Roostabout
Fran says: Woodpigeons have very soft feathers and a young, inexperienced dog can find it off-putting when picking them up as they normally end up with a mouthful. If your training has been sound and the dog picks feathered game without any problems, plenty of encouragement will normally ensure the dog makes a clean retrieve. It is also a good idea to remove as many feathers as possible from the dog’s mouth once you have taken the bird from them.
Can you roost shoot big woods on your own? Do you have any tips?
Tom says: I have had many great evenings roosting crows on my own. The estate has a large banking of trees that surround a tarn, which has been the prime roosting ground on my permission for many years. I used to have a few nights in the wood on my own picking off jackdaws and carrions as part of the ongoing management of numbers. I would potter through the wood a good hour before sunset to scout the area. A good tip is to look for areas of droppings, which indicate where the birds prefer to roost. I then hunker down and wait for them to arrive. Moving around can help when shooting on your own as birds may disperse after the shooting commences, which is why organised team events are often the best approach. There is something great about the snap shooting and difficulty that makes roosting one of my favourite methods for controlling corvids, on my own or with a team of Guns.
Tony says: I’m not sure what level you are starting from, so I would suggest a session with a shooting coach to have an overview of your shooting and to give you some areas to focus on. Shoot more often; once a month isn’t enough to get better. Get some practice in-between competition shoots and after a competition, as, unless you did really well, there will be things to work on. Don’t just practise until you can hit a target, practise until you can’t miss it. Once you can hit it at the sweet spot, try taking it early and late in its flight line. Every time you go to a shoot look and watch what other shooters are doing: what is good and why is it good, and are they doing something you hadn’t thought of that could be an advantage to you? Everyday is a day that you can learn.
David says: This is supposedly a one-month measure to help with the Covid vaccine rollout, though I find it hard to understand at a time when GPs are being paid an extra £15 per jab and have been allowed to suspend routine medical checks for over-75s. Given many GPs are reluctant to process these verifications, it may not make much difference. Start the renewal process at least four months before your ticket expires.