Shooting, gun dogs training, gun questions answered | Shooting Times

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. P. GABRIEL By email

A poacher's 12-bore

Q) Can you provide any background on my late fathers 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. O. JAMES Norfolk

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? J. COWLEAZE By email

Are egrets a threat to our fish?

Highly regarded writer and ornithologist

Snow camoufage

Shooting consultant and sporting author

Taking rifles abroad

Every week the Shooting Times panel of Experts answers your sporting questions

BSA models identified

50 years in the gun trade and expert on all airguns

White deer tales

Widely regarded as the world expert on roe deer

Migrating Woodpigeon

Q) I was brought up in the belief that every autumn, flocks of woodpigeon migrated to eastern England from the Continent, and that these foreign birds were smaller and darker than our native pigeon. Ive since read that this is not true. Is that so? R. THOMAS By email

Distinguishing birds

Q) During a skiing holiday in Finland last winter I saw a number of completely white grouse and I assumed they were ptarmigan. However, a Finnish friend told me that they were willow grouse. Is there an easy way to tell the two species apart? B. MORRIS By email

Cleaning

Q) I have been given a Beretta 687 Silver Pigeon 12-bore in immaculate condition. I am 17 years old and it is my first gun. I have received conflicting advice about the best way to clean it. Please can you advise me how to clean it and how much oil to use. J. STEVENSON By email

Legal age for firearms

Q) I am 17 years old and a shotgun and firearms certificate holder. I was recently down for a variation and the firearms officer told me that I could not go out with a rifle by myself. Is this correct and, if so, what is the minimum legal age? G. HOWLETT By email

BSA Underlever Rifle

Q) I have a BSA underlever .22 air rifle and wonder if you can date it and provide any information? It is an Improved Model D, No 60,013 with the number 2 beneath the serial number. The stock is particularly well figured. C. FENN By email

Drinking troughs

Q)Before the weather broke we had some long dry spells, and as there is no standing water or streams nearby on our chalkland, I expected to see roe making use of the drinking troughs. However, I saw no sign of them or even hoof marks. Surely roe need to drink, especially in dry weather? J. CARPENTER By email

Using Larsen traps

Q) Can you explain why I have little success with my Larsen traps in the autumn and winter? I have one with a magpie and the other with a crow on my smallholding. There are plenty of magpies and crows in the area, but they seem reluctant to be caught. J. HADWELL By email

Identifying corncrakes

Q) In September, my springer spaniel flushed a medium-sized brown bird while we were rabbit shooting in North Norfolk. It looked like a partridge except that it flew with its legs dangling. Could it have been a corncrake? It flushed silently and flew 100 yards, but we didnt put it up again. P. BREWSTER By email

Authorised Persons

Q) I believe a police officer has the power to stop and search, but do police community support offi cers, RSPCA officers and gamekeepers have similar powers where potential firearms offences or wildlife crimes are concerned? N. WILLIAM By email

Choosing Gamecrops

Q) We have a small shoot and have managed to negotiate some land for gamecrops. What should we sow for next year? We are predominantly a pheasant shoot, but we also release a few hundred partridges. We have about five acres in three areas available for gamecover. J. HAYLE By email

BIPOD ACCURACY

Q)When stalking, I usually shoot from sticks, but there are occasions, especially on the hill in Scotland and using a bipod, when I find both the accuracy and point of impact shift dramatically. Why is this? J. GREAVES By email

LAW ON POULT THEFT

Q) With several friends I run a small part-time keepered syndicate shoot, putting down around 500 poults. However, we have had at least 100 birds taken from the release pen in recent weeks and wonder if we have any remedy in law if the perpetrator is discovered?

Using Bolt Traps

(Q) I recently purchased a few cage bolt traps while attending a country fair. At the time I thought it would be logical to use them while ferreting, but on reflection I feel unsure how or where to use them. Have you ever seen these contraptions? M. TAYLOR By email

How can I keep my ferrets busy?

Q) With my ferreting now finished for the season, my ferrets seem to be bored and listless. Is there anything I can place in their run to keep them occupied? T. MAY WELL By email

I'm leasing a flightpond, what shall I feed it?

Q) I have been given the opportunity to lease a flightpond for next season. What should I feed it, and how often? J. COWLEY By email

How can I reduce the noise that my rifle makes?

50 years in the gun trade and expert on all airguns

Why do the roe I shot have hairless necks?

Widely regarded as the world expert on roe deer

Magic whistle?

Full-time gundog trainer and A-panel spaniel judge

Out of bounds?

A solicitor who specialises in country sports law

What's the law on dealing with dogs worrying sheep?

My sheep have recently been twice attacked by a dog and several injured. What is the legal position regarding shooting a dog under these circumstances?

Losing confidence with rifle shooting

I have suffered a series of misses and now lack confidence in my rifle shooting. I have tested the rifle and it appears to be entirely accurate. I dont usually shoot so badly and wonder if the cause is psychological or some other reason?

How do I release my chokes?

I own a Browning 425 12-bore multichoke. I have not changed the chokes for six months and now cannot move them. How can I release them?

Is it possible to call fallow deer?

I have enjoyed some moderate success calling roe during the rut, but wonder whether it is possible also to call fallow? If so, are there any calls on the market?

What's the age limit for shotgun users?

My three sons, aged 18, 16 and 14 are all keen on game and pigeon shooting. Can they all have shotgun certificates?

How to build a deer-proof fence

We are contemplating planting a native hedge and up to 40 garden trees, but have about four roe deer in our garden three or four times a week. What action can we take to protect the hedge and trees?

What's the best way to call deer

Watching a rutting buck out in the field, I saw him respond when I was calling, but lose interest when I stopped. Would it be better to continue calling until an animal turns up?

English mountain hares

What is the history of the mountain hare, we ask David Tomlinson.

Learning to switch shooting shoulders

Graham Brown advises on what to do when your learning to shoot

Puppy training for beginners

Training begins the moment you get your puppy home, with house training, sitting for its food, keeping off the furniture, not chewing or barking for attention.

My sprocker gun dog refuses to retrieve!

I have a two-year-old sprocker that stops and hunts on command, stays very close and is highly attentive - but in the field she refuses to retrieve.

Does hobbling a ferret affect its working ability?

I am having my hob ferret castrated and wonder whether this will affect his working ability during the rabbiting season?

Ferret off its food?

Worried your ferret isn't feeding properly? Simon Whitehead has some practical suggestions