieldtesting for us. What are the best binoculars for hunting? And what should you look for when buying binoculars for hunting? Are thermal binoculars any good? As well as the chance to shoot a doe, he wants to work out when to use a thermal scope […]
Fieldsports Britain – a gameshooting day to remember
Paul Childerley is shooting on the Mountgarret Shoot in North Yorkshire. There’s a good wind and pheasants are flying beautifully. Paul is there with his friend Scott Shuckford, and enjoying a day put on by Ripley Sporting. Plus they are both using guns that suit the grandeur of the day: Rizzini Regal Deluxe shotguns. […]
On test: Rizzini Regal Deluxe shotguns
Paul Childerley puts the Rizzini Regal Deluxe shotgun through its paces on a driven pheasant shoot at the Mountgarret Shoot in North Yorkshire. Rizzini shotguns suit the birds, which are flying well, and Frank Boddy of Ripley Sporting puts on a lovely, relaxed day. Click here for Rizzini’s UK importer For Ripley Sporting, go […]
Prosecutors don’t allow shooters to smile or frown – Fieldsports News, 18 November 2020
Here are the links: CPS stops Barry Swain assault case – Fieldsports News Beefy Botham batters bumbling bird charity – C4PMC Battery sets off bullet in pocket – Fieldsports News Sabs claim illegal hunting video success – Fieldsports News Scottish wildlife crime reports on the rise, say police – Herald Scotland Will pinko Packham pack […]
Battery sets off bullet in pocket
A rabbit-shooter in Essex had a shock when a rifle cartridge went off in his pocket. Gareth Jones from South Norfolk was shooting rabbits at night on a golf course when the spare battery for his night vision short-circuited through a .17HMR round, and set it off. It gave him a minor burn on his […]
Buzzard shot in Kent
A group of walkers have filmed what could be a buzzard being shot in Kent. On 10 October 2020, members of the public out walking stopped to watch the bird in flight, on land adjoining the south-west boundary of the RSPB’s Northward Hill reserve near High Halstow. One of them started filming it on […]
British Shooting Show announces 2021 dates
The British Shooting Show is going ahead next spring. The NEC is still unable to hold shows because of the coronavirus so, for 2021 only, the British Shooting Show is moving to the East of England showground in Peterborough, starting on 23 April 2021 (St George’s day) and running for three days. You can […]
What is the Nite Stalker package?
The Nite Stalker package includes any Howa rifle (we show the 20in Varmint rifle with Lightning II stock in our film). It also comes with an ATN 4K day/night scope, Aimsport Triton 50 moderator, bipod and five-shot magazine. Ryan Charlton from distributor Highland Outdoors calls the Howa Nite Stalker package one of the company’s […]
Blowy Hampshire driven pheasants
A fun, family shoot in Hampshire, Popham is keepered by Ben Christian. He talks about how he puts on days there, and how he keeps birds on one of Hampshire’s most exposed pieces of ground. John Roll Pickering from the family who owns the farm is holding a day there for friends and relations. […]
Fieldsports Britain – a pop at Popham
Push pheasants over guns with a following wind and you are always in for a spectacular day. That’s all very well – but those birds can easily keep flying. Charlie visit the Popham Shoot in Hampshire for a windy driven game day to find out how they hold birds. We’re also looking at deerstalking […]
New general licences in England for 2021 – Fieldsports News, 11 November 2020
Here are the links: New general licences in England – Fieldsports News Did antis hit newspaper grouseshooting poll? – Fieldsports News SNP recognises benefits of grouseshooting – BASC Boris bungles lockdown end date – Fieldsports News Townies criticise countryside English government closes antique firearms loopholes to ‘protect public’ – press release Police nab possible egg […]
Will steel bust your barrels? – Fieldtester, episode 3
Some shotguns are steel-proofed, others aren’t, but what happens to your barrels when you put a lot of steel shells through them? In this episode of Fieldtester, we have 10,000 Eley steel carriages to put through a brand new Yildiz SPZME Black Edition 12ga shotgun. Find out what we plan and how we will […]
Jackdaws don’t take songbird eggs, says government
Because government scientists can’t prove they cause harm, you are no longer allowed to protect your songbirds from jackdaws and rooks in England. A statement from DEFRA endorsed by DEFRA minister George Eustice reads: “Jackdaws and rooks will no longer be able to be controlled for conservation purposes because the evidence does not demonstrate that […]
Antis fake grouseshooting poll
Antis may have used internet ‘bots’ to change a newspaper grouse-shooting poll from overwhelming in favour of the sport, to appearing to show that Scotland is against it. After running at 76% in favour of grouseshooting, the poll in the Scottish Herald racked up 17,373 votes against in just four hours, ending 77% against it. […]
Lockdown stops driven game shoots – Fieldsports News, 4 November 2020
Driven shooting to be banned during English lockdown – Fieldsports News Hunting Office falls in with lockdown measures but angling fights for exemption – Fieldsports News Government caves in to Wild Justice over pheasants – Fieldsports News Grouse shooters fund rural businesses – Facebook Scottish stalking hit hard by coronavirus – ADMG Bushing film […]
Ashcombe Shoot – review
It’s one of the best shoots in the country. Ashcombe Estate in Devon provides superb pheasant and partridge drives up one of the county’s prettiest and most challenging valleys. Charlie Jacoby goes shooting there, and talks to owner Ralph Rayner and keeper Adam Eaton. To book a day, email ralph@ashcombe.co.uk Follow Ashcombe on GunsOnPegs
Fieldsports Britain – the gamekeeper’s badger
Meet the badger, the raven, the fallow doe and the man who keeps them in his house: the headkeeper. David Whitby kicks off our new series, called ‘The Headkeeper’, about how he runs a Sussex estate. This week: dogging in using a goshawk. Meanwhile, Charlie is going shooting. He is on the fabulous Ashcombe […]
The Headkeeper
David Whitby manages a shooting estate in Sussex, looking after pheasants, partridges, deer – and he brings his work home with him. Living with him is a badger, a fallow doe, a raven and a long-suffering wife. His love of wildlife also extends to the game on the estate, which he manages alongside other wildlife. […]
Rules for shooters and deerstalkers during November lockdown
Bad news for shoots: driven game shooting should cease on Thursday 5 November and is expected to resume on Wednesday 2 December. England will return to a local and regional approach on 2 December. The government told BASC this during lobbying to ensure that Covid-19-safe driven game shooting can resume when lockdown ends. However, shooting […]
Will Boris shut shooting in England?
It’s hard to imagine being more socially-distanced in a sport than one gunshot away from the next shooter, riding your horse across the English shires, or setting up for a day’s angling. However, the worlds of hunting, shooting and fishing are on tenterhooks. Will Boris ban them under lockdown 2? Prime minister Boris Johnson’s new […]
Irish government lockdown coursing ban attempt
Ireland’s minister for heritage, Darragh O’Brien, has called on coursing clubs to release hares caught up for the forthcoming season. Coursing now starts on 1 December 2020 because of coronavirus lockdown. Showing a misunderstanding of coursing, O’Brien says that hares are “better off in the wild rather than being held in captivity in groups in […]
English government caves in to Packham over pheasants
The English government is to ban pheasant release on around 10% of the countryside unless under licence. The announcement by environment minister George Eustice came after BBC presenter Chris Packham’s Wild Justice group threatened to take the government to court over the issue. According to DEFRA, shoots won’t be able to release pheasants or red-legged […]
Irish greens use lockdown to ban shooting sports
The Irish government has banned game shooting and deerstalking due to ‘level 5 lockdown’ in the Republic of Ireland. The ban will come in just ahead of the Irish pheasant shooting season, which opens on 1 November. A statement on the Garda (police) website says that ‘sport shooting is prohibited’ because it is not organised […]
RSPB’s £74,000 cirl buntings
What’s the going rate for saving a songbird? The RSPB successfully persuaded one local council it should get £74,193 of taxpayers’ cash per pair of cirl buntings. The councillors are shocked. Cllr Chris Clarance of Teignmouth District Council calls it a ‘heck of a lot of money’ that could put to better use, now that […]
Fieldsports Britain – deer double in the rut
Roy goes for dramatic stalking success in the New Forest, hunting a massive sika stag, and using his Aimpoint Acro on a muntjac, too. Find out how he gets on. That’s not all. On the shotgunning side, rabbits targets are the bane of the sporting scene. World champion Sam Green offers his top tips […]
Best hunting rifles for 2021
What do you shoot? Among Fieldsports Channel viewers, deerstalking is the big one with 38% of you out after deer, followed by 31% of you foxshooters, 15% of you are target shooters, 11% of you shoot wild boar and 5% hunt other overseas big game. There is plenty of overlap between the disciplines here. All […]
Boris buddy backs sab trespass – Fieldsports News, 28 October 2020
Here are the links: Goldsmith urges government not to criminalise trespass – Daily Telegraph Owners devastated by rising dog thefts – Fieldsports News Crackpot doomsday cultists doorstep David Attenborough – Fieldsports News Hull resident horrified after RSPCA shoots ‘happy’ goose – Hull Daily Mail European shooters concerned about lead ban – Instagram Lewis Hamilton slammed […]
