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.

Challenging times

Backlash over minister’s anti-shooting comments • Fieldsports organisations have condemned the stance taken by Welsh minister Julie James MS during a debate on the benefits of shooting

Problems for early nesters

Update on Packham lawsuit

To do this week

Assurance scheme for wild venison launches

US Southern Side-by-Side event draws a good crowd

Moratorium on turtle doves

NEWS IN BRIEF

Shooting Times & Country

LETTERS

Country Diary • The first sighting of a white stork in the area for more than 10 years is welcome proof that dairy farms aren’t a black hole of biodiversity

Gamekeeper • The aims of grouse moors and the RSPB should be the same when it comes to vulnerable species, but is the gap of trust too far to bridge?

Stalking Diary • A night on the thermals is spent watching the comings and goings of a fox den, and the chance encounter of a dog fox bringing in its dinner

JOTTINGS FOR WILDFOWLERS A CLASSIC SERIES REVISITED • Spring is in the air, and a fresh perspective on shooting has led to a change in tactics and a few more ethical considerations when fowling

It’s sim-ply the best fun • Sim days have become a crowded market, and Simon Reinhold advises on how to avoid amateur mistakes when setting up your own

Aim for its nose • The early spring bank holiday proves just the time to have a go at the bunnies once again and put some advice into practice

Casting a fly in unlikely places • The main barrier to our sport is accessibility, says Will Martin, who investigates our cities’ waterways

My first deer • The story of two fallow bucks taught Chris Rogers an important lesson

Can you train a dog with an app? • With a young labrador joining the family, an initially sceptical Marcus Janssen puts Ben Randall’s Gundog App to the test

The data speaks for itself • Looking back on old stalking diaries can throw up a few surprises, as Barry Stoffell discovers when he sets about digitising his entries

A language, a sport, a cherished culture • With a consultation on shoot licensing currently taking place, Charles Grisedale considers the impact its outcome may have

Serious matters • Why has Britain’s road network seemingly transformed into a killing field?

Steyr CL II Breeze fully silenced .308 Win £3,869.99 • This well-balanced rifle is ideal for stalking with its short 16in barrel and eye-catching carbon fibre suppressor, writes Bruce Potts

Instructor of the month • For Anita North, trust, focus and enjoyment are the keys to success

A place for the industry to gather • Back for a second year in Staffordshire, The Stalking Show proved an unparalleled success, says Al Gabriel

Bucking the trend • Dave Whitby examines how the real cost of running a driven shoot has changed over the decades — things are actually cheaper nowadays

A matter of breeding • While a gundog that’s bred for working will likely be the best choice, David Tomlinson has met some unusual candidates that also did well

TRAINING FOR PETS • The success story of a trainer who found a niche

Consider the right covercrop • The use of game crops other than maize is...