Shooting Times & Country Magazine
From the gun shop
The Editor’s pick of the latest and best shooting kit to hit the market
1 Selous sport shirt
RRP: £82.95
Gmk.co.uk
This highly technical shooting sports shirt has been treated to protect the wearer from bacteria and UV rays. Additionally, the treatments give protection against various kinds of insects, including ticks. Available in sizes S-3XL.
2 Moorland Loden shooting vest
RRP: £375
Farlows.co.uk
A great one for those who enjoy walkingup grouse. The waistcoat is extremely hard-wearing and features large cartridge pockets for ease of access when you are trekking across the moors. It has Alcantara on the shoulder patches and it is designed to repel moisture.
3 Pro GTX gaiters
RRP: £59.99
Gb.harkila.com
Made with waterproof technology and a hard exterior material, these gaiters will withstand any weather or terrain. Ideal for the upcoming grouse season, they will provide a good fit for any lower leg due to a drawstring at the top, an adjustable rubber strap at the bottom and elasticated ankles.
4 Campster chair
RRP: £64
Indiegogo.com
The chair is lightweight and compact, shrinking to the size of a water bottle so you can transport it between locations easily. Whether you are on a riverbank or in a hide, the chair is sturdy, comfortable and will not let you down.
5 5032 Sequoia Top GTX
RRP: €219 en.zamberlan.com
Versatile and flexible, these hunting boots are suitable for wild boar and deer stalking, which involves long waits in cold conditions, or pointing with dogs on the moors for a grouse. The Gore-tex lining keeps the feet dry, working as a shield against cold and humidity. The Nubuck leather collar guarantees excellent comfort around the ankles.
As I stood in the river that day I could not help but compare the wild Atlantic salmon and its journey to the journey that a handful of grey partridges have taken at Bywell.
The salmon has without doubt the most epic of journeys, fraught with danger and adversity, a cycle of life that begins at the spawning beds in the upper reaches of the River Tyne, in this case, then takes it thousands of miles as a juvenile and adult until its return some years later. All manner of obstacles lay in wait for the salmon. In fact, it’s a miracle that any of those juvenile hatchlings that break free from their egg capsule in a stony scrape in the riverbed ever make it back.
The day-old grey partridge chicks, like the salmon, had broken free from eggs and their fragile, minute bodies needed nourishment to survive. The parents had chosen their birthplace with care. Good, sustainable habitat is number one on a hen partridge’s list of reasons to pick a site. She knows that substandard habitat causes failure; survival of the parents is also, in part, reliant on good habitat.
Winter survival at Bywell was a key factor to address in the early years because without the habitat to help conceal the birds at this critical time the parents were simply being picked off by all manner of predators. As soon as we started to create viable habitat and provide an umbrella of predator control the partridges responded positively.
Spawning similarities
Similarities with the salmon’s behaviour can be observed. Spawning grounds need protection from the ravages of habitat loss in the upper reaches of the river catchment. This helps to produce the purest water that’s vital for the salmon parr to feed and grow but also makes it harder for predators, including man, to have a real impact.
“As soon as we started to create viable habitat and provide predator control the partridges responded positively”
Partridge chicks do not have to run the rigorous journey of the salmon – from the relative safety of the upper reaches of the Tyne to the wilds of the North Atlantic – but they do have to endure the most incredible changes in their chosen habitat.
As July approaches the arable farms in this area are preparing to start the harvest, which changes the grey partridge’s birthplace overnight. Fields are stripped bare in a few hours, broods are moved from field to field, day and night, as the farming operation intensifies. No sooner is this operation over than the next begins. The land is ripped up, worked down to a fine tilth and new seeds are planted all in a few weeks. The birds must be reeling following this whirlwind operation.
All this change in such a short space of time does not allow for birds to adapt and they become vulnerable to potentially catastrophic loss. Predators make the most of this bounty. Without the cover that was afforded by the standing crops the birds are subject to relentless attack. The salmon, on its return at maturity, suffers a similar fate as man’s industrial nets take swaths of returning fish from the waters. The vital difference for the partridge is made by adding habitat scattered throughout the area to give sanctuary to disturbed broods. I’m sure the salmon when it finally reaches the river considers itself the lucky one.
A few minutes after the initial take a silver hen salmon was unhooked and released back on her journey up the Tyne. This glimpse into the incredible life of both the salmon and the grey partridge is one I am privileged to witness and help conserve for future generations to enjoy.