Natural England has issued a two-year licence approving brood management trials for hen harriers as part of Defra’s recovery plan. The six-point Hen Harrier Action Plan was published in early…
Mark Layton
News Editor Shooting Times
New angling rules for salmon
The Environment Agency has announced new plans to help protect plummeting salmon numbers across English rivers and the river Esk in Scotland. Proposals include halting the taking of salmon from…
Game sales are sky-rocketing
The popularity of game meat is rocketing, with sales in the UK rising by 8.6 per cent in the last year and some Scottish game dealers reporting a five-fold increase…
Abbey Ling named Clay Shooter of the Year
Abbey Ling was voted Clay Shooter of the Year at the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA) Awards, held at The Belfry Hotel & Resort this weekend (Saturday, 3 February). After…
Scotland bans electric dog training collars
Electric dog training collars are to be banned in Scotland, after the Scottish Government made a U-turn on its previous decision not to prohibit their use. Scottish environment secretary Roseanna…
Massive support for Commonwealth Games petition
The Shooting Times petition to put shooting sports back on to the programme for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been signed over 50,000 people at the time of writing.…
Shooters can help deliver new environmental plan
Shooters and farmers have a big part to play in delivering the Government’s new 25 Year Environmental Plan, say rural groups. The plan for a “cleaner, greener Britain” was launched…
Defra boss shares rural vision
Rural groups have welcomed the commitment to British farming shown by Defra secretary Michael Gove as he set out his vision for the future of the industry in a speech…
Fury as councillors end shooting on Ilkley Moor
Bradford Council’s Labour Group has refused to renew the grouse shooting lease on Ilkley Moor in a move shooting groups claimed was made to appease the animal rights lobby. Bradford…
New Northern Forest to be planted
The Government has announced plans to create a new Northern Forest spanning more than 120 miles between Bradford, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. With backing from Defra secretary Michael Gove, the…
Lobby your MP for fair firearms licensing
The Countryside Alliance has launched a new campaign seeking consistent and fair firearms licensing. It comes in response to the “failing” medical procedures introduced in 2016 for shooters seeking applications…
Keepers helped feed homeless this Christmas
Angus and Grampian gamekeepers teamed up to give more than 600 homeless and vulnerable people a freshly cooked meal of local game over the festive period. Members of the Angus…
Help to save grey partridges by noting your numbers
Keepers, farmers and land managers are being urged to take part in the Partridge Count Scheme this spring. The annual monitoring initiative, which started in 1933, is led by the…
Shooting dropped from Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
Shooting sports look set to be excluded from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, reportedly due to the lack of a suitable venue. This will be the first time since 1970…
BASC confronts West Sussex council over snare ban
BASC has criticised West Sussex County Council’s decision to introduce a snaring ban without holding a consultation first and accused it of breaching the Regulators’ Code. The council introduced a…
Government airgun consultation underway
The Home Office has launched its consultation into the regulation of airguns, which was announced last year. Stakeholders and the public were asked to respond with their opinions as to…
New maps help crack down on bird crime
New interactive maps have been hailed as a valuable tool in the fight against raptor persecution. The maps detail incidents involving the shooting, poisoning and trapping of birds of prey,…
Two Guns dreamed of starting a gunmaking and repair workshop. What happened next?
A rural community has come together to help a Wiltshire gamekeeper and a barrister fulfil their dream of starting up a gunmaking and repair workshop. Nigel Burroughs and Doug Maclean…
Keepers and farmers can help wading birds
A new report by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has emphasised the key role that gamekeepers on grouse moors can play in the conservation of upland waders. The report…
New London shooting fair announced
A brand-new shooting show is coming to the capital next year with the launch of the first annual London Wing Shooting Fair. Held at the Business Design Centre in Islington…