Following a number of detections of avian influenza in wild birds across Great Britain, the Chief Veterinary Officers from England, Scotland and Wales have declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across the whole of Great Britain to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading amongst poultry and captive birds. This means that from last Wednesday, November 3rd, it became a legal requirement for all bird keepers in Great Britain to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their birds. The AIPZ now in force does not include a requirement to house birds. However, this is ...

With supplies of turkey limited this Christmas after a labour shortage forced poultry farmers to cut production by a fifth, a growing number of people are turning to wild British game as an alternative. Wild game specialist Wild and Game has seen orders soar in recent weeks: it is already 35 per cent up on sales of Christmas hampers compared to the whole period last year. Wild and Game’s hampers include pheasant, duck and partridge three bird roasts, muntjac legs, wild boar sausage meat, game pigs in blankets, pheasant Wellingtons and game charcuterie. It also has ...

Poultry and game keepers are being advised to keep a lookout for signs of avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu, in both wild bird populations and kept birds this winter. The advice is being issued following two confirmed cases of H5N1 Avian Influenza, one near to Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire and more another close to Wrexham, North Wales. In both cases control zones have been put in place. It is believed that wild birds have been the cause in both cases but now countryside organisations are urging members to remain vigilant. Glynn Evans, the British Association ...

If you fancy a day’s partridge shooting for nine guns at Caerhays Castle in Cornwall worth over £12,000, then you are in luck! The Countryside Alliance’s draw offers an exceptional prize, with the day hosted in person by the owners, Charles and Lizzie Williams, who have extremely generously donated this 250-bird partridge day. Caerhays seldom advertises or uses agents to fill its shoot days, as those not filled by year-on-year repeat bookings are rapidly filled through word of mouth so this is an amazing opportunity, with the day scheduled to take place in September or October ...

‘Microregulation’ of shooting is being prioritised over crucial restoration and enhancement projects, according to a new paper by leading rural and shooting organisations. Published by the Aim to Sustain partnership the white paper, titled ‘Shooting for a Level Playing Field’, highlights the legal irregularities that impede shooting activities within the Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) process in England and Wales. HRA’s are undertaken by regulatory authorities on protected sites to assess whether a ‘plan’ or ‘project’ proposal could ‘adversely effect’ the designated features of the site. With many shooting activities currently requiring HRA’s the paper summarises the ...

With hospitality at the heart of any field sport experience, Bond Fabrications’ British designed and manufactured structures provide the perfect blend of warm ambience and distinctive style for your location. Based in Stroud, Gloucestershire, Bond has been creating unique and exclusive structures for the outdoor hospitality industry for more than 30 years and a number of these have featured at The Game Fair over the years. Its bespoke, luxury safari tents and lodges boast robust steel frames with full structural engineers’ reports and high-performance technical fabrics and are designed to be in place permanently. Bond offers ...

Leading rural organisations have welcomed the High Court’s dismissal of Wild Justice’s ‘speculative’ attempt to judicial review Defra’s most recent burning legislation in England. The attempted judicial review had sought to disrupt the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021. The regulations ban heather burning on our most protected sites with peat of more than 40cm, unless under licence for special beneficial circumstances. What is judicial review? The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary defines judicial review as follows: “Judicial review is a type of court proceeding in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body. ...

Crow and Jester is showcasing its new ready to wear ladies’ and men’s collections, exclusively designed by its founder, Simon Horsley. This has been a busy year for Crow and Jester so far, with the launch of its new website (www.crowandjester.co.uk), two successful exhibits at both The Game Fair and GWCT Scottish Game Fair and upcoming shows including next week’s World Gunmakers’ Evening. Crow and Jester designs and tailors make-to-order ladies’ and men’s luxury tweed country wear, shooting attire, shirts and coats, to suit your personality, using the finest fabrics to create one-of-a-kind pieces that will ...

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) has announced the appointment of law academic Dr Marnie Lovejoy as its new head of environment law research. Marnie has a PhD in law and is the former associate head of Portsmouth Law School. Gamekeeping runs in her family and she is a keen beater alongside her two springer spaniels. Her work at BASC will focus on reviewing and researching the regulatory framework governing wildfowling, wildlife licences, gamebird release and habitat management with the aim of promoting and strengthening sustainable shooting. Marnie said: “I wanted to follow my ...

British luxury watch brand Bremont has been confirmed as the official timepiece for the up-coming World Gunmakers’ Evening next month. Taking place at 6pm on Wednesday 3 November in the New Armouries at the iconic Tower of London, the exclusive indoor event brings together the very best gunmakers and shooting brands in front of 500 guests for an evening of game canapés and Champagne. Founded in 2002 by Nick & Giles English, Bremont men’s watches are British-made luxury mechanical timepieces, carefully constructed in line with our uncompromising principles of durability, legibility and precision. Classically designed to ...

Gun and rifle maker I S Sweetman has been working on a built-from-the-ground-up 9.3 x 62 bolt action rifle, designed specifically with driven boar hunting in mind. Built on an original Mauser .98 action, the rifle features a front-mounted Aimpoint optic, leaving the top of the rifle clear for fast reloads. Photographed part-way through the build process, it is now nearing completion and is adorned with fine scroll engraving throughout. The final few details will include a driven boar vignette on the floor plate, gold name, numbers and safe and colour-hardened action and furniture. Stop by ...

Auctioneers Bonhams, a longstanding exhibitor at The Game Fair each July is putting the personal sporting rifle of ‘The Tiger of Mysore’ under the hammer next week. The 18th century ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in South India, Tipu Sultan, was ferocious and uncompromising in battle, earning him the nickname. He was also a great administrative reformer, introducing a new coinage system and calendar and laying the foundations of the Mysore silk industry. Hailed in India for his implacable and spirited resistance to British rule, Tipu built up not only a formidable arsenal for his armies ...

The Canal & River Trust – which runs the ‘have a go fishing’ at The Game Fair, has revealed that 40 new miles of waterway, including iconic locks and urban canals, have been awarded prestigious Green Flag status by Keep Britain Tidy. Despite the impacts of the pandemic on plans and volunteering activities, the Trust was able to add new stretches across England and Wales to the 400 miles which already hold the quality mark. Julie Sharman, chief operating officer at the C&RT, said: “Our efforts to win Green Flags are founded on the principle of ...

The Missing Salmon Alliance leads a global coalition to bring the art installation Salmon School to the heart of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow. The art installation, Salmon School, is a community engagement project by the internationally renowned artist Joseph Rossano. Salmon School takes to the global stage at COP26 to communicate the message that, with the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, iconic wild salmon are on a path to extinction. Salmon School brings together a community of artists, scientists, educators and environmental groups from all over the world, all contributing to the ...