Sporting Gun UK – May 2019

(C. Jardin) #1
72 SPORTING GUN M AY 2019 http://www.shootinguk.co.uk

RABBITS

Don’t run

if arisk

Oneofmylurcherswasinjuredwhile
rabbitingatnightbecauseheraninto
a pieceoffarmmachineryleftina
fi eld. Is there any way I can avoid this?

Edsays:It ’salwaysworthchecking
anareaindaylightbeforeyoulamp
ittoavoiddangerspots.Thatsaid,
accidentsdohappenandeventothe
mostcarefuloffolk.I’veseenafew
accidentsovertheyears,including
adogrunningarabbitoffacliff.
ThankfullythedogwasOK.Norabbit
isworthriskingadog for. If in doubt,
don’t run the dog.

VERMIN

Spring a surprise for crows

Arecrowsdecoyshyinspring?I find
itdifficulttogetthemtocommitthen
whenthereareonlyoldbirdsabout.
I havenoissueinthesummerand
wonder if I need to change tactics?

Tomsays:Itistruethatcrowscan
behardertodecoyinspring.Allthe
birdshavebeenaroundforatleasta
yearandcanbe‘streetwise’.I would
recommend that you look at your

set-up.Eveneducatedcrowsshould
stilldecoyifitiswelldone.Ensure
thatyouhavea goodhideandyouare
keepingmovementtoa minimum.
Crowsusuallyhavea longandsteady
approach,givingthemplentyoftime
tospotsomethingoutofplace;so
trytomakethingslookasnaturalas
possible.Itisoftenworthditching
magnetsandflappersthatsomebirds
may have encountered in the past.
NICK


RIDLEY,


STEVE


TAYLOR,


SYKES


MEDIA,


AL AMY


GUNDOGS

Pigeons are

not fancied

Ihavebeenroostshootingwithmyyoung
dogbutheisreluctanttopickupthe
freshlyshotpigeons. What can I do to
encourage him?

Grahamsays:Woodpigeonshavevery
softfeathersanda youngdogcanfindit
off-putting.If yourtraininghasbeensound,
plentyofencouragementwillnormally
ensurethatthedogmakesa cleanretrieve.
Itisalsoa goodideatoremoveasmany
feathersaspossiblefromthedog’smouth
once you have taken the bird from them.

Crowscanbeattuned
todangeriftheyhave
been around for a while

Pigeonsfeatherscanget
stuckinadog’smouth,so
it is best to remove them

Ifpossible,itisworth
doinga‘reccy ’ofwhere
you intend to lamp
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