Charles Smith-Jones

Charles Smith-Jones

Charles is a lifelong naturalist and countryman with a particular passion for deer which he has studied, stalked and managed for over forty years.  He is a firm advocate of intelligent, ethical and humane deer management.  An all-round field sportsman, he enjoys most shooting disciplines and fly fishing.  Despite many past associations with gundogs, hounds and hawks he still resolutely refuses to go near a horse.

 Following an Army career, Charles lectured in countryside management at Sparsholt College, Hampshire where he specialised in deer and firearms.  He now devotes his time to wildlife consultancy and writing.  He has planned and supervised deer management at national and local levels, assesses and conducts DSC training, and after serving as a Trustee/Director of the British Deer Society (BDS) now acts as the Society’s Technical Advisor.

He is a regular contributor to various national publications including Sporting Gun and frequently represents the BDS in the media.  He has written five books, his most recent being Practical Deer Management (2019) and A Guide to the Deer of the World (2022).

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BSA Sportsman Five

  • April 13, 2023

A couple of years ago, Blast from the Past looked at a Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) product, the No 2 rifle, which entered production in 1909 and persevered well into…

Second-hand Browning B525

  • March 14, 2023

The B525 made its first appearance in 2003, representing the latest in the range of shotguns built for Browning by Miroku and succeeding the highly popular B425 model. It is…

Sika stag

  • March 11, 2023

Sika deer quick facts Distribution Found across most of Japan with scattered populations in China and the east of Russia. Introduced elsewhere including parts of Europe, Madagascar, New Zealand, the…

Tikka rifles

  • February 11, 2023

The brand name of Tikka has long been synonymous with high-quality Finnish hunting rifles and this month’s Blast from the past looks at two older Tikka rifles, the M590 and…

AyA No.1

  • February 8, 2023

If you have always craved a London best shotgun but cannot afford a price tag that will probably exceed £50,000, there is an alternative. True, most of us still need…

Greater white-fronted geese

  • February 7, 2023

The white-fronted goose is very much a winter visitor to the UK, breeding in Greenland and Siberia before moving south in search of a more clement climate. Arriving here from…

Perazzi MX8

  • January 10, 2023

Looking for a proven competition clay gun that's won almost everything on offer? Your search is over with the Perazzi MX8

Relum Tornado

  • November 8, 2022

Relum Tornado – tech specs Country of origin: Hungary Action: Spring powered, underlever Stock options: Wood only Overall length: 44in Barrel length: 18½in Magazine: None Left-hand version: No Weight (bare):…

AYA shotgun

  • October 31, 2022

Why choose a second-hand AYA shotgun? Are you looking for a quality side-by-side shotgun? Perhaps you might want it specifically for driven or walked-up shooting, or for general pottering or…

Woodpigeon feeding young

  • October 28, 2022

There is probably not much need to give a full description about woodpigeon, though it may sometimes be necessary to distinguish it from the closely related rock and stock doves…