Asked to describe himself, Jimmy Doherty takes a big intake of breath. “I suppose I am a farmer, conservationist, TV presenter.” He gives a self-deprecating laugh that invites friendship. “Or maybe broadcaster sounds better?” Doherty, who is a youthful 50, first rose to prominence for his flyon- the-wall series in…
While we cannot improve your natural shooting abilities (although you might like to read George Digweed’s grouse shooting tips here), we CAN advise you on what to wear grouse shooting and how to blend in seamlessly on the grouse moor. Driven grouse shoots are more formal than walked-up shoots. Follow…
Airguns are a brilliant way to get your first experience of shooting sports and learn how to be a safe, accurate shot. They are quiet, easy to operate and can be used in the garden. Even very young people can shoot airguns under adult supervision. I started out toppling tin…
We all know that you can take a horse to water but can’t make it drink; it’s equally true that you can take a dog to water but can’t make it swim. Some years ago I photographed a selection of HPRs (hunt, point, retrievers) at a novice working test. They…
“We came to thrive over other species because we were able to hunt and cook and feed our brains,” says Thomas Straker. “That all stemmed from hunting. The most dialled in I ever am is when I’m out with a gun and a dog. Walking-up woodcock or trying to shoot…
The modern airgun is a sophisticated tool and the weapon of choice for professional vermin control. Perfect for shooting magpies and rabbits around the garden
James Murray, or Jim as he likes to be known, is a phenomenon. He’s a celebrated actor, a talented artist, a gifted angler and a conservationist and campaigner who is truly making a difference in the murky waters of river management. When he was recently awarded the MBE, along with…
How smoking wild meat began Science is a little undecided but somewhere around two million years ago our hominid ancestors started to harness fire. It wasn’t until about a million years later that we have relatively conclusive evidence that Homo erectus, with a culinary ambition of a magnitude never before…
Like many fieldsportsmen, my earliest memories of forays in the field take me back to shooting rabbits on warm summer evenings. I count myself fortunate to have had a grandfather who worked as a herdsman on a dairy farm for an owner grateful for help keeping numbers of those grass-gobbling…
There was a shepherd, a farmer, a welder, a roofer and an ex-huntsman. No, it’s not the beginning of a joke but the attendees who gathered in Clynderwen Community Hall, deep in the wilds of Pembrokeshire, to undertake the Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 (DSC1). This certificate is increasingly required…
