Gamekeepers committing ‘hare genocide’, claims Packham
BBC celebrity Chris Packham is accusing gamekeepers of “ruthlessly killing” hares on estates across the UK. The TV presenter made the comment in an article in The Telegraph about the English government considering a partial ban on hare shooting. The newspaper quotes a DEFRA source who insists ‘people kill hundreds of thousands of hares a year during […]
Woox Furiosa rifle chassis – review
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXRXpZOelJc When you take accuracy seriously, only the best will do – and the Furiosa chassis from Woox is reckoned to be one of the best-crafted precision shooting chassis in the world. Designed in the USA and made in Italy, the Furiosa is a drop-in system that requires no extra pillars or extra bedding. Your […]
FORM rifle stock – review
Many people have turned their hand to making rifle stocks over the years, but few have got it right, and been able to produce them in sufficient quantity. Peter McGregor, the owner of FORM Stocks, is one of those few. “I first met Peter several years ago, and he was producing absolutely fantastic rifle stocks, […]
Remington 700 Sporter rifle – review
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoaywkd6hvA The Remington Model 700 rifle is legendary. First produced in 1962, nearly 60 years later it’s still in production, with an unparalleled reputation for dependability and out-of-the-box accuracy, relied on by elite military units and law enforcement around the world. Richard Ryan, of Remington’s UK distributors Raytrade UK, is a massive fan. “The Remington […]
Huntstand vs MyHunt/MyFieldsports: battle of the hunting apps
If you are thinking of a hunting app, the two market leaders are Huntstand and MyFieldsports (called MyHunt outside the UK). Huntstand from the USA has an American heritage steeped in hunts for whitetail deer. MyFieldsports is the UK version of MyHunt, and can’t escape its Germanic heritage. There’s a definite whiff of wild boar […]
Red deer in the year of the pandemic
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAsl8Z-0O3U Niall Rowantree tours the Highlands to find out how deer and deerstalkers have fared during the year of the pandemic. The answer is not well, and thank goodness for gamekeepers and deerstalkers. Scottish government agencies and wildlife charities abandoned the Highlands in 2020, a year that saw people who don’t often visit the countryside […]
Fieldsports Britain – Highland horror stories: what Scotland is doing to its moors and mountains
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEzejz03oFM What’s happened to Scotland’s wild places and its wild deer? Deerstalker Niall Rowantree takes a tour of the Highlands to find out. He visits Ardgay Game, he talks to deer scientist Dr Cathy Mayne and he stalks a red hind in an area earmarked for new trees. He meets locals to find out how […]
Stag shot in water – social media storm
youtu.be/0OCXaIjt0B8 It’s taken four months, but the police have at last agreed that they will bring no charges against the deerstalkers in the Stag-in-Watergate scandal. The film shocked some deerstalkers but, maybe more shocking, is that some of them complained to the police about the video, which shows a stag shot in water on the […]
How to save eagle falconry in Scotland
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf0TiK2QBjM As Scotland bans eagles from catching hares, is there hope for the ancient sport of falconry? Eagle falconer Roy Lupton says he hopes so. A new petition to the Scottish Parliament could exempt falconers from the law brought in by animal rights extremists in the Scottish government. Sign the petition: Parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/retainfalconersrights More films about […]
Gamekeepers save the ozone layer – Fieldsports News, 17 March 2021
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_p9sibWHeY Here are the links:Cut carbon: go grouse shooting – Moorland AssociationPackham didn’t fake death threat letter, cops claim – The TimesAngling Trust challenges government over anti-angling report – Angling Trust [PDF]Anglers and divers who created ‘fish nursery’ banned from the area – Facebook and YouTubePheasant formula is the new dog’s dinner – Hoddys.co.ukCase against […]
Win a £700 Peltor earplugs – Fieldsports Extra #160
▶ For more about Jonathan Macintyre of JM Clean Cut Tailoring JMCleanCutTailoring.com▶ Click here for the Peltor LEP-200 ear plugs▶ Fieldsports Channel shop: Peltor baseball cap Peltor beanie Peltor flat cap Please bear in mind that these hats are small. Don’t buy if you have a big head ▶ Fayre Game Pursuits FayreGamePursuits.com▶ Vale Guns & Ammo Vale-Guns-and-Ammo.business.site ▶ […]
Shot deer stress
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wbq6eVJQXE Tim Pilbeam’s buddy Tristan wants to find out how animals react to being shot. Tristan is measuring cortisol, to see whether different bullets cause different levels of stress.
Best of British: bespoke shooting jackets
www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-RxcKlLigI Top military tailor Jonathan Macintyre has a shop in Wellington Barracks, SW1 and, as well as making military uniforms, he makes shooting shooting suits. Here’s how he does it. For more about Jonathan, visit JMCleanCutTailoring.comClick here for Jonathan’s views on shooting clothing sizing.
Guns are latest victim of Brexit border brawls
www.youtube.com/watch?v=INTg99oyVKE Predictions of doom and gloom have been hitting the headlines since the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016. How many of them have come true? For the gun trade at least, there have been mixed results since the actual break up at the start of 2021. One of the initial issues […]
Fieldsports Britain – hunted deer get stressy
It’s the science behind hunting and shooting this week, as we look at stress in deer plus we have a barney over whether lead shot is actually bad for you. Tim Pilbeam and his mate Tristan are out stalking, because Tristan is measuring stress levels in hunted deer. He explains his research. Meanwhile, Mark Crudgington […]
Yorkshire buzzard: was it shot? – Fieldsports News, 10 March 2021
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8ESYdtbpu4 Here are the links:Police drop charges over ‘buzzard’ shoot – Yorkshire PostNational Trust slammed for deer cull – National TrustSGA seeks signatures for online campaign – Fieldsports NewsAnglers take government to court over river pollution – Fieldsports NewsWelfare of fish ‘needs protecting’ says group linked to PM’s fiancée – Fieldsports NewsKent police issue warning […]
Anglers fight back against ‘hopeless’ DEFRA
Fish Legal and the Angling Trust are taking DEFRA and the Environment Agency to court over river pollution for a second time. Together with the WWF, the anglers accuse the government of dragging its feet in tackling agricultural pollution of England’s rivers, streams and lakes. In a statement on its website, the trust says the […]
Win a tailored shooting jacket – Fieldsports Extra #159
▶ For more about the Ridgeline Monsoon jacket, go to Fcha.nl/ridgelinemonsoon▶ Jonathan Macintyre of JM Clean Cut Tailoring www.jmcleancuttailoring.com/▶ Fieldsports Channel ladies gilets fieldsports.shop/product/fieldsports-channel-gilet/ ▶ How to enter Fieldsports Nation competitions: for members on YouTube, Patreon and Facebook simply comment with your answer in the description below the film. For those of you who joined […]
How to understand your Google Analytics
How to understand your Google Analytics What’s the really good thing about the web? You can put up a website – a brochure for your products, brands or services – and the whole world can beat a path to your door. As it turns out, putting up the website is the easy bit. Getting […]
International Women’s Day 2021: Q&A with Sam MacArthur, Managing Director, Viking Arms.
On International Women’s Day, FSC4B catches up with Sam MacArthur, MD of the UK’s only wholly female owned and managed arms and ammunition company. Sam MacArthur, MD Viking Arms by Meredyth Grant What led you into the arms and ammunition industry? Viking Arms is a family business that was set up by my mother […]
Bergara Premier Ridgeback rifle – review
youtu.be/6ZyTpZLMLaEWhen you’re serious about your shooting, you need a special kind of rifle – and that’s what you get with the Bergara Premier Ridgeback, says James Fowler from the importer RUAG, who is also a competition target shooter. It aims to provide near custom performance from an off-the-shelf rifle at an affordable price. Every Bergara Premier series […]
Ridgeline Ascent soft shell jacket – review
youtu.be/jDQJY6IQQH8 Soft shell is a great fabric for hunting – it’s light, comfortable to wear, and it’s quiet, so there’s no noise as you brush against trees and undergrowth. That’s why Ridgeline use soft shell for their Ascent jacket as Nigel Winkle, from UK distributors Highland Outdoors, explains: “Soft shell is brilliant. I wore it […]
Ridgeline Evolution smock – review
youtu.be/UIyXSYCXyGw When you’re out in all weathers, you need something that will keep you warm and dry, but is also breathable so you aren’t soaked with sweat going up the hills. Better still if it’s easy to dry out at the end of the day, so you’re ready to face the elements next day. Enter […]
Ridgeline Torrent III jacket
youtu.be/rJgc6BkdPcQ Nigel Winkle from distributor Highland Outdoors explains why he sells the Ridgeline Torrent III smock. This hunting jacket is part of the classic range. It’s well established and has been part of brand Ridgeline UK since the company came to market in this country in 2007. Why is this a great piece of hunting […]
Ridgeline Grizzly III jacket – review
youtu.be/9oTy0_cL0Yw If you go deerstalking, or just spend time out in the woods, the new Ridgeline Grizzly II jacket could be your ideal outer layer. It’s windproof, light and breathable, has a useful selection of pockets for your gear, and whilst it’s not fully waterproof it will fend off all but the heaviest rain. The […]
Ridgeline Pintail Explorer II smock – review
youtu.be/xvU4ICBX6uM Ridgeline’s Pintail Explorer smock became a firm favourite with stalkers and bushcrafters. It’s light and warm, very quiet to wear, and you can stuff it in your rucksack until you need it. Now Ridgeline have updated and improved the design to create the Pintail Explorer II. Nigel Winkle from distributor Highland Outdoors explains “We’ve […]
Kahles Helia 3.5-18x50i – review
youtu.be/X3Bz3wsUMdg If you’re looking for a top quality scope without paying for all the bells and whistles, Fieldtester’s Tim Pilbeam reckons you should look at the Kahles Helia 3.5-18x50i. When it comes to optics, Kahles know their stuff. They’re one of the oldest manufacturers of scopes in the world, going back more than 120 years, […]
SGA protest: how the Scottish Government is failing Scotland’s countryside
youtu.be/Kck6o9YSg-Q It’s been more than 20 years since the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association took to the streets of Edinburgh for a protest. The march in 2000, the same year Alex Hogg became chairman, came after MSP Mike Watson put forward a private member’s bill to ban hunting with dogs. “It would affect our terriers, which was […]
Fieldsports Britain – how to blow a pigeon
Here’s a skill you never knew you needed. Tim Pilbeam shoots the feral doves – his mate Roy sexes them by blowing on their breast feathers. Find out what he is looking for in this week’s show. Plus Andrew Venables stops banging on about copper and tells the story of zinc bullets instead. And Scottish […]
Nicked airguns selling on WhatsApp – Fieldsports News, 3 March 2021
youtu.be/QyRgSAyGkIA Here are the links:Webley Nemesis airguns stolen – Fieldsports NewsMountain hare law victimises birds of prey, says falconer – Facebook and Scottish Parliament petitionWildlife trust U-turns on evicting anglers from Kent reserve – Fieldsports NewsLACS tries to pervert Northern Ireland hunt vote – LACS#gamemeatmarch – InstagramCarrie on cats – Daily TelegraphDanish fear EU bans […]
The story of zinc bullets
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhKNwWxKzxU Who makes zinc bullets? What are they used for and how long have they been around? Firearms expert Andrew Venables answers these questions and more. History of bullet development by Andrew Venables Why do we cling to the pre-1900 lead bullet design when the 20th and even 21st centuries have given us so much […]
On test: Daystate Wolverine R
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbMZTaW-SME Tim Pilbeam has his hands on the new Daystate Wolverine R, and he puts it through its paces on feral pigeons in a local farmyard. Helping him is a gamekeeper friend, Roy, who shows how to sex pigeons. Click here for more on the Daystate Wolverine R Click here for all our films with […]
Trade Secrets: how one stalker set up a lockdown venison business
For Geoff’s business, go to www.chilternvenison.co.ukHere’s Geoff’s checklist for a venison supply business in England:DSC1, though that may be about to change to DSC2 becoming the requisite for the Trained Hunter Exemption.Geoff is happy to send you his HACCP in exchange for a small donation to GWCT, Macmillan or RNLI. He produced it with the […]
Win a Ridgeline Monsoon shooting coat – Fieldsports Extra #158
▶ Trade Secrets: how to set up a stalking business Fcha.nl/stalkingbusiness ▶ How to enter Fieldsports Nation competitions: For members on YouTube, Patreon and Facebook simply comment with your answer in the description below the film. For those of you who joined the Fieldsports Nation direct through our website, you’ll need to email charlie@fieldsportschannel.tv with […]
Shooters launch the Free Church of Country Sports
youtu.be/Q8x-oAMh8aY With the protections you get from being a religion, one group of shooters wants to find 8,000 people who will agree to join the Free Church of Country Sports in time for the 2021 Census. Inspired by the vegans that successfully argued that veganism is a religion, the Action Against Antis Facebook group has […]
Stolen: the first 600 of Webley’s new airgun combo
If you are offered a Webley Nemesis Combo air rifle by a private seller, be aware it may be stolen property. Thieves are thought to be using a WhatsApp group to sell 600 of the newly-launched Nemesis airguns that they took from a lorry in a layby. The guns were in transit from their port […]
BSA .22LR Martini underlever – review
Diggory Hadoke from VintageGuns.co.uk likes a BSA .22LR Martini underlever action rifle from before First World War, guided at £30-£50. It has a sling fitted to it plus scope mounts and a modern telescopic sights, so you can use it like a modern rifle – and it’s satisfactorily accurate, says Diggory. It is in Stroud […]
John Dickson & Son muzzleloader – review
youtu.be/5tkJ7GpWYe0 Stroud Auctions‘ 4 March 2021 sale has guns in it. Diggory Hadoke of VintageGuns.co.uk of chooses his favourite lots. First up is a John Dickson & Son 14-bore muzzleloader (pictured below) that you can buy without a licence, estimate £500-£800.
Shooting clothing – a tailor’s guide to sizing
youtu.be/8TRwLlcmS-8 When you buy a ‘large’ jacket from one clothing company and it’s the same as a ‘2XL’ from another, and both of them seem to be about the same as a ‘medium’ from ten years ago, what’s going on? We talk to a top tailor about how much of a muddle clothing sizes are […]
What’s the trajectory difference between a .22 and a .177?
youtu.be/tti1KoezIZ0 What’s the trajectory difference between a .22 and a .177 airgun pellet? Johnny Muston fron R&K Stockcraft tries them side by side on different targets at different ranges and ‘maps’ the trajectories, so you can see the difference in holdover. For more from R&K Stockcraft, visit RKStockcraft.co.uk
Ridgeline Monsoon jacket – review
youtu.be/k5MDEWv-q44 Many stalkers and wildfowlers choose a Ridgeline smock for the excellent protection it gives, but what if you prefer a jacket that you can open all the way down the front? The Ridgeline Monsoon jacket promises the best of both worlds: the convenience of a conventional jacket, with the same protection as a smock. […]
Shooting hearing protection – can Roy hear a morris dancer? – Fieldtester, episode 6
youtu.be/Qy4_YSM0WWE In this month’s Fieldtester show, we talk hearing protection. Tim Pilbeam and Roy Lupton get together with David to test what they can hear – not just how loud but what kinds of noises, from rustling twigs to running moose… to morris dancers’ bells. That’s not all. We also talk hunting clothing sizes. A […]
Fieldsports Britain – Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Squirrels
www.youtube.com/watch?v=82LUqedcczs It’s squirrel time. Paul and Johnny are out after the pesky greys ahead of the songbird nesting season. They are shooting out the dreys on woodland in Bedfordshire. Meanwhile, Dartmoor deer manager Tom Davies is taking the pressure off woodland in Devon. We follow him for a day to see what his job entails, […]
Dartmoor Deer Services
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbxWP2dMPdE Professional deer manager Tom Davies of Dartmoor Deer Services is out to shoot or at least spot three species of deer today. Dartmoor, where he lives, has the habitat for red deer, fallow and roe. He starts his day with a fallow cull outing on a local pheasant shoot. Then he heads into one […]
Huntress Tatiana Orosová and the Slovak brown bear boom
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdQG9CK_W98 Tatiana Orosová (pictured below) is a hunter and conservationist. She is a former contestant on Extreme Huntress, the TV competition in the USA. She has been studying brown bears in Slovakia for more than 15 years and says the population is booming. 100 years ago, they were nearly extinct. The trouble today is there […]
Pump-action squirrel hunt
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUjIc-LqtuY Paul Childerley and Johnny Muston are on a squirrel-shooting mission – and they knock down a couple of dozen. The invasive grey squirrels are damaging trees, pheasant feeders, and are all set to prey on the songbird nesting season. By shooting out the squirrels’ dreys, Johnny and Paul can reduce numbers, and so reduce […]
Antis add weight to lead shot ban pressure – Fieldsports News, 24 February 2021
Here are the links: Most pheasants sold for food ‘contain lead shot’ – BBC Tory thinktank wants probe into PM’s fiancée – Fieldsports News Call for Scotland to become first ever ‘rewilding’ nation – MSN Dead hinds and calves shock walkers – The Times and SGA Scotland’s country sports tourism sector to get lockdown relief […]
Win £650 ear plugs – Fieldsports Extra #157
▶ Trade Secrets: ‘my rifle doesn’t like my ammo’ ▶ ADG Custom Knives (5% off if you are a Fieldsports Nation member)▶ Click here for the members’ area of the website (if you are logged in to the website as a member) ▶ Join the Fieldsports Nation at Fcha.nl/membership ▶ Join the Fieldsports Nation on Facebook ▶ Join […]
Trade Secrets: ‘my rifle doesn’t like my ammo’
Professional deerstalker Tom Davies says his new ammo doesn’t work in his rifle. He heads to Andrew Venables WMS Firearms Training to test that.For Andrew Venables, visit WMSFirearmstraining.comFind Tom on Facebook and Instagram The offending Sellier & Bellot eXergy Blue – or are they offending?
Singers post videos showing ‘murder’ of shooters
A new music video showing the murder of grouseshooters has captured the imagination of animal rights extremists. Bloggers including Ruth Tingay are promoting Burn The Heather from the pop group The Lounge Society, which shows a firing squad killing a moorland shooting party. Meanwhile, the new music video from singer Ben Howard, called What A […]
