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Shooting, gun dogs training, gun questions answered | Shooting Times
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Best advice and tips country and field sports issues from gun dogs, training, rough shooting, game keeping, deer stalking and technical and legal issues. Also find advice on recipes, shooting etiquette and hunting and fishing.
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Calling roe deer
Q)With the roe rut approaching, can you advise me on the best calls? I have had conflicting advice from alleged experts.
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P. GABRIEL
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By email
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A poacher's 12-bore
Q) Can you provide any background on my late father’s Midland Gun Company single-barrelled 12-bore? The gun is serial number 9,374 and was bought at auction in 1938. It has a 36in barrel and 3in chamber, and is magnum-proofed for a 1½oz load. Though the ejector no longer functions correctly, it is still effective against the grey squirrels and pigeon that raid my orchard and garden. My father was ’Lijah James, the notorious poacher, as featured in More Tales of the Old Poachers, by John Humphreys.
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O. JAMES
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Norfolk
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Keeping the hutch cool
Q) Now that summer is upon us and the weather is warming up, I am concerned that my ferrets will overheat. What is the best way to keep their hutch cool?
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J. COWLEAZE
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By email
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Are egrets a threat to our fish?
Highly regarded writer and ornithologist
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Snow camoufage
Shooting consultant and sporting author
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Taking rifles abroad
Every week the Shooting Times panel of Experts answers your sporting questions
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BSA models identified
50 years in the gun trade and expert on all airguns
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White deer tales
Widely regarded as the world expert on roe deer
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Rat infestation
<strong>Q) We appear to have a plague of rats, and there are runways to all our hoppers in certain drives. Is this due to the fact that we are hopper feeding, and am I right in thinking we will be unable to deal with the rats until we have finished feeding at the end of the season? F. HARPER By email</strong>
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Fascinating Phantams
<strong>Q) I can recall once seeing a photograph of a “phantam” — a cross between a bantam hen and a cock pheasant — on the letters page of Shooting Times. How unusual is this cross-breed, and are the offspring fertile? P. ACTON By email</strong>
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Sporting Answers
<strong>Q) I recently bought a double hammerless non-ejector shotgun at auction for £250. It is listed as a BSA Special Sporting gun in 12-bore and suitable for 23⁄4in cartridges. The number is 41746. Is it worth the price I paid and can I use modern cartridges in it? J. TREVELLION By email</strong>
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KEEPING TRACK
<strong>Q) I ferret some large warrens and am often alone when doing so. The problem with this is that I am afraid of losing a ferret if it wanders off while I am busy. How can I avoid this?</strong>
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Pigeon disease
<strong>Q) We are noticing a large number of sick and dead pigeon on our shoot. I have been told they are suffering from acorn poisoning as a result of the extra large fall this autumn. Could this be the case or do they have a virus that might affect pheasants? T. BUTLER By email</strong>
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A motor matter
<strong>Q) I have bought a dory with an outboard motor which I want to use for wildfowling. I know it is illegal to shoot with the motor running, but do I have to remove it from the transom before I start to shoot? It is very heavy and takes up a lot of room in the boat. M. THOMPSON By email</strong>
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Lack of pigeon
<strong>Q) Normally at this time of year we have plenty of pigeon. We have an abundance of acorns and beechmast, and normally the pigeon would be attracted to this feast, but this year we have only a fraction of the number on our shoot. Where are all the pigeon? T. SYMES By email</strong>
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Duck Disturbance
<strong>Q) A few friends and I rent an area of woodland and have a small pheasant shoot there. We usually have no problems with our neighbours and make every effort to minimise any disturbance. Now an area of ground has begun to flood and attract numbers of duck. We want to develop this pond and have explained to our neighbours what we are trying to achieve. One neighbour with whom we get on quite well, and who is happy to accept a few pheasants during the season, has been seen at the pond chasing duck away, presumably to stop them flighting and so making the pond worthless as a facet of the shoot. Is there anything we can do to stop his actions? (Name and address supplied)<strong>
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W.J. Jeffrey & Co
<strong>Q) I have just acquired a 12-bore side-by-side non-ejector in fair condition. The maker is W. J. Jeffery & Co Ltd, 9 Golden Square, Regent St, London W1. It is nitro proofed and the serial No. is 38319. Can you tell me anything about the maker? A. WARD Hampshire</strong>
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Not so good neighbours
<strong>Q) Our rather bad shoot neighbours have dumped large mounds of wheat tailings on their land close to our boundary. Some of my poults have already found it and I am dogging them back, but as a part-time keeper I feel I am fighting a losing battle. Do you have any suggestions? The neighbours do not release any birds but are only too happy to shoot ours! (Name and address supplied)</strong>
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Refrigerated units
<strong>Q) I have been advised that to sell our dead game we have to buy a refrigerated unit to store birds until the gamedealer arrives, but our gamedealer always arrives on the evening that we have shot. Is this not just another case of regulations gone mad? We do not start shooting until November, spread our birds out and use a game room that has served us well for years. Do we have to comply with this? F. HARPER By email</strong>
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A Verney Carron Helice
<strong>Q) I have been given a Verney Carron side-by-side 16-bore Helice 33 shotgun,No. 0441. It appears to have a “fixed” foreend so I am unable to remove it to see any proof markings etc. Can you tell me about this gun and the fore-end also? A. COOPER By email</strong>
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