Hammergun

My friend in Rutland would probably do it for you but I don't know how much he would charge.

You have the gun sent to a RFD near to you who will fill in the paperwork. They usually have a handling charge for this service (usually from £15 to £25)

DD, I have some flexicoy decoys for sale. If you are interested, PM me.

When rabbits were kept commercially (in Roman times I think) legend has it that a black rabbit or two were put amongst the brown ones to be able to tell if foxes were taking many of the rabbit population. Apparently the appearance of black rabbits in the wild is a throwback to this age. Black rabbits are usually lighter coloured underneath as opposed to pet black rabbits which are completely black.

Anyone going to the Great Yorkshire Show this week? Shall we meet up (in the beer tent maybe?) Anyone need a lift?

I admit that "how tall is a tree?" is a bit lilke "how long's a piece of string?" The trees where I shoot are not particularly high compared to the height, for example, of an ancient oak tree. No, I am not generally in the habit of using 8's, but there are times when I have found them still in my pockets from clay shooting. I would never take a "long" shot where there was a very high chance of wounding as that is completely wrong, but if they are close enough, an 8 can do a lot of damage. The old farmer I used to work for as a teenager would to always shoot herring gulls from the back of the tractor when he was ploughing. He used to think they were worse than crows.

I usually use 28g loads and they are quite capable of hitting pigeons or crows at distance (in my estimation, the kind of height they circle above the tall trees at). I sometimes find I have a load of 7s or 8s in my bag left over from clay shooting, and whilst I admit they aren't ideal, they do bring birds down no problem. Distance? well that is subjective. I suggest if you are concerned you are not hitting them, try shooting at a target and checking your pellet pattern. Try it at different distances. 30g suffice for the majority of shooters, and so you might find there is something at falut in your technique, or in the fit of your gun. The only thing you are going to get with heavier loads what you don't get with 28 or 30g is a sore shoulder!

lol - the bar's open and YP's away, so the place hasnt been drunk dry yet. First round's on me!

Fell boots as worn in the Lake District (these are my new pair for hunting on foot.) (whoops- picture doesnt seem to work - Try later)

£299 for a standard "wiper motor type" magnet. Hmm I don't think so somehow...........

I would guess either a genetic fault, or loss of the ears to severe frostbite. However, there have only been two or three occasions over the last couple of years where the temperature has dipped low enough to cause this.

Remember the "genuine clay pigeon ashtrays" and the shell decoys going for £5 each? If there's someone silly enough to bid for them, then I say to the seller "Good luck!" Do your research first. Do a Google search to find the price for a new item. Remember also that if an offer seems too good to be true, it is.

Happy Birthday!

Anyone about?

When you have an Ebay account, you can mark items to "watch", and see how much they go for. If a "buy it now" offer seems too good to be true, chances are, it is. Watch out for fakes with some items too.

If you are after the traditional fell boots as used by the Lakeland fell packs, with sprung toe and commando, or nailed leather soles, you can get them from William Lennon and Co, tel 01433 630 451

Interesting to see that the old shirt-signing tradition is still alive and well!

I visited France last year, and they seemed surprised that we actually take these silly rules lying down, and that we dont just ignore them. Are the Brits stupid or what?

This is the real one: I and countless others have signed up to it, and we will stick to our principles: http://www.huntingdeclaration.org/

Don't put snares over rabbit burrows as this is a waste of time. Snaring on rabbit runs works well if you place the snare just above where the grass is worn by the feet, so the loop is about 2 inches off the ground. You need a good stake and a loop of stiff wire (coathanger loop) to keep it in position.

Personally, I would not let any child under the age of 11 (secondary school age) handle a gun, even with very close supervision. I shot my first shotgun at 11, and it was with my great grandad's rickety 12 bore hammergun and it about knocked me over backwards. I broke a clay with my very first shot, and I will never forget that moment! I do believe that shooting teaches youngsters responsibility and discipline, and that many of them are more consciencious than some adults. Much depends on the maturity and the upbringing of the individual concerned. I think BB guns and kids do not go together. In fact, as my parents and their parents before them did, I do not believe that kids should have any toy guns including cap guns, or be allowed to play pretend shooting with each other (except maybe water pistols). My grandad used to go crazy if anyone so much as pointed a stick at anyone else, and he was right to do so.

Anyone chatting tonight?

Some of us have TVs on our computers

Anyone about tonight? http://www.pigeonwatch.co.uk/chat

Yes, from hazel coppice.