Stalking boots matter. Because nothing ruins a fine day on the hill like a blistered heel. We’ve all been there. Add to this the misery of wet feet or cold toes and the perils of poorly picked footwear can really add up. (Take a look at our list of the…
Shooting
Here are articles to help and inform all aspects of your shooting, whether you’re a novice shooter or somebody who has been out in the field every season for years. You will find pieces on how you can improve, learn new skills and hone your technique.
We also keep a keen eye out for changes to gun laws and Government legislation.
You might be a gameshooter or clays might be much more your bag.
Then there are the pigeon shooting fans and those who love nothing better than being out on the foreshore, wildfowling.
Rabbiting has a section too.
If you’re looking to see how a particular ground performed than check out our shoot reports.
Our contributors frequently write about deer stalking with guidance on different species, locations and equipment.
Finally we encourage the next generation of shooters, informing and educating Young Shots.
Are you going to shoot game or focus on clayshooting?
Driven | Walked-up/Rough | Improve your shooting |
Lamping | Improve your clayshooting | Improve your pigeon shooting
Why a stalking syndicate is so important
Some would have you think stalking permissions are to be guarded like bank details. Accounts of falling out and “never again” attempts to manage deer collaboratively are easy to come by; you only have to look. It’s a shame, really, because the benefits of sharing the privilege are many. You…
The growing deer population: its impact and the options open to us
I have been thinking about the future of deer and their impact in England. With the COVID-19 pandemic and near-annihilation of the venison market, what lies in store for the English deer population and their abundance in the years ahead? Where is the ‘Goldilocks zone’ in the maintenance of deer…
Are curlew numbers declining? The suggests they are
Where I farm in Galloway, curlew numbers seem to be declining every year. There are a number of drivers for this collapse, not least the rapid expansion of commercial forestry in our uplands and a dramatic ramping up of grassland management. During the course of the spring, I set out…
First stalk of the spring – pest control with air rifles
Personally, I find winter hunting more successful. A flick through my diary shows that to be the case too, whether it’s rats on a farm, squirrels from a hide or rabbits at night. However, nothing epitomises the joy of air rifle hunting more than stalking the hedgerows in spring and…
What constitutes a big bag in shooting? 150, 200, 300
What constitutes a ‘big bag’ in shooting. Is it 150, 200, 300 birds? A big bag in shooting For all the talk, what counts as a big bag in shooting? To some extent, it’s a matter of perception — and that’s not making light of the issue. Some of the…
Outdoor bags – the ideal choices for fieldsports
We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. Nothing gladdens my heart and lifts my spirit more than the thought of putting away my thermal boots and…
Tips to improve your rifle shooting and markmanship
So your stalking kit has been cleaned and stowed away, and you’ll likely see more venison on the barbecue than under a cross-hair for the next few months. But the past few months may have given you pause for thought and the desire to improve your rifle shooting. (Read our…
Why a bit of moderation in shooting right now might not be a bad thing
Could a shortage of imported gamebirds for this coming season signal structural change in driven game shooting? In years to come, will we look back and recognise this season as the turning point — the first time in decades that the inexorable trend of releasing more and more pheasants was…
Deer ammunition: does your chosen calibre fit the bill?
Thinking about deer ammunition While driving to the ground on one foggy morning on the A1, I was thinking about a discussion I had with a friend. That discussion was about deer calibres and recent changes in lead-free bullets in the UK deer scene. Before I even got to the…
Why summer is the most important time to control grey squirrels
It is easy to let the control of grey squirrels go off the boil through the summer, but taking the pressure off these invasive opportunists at this time of year can quickly undo previous efforts to keep them in check. Lapses in squirrel control during the warmer months can usually…
Summer roebuck stalking – why June is a difficult month
A super blood moon had graced the heavens the night before. With so much cosmological excitement and an early sunrise, I decided to aim for mid-morning. It was an unusually warm and muggy day. There is no mistaking it, it’s buck season. Where I was heading to, the cows are…
Why Norfolk is the perfect sporting county
A ribbon of life runs north outside Fakenham in Norfolk on its way to the sea. Either side of the River Stiffkey, well-drained land rises and falls, giving the lie to Noel Coward’s casual quip: “very flat, Norfolk”. There are trout to be had in the clear chalkstreams and I…
Using a bait trap for grey squirrel control
Controlling grey squirrels is a job that needs to be done right through the year if you are going to make a dent in their numbers – and keep them down. The methods we use can vary from season to season, but there is no denying that setting up a…
Gundog training equipment: here’s what a top trainer says you’ll need
Kitting yourself out with gundog training equipment before the season? Tony runs through his own list of ‘must have’ essentials.
Shooting corvids: Why our corvids are all going raven mad
Overall, our corvids are doing well these days. Even the recent modest decline of the rook should be set in the context of a largely increasing picture since the 1930s. The rarest, the chough, is now given green status in the current British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) listing, having staged…
A shooting lesson. Why we can all benefit from one.
What I really want – a shooting lesson I was asked recently what I would like for my birthday. I thought about this while the usual suspects whistled through my imagination. Aston Martin DB6 shooting brake, pair of Woodward hammerguns, a week at the grouse and more besides. It was,…
Early season pigeon shooting – how to get the most out of it
I won’t keep on about my jaw injury, but it feels like months since I fell out of that ash tree. I was recently speaking to a friend, who is an ex-England rugby player, about injuries. He was absolutely right when he said it will feel like eternity to me…
Gundog rabbit trials
Once the staple quarry of the rough shooter, the humble rabbit has become something of a rarity in the countryside, with the result that generations of modern gundogs have little or no experience of them. Their scarcity may be most pronounced in southern Britain, but the rabbit population of the…
The joys of solo stalking
Some years ago, my wife was so busy at work that she proposed to hire somebody to exercise her horse. I remarked that this was like me paying somebody to go to the pub for me. Why not simply get rid of the horse? I was informed that my opinion…