apache

How long ago? The products I speak of have been launched in the last 3 months.

It's mainly due to a number of factors: Less badgers about Less livestock movements Lower herd sizes When you have greater numbers of cattle on a farm the disease spreads to more animals. Farmers buy and sell stock from all over the country (and abroad). Badgers are involved in the local transmission of the disease and they will cross borders and take the infection to neighbouring farms. Cattle movements bring TB into new areas. If you only shoot a few badgers their social group is broken up and they will wander to find others - this is the perturbation effect. The solution is as close to 100% kill as possible in a good sized area. I don't know if any of you saw the paper published, that found hedgehog numbers double once you kill some badgers: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24736454

I take your point. The thing is, if you have done a recognised course and got your bit of paper, you have shown (or learnt) the correct way of doing things. Ignorance becomes no excuse. If you knowingly deviate from what is 'correct' or even what is safe, then you alone take the consequences. I have said on here and other shooting forums: I don't believe that courses should be compulsory, but I do believe they should exist and be a viable way into shooting for those new to the sport. I don't want someone out there with a gun and no bloody idea on safe practice. I suspect none of us do.

Said no patient to a heart surgeon, ever. The sensible applicant will get some experience before applying for their FAC. If you make it easy for the police things will go in your favour. If you apply with zero experience, for public safety then there should be some sort of supervision/mentoring. Going out a handful of times and getting some real life experience is not particularly onerous in the grand scheme of things. [i get asked to sign a few FACs, so I have asked a few guys to come out with me, so I have a decent answer for the old question about the applicants knowledge and experience with firearms].

It's just good manners to tell them if you move the cabinet or replace it with a bigger one or additional ones. They can keep their records up to date (with your holding capacity) and come and see it if they really want (they don't in my experience). It's all about cooperating and keeping a 2 way dialogue going. Then when you decide you want a bigger gun the variation slips through without any hassle. I appreciate there is no need in law.

That would be terrible, wouldn't it? (rather hypocritical view point from a bunch of people who also kill for fun.......)

Yes. Ideally you'd have all the guns on each certificate. Police usually quite happy doing so.

I use resin bolts, but expanding bolts are also fine.

The talk of alarms makes me laugh - I have 16 guns on my FAC (5 of them section 5), 9 moderators and 9 shotguns between my wife and myself and we have no alarm. Low crime rate and split between 4 cabinets.

Whatever you can safely store.

There's a couple of issues. You need a source of infection - that can be other dogs, cats or even rabbits (all three share the cat flea, the dog flea is relatively rare). Going to places where many animals go increases the risk - so living in a town, on a shoot etc. Also dogs can live quite well with a mild flea burden. With no treatment in place the fleas live in close contact with the skin and can be hard to find, even if you look for them. It's only when you add something into the mix that excites them that we often see the flea. Dogs living outside in cold conditions will also halt the flea life cycle- not so in your centrally heated house.

The thing with Frontline or Advocate is they kill the fleas. Frontline kills by excitation so you can see the flea being more active before it dies. It's common for a continuous source of infestation (home, car, somewhere you go on walks) means the dog picks up fleas regularly, just they are killed and no ongoing infestation can take hold. If you treat the dog and not the environment you may see fleas for well over 6 months despite the spot on doing its job perfectly. All a shampoo will do is repel the flea into the environment - it won't die. Nexgard is the flea and tick tablet we are stocking.

Talk to your vets about the new flea and tick tablets. Using them in my own dogs and very impressed. Doesn't matter of they swim or get wet. One meaty tablet every month or every 3 months depending on the make.

I bought some cobalt drill bits from a show once. The demo involved drilling through files and brake discs. The ones that came home with me struggled with pine........ Useless

If they don't want to, then why should they? It's a free market.

Write to chief constable, firearms licensing manager and the police and crime commissioner for your area. Send the same letter, but make it clear it is been sent to all three parties.

I've sent a FB message, saying you are trying to get in touch

How do you think this discussion would be going if a random bloke had walked into a gunshop and asked to hold a gun. Imagine he batted the member of staff in the face with the butt and made off with the gun. I'd have thought we could all wind our necks in a little bit and show our cert if asked politely. There is no reason not to be shown a gun whilst waiting for your SGC to land (or if its at home) but engage in some discussion. I suspect if I turned up in a Porche dealership in a boilersuit and wellies they wouldn't let me drive a car.

I don't believe there is a legal problem, but I know of some shops that do it to weed out the time-wasters......

It's good practice to check the chip - and most vets try to at each visit. It is worth noting that not all chips are equal and I have seen far more cheap and cheerful chips fail than the good quality ones. You pay your money and you take your choice.

If you can present them with the remains of your old one, there should be no charge. The fee is if the certificate is lost

If you have a firearm and ammunition in a public place the law takes no account of whether the gun is loaded or not. There is no need to take the bolt out, although I would unload unless a brief crossing. 19 Carrying firearm in a public place. A person commits an offence if, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse (the proof whereof lies on him) he has with him in a public place ©any other firearm (whether loaded or not) together with ammunition suitable for use in that firearm, or http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/27/section/19

I walk out of my front door with a rifle over my shoulder. Not slipped.

I had trouble one day not able to turn the key in mine. I had the sling trapped in the door - firm pressure as I turned the key sorted it.

He did say over on the SD he was 'about to go away' (22/7) so I guess he is on holiday.