Shooting Times & Country

Since its launch in 1882, Shooting Times & Country Magazine has been at the forefront of the shooting scene. The magazine is the clear first choice for shooting sportsmen, with editorial covering all disciplines, including gameshooting, rough shooting, pigeon shooting, wildfowling and deer stalking. Additionally the magazine has a strong focus on the training and use of gundogs in the field and, because it is a weekly publication, the magazine keeps readers firmly up-to-date with the latest news in their world.

A bit different

Shoots are facing ruin and keepers out of jobs • The impact on rural livelihoods and rural life, following the recent general licence fiasco, is starting to be felt but BASC is fighting back

Shooting rights up for grabs

Is bird flu the new normal?

To do this week

Planning controversy over shoot flightponds • The owners of Eskdalemuir have gone to Holyrood for retrospective permission for their duck ponds, but locals are pushing back hard

Estate up for grabs after 700 years in same family

Hare coursers fined £10,000

NEWS IN BRIEF

Shooting Times & Country

LETTERS

Country Diary • Wildfowling is not merely a sport but a way of life, says Willie Athill, and we must bring others onside if we are to protect it for the future

Gamekeeper • It’s a waiting game to see how grey partridge stocks have fared, says Mark Fitzer, and the pheasant poult release programme is underway

Stalking Diary • Our Government has no place in dictating how other countries manage their own wildlife, says Chris Rogers after a visit to the House of Lords

On the Campaign Trail • The Welsh uplands have remained unchanged for centuries, but Tim Bonner believes they are now on the brink of truly radical change

Learning on the job • With an ambition for a full-time stalking companion, Will Pocklington hopes his keen young teckel can rise to the challenge

Some pigeons for the pot • Somehow the more perfect and intricate the plan for emptying a field of woodies, the more certain it is that the heavens will open

Heather heaven or heather hell? • Working on the moors is a real test for spaniels, both in terms of the thick cover and the stamina the terrain requires,

Winning the waiting game • Perseverance and patience are essential when stalking sika says Chris Dalton, as he recalls a hard-fought battle with one stag

Are game fairs worth it? • In the age of ubiquitous internet retail, what magic does the summer game fair still hold for those of a rural inclination, asks Felix Petit

A pain in the grass • With cover at its highest at this time of year, gundogs are exposed to the health risks presented by grass seeds, says David Tomlinson

SAFE EXERCISE • Securely fenced dog paddocks are on the rise

Yildiz Pro 20-bore £1,995 • This classy over-and-under is cracking quality for its price point and makes for a great first competition gun,

Serious matters • Giles Catchpole wonders why we persist in what often appears to be a fruitless pursuit

We need them more than they need us • The state of the UK game meat market makes for depressing reading, says Emily Damment, but a collaborative effort could be the answer

Roe head heyday • It’s been an impressive month for roe heads, topped by an absolute monster,

Where have all the gamekeepers gone? • Lindsay Waddell explores the decline of gamekeepers over the past century but manages to find reasons to be optimistic in the uplands

An unexpected badger ambush • A member of the tracking association must act fast when his stalking dogs come across some surprising opponents

Pigeon Game Cookery • Inspired...