ON OTHER PAGES + NEWS STUMP + ROY ON ROE + FERRETING + LEAD SHOT + FIRELIGHTING + HUNTING YOUTUBE

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Fox, raccoon-dog and salmon from Mother RussiaWe recently produced a film called The Ferrari Macnab. Now footballer and Holly-wood A-lister Vinnie Jones (pictured thrice)

has sent us a new one: the Macnabski.

On a filming trip to Russia, he took time off to shoot a fox and a raccoon and caught a salmon in one day, then went on to rope an 800-pound bull.

After he tried hard with a fly, the salmon fell to a spinner. The fox weighed in at a remarkable 34 pounds without the snow. They make them big in Russia – the British record is 36lb. It was a 212-yard shot with a Tikka T3 in .308. <

Vinnie’s Macnabski

Fieldsports Britain, episode 156. Visit www.fieldsportschannel.tv

Vinnie and his fox...

...and his salmon... ...and his raccoon dog...and his raccoon dog

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The excitement of finally seeing the desired object.

The certainty of taking secure aim even in the deepest twilight.

This is the moment we work for.

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News Stump All the stuff David reads out on the programmeShooters help crashed plane pilot Two shooters dashed to the rescue when a light aircraft crash-landed in front of them as they were heading off for an afternoon’s pigeon shoot-ing in North Yorkshire. DTL shooter Jack Thompson, who won the BASC World .410 Championships in September, set off shortly before 3pm to spend the afternoon with his friend Sam Graham, ambushing the birds on a field of barley stubble near his home, about 20 miles south-west of York. The pair dashed across a field in their Suzuki four-by-four, crossed a dyke and climbed the bank, to find the two pilots dazed but unharmed. The Piper Arrow aircraft was visiting from Lin-colnshire, and is thought to have suffered engine failure as it approached Sherburn Aero Club near Sherburn-in-Elmet. Jack and Sam helped to ferry emergency services personnel and firefighting equipment to and from the scene before abandoning their shooting plans.

2012 Retriever ChampionshipThe best retrievers and handlers from Britain and Ireland are head-ing for the Cawdor Estate in Northern Scotland next week, by kind invitation of the Earl Cawdor. Some 55 dogs are expected at the 2012 Retriever Championship will be held on 26-28 November 2012. Inter-national Gundog League sponsor Skinners, which also sponsors this news bulletin, is delighted to have been associated with the IGL for nearly 30 years. For more, go to InternationalGundogLeagueRetriev-erSociety.org.uk

Record halibutA retired policeman from Germany battled for three hours to catch a 540-pound halibut, a new world record. The fish was so big that at one point Reinhard Wuhrmann’s rod snapped in two. The 62-year-old and two, fishing off Norway, others were only able to haul it onto their boat after tying a rope around it when it came alongside. The previous record for an Atlantic halibut was held by fellow German Gunther Hansel who caught a 483lb specimen off Iceland last year.

Balkan pheasantsFancy high pheasant shooting for a quarter the price of Devon or Nor-thumberland? That dot in the sky is a pheasant. Sporting agent Lasa-rotta which specialises in sport in Croatia and Serbia is offering two back-to-back 300-Mediterranean-bird days in December at £13 per bird plus flights. Visit www.lasarotta.co.uk

White Gold is backCartridge company Gamebore is backing two new clay competitions for 2013. Based on the popular White Gold Cup, one new competi-tion is called the White Gold Challenge. Gamebore also plans to run a championship called the Gamebore Gold Cup, a 150-bird Sporting course at the Westfield Shooting Ground in Gloucestershire. Visit Gamebore.com for more.

Shooters save deerAnother story about shooters saving the day. This time we are in South Dakota, USA. A party of pheasant shooters discovered two deer with antlers locked together. One deer had already died and the eagles were feeding on it as the other one struggled to get free. The shooters esti-mate that these deer had been in this situation for at least a couple of days.

Fieldsports Britain, episode 156. Visit www.fieldsportschannel.tv

News Stump is brought to you by

Now it may appear that Roy hasn’t been quite so eager to pull the trigger of late. A few op-portunities during the roe and fallow rut presented themselves, but Roy fought temp-tation in the name of deer management. All good things come to those who wait.A bit of will power means a deer that looks good one year can mean medal quality the next. Well that’s all very well and good in theory but then someone comes along and screws it all up. And more often than not these days it’s poachers. Roy has got a few of those making their presence felt on his ground in Hampshire. He finds all that remains of a roebuck – its head.

“We have got a big problem which is emerging throughout most of the country, and that is commercial poaching,” says Roy. “Un-fortunately this old boy here has been a victim of it, but the big-gest problem we are facing is it is not just one or two individual animals which are being taken. We are now looking at poaching on a commercial scale.

“Up until now a lot of the police forces have been treating this with a little bit of apathy. My hope is that by working together with stalkers, estates and the local wildlife liaison officers that we can put an end to commercial poaching. And hopefully put an end to seeing sights like this and finding poor old beasts left in the middle of the field.”

With that off his chest Roy turns his attention to the evening’s stalking. He is here for roe does which are really only evident at last light. He has about an hour-and-a-half before it is dark. “There are couple of does that I don’t really want to take out,” says Roy.

With his recovery from his hip op going well he’s now down to just one crutch plus shooting sticks – which we think gives him a look of Gandalf. His first port of call is a wood which always delivers. Not this evening. We lose the light and the chance of a deer. Roy does spot one with the superior glass on top of his rifle but we lose her in the cover crop. Of course there’s a host of reasons why we blanked, but Roy can’t help feeling it’s down to poaching pressure. “We have been beaten by the light,” he says, “but the odd thing is though, normally on this estate on an eve-ning’s stalking you will easily see 20-30 deer just on the little route we followed and this evening we have had perfect condi-tions for it. It has been a nice relatively warm evening, the wind wasn’t too hard or too cold. You just couldn’t want for better con-ditions and yet we didn’t see a single beast. I think unfortunately we are seeing the results of a lot of poaching going on, not just on this estate, but in the surrounding areas.”

Not to be beaten Gandalf heads off again to try and shoot some roe. This time he’s on the other side of the estate which hasn’t been targeted by poachers. He chances upon a doe lying up on a ride about 90 yards away. It was just a flick of the ear that gave her away, otherwise she would have gone unseen. What he wants to do is wait until she stands up and give him an opportunity of

a shot. “The only problem is that can very often happen if you are waiting for a deer to stand they can stand up and turn off carry on away from you and disappear,” says Roy. “That is the chance we will have to take.”

Roy’s patience pays off and eventually the doe stands up. He shoots and she drops in the cover crop. She isn’t alone. Roy repositions and takes the kid as well. It’s probably not dependent but Roy feels it’s the best thing to do with winter on its way.

“Nice successful evening now it is to drag them out and sort out the gralloching and we can go home and have a nice cup of tea,” says Roy. Maybe he does have magical powers after all. <

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Roy and the tricky roe doe Deerstalker Roy Lupton has a poaching problem

Roy – or is it Gandalf? Click to watch the film

Fieldsports Britain, episode 156. Visit www.fieldsportschannel.tv

We are out with the South Somerset Fer-reters. They reckon they’ve got the ultimate warren. It’s a hill not far from the South Devon coast and it’s a honeycomb of buries.The South Somerset Ferreters are a group of families who get together on a Saturday not to go shopping, not to go to a theme park. They go ferreting.

Between them, they have everything that ferreters need, includ-ing two lurchers, a little Lakeland/whippet cross and their not-so-secret weapon, Louis, a remarkably sprightly 10-year-old Jack Russell.

“Yes, I don’t think it really gets any better than where we are today, anywhere in the country really,” says ferreting honcho Jaf Jefferson.

First job is to put the nets out - both long nets and purse nets. “We know what we are up against today, because we did it last year,” says Jaf. “We have blocked off the long nets and we have still got a lot of purse nets to set. Roughly about 200 nets. About 600 yards of long net we have got to set up around as well, five dogs, about 15 ferrets which we put down all in one go. So hope-fully fingers crossed, not a lot will get away. Yes it takes time, but if you don’t put the time in, you don’t get the rewards.”

It’s not just a case of bunging a net over a hole and banging it in. They have four footers, five footers and six footers, all for differ-ent holes.

Then there are the elastic bands. Every purse net an SSF uses, he or she puts an elastic band around their wrist. So when they pick them up if we have any elastic bands left we know they are miss-ing a net from somewhere.

Next up the stars of the show: the ferrets. We take time off for a bite to eat. Then – nets, dogs, children – everyone gets in position. The first rabbits don’t take long to bolt. Men, women and chil-dren are stationed round the long nets, ready to dive on anything that wriggles.

After a quarter of an hour of no activity, we reckon we have had the best of this bury. Now we have to retrieve the ferrets. When ferrets lie up and have to be dug out, they uncannily choose the thickest part of the brambles. You need to sweep the brambles with Ferret Finders.

Years of experience tells them that this last ferret is deep un-derground. The fastest way to cut through the bramble roots is to send in Louis – still keen as a pup-py. Once Louis has done his work, Jaf calls for another piece of kit. It’s a ferreting endoscope.

At last we find the final ferret. It was nowhere near the brambles but in the next field, curled up with a rabbit.

The next step is the main event. We’re ferreting the open hillside. Jaf is relieved to find the bury here is not connected to the holes under the brambles next to it. The ferreting action is fast and furious. You have to have the skills of a circus master and a rugby player to handle all those kids and animals running at you.

When it’stime to pack up, the last ferret of the day chooses the only clump of gorse to lie up beneath. It’s another digging exercise, with Louis on hand to offer help.

If you want to find out more, here is the South Somerset Ferreters on Facebook. Or why not make your Louis very happy and start your own ferreting group. <

Bolting rabbits from a great bankSome go shopping, some go to a theme park, we ferret

Digging out. Click to watch the film

Fieldsports Britain, episode 156. Visit www.fieldsportschannel.tv

A keen ferreter

/// VICTORYZEISS. PIONEER SINCE 1846.

VICTORY HT. The brightest optic package from Carl Zeiss.

Experience a revolution in hunting optics: The new VICTORY HT range, which uses the

unique optical concept with HT lenses from SCHOTT to achieve 95 % light transmission.

The VICTORY HT binoculars are impressive with their ergonomic and robust double-link

bridge design and comfort focus, whilst the VICTORY HT riflescopes benefit from the

world s finest illuminated dot and the new ASV+ for the very highest precision at long

range. www.zeiss.com/sportsoptics Tel: 01223 401525

The excitement of finally seeing the desired object.

The certainty of taking secure aim even in the deepest twilight.

This is the moment we work for.

Dying dolphins, poisoned eagles, foolish foxes and the grey partridge in crisis - it was not the most upbeat symposium ever held.The most controversial presentation came from Bjorn Beckmann of an academic body called the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. His talk on sea eagles and the threat from lead poisoning claims that lead from bullets and from shot is the single biggest killer of sea eagles in Germany.

He said: “Out of the eagles’ carcases that have been studied, 34 were found to have had lead particles in the stomach and out of those 80% were lead core bullet fragments and six lead shot. Unlike, I think, the common perception at least in the case of sea eagles, the lead core bullet fragments are the major problem not lead shot. It is also a problem, but this is the bigger one.”

Members of the symposium audience pointed out the recent ar-ticle in Shooting Times magazine that defends lead shot. How-ever, a representative of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust poured scorn on Shooting Times.

In other presentations, Nick Sotherton of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust talked about the grey partridge, the iconic bird that is the symbol of the GWCT

“I have been asked to try and produce some good news,” was Sotherton’s opening line. “I am not sure I can.

“Species of British breeding farmland bird that has undergone unprecedented declines over the last 30 to 40 years. And you can see 90% decline through that time period. It is a biodiversity ac-tion plan species, it is red listed under the birds of conservation concern. You name it every alarm bell is ringing.”

Jim Barrington, speaking on behalf of the day’s host, the Vet-erinary Association for Wildlife Management, slammed the dis-neyfication of our wild animals. He showed how animal brains cannot project forward like humans can.

He said: “That area of the brain which collects and assesses and looks after information is simply not there. There is no way in which animals of say the fox level or the deer level can project ahead and so this is quite important as far as its mental abilities are concerned and of course when people say, you wouldn’t like it would you? Well of course not because we are humans. We are not animals at that level.”

Jim is former head of the League Against Cruel Sports but re-signed when he realised how hunt-ing benefits the fox. He is now a consultant to the Countryside Al-liance.

Excitement came from London Zoo, which is studying whale strandings. Rob Deaville present-ed a film showing bottlenose dol-phins off the British coast beating up porpoises.

In one film he showedte audeince watched a porpoise being hit out of the water by three bottlenose dolphins and again in slow motion. “Quite a size disparity between these two species,” said Deaville. “The bottlenose we have in the UK are huge compared to Flippa on the TV show.”

If you are watching this on YouTube and you want to watch the whole of the symposium, seven-and-a-half hours long, click on the link on the screen. <

Conference organiser is the Veterinary Association for Wildlife Manage-ment www.vet-wildlifemanagement.org.uk. Watch the whole seven-and-a-half-hour symposium here. Filming by the Countryside Alliance

Future of lead shotGloomy London conference says bullets to blame, too

A German sea eagle. Click to watch the (short version of the!) film

Fieldsports Britain, episode 156. Visit www.fieldsportschannel.tv

Björn Beckmann

www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk

HIGHLANDOUTDOORS

webley is supplied exclusively to the trade through highland outdoors

For Trade enquiries contact Highland OutdoorsPh: 0845 099 0252 Fax: 01857 341 111

sales@highlandoutdoors.co.uk

Available from all good gunshops - Now!Raider 10 XS series in Standard 12ft/lbs & FACTM

Is the Raider 10 thebest value Multi-Shot PCP

in Europe?

TM

- the answer is still yes!

• INTEGRAL QGS SILENCER

• RIFLED GERMAN P & P STEEL TUBE

• POSITIVE INDEXING 10 SHOT

TM

MAGAZINE

• AMBIDEXTROUS STOCK

• FULLY ADJUSTABLE 2-STAGE TRIGGER

Amazing Price!

stock now available

contact your local

shop to order

Magazine systemVentilaed recoil pad

Precision checkering

The Raider 10 is Webley’s most tried and trusted multi-shot PCP, having soldin its thousands over the last 6 years. Rugged and reliable, during development

it was cycled over 5,000 times-without a single miss-feed!

All Webley Rifles availableas combo package with AGS Scopes

AGS Combo PackagesAvailable

we recommend the use of Webley vci 3-4-1 cleaning products

BARREL MADE FROM

Follow us on Facebookfor Exclusive Offers and announcementswww.facebook.com/HighlandOutdoors

Free Free AMTA Lock With Every Gun AMTA Lock With Every Gun

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AirgunWorldMay2012-Raider10.pdf 1 30/11/2012 10:03

There is nothing quite as cheery as a fire. It is essential for cooking. Here is how to build one properly and get it going without matches. We will need tinder to get the fire going. Two good resources for this are dry goose grass and dry bracken.

Goose grass is the heart of my tinder bundle. Now I just want something to bulk it out a bit. I add some nice dead bracken and wrap it round the back of the goose grass. I don’t need a huge amount, but this will provide that extra flame just to get the tin-der going. You need to be a bit careful when pulling on bracken out of the ground, it can cut.

For the larger kindling we need dead wood and that needs to be collected. Fallen branches are the best source for this. They can often be found caught up in holly bushes where they will be dry compared to branches that are sitting on the woodland floor.

I pick up some nice fine wood. This is what is going to catch first. I put it in a separate pile to the kindling, the small kindling and any larger wetter logs. You can afford to be a little bit obsessive-compulsive about this if you want. The more organised the better your preparation, the better chance you have of getting your fire lit.

With the firewood gathered it is time for the magic to com-mence. Here is how to use a flint and steel to light your fire. I hole the metal striker in one hand and the flint in the other. What I am going to do is flick down and make sparks. Those sparks are coming off the soft metal.

I have got a nice hard piece of flint and when I strike down, you see all the sparks are going up. Next I position a piece of amadu, which lights easily. I put that on the top and then strike down. The shards – the hot bits of steel – come up and fall down on the top. It works first time.

I put that inside our tinder bundle and start blowing on it, while holding it in both hands. You can’t be afraid of fire to do this job.

Once the tinder is properly ablaze, I put it down on to my raft of kindling and then take two bundles of sticks. One goes on the top, and the other on top of that.

Once this has started to burn I can go on to the bigger stuff which is the proper full-on fuel wood. That is what I am going to be cooking on later on. <

The Survival School DVD volume 1 is available from Koolbox.co.uk. For more about Jonny’s bushcraft courses, visit www.survivalschool.co.uk

How to light a fire with a flintOur bushcraft hero Jonny Crockett on caveman skills

Fieldsports Britain, episode 156. Visit www.fieldsportschannel.tv

Jonny gets medieval

Jonny gets the fire going without matches. Click to watch the film

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HuntingFPS has not being doing much on YouTube recently which is a great shame – but he did manage a couple of trips recently when the sun was out, and here is the footage. As you can see from Slow Motion Airgun Rabbit Hunting #18, the bunnies been causing a bit of damage and the farmer is keen for their numbers to be reduced.

Now the clay season is not at its height in the UK at the moment on account of the wintry weather but here’s a good idea. AntiguaClays is the YouTube channel for a shooting resort in the Caribbean, which claims to be the only one of its kind. Even if you can’t afford the air fare, here’s a film to lighten up your day.

The Lagotto Romagnolo is one of the new breed of gundogs that follows in the pawprints of such Italian masterpieces as the spinone and bracco. The famous gundog photographer has a YouTube site.

NickRidley9261’s film shows a group of UK based Lagottos demonstrating their traditional work as gundogs. From the Romagna sub-region of Italy. The name means “lake dog from Armagnac”.

Now on to fish. Monster lake trout, world record laker is a rediscovered film, thought to be lost, dating from as long ago as 1996, when Bob Mehsikomer caught and released a possible 60-pounder on Lake Athabasca in Saskatchewan.

Moving Down Under, Fishing Exmouth with bream gear and MadEye lures is Aus-sie Breamer’s latest technique for one of Australia’s favourite sea fish. This film took a week to make.

With Christmas coming, the DVD makers are using YouTube for their trailers

– and it looks like wild boar is top of the list. Here is trailer to the hunting DVD Baiting Wild Boar, made in Sweden and with lots of shooting action.

From Russia, Sladkova is a trailer for a DVD about hunting for wild boar, roe deer, red deer and game birds. More bucks, more boar, more bangs.

And from Spain, Reivax Films presents Great Hungarian Hunts. Once again, it is driven wild boar that are face the caza-dores. There three films and four countries. All of these films lead you to websites where you can purchase DVDs.

You can click on any of these films to watch them. If you have a YouTube film you would like us to pop in to the weekly top eight, email the link to charlie@fieldsportschannel.tv

Hunting YouTube Best hunting, shooting and fishing on YouTube

Fieldsports Britain, episode 156. Visit www.fieldsportschannel.tv

Fieldsports Channel brings you the free weekly programme Fieldsports Britain. See us on our website, on YouTube, find us on Facebook and on Twitter. To advertise, contact James Westbrook on +447718126762 or visit www.fieldsportschannel.tv/category/advertise