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The new Broomhills – Atkin Grant and Lang in Markyate, Herts

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I’ll be honest, my previous experiences of this ground were always negative (to the point I vowed never to go there again – but that’s a different kettle of fish). I must stress that was with the old owners!

So, with some trepidation, a few of us popped along to the new AGL shooting ground on Friday. Literally, from driving in the gate – there is a whole new atmosphere about the place. Lot’s of groundwork has been done, with more in progress (including some great looking grouse butts). Everything is cleaner and much more professional looking. I think they have dropped the air rifle range along with the PSG range (thankfully).

One of the greatest things to hear – the fields are back in play! No being restricted to shooting into the woods (wahooo)! There were only 8 stands up and running last week, but you have to remember they are only 2 weeks into the renovation. Many more stands are planned in the coming months, along with opening the kitchen for some grub (i’m hoping there will be a bar too)! The birds are varied and testing – a great layout. We shot 500 and only had 5 ‘no birds’ from the new promatic traps. A vast improvement from the predecessors! They are using the ClayMate card system so great for solo shooters and groups alike. It’s worth pointing out they are a fiber only ground. The only slight negative for me, was the new stands. They seem to bounce-back lots of noise/sonic wave to both the shooter and to anybody standing behind (even with ear defs). My ears were literally ringing, so my advice is don’t stand directly behind the shooter (or maybe my ears are just over sensitive).

The shop is a bit bare at the moment, but again, it’s a work in progress. Although saying that, between us, we walked away with a slab of cartridges (very competitively priced – £158 per thousand), 150 rounds of .22 ammo (also cheap), some stock varnish and a new opinel knife!

Prices are per clay;

Midweek is 28p for members and 33p for non-members. Weekend prices are 28p for members and a hefty 40p for non-members.

However, the membership package is very appealing and i’ll definitely be signing up next time I visit. You can see full prices and details here; http://www.agl-uk.com/

So all in all, a very good ground and this is only the start, surely things can only get better?!? The black cloud looming over the place has been well and truly blown away. Don’t be afraid and cast the negative thoughts from your mind – go try the new ground, you won’t be disappointed!

Boar Shooting with Basswood Sporting Agency in Croatia

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Once again, this year turned out to be a whopper. 17 guns, 3 days shooting, 3 drives per day and plenty of meat and salt in between.

Like last year, the first drive of the first day was where I downed my first (and only) piggy. It may be a first in the 10 years Frank at Basswood has been taking hunting trips to Croatia, but every single gun saw and shot at wild boar. Only 2 of the 17 didn’t drop one. I think the final bag must have been in the 30′s region (I will confirm).

I definitely made contact with two more (using slug) but they were at a fair distance, quartering away and tanking it over open ground (they sure can run fast). However, they both tumbled to the 150+ yard shot of one of our Canadian friends (great shooting PeeWee).

As always, the assembled mob of reprobates were a good craic and the social side was fantastic. The hunting lodge we stay at has even had a dart board installed – this made the evenings so much better.

Not much or a report I know, but Basswood will soon have one up on their website and i’ll link to that. It’s also rumoured there was a journalist in our midst… so look out for a review in one of the nations great shooting magazines…

All in all, great shooting, great company, great food and drink and most importantly, great pocket-meat! See you all next year… (with a 6.5×55)

DSC1 (Deer Stalking Certificate Course) at Donington Deer Management

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Myself and two friends have just finished our DSC1 training with Donington Deer Management. What a great course and a fantastic place to learn. David Stretton is the man in charge…and what a lovely, knowledgable chap he is. There isn’t a great deal about Deer that David doesn’t know.

There were 9 of us in total and apart from us three southerners – they were all ‘chuffin’ northerners. But, I had heard many great reports on David and the course he runs so it was worth the 4 days away in hotel.

The course is run over 4 days, the first three are the learning stages and the fourth is test day. Broadly, the elements covered (with subsequent written/practical exams) are as follows;

Large Game Competency; This test comprises of 40 multiple-choice questions on basic food hygiene and safety. The exam is split into 20 food hygiene questions, and 20 post-mortem questions. Once you pass this, you are able to sell large game carcasses to game dealers.

Written Assessment; This test contains 50 multiple-choice questions on deer habits, management, law and habitat. You need lots of revision on this sections and will have to answer 40 correctly to pass.

Visual ID test; Throughout the course, you learn the various characteristics and identification techniques for the 6 UK species. This ID test brings all of this together in a series of slides. You need to correctly ID each with both species and sex. 24 out of 30 for a pass on this one.

Safety Test; This took place in the form of a practical ‘walk and talk’ in the woods. The idea is to demonstrate your safe handling of rifle in the field and how you would go about overcoming the various obstacles and issues associated with stalking. Things like safely and effectively negotiating fences, ditches and high seats. You are also presented with various deer cut-outs and you are to assess each and explain why you would (or wouldn’t) take the shot.

Shooting Test; Again, this is a practical assessment. Using a deer-legal calibre (with expanding ammunition), you must first shoot a ‘zeroing’ target from 100m (prone is your best bet). You must group 3 shots within a 4-inch target. You then move onto a generic deer silhouette and you have to land 2 shots in the heart/lung kill zone (6-inch, not visible through scope). You then progress on to a 70-metre target which has to be sitting/kneeling and finally a 40-metre standing (with or without sticks).

So, once you complete all of the above, your tests get externally verified and if all has gone well – you attain ‘Trained Hunter’ status and get a certificate, badge and more importantly, a candidate number which is what you use to sell on to game dealers.

All in all, a very good course that even the most seasoned of stalkers will learn something from. I must also mention that David’s wife keeps you bountifully stocked in tea, coffee, biscuits, roast dinners and yummy deserts.

I highly recommend this to anybody, even if only to learn more about deer and their habits, behaviour and history.

I should probably also mention that David and his son Mark fabricate some amazing deer-management related equipment. This ranges from larders, deer transport equipment and deer hygiene, cutting and handling equipement and supplies. I bought their folding gambrels and rib saw/knife! Great products!

Thank you David, Mark and Doris!

Battery saving tips for iPhone users

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The new iOS 5.1 software has been released and is available to download. It will only work on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, iPod touch 4th gen, and iPod touch 3rd gen devices.

One of the big drains on battery is when the phone is hunting for 3G reception. Personally, I work in an area where I don’t get 3G – but the phone constantly looks for it and that uses more power (it uses more battery when connected to 3G too). If you have wifi where you work/live, then there is no real need for having 3G enabled (negligible/debatable difference in call quality).

One of the (re)added functions allows you to disable 3G;

Settings > General > Software Update > Follow onscreen instructions

Once you have it installed, to disable/enable 3G;

Settings > General > Network > Enable 3G (on/off)

Don’t forget, another great way of conserving battery is to dim your screen slightly and disable ‘Auto-Brightness’;

Settings > Brightness Auto-Brightness (on/off)

Also, try switching off Siri’s ‘Raise to Speak;

Settings > General > Siri > Raise to Speak (on/off)

The new update also includes;

  • Japanese language support for Siri (availability may be limited during initial rollout)
  • Photos can now be deleted from Photo Stream
  • Camera shortcut now always visible on Lock Screen for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (4th generation)
  • Camera face detection now highlights all detected faces
  • Redesigned Camera app for iPad
  • Genius Mixes and Genius playlists for iTunes Match subscribers
  • Audio for TV shows and movies on iPad optimized to sound louder and clearer
  • Podcast controls for playback speed and a 30 second rewind for iPad
  • Updated AT&T network indicator
  • Addresses bugs affecting battery life
  • Fixes an issue that occasionally caused audio to drop for outgoing calls

Great customer service from Barbour

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I bought a Barbour Dunmoor fleece about 4 years ago. Over this winter the pocket started to come away at the seam (overloaded with carts I imagine). First of all I checked the website for warranty periods – it was only a year from purchase.

So, I thought I’d email them and ask if they have any authorised repair service. They replied the same day with a no, but that they would send a freepost bag out and get it checked by the factory.

They just emailed saying they will cover the fault and I can choose another jacket up to the same price. I went for the same one although it is slightly redesigned.

What a great service. That is why I have another 4 jackets form Barbour! Quality service and a quality product. You gets what you pays for!

Valley View Clay Shoot – Missenden, Bucks

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A couple of us shot here yesterday and I can recommend the ground highly. I was a bit dubious as it has recently been taken over and the predecessor (Ian Payne) used to put on a blinder of a shoot.

Adam, the new guy, has done a good job for sure.

Yesterday was a 100-bird layout over 12 stands. Only one 3-pair stand had a single trap throwing out the same bird so there is great variety. It’s a big old bit of land too so the potential is great and i’m sure the birds change from shoot-to-shoot. We followed the same guys round and the only waiting was 4/5 minutes while they shot a couple of stands. There was maybe 1 no bird in the 100.

It cost £30 for the 100. As a Brucey Bonus they have prizes for Top Gun and runners up. 1st gets a free round and 100 carts. 2nd gets a free round and 50 carts (I think). 3rd just gets a free round! Nice little touch which adds a little competition (if you’re in to that).

The next shoot is a 50-bird sporting on Boxing Day. They then start back on the 15th January and shoot fortnightly.

Also, the sausages and bacon are proper good. None of that cheap brakes brother stuff! Great atmosphere and seemingly nice chaps :)

Here is their website: http://www.valleyviewclub.com

Here is their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Valley-View-Sporting-Gun-Club/136083579831200

Here is their location: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=51.686877,-0.680206%20%28Valley%20view%29

Boar Hunting with Basswood in Croatia!

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Wow. What a great 5 days boar shooting in Croatia!

I do lots of shooting but nothing quite gets the heart thumping than hearing the rustle and thud of a wild boar charging in your direction. A level of adrenaline i’ve not felt before (and i’ve done some crazy shizzle).

3 days shooting in the mountainous region of Slatina (not far from the Hungarian boarder). Only a 3 hour drive from Zagreb airport gave the best shooting experience i’ve had to date!

Thanks to all involved, especially Frank of Basswood Sporting Agency.

1st day, 1st drive and 2 pigs taken by the new Fabarm semi auto shotgun using 1 ounce slug!

More to follow…

Chocolate Fish Merino Layer

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I spend lots of my time outside in the cold. Whether it be shooting, in the woods doing a bit of bushcraft or paragliding 1000ft above a ridge. I’ve tried all the synthetic layers out there and they just don’t cut the mustard (and end up stinking almost instantly). So, I’ve been looking for an ‘all occasions’ merino base layer. I think I may have found it.

Arriving just 2 days after order, a Chocolate Fish TeMata 260gsm Merino layer arrived in its 100% environmentally friendly (and completely reusable) ‘degradamailer‘ bag. The packaging is simple yet effective. Why waste money on fancy tags and packaging when that cost can be put back into an amazing product. The Chocolate Fish Merino range is 100% New Zealand Merino wool… made 100% in New Zealand…with a conscience.

I spoke with Chocolate Fish on email over a couple of days before I made my purchase (I wanted to make sure I got the right layer for my varying needs). To say they were helpful is an understatement. A truly passionate company focused on sustainability and being as socially and environmentally responsible as possible. They focus not only on a quality, natural product – but the ethics and eco-friendliness along the entire manufacturing process.

Today is my first day wearing the superfine 21 micron merino crew top. Sitting in my air conditioned office this morning, I had a shirt over the layer. I got very toasty, very quickly. I ditched the shirt and went solo with the merino layer. When ordering, I went slightly bigger than ‘skin-tight’ and this means I can wear it on its own. It doesn’t look odd in the slightest, good styling and fit (i’d happily wear it to the pub).

This afternoon I was outside running a fibre cable into another building. Nearly 2 hours drilling holes and shimmying up and down the ladder. Again, I had to lose the jumper and stay with the merino on its own. For those warmer blooded mammals, they also do a thinner base layer coming in at 195gsm (superfine 18.8 micron). I’ll be getting one of these for the warmer months for sure. This thicker layer will come into its own during the coming colder months. The real test will be a trip to Croatia at the beginning of December (sub zero and lots of standing around). After a good few hours sweating in it – it smells just as it did when I got it out of the bag! It is soft on the skin, has good stretch and seems to be wicking fine. It’s also flame resistant for when around the fire.

This is the first review of a couple to come as I want to test it in all environments.

So far, so good. Thumbs up for Chocolate Fish! If only all companies had the same ethics and passion driving them…

UPDATE: Up at 5 this morning for some duck shooting. -1 outside as I made my way to the reed bed. Standing in a ditch at 6:30am…frost on the ground, puddles of ice. But, I was toasty warm. The merino layer, a shirt and fleece jacket kept me nice and warm for over an hour. However, my feet froze so I need the merino/possum socks now!

Left the lakes at just gone 8. Back to Herts for a days beating on a local pheasant shoot. The next 6 hours walking through fields of crop, plough, cover and woodland. Still nice and warm. I’m quite shocked…I don’t even smell! The best merino layer I have bought to date.

Fabarm XLR Composite

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Wow. That is all.

I was shooting clays at Almshoebury a few weeks back (as we do first Sunday of every month) and we had a good turn up from the Herts PigeonWatch.co.uk crowd (about 10 in total). One of the guys had recently bought a new gun for in the hide, on the ducks and general shooting stuff. I had a quick go on the final 3 stands and scored a 9, 9, 10! I tried sneaking it into my slip but he was having none of it. So, 2 weeks later – I have my own Fabarm XLR in Composite.

I bought it from Park Street Guns in St Albans (under duress from a friend). But before committing, I had a fling around the shop with a Winchester SX3, a Benelli M2, a Browning and a Hatsan semi. I can’t really explain it, but when mounting the Fabarm – it just feels ‘right’. I can close my eyes, mount, open them again and it’s bang on. No alterations or fitting needed, it just works out of the box (it does come with spaces to lengthen stock slightly and the comb is adjustable).

It’s jam-packed with technology and goodies too. The ‘Power Pulse’ system gets rid of the standard valves and uses a piston instead. This reduces recoil and gives it a super-quick cycling time along with being able to handle all types of cartridge in its 3″ chamber. It is also one of the safest guns out there being proofed (through all chokes) to 1630bar. All this and it comes with a set of chokes, sling swivel mounts all housed in a really nice break-down case. As the Fabarm is more common in the European market, the barrel also has weaver scope mounts for a red dot or scope (a la boar hunting). There are lots of add-ons for this too, extension tube and fancy tactical bits and bobs.

In terms of shooting it, like I said, it just comes up and is bang on. The first clay outing with this on Sunday (Redbournberry Clay Shoot) left me second place in the squad (by one shot) at a ground I hadn’t shot before. The only problem is the spent carts eject about a mile from where you are standing (not normally a problem, but I was shooting over a lake).

I can’t recommend this gun enough. It will now be the first I reach for in the cabinet. It will be at home as much in the reed beds, on the clay ground, the pigeon hide or in the forests of Croatia Boar Shooting! The UK importers have just changed so hopefully the new guys will put a bit more effort into marketing and getting it more known to the shooting community.

Happy and safe shooting…

Crayfishing in Herts – what a fun day out!

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Not wanting to miss out on some action, I stopped over to a secret Hertfordshire location and met up with some shooting buddies to catch ‘some’ crayfish. This was a few months back now, so the bounty was plentiful. The hauls during these colder months are still high though (but don’t expect 3 huge loads). The taste for me, is somewhere between crab, lobster and prawns. It really is yummy and well worth the hassle getting the meat out. Here are some ideas on recipes.

You can use a variety of baits (the smellier the better), fish fingers, rabbit guts, bacon etc.. I think the most effective so far has been bacon and rabbit. Once you have caught the little blighters and taken them home (in water-filled buckets or damp burlap bags), you need to purge them in fresh water for at least 24hrs. Then a big old pot of boiling water kills them instantly. They need only stay in for a couple of minutes until red all over (see pic below). There are various methods of getting the meat off, the best bits in the tail and claws if you’re lucky. You need to ‘de-vein’ them similar to prawns. Have a watch of Uncle Ray Mears video below for what I think is the easiest (bearing in mind i’m actually dubious of picking them up. The underside looks scary and alien to me. Gangly legs and tentacles. Eww). Remember: It is also ILLEGAL to reintroduce the non-native back into the wild. So, if you take it out it cannot go back in!

The video cannot be shown at the moment. Please try again later.

We were using a mix of home-made ‘drop nets’ and commercially sourced jobbies. Both, with very pleasing results. For home-made ideas, look on google. You can buy the proper job cheap enough on ebay or the pot traps from Ronnie Sunshines. One we used was made from an old bicycle wheel like this link.

The above pictures highlights a very important point. You are only allowed to trap/catch/fish non-native crayfish (above is a signal crayfish…see the distinctive red flash on the underside of the claw). It is ILLEGAL to trap the native white-claw species (these are generally quite small and have no red flash…and so far, none of us has seen one – that is how much of a colonising pest the non-natives are). The Environmental Agency has this guide to accurately identify the various species.

Each region varies their view on crayfish trapping so I would visit the Environmental Agencies dedicated page on crayfishing here (lots of useful information). Ultimately, it is down to you to find out about your local area. But, assuming you are in an area that does allow crayfishing…you still need the land owners permission and the local water bailiffs/fisheries officers go ahead… plus a licence from the ‘Environmental Agency (found here). The CR1 licence is both free and a requirement (regardless of using manned drop-nets or overnight pots/traps).

The non-native species is pushing the protected native white-claw closer to extinction. There are some areas in England and Wales that do not allow crayfish trapping. This is because the native population is high in that area. Not only could the natives be caught by mistake, but the use of ‘dirty’ equipment could spread the Crayfish Plague (fingal disease carried by the non-natives).

Picture above courtesy of Billy.