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 […]
How to find a bouncing bunny ‘hold point’, with Sam Green
It’s the shot at the sporting clay shot that’s bound to let you down – but it doesn’t have to, says Browning-sponsored world champion Sam Green. He says that the secret to shooting bouncing rabbits targets successfully is to find the hold point. He explains what that means in this video. For Browning, go to […]
Hunting massive gold-medal sika deer
Roy is out in the New Forest during the sika deer rut. The stags have been whistling and clashing antlers in the deer rutting season, and he uses his best deer rut call skills to create the necessary deer rutting noise to call them in. Plus he has a call for a muntjac, and […]
Gundog stolen from car at Exmoor shoot
Thieves took a black labrador from a car parked at an Exmoor shoot. Marg was snatched from a Toyota Hilux on 17 October 2020. The glossy black labrador has two small white hairs on her right shoulder. Owner Melanie Holley is heartbroken. She is getting help from Doglost and has set up a Facebook group […]
Antis fake Attenborough Facebook page to push propaganda
Veteran BBC nature programme host Sir David Attenborough appears to have lashed out at hunting tourists, calling them ‘psychopaths’ who want to show-off how much money they have. He apparently posted the rant to his 90,000+ followers on Facebook. However, this David Attenborough Facebook account is a fake, set up by antis from Bahrain. Fake: […]
Grouse moor burning – the true story
Channel 4 News made a one-sided and bitter attack on moorland conservation in a news piece, fronted by its reporter Jane Dodge. Ben O’Rourke tells the true story. “It’s extremely disturbing the lack of information they have to come to that conclusion,” says Jimmy Shuttlewood, head gamekeeper of an estate in North Yorkshire, […]
Welsh shoots face ‘firebreak’ ban – Fieldsports News, 21 October 2020
Here are the links: Lockdown loses Welsh shoots £1 million+ – Cambrian Birds Coronavirus lockdown year ‘worst ever’ for dog thefts – BBC Boxing Day hunts will go ahead, but with lockdown restrictions – Countryside Alliance Farmers force BBC to take down anti-meat programme – Daily Mail Another BBC presenter says countryside is racist […]
How to build a pigeon hide in a trailer
Buckinghamshire pigeonshooters Jamie Leggett and Chris Mingo like to do things in style. Over several months, they built a pigeon hide on an old trailer. It is fitted with every mod con, as you can see here. Find out what they consider makes the ideal ‘pigeon hide trailer’.
Crow shines on the Jack Pyke pheasant day
Andy Crow joins the line of guns on the annual Jack Pyke shoot day in Bedfordshire on Paul Childerley’s shoot. Also there are Jason and Carly Doyle, Dan Thor, and Jack Pyke competition winner Bleddyn Thomas. They are trying out Jack Pyke’s latest gear and shooting fast flying partridges and pheasants. Crow’s on fire […]
Fieldsports Britain – Shooting with a flourish
The Jack Pyke shoot day in Bedfordshire is a glorious day in the English countryside, with Andy Crow, Jason and Carly Doyle, Dan Thor, and all organised on his own shoot by Paul Childerley. See how they get on – with the birds and with each other. Plus we have a pimped pigeon hide […]
What are the best over under shotguns under £2,000 and are they proofed for shooting steel shot?
With more and more game shooters in the UK moving from their old non-steel-proof shotguns to modern steel-proof guns, what’s the best over-and-under shotgun for the money and is it proofed for shooting steel shot? Gunshop owner Ian Hodge of Ian Hodge Fieldsports talks through his bestsellers. The Beretta Silver Pigeon 3 might […]
Swarovski bets on field of view with NL Pure hunting binoculars
Swarovski’s new binoculars have an amazing field-of view, great quality glass at an eye-watering £2,370. Tim Pilbeam tries them out as he searches for this year’s best hunting (and fishing) binoculars. Forget light transmission, forget ease-of-use – they are last year’s optic USPs. Swarovski’s three new binocular launches push a new boundary: it’s […]
Boris buddy calls for terror acts against hunts and shoots – Fieldsports News, 14 October 2020
Here are the links: Civil servant turned activist calls for ‘taking back the countryside’ – Facebook Bid to protect post-Brexit food standards rejected – BBC Walkers annoyed about open access land closure – Twitter Hunts may scrap traditional Boxing Day meets – Daily Telegraph Queen honours Scottish gamekeeper Big cats ‘booming’ in Britain, say […]
Most popular clay guns
What clay guns do Fieldsports Channel viewers use? There is one clear winner, one runner-up, and viewers vote up several of the smaller shotgun makes for fit, looks, customer service and value for money. First up: 87% of you who shoot clays shoot the sporting disciplines, 22% of you are trap shooters and I […]
Shooting clays from telehandlers
We join a team of guns including Andy Crow, Paul Childerley and Olympic gold medalist Peter Wilson to try out a new simulated shoot in Oxfordshire. Charlie Jacoby is Andy’s loader, and Andy is Charlie’s loader – which, of course, ends in argument. For more from Truly Simulated, visit TrulySimulated.co.uk Additional camera work: JMCProductionUK.com
Fieldsports Britain – Crow’s simulated shocker
Andy Crow faces some of the highest clays he has ever seen. He is on a sim game day in Oxfordshire with a range of personalities including England former rugby player Tom Croft, Olympic shooting gold medallist Peter Wilson and our own Paul Childerley. We also have a shooting star explaining how you can […]
RSPB ‘self-isolates’ from shooting community with demanding gamebird review
Ben O’Rourke The RSPB is threatening to call for a ban on gamebird shooting if moorland managers don’t do what it wants. That’s the takeaway from the charity’s ‘virtual’ annual general meeting on Saturday 10 October 2020, at which it released a year-long review on gamebird shooting and the moorland management that comes with […]
Best airgun scopes 2020
Back in March 2020, 3,500 of you filled out our survey on what kit you use. Nearly 300 of you told us about your airgun optics, and here are the results. There’s one brand that has half the market. In third place, it’s MTC, and the model you are most likely to own is […]
Difficult questions for the RSPB before ‘virtual’ AGM
How come the RSPB gets to accept government and National Lottery grants for conservation work in 2020, and then furlough half its staff. Ben O’Rourke wants RSPB members to put that and other questions to the bird organisation at its AGM on Saturday 10 October 2020. It’s that time of year when the RSPB […]
Hunting battling red stags in Scotland
Charlie Jacoby is above Helmsdale in the North Highlands of Scotland with professional stalker John Dodd. John is guiding Charlie on to a red stag at the start of the 2020 red rut. To go stalking with John, visit ProHuntLtd.co.uk What’s Charlie shooting with? John Dodd and his team of stalkers wear […]
On test: Sako Powerhead Blade
How does Sako’s new Powerhead Blade bullet work on deer? The non-toxic load is a winner on the range and in ballistic gel. Roy Lupton takes it out in the fallow rut in the South of England to try it out on a fallow buck. Find out how he gets on. For Sako’s Powerhead Blade, […]
Fieldsports Britain – deer ruts are underway
The fallow rut is starting in the south of England, the red rut in Scotland, two deerstalkers go out in each to bag a buck and a stag. Roy Lupton is our fallow-antler clatterer, hunting down the perfect cull buck in Sussex. Meanwhile, in the North Highlands of Scotland, Charlie is on the […]
Grouse shooting biased report – Fieldsports News, 7 October 2020
Here are the links: Channel 4 steps up anti-shooting campaign with mindless muirburn ‘scoop’ – Channel 4 MI5 Creates New Left-Wing Terrorism Unit – The Point Queen to announce end of trophy hunting imports, antis claim – Independent African people make YouTube appeal: keep hunting – YouTube Gamebirds a threat to snakes – Guardian […]
Will Boris’s biodiversity boost work?
Ben O’Rourke The UK’s wildlife is in danger and needs protecting, says Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He doesn’t say from what, but says the government will designate another 4,000 square kilometres of land as protected, taking the total up to 30% of the devolved kingdoms’ land. Some wildlife groups have welcomed the move, […]
The fight for Welsh rook-shooting – Fieldsports News, 30 September 2020
Here are the links: High Court allows BASC to join general licences review – Fieldsports News Capgen 1: Petition to make trespass criminal could subvert sabs – Change.org Cumbria police alter ‘illegal hunting’ poster after complaints – Facebook Gamekeepers targeted after golden eagle tracker find – Guardian Grantham man guilty of possessing goshawks – […]
Best hunting knives 2020
Everyone has an opinion about their knife – not always good. Fieldsports Channel viewers are often critical of their own blades. Perhaps the perfect knife is yet to be made. Lockdown saw you the Fieldsports Channel viewers filling out our survey: 3,500 responses of which 528 were on the subject of knives. The most […]
Catapult pest control with thermal imagers
Squirrel shooting with thermal, feral pigeons and even bigger birds. That’s the challenge facing ace catapult shot Wayne Martin. He proves the rule that if you can make the shot, you can take the shot – if you can’t, don’t. For Cattyshack, visit CattyShack.co.uk For Pulsar’s Helion2 thermal spotter, go to ThomasJacks.co.uk/pulsar/product.asp?ref=4147
Fieldsports Britain – Wayne’s thermal catty hunt
Top catapult shot Wayne Martin is out after pests on Andy Crow’s farm – and he has a thermal spotter to help him do it. In his sights are squirrels, feral pigeons and even a goose – because he’s good enough. We also look at perruque deer. The Fieldsports Channel viewers tell us about […]
The big ‘green’ shotgun shell test – Fieldtester, episode 2
This month we go green and test the shotgun shells with the best eco credentials. Presented by David Wright, Jason Doyle and Tim Pilbeam with help from Jack Clutterbuck from Raytrade they examine the top products the manufacturers and distributors have to offer. Is it about steel is it about lead, is it […]
How much is my gun worth? Value my shotgun!
You want to get a fair price for your gun or sell guns? If you’re thinking of selling your guns, how can you find out how accurate used gun values are? Gunshop owner Dan Pool from Braces of Bristol answers the question, ‘How to value my shotgun’ and explains what you need to consider. Follow […]
Why you need to clean your rifle sound moderator
You should clean your rifle moderator every time you shoot your gun, says Robbie Sheddon at Cluny Country Guns. Robbie shows us the results of what happens if you don’t give your gun suppressor or ‘silencer’ a little bit of care and attention. Cluny Country Guns stock lots of different moderators and they also […]
How does steel shot affect shotgun barrels?
How much does steel shot affect your barrels? We speak to Jack Clutterbuck from Raytrade, UK, importer of Turkish shotgun make Yildiz, about how we need to rethink our relationship with our shotguns. For more, visit: RaytradeUK.co.uk YildizShotgunsUK.co.uk
Best value springer air rifle 2020
Johnny Muston from gunshop R&K Stockcraft puts his reputation on the line by explaining what he thinks is – pound for pound – the best springer air rifle on the market. Using his years of experience, he chooses the rifle that is the most accurate for under £300. He puts the Weihrauch HW99 S […]
Is vegan dogfood good for dogs?
High-profile dog-owners including F1 driver Lewis Hamilton endorse and feed their pet dogs a vegan diet. So can our domesticated ‘wolves’ do well as herbivores? We ask animal physiologist Dr David Marlin about the nutritional value of vegan dog food. Plus we do a simple taste test between meat, a meat and vegetable mix […]
Channel 4 News attacks grousemoors
If you watched Channel 4 News on the evening of Monday 21 September 2020, you may have been outraged by coverage of the apparent killing in May of a goshawk on a grousemoor in North Yorkshire. If not, you can watch the video embedded below. If you feel like complaining about it, there are details […]
How to make your shoot covid safe
One thing that the sport of shooting knows all about and that’s safety. Like thousands of shoots up and down the UK, the Steventon Shoot in Hampshire has come up with superb coronavirus-safety measures. Roy Lupton has a day’s partridge shooting there with guns including Shooting Times editor Patrick Galbraith and Olympic medallist Steve […]
Fieldsports Britain – win a day’s pheasant shooting
Lots of firsts this season: driven gameshooting is covid-safe, there’s the new Beretta Silver Pigeon III to try, and Olympic medallist Steve Scott has taken up gameshooting. Roy Lupton enjoys a day at the Steventon Shoot in Hampshire, where you can win a peg. Every month throughout the 2020/21 season, Sporting Game Services is […]
Councils pay to get rid of ‘rare’ seagulls
Ben O’Rourke In the ancient ballad Scarborough Fair, a man tells his ex-girlfriend, who lives in the North Yorkshire town, to complete some impossible tasks if she wants to win him back. A contemporary version of the song might include ridding the town of herring gulls, something people have been trying to do […]
Best rifle moderators for 2021
Moderators, suppressors, silencers – they are becoming more and more popular worldwide as countries relax their restrictions on them. So which ones are the Fieldsports Channel viewers buying? A massive 3,500 of you responded to our March 2020 survey about kit and 10% of those answered the section on rifle moderators. We asked you to […]
TV News grouseshooting contempt – Fieldsports News, 23 September 2020
Here are the links: Channel 4 News targets moor managers in rule-breaking report – YouTube Channel 4 complaints: Ofcom and Channel 4 – we want to complain that (1) Channel 4 News is prejudging the goshawk case before it comes to court (contempt of court?) and (2) it is ‘jumping’ the shoot, similar to this […]
Giant London fox shot
Vermin controllers have shot an unusually large fox on a south London golf course. Ross Vanner sends in this picture of the 27lb animal next to a smaller fox. He was lamping for his friend Graeme. Meanwhile, BBC TV presenter Chris Packham has accused the fieldsports community of spreading fear with giant fox stories. […]
Northern Irish council signs off red squirrel death warrant
Councillors at Ards North Down Borough Council are to let grey squirrels breed, even though that will lead to the extinction of local red squirrels. They turned down a cull and, instead, are looking at ‘alternatives to enhancing numbers of red squirrels,’ reports Belfast Live. Squeamish councillor Nick Mathison tells the newspaper: “We are being […]
Packham and sabs step up action as badger culls begin
BBC TV host Chris Packham is criticising the government for extending its badger culling. The celebrity describes the decision as “devastating”, insisting it “makes very little sense”. DEFRA has added 11 areas to the badger cull zones around England, and up to 60,000 animals will be killed. Packham, who is vice-president of RSPCA and RSPB, […]
Torches on test
As tech hits the lamping market, the fox and rabbitshooters who prefer lamping to night vision and thermal now attach torches to their scopes. You find your animal with a handheld torch, and you quickly acquire it in your scope with your rifle-mounted torch. While handheld lamps are still narrow in beam compared to ordinary […]
Foxshooter protects sheep and pheasants
Dorset foxshooter David Pomeroy has two jobs tonight. There’s a farm on the Dorset downs that milks sheep, and he is out token the foxes down there, and there is another landowner nearby with pheasant pens to protect from foxes. He takes his Blaser R8 Professional Success and Thermion XM38 riflescope out to find […]
On test: Pulsar Digex N450 night vision scope on foxes
In a world of thermal, Roy Lupton tries out a night vision scope. He takes the Pulsar Digex N450 night vision scope out after foxes. Find out how he gets on. Click here for more about the Digex night vision
What does ‘ballistic tip’ mean?
Ballistic is a much over-used word. You may associate it with nuclear weapons. The word is pointlessly used to describe long-range missiles with nuclear warheads. It has nothing to do with the power of the payload. When you use it with the word ‘missile’, ‘ballistic’ means there is a guidance system on board. Otherwise […]
