The UK’s increasing deer population is as much an opportunity as a challenge. That is the message from stalkers and rural residents. (Read more on the growing impact of the…
Matt Cross
Features writer
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What is the value of shooting? What does it contribute to the economy?
What is the value of shooting? What is it worth? Of course, this question cannot be answered definitively. How can you place a value on a day out with your…
New bill to criminalise estates without proof
Scotland’s rural communities are braced for the publication of the Wildlife Management (Grouse) Bill, which will introduce a licensing scheme for grouse shoots. The Scottish government carried out a consultation…
Moose hunting in Estonia – accompanying an all-female shoot
If you want a practical Estonian hunting tip, it is this; don’t go hunting in Estonia in a Volkswagen Polo. It is great for battering up the E67 from Riga…
Scottish estates found to promote well-being
As the Scottish government prepares a fresh round of land-reform legislation, leading experts in the rural economy have found that Scotland’s estates make a vital contribution to well-being in the…
Fresh bird flu crisis looms
Despite radical measures by the French government, the most deadly form of bird flu, High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza, or HPAI, has continued to tear through poultry units in the country’s…
Hunt sab arrested over assault on 81 year old man
Alexandra Dennis was fined over the attack on retired fine art consultant Richard de Pelet. The brutal assault, which sent the elderly victim crashing to the ground, took place in…
Success in campaign to protect Welsh general licences
Large-scale, damaging changes to general licences for Wales have been avoided. The licences have come under close political focus in the country after a challenge by Wild Justice. The licences…
Wild Justice launches fresh attack on shoots
Wild Justice, the anti-shooting campaign group led by Chris Packham, has used the avian influenza outbreak to launch yet another attack on shooting. The decision by Defra to allow the…
Hopes high for change of regulations to support game bird imports
When the UK left the EU, a number of the European Union’s laws were incorporated into UK law. One of these rules prohibited the import of chicks or eggs from…
Push to get game on Christmas tables as turkey supply falters
Turkey production and particularly farming of the free range birds has been hit by a perfect storm of disease and cost increases, which has pushed up prices and slashed the…
What’s best for shooters? Ear plugs or ear muffs?
Hearing loss is a serious issue for anyone who shoots. It can be temporary or permanent, it can build up slowly over years or be caused by a single incident.…
How is hunting viewed in other countries?
Covid will leave behind many traces. In 1,000 years’ time, archeologists will find a layer of disposable face masks, or in a few decades grandparents will point to lines on…
Trophy hunting ban is possibly racist, says MP
Despite ferocious criticism from both scientists and African community groups, a bill to ban imports of hunting trophies has moved forward in Parliament. The second reading of the Hunting Trophies…
BASC slams Government’s lead ammunition review
BASC has accused the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of serious failings over its lead ammunition review. It has claimed that the agency is “marking its own homework” after the…
Staff made redundant by leading anti-shooting charity
A leading anti-shooting and anti-hunting organisation has this month scrapped its investigations team and made a number of staff redundant. The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), which celebrates its centenary…
‘Muted’ grouse season draws to a close
The crucial spring breeding period passed largely without incident, meaning that numbers of young birds were relatively good. Where birds did breed, chick numbers were high with broods of six…
Rural organisations sceptical of RSPB bird crime report
After making the astonishing claim that 2021 was the second worst year ever recorded for offences against birds of prey, the charity went on to say: “At the RSPB AGM…
What is the potential impact of bird flu for the 2023 season?
The supply of game birds from France to the UK was heavily disrupted in the spring due to import restrictions and lack of supply arising from an exceptionally severe outbreak…
Scientists reveal true picture of woodcock shooting in the UK
Dr Joah Madden of the University of Exeter used game cards and adverts to try and track down the truth about woodcock shooting. Woodcock shooting has become the centre of…