David Tomlinson

David Tomlinson

David Tomlinson is a specialist writer on wildlife and countryside subjects whose work has taken him from Arizona to Argentina, Kazakhstan to Kenya, and almost every country in Europe. Among his more memorable experiences are being charged by a bull elephant while walking in Okavango, sharing a car with a young Jeremy Clarkson and watching Borg beat McEnroe at Wimbledon. He has contributed the Sporting Dog column to The Field for 12 years. He lives in rural Suffolk with his wife and spaniels. He doesn’t do social media.

Flying pheasant, delicious as pheasant Guidwife

  • October 1, 2023

The popularity of wild game and large numbers released has tarnished the reputation of the pheasant, argues David Tomlinson. But our best gamebird still deserves the utmost respect – and…

Gundog puppy schools

  • September 28, 2023

Last month, I was walking by a local fishing lake when I was amused to see a carp fisherman struggling to wheel his equipment along the path. I was tempted…

A male hairy-footed bee, one of many solitary bees

  • July 25, 2023

We all know honeybees, and the majority of us are equally familiar with bumblebees, even if we struggle to name them individually, but solitary bees? They are a huge group…

  • July 24, 2023

I recently had a long chat with a spaniel enthusiast who argued, quite convincingly, that the only spaniels we need are cockers and springers, and that all the others are…

  • June 23, 2023

It’s long been argued that a good horse can’t be a bad colour, and I reckon that’s generally true with gundogs, too. However, most of us have preferences, so when…

french beagles

  • March 30, 2023

The hounds had been speaking to the line for at least two minutes, and every second their baying became louder and more excited: there was no doubt about it, they…

bridle leather dog collar by Purdey

  • January 25, 2023

Do working dogs have to wear a collar? Yes, it is a legal requirement for dogs in public places to wear a collar, with details of their owner. In that…