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.

It’s about respect

GWCT’s annual bird count paints a positive picture • The GWCT’s 10th Big Farmland Bird Count was another success, and the results highlight the benefits that shooting brings to conservation

Wildfowl highway proposed

New owners for Shooting Times

To do this week

Calls to ‘lek it be’ to protect capercaillie • With numbers of this iconic bird declining to around 500, police and wildlife rangers have been conducting dawn patrols around lek sites

Contraceptives proposed to control pine martens

Row over police guidelines

NEWS IN BRIEF

Shooting Times & Country

LETTERS

Country Diary • While grey seals might appear lovable to some, a brutal morning scene is a stark reminder that they are extremely efficient hunters

Gamekeeper • Good habitat management is more important than ever, and it will go a long way in helping to keep grey partridge stocks on the ground

Stalking Diary • The beginning of the roebuck season brings out both the beautiful English wildlife and the dangers to be watchful for when stalking

JOTTINGS FOR WILDFOWLERS A CLASSIC SERIES REVISITED • As our hobby comprises sitting on a desolate foreshore watching small black dots flying around on the horizon, we need to be dressed for it

When a clinical approach is needed • With the local roe causing untold damage to surrounding habitats, all tactics come into play in order to control the booming population and protect biodiversity

The new cub in town • The nation is split regarding urban foxes but one thing is for sure — no amount of easy pickings will stop them predating on our cherished species, says Mike Swan

Beating the drum for social wellbeing • Beating isn’t just good exercise, it fosters communities, promotes inclusivity and has mental health benefits too, says Jamie Culpan

Leading the rabbits down the garden path • Fed up with decimated flower beds, Charles Hartley looks for a budget air rifle to get the job done but finds a gun worthy of heirloom status

The constant evolution of a shooting man • Who shoots, what we shoot and how we do it is always changing, says Giles Catchpole

Going beyond the letter of the law • While a car gun box isn’t a legal requirement, it can pay dividends in the peace of mind it offers you when out and about, says Nathan Little

Serious matters • How well do you tip a keeper after a shoot?

Why you must learn the language of snow • It may seem like the perfect conditions, and it is certainly pretty, but you must always be on your guard in snow, warns Simon Whitehead

ABC OF FERRETING • In this column, Simon outlines the essentials of good ferreting

The cannon fodder of the natural world • Recalling the fate of a nest of chicks from his youth, Soldier Palmer ponders on the fast-producing, hardy birds known as meadow pipits

The building blocks have been destroyed • The British countryside has been utilised repeatedly over the years, and Lindsay Waddell examines the damage humans have caused

Sizing up the problem • Dwarfism is a relatively common disorder in labradors, but it’s not always obvious if a dog has the condition, discovers David Tomlinson

DINING WITH YOUR...