scotslad
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Posts posted by scotslad
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That's wot i was trying to say according to my vet age will have no bearing on hip scores will be the same score at 1 as will be at 4 or 5,
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I think earliest a vet can do it is 1 year, i know someone who used to ake them to vets as soon as poss after the 1st birthday to get best scores possible. But my vet says makes litle difference as i was looking to get my 5 yr old done, they're shouldn't be that much wear to affect score.
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But that's the problem all the regions are different wot i can do and u can do could be 2 completely dofferent things, my region is 1 of best for firearms and are briilliant to work with but if u are in a region which ask's for notification (which is not a legal requirement, and i do not know if it will say this on ur conditions or in a covering letter ) and u don't next time u want a 1-1 variation or a new rifle they may use it aggainst u, my legal asdvise for most people would be have a good read throu it any doubt phone BASC. So in ur case i'd ring BASC
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Probably a silly question but how is the parts after care servicing side with rapids now that theoben is no more. I take it so many rifles out there other companies are making spares for them
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Canae believe this topic has went on so long saying so little.Think deekers summed it up perfectly on last page NO Legal requirement to notify But some regions have added this for no apparent reason. If u want to notify them fine but i cannae see a need
I get on great with my flo and asked about an ammo safe he said please my self and see me in 5 years. If i had any doubt (which i don't) i would give him a bell no prob's
Like prety much all legal stuff there are some well informed people here but there is some not so well informed, no offence but i would not treat an answer i got off an internet forum as gosbel no matter how certain the person was. Any doubt phone ur org BASC, NGO, SGA with firearms law it is never straight foward to interpret and has some grey areas but atleast u are speaking to boys who have read the law and arenae treating wot their mate down the pub tells them it is the law
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Unless a local boy comes on telling u a local game farm that has laying stock ur probably as well buying the shooting times in feb or march and back pages will be full of adverts for various game farms and give them a bell.
Otherwise the GFA website might help to find a local game farm
There is always betwys hall which runs shoots down ur way, most off big game farmers will deliver a fair distance and if ur a small delivery u will just piggy back on a larger delivery
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Aye that is perfectly normal, if u meant scarred and not scared= frightened
most working dogs will have little hair on there muzzles snout and around the eyes even my labs llose there hair round there soon grows back.I'd possibly look into joining a local gundog club or even get a 1-1 with a local trainer or mate who is good with gundogs, but i would say if u buy it do not be tempted to take it out this season even a fully trained dog needs time to bond with and trust u so dinae rush it.
Has he got a genuine reason for sale as sounds a nice dog, and i think that is wot wgd gettin at it can be easy to disguise faults in ur dog if ur a bit clever, not saying he's done that thou.
I see u have said the exact same as me and posted at same time, if in doubt get a mate u trust who knows a bit, but to be fair if ur patient it's amazing wot u can do
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Is the advice not a hopper per 15 birds? The more hoppers the less u fill and not a disaster if 1 or 2 block/empty or get knocked over. Even if u plant strips of a feed crop say tricale u will still need hoppers but it should hold/entertian the birds for longer trying to scart about for natural seed.
Is the best cover crop not be soil/location dependent, the above may be the best but no good to u unless it suits ur soil type location and planting timetable, the past 2 seasons has really found out shoots growing crops on slightly marginally or tired ground, a lot off failed or poor crops
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I'm not a fan off clipping, sort off considering for next year for 1 pen as that pen emptied 5 days after they arrived (persume gossy only thing that can spook birds like that, didnae even kill any) and couldnae get them back (1/3rd off birds i had all but wrote them and season off but we're on 30+% with 2 to go) but i just opened it up and put hoppers throu wood, food still disappeared at a surprising rate so many did survie but far from ideal.
Depends on ur situ, in some cases it can be useful but for me the single biggest concern is foxes and badgers, if 1 or more off them gets in ur pen ur in for some real trouble. I worry for first 4 nites after i release poults after that a lot off them are gettin in the low branches and the big kill time is getting over a bit. If u clip ur extending the time they are vurnable, can be a gamble, also depends how 'hard' they are clipped
I help a full time keeper at release time and he has started to get all hjs birds clipped and clipped 'hard' as has a few steep pens where birds only need to flutter a bit and they clear the wire at the bottom of banking, but he has been hit by foxes before and his pens are some if not the best built pens i've ever seen, like fort knox and a fox still got in.
For me too big a gamble and our shoot generally doesnae hold a high ammount of foxes (some very wet patches round the pens and never seen a foot print and never caught 1 in a snare either) but still to high a risk, i also do not have 90 degree corners inmy pens either
U say u lost a lot, do u not have plenty off pop holes and how often are u checking ur pen/walking the wire also wot age were they when they started disappearing over wire (clipping only works until birds start to get primary feathers so only works for a week or so and i have seen 6-61/2 week old poults with there blood quils already) do u put any hoppers outside the wire. Generally i find if been in 3-4 days and the numbers are not massive that flipped over the wire they will hang about the wire and esp so if there is a bit of cover+ sun on there backs and a feeder. Also do u have plenty off cover and space in pen. We had bother with another pen extended it and put a lot off brash in as well as cd's and have had no more bother, touch wood
I would not be overly concerned about the wet weather and birds on deck as long as some shelter and low branches/brash they will climb up and roost there, even when clipped they can get a few feet off the ground if 'soft' clipped can almost fly as normal. I also would not be bothered by 5p extra cost, i was taught never to scrimp on ur quality of poults or feed and good poults are worth paying extra for esp so with the weather we get now.
If u genuinely want them clipped and think it will benefit ur shoot or even just for certain problem pens go for it, but it is completely personal preference some keeperes will swere by it others never again, but if ur unlucky and get hit by a fox there is a massive potential for losses when clipped
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Islands are a waste off time, often ducks aren't clever enough to roost on them but also the foxes will swim over no prob's. A few years ago someone was studying birds on an island in the middle of a big resivior (I think rutland water) and foxes will caught on the nite cams swimming over 100m stealing eggs and swimming back with them still whole.
Best way is get rid of the foxes
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Ur pup's still really young, later on the long line would work, i also wouldnae be expecting 100% at his age althou he should be wantin to be with u, it depends on wot he's doing when not coming
I'd only recall him when u think he will come ie if he's already running towards u, looking at u type thing when he comes make a massive fuss, play with him, give him a treat. Basically u should be the most fun thing in his life, even speak in a girly high pitch baby type voice. As others have said get him to come to u regulary so it does not mean end off play, u should be the fun part. As others said wi food bowl get him to sit walk back 2-3 steps recall put food down few mouth fuls and keep repeating round ur garden
I wouldn't rcall him if facing other way sniffing or generally not interrested in u and if u think a high chance of him not coming, wait 30secs he'll be doing something else and be more likely to come, possibly also run oppisate direction or crouch down but not overpower/intimidating him or even lie on ground let him climb on u, most pups cannae resist that (althou he's getin older for that)
Once u blow recall whistle/command, if he comes great; if he doesn't ur faced with a decision do i ignore him, call again (which teaches him to ignore command, if he has defo hear it) or go out and enforce it. He's still young but try not to put ur self in that position, basically pick ur battles and make life easy
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I'd say a rough shooting dog is trained to a higher standard than a picking up dog.
From a personal point of view i far perfer beating to picking up, picking up ruins many a good dogIn all seriousness it is harder to train a dog to hunt hard and steady to the flush, depending on the level/standard and type of picking up u want to do; long marks, blinds and handling takes a bit/lot of training or if just sweeping cover, any dog will sweep cover with mininal training, yet that is the type off dogs keepers want, (A geid rakin dug, as 1 head keeper calls them)
It will also depend on ur experience and the spaniel's history, if it's been 'broken' may be a massive ammount off hard work to build it's confidence which may be easily lost if u lose your temper 1 time.
Not trying to put you off (I'd have no problem looking/taking it on) but i'm just trying to say could be a lot of hard work and make u aware off possible pitfalls, and depending how experienced and patient u or ur mates are at trainnig dogs.
I'd defo go have a look ask the right questions, if u know the boy well even better; but at 2 still young and plenty off time to train it althou it will depend wot problems it already has.
Take it nice and slow and get the basics spot on first and u should be fine.
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Raw meaty bones canne beat them. Go to ur local butchers
Generally as long as bones not cooked should be fine (also ham/pork bones not good for dogs) I have seen me chucking whole deer carcasses (after i've butchered them) or heads or feet into dogs like jurrasic park at feeding time sometimes, and they love it, nothing left. If u can get deer antler they will chew on that too.
I have been told not to feed raw hide unless u are there, seemingly some dogs will lick/suck till soft then try to swallow hole so can choke, mines don;t but they've never had any since
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Cheers boys foe the advice cleared up a few questions.
I will try and get hold off some of those Chee hollow points, althou the gun shops in my area arenae great for stuff like that, which to be fair won't be a popular round. How do u find them for bouncing? As that's my biggest fear/problem with the .22lr and the whole idea behind getting a fac airgun.. cheers
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Ur totally right above nobby it is not a good idea but i'd also say that 70m is not the effective killing range of a shotgun and esp so to a begginner. Joe average should not be shooting at birds at that distance until he can judge it accurately and also shoot accurately.
And for the more experienced next ime u pull off a long range/flukey
shot put the birds aside and actually pluck it including the head/neck, more often than not there will only be the 1 pellet in the head and rest off body/wings are often unmarked or when there is a pellet in the breast it usually has not penetrated far enough to be a fatal wound, or atleast that is generally the case with me and my mates anyway. Bottom line at that range (or behind 40ish m) u really need to be head shooting them, far beyond my skill level/limit.It does amaze/interest me if u mark different birds u shoot and pluck them to see where the damage/fatal shot is and which where the hard runners, u really have to hit them hard to get fatal body shot
I see a couple off other posts while i typed this,
But such a shame when such an innocent and common question ends up going off at a tangent like that
And no u really dinae want 1 in the eye, pulled a pellet out off my mates cheek 1 day, but we were picking up (1st season picking, 1st day new moor, u soon learn) and far too close, thought we were safe and a good 10ft below line of sight to butts but must off been a fiier or richocet, prob 40m and jist below skin and no more. Not nice thou
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Not triying to stir up a debate here or encourage anyone to do anything stupid.. But on grouse moors the horn/whistle posts (safety post where keepers blow horns to stop shooting birds forward) are generally between 70-120m out so it is not unusual to be hit depending on the drive (albeit not full pattern aiming at you) usually a few pellets but they can sting a bit, been hit a few times in short sleves and it stings a bit more a couple off times u could see the mark and a black line the lead leaves. Generally u would be fine if it hit ur back at that range but would still take an eye very easy. But u should not take chances doing it intentionally
To the average shot 35yds is about the max range i shoot too consistantly and i've been shooting all my life(mainly walked up/rough), but i shoot well up to that range. I am more than happy to let a bird go over and not lift a gun to it,
1 day i was picking up on a morning duck flight but i had my gun as well, ducks coming over me that were out of MY range so i wasnae lifting my gun yet the shoot captain and keepers son on far side where taking out left and rights and the birds where higher by then, but there are far better shots at that type off driven game and even afterseeing them drop them i still never lifted my gun
All those who think they can shoot to 70m CONSISTANTLY well if u really could u would be a hell off a shot and probably competeing at national stanard, U realy should be aiming to get ur shots to kill down i very much doubt u are shooting 4 or even 5-6 to 1 on 70m birds
It's more about finding YOUR range that U can kill consistantly and be happy with that and hopefully with practice experience it should extend, the fact that someone like Mr Digweed can kill at X m's is really irrelevent, he's a world class athelte/performer. I could watch Messi play football but i din't think i can do most of wot he does so wht would i watch GD and expect to do the same
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Sorry to confuse matters but...
Some keepers actually dinae really like gifts off the beaters (i know 2 in paticular will not take anything of beaters, and he pays for drinks plus a barbie on the 2nd keepers day all out his own pocket, he see's it as his way off thanking us for helping him throu the season) strange i know, but we buy there wifes a present instead plus she does the soup throughout the year. 1 off them gets quite offended if u offer him owt.
But if u are going to buy a bottle find out wot they drink first, i buy good malt cheapish off another keeper who hates whisky, he's got a booze cabinet full off it.
Project for next year make him a tipple, i do take some home brew for keepers day 11's basket (usually either sloe vodka or sloe whisky) but so do a few other beaters, it's amazing the recipes u can come up with trying to out do the other beaters
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Alright figgy
I run both stihl and husky saws and have never used a different round file for sharpening a chain (only a 3/16 for 325 and 7/32 for 3/8's) just the right size for pitch. Althou i must admit i've never reed a handbook either so ur mibee meant to but it has always sharpened no problem so i wouldnae worry.
The only thing i can think off different between the 2 makes, is the bar groove width/guage (width off slot drive links run in) husky are 1.5 mm while Stihl are 1.6mm, total pain that chain/bars cannae be swapped from 1 make to other.
I also have never heard off using a different size file to alter cutter angle usually just the same file (apart from when gettin worn), but i know very few folk if any that bother to change the angle of cutters nowadays, makes very little difference practically althou if u've sharpened for soft woods u can feel saw strugge if u have to work it in hard woods, so not worth the hassle.
A top tip when sharpenig is to try and keep the cutters all the same length otherwise saw will start cutting squint, if bad it's like a bannana. It's usually cause u file harder/better with ur good hand (right?) so if u give it an extra rub or 2 with ur bad hand it should keep things even (if do 3 rubs good side do 4 or 5 bad side) but just try to keep them even will cut far better. The proper proper way is measure all cutters with calipers and file down to smallest but no one ever does that
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No offence figgy but i've never heard of using different files for different makes of saw chain and u take the rakers down with a FLAT file
It is the 5.5 file u highlighted u want for 3/8"s chain no matter wot make or brand (to confuse matters further it is sometimes marked as 7/32 that's wot i use, which is still marked 5.5 i just checked) I also use a .325 file when the chain becomes more worn usually last 1/4 helps to keep it really sharp and prolong life a bit
It wont matter which chain type it is either semi chisel is the more common but all the same files
I'm pretty sure 3/8 lo pro wil be the chain pitch in better top end climbing (but quite a few different bizare pitch types when u get into climbing saws, mine is a smaller low profile .325 pitch as a cheap climbing saw) saws still 3/8 pitch but lower profile (so lower dia 4mm instead off 5.5mm) and usually only have half the teeth compered to a normal 3/8" chain with same DL's u might also find these chains on cheapy micky mouse type saws that lack a bit of power
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Good stuff a decent trainer is worth his wieght in gold, i'm sure he won't be long in asseses u both and giving u a few drills to do, i'd listen and ask as many questions as u can (even sit down and write them down as u'lll prob forget when ur craicing away with them) I'd then wait untill ur dog has improved and ready for next level or u hit a problem u can't fix. Possibly u could ask about group training too, bit cheaper once u got ur dog up to a standard but also gets it used to groups/excitement
There's a host off stuff u could try but by far the best is wot ur doing and i'd also say kent's comment about not giving a command u can't enforce is good as well as never giving ur dog a row if it actually comes back (no matter wot it's done) all that will do is make it not want to come back next time but yet u see folk doing it all the time
Sure be sorted in no time
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Kent pretty much summed it up, there is a lot off advice that could be offered but it's never easy doing it over internet when u have never seen the dog/handler or know ur temperments. It sounds like u have got some basics but jist not enough in pessence off game. My advice would be phone a local decent pro trainer and get some 1-1 lessons to start off with, he will be able to ***** both u and the dog and give u a few bits off advice, it's generally the handler that needs more training than the dog which is why i'm not a fan off sending ur dog away for training, will come back trained but will go rapidly downhill. I wouldnae worry about the price it won't be that dear and prob only want 1 hour every now and again, but wot choice do u have otherwise u end up with another pot licker to feed for next 8+ years. I would think off it as an investment as u will have this dog for another 8+ years nothing worse than knowing will dog makie ur shooting life a misery for next 8 years plus wot u learn from this dog will be handy in the future with other dogs.
Further on i'd try to join a loal gundog club some will have training days evenings which will get ur dog used to being in company off other dogs and other people can also give u advice, u will also learn alot watching the good handlers
Finally don't be to downhearted if the basics are there it might not be as bad as u think and also u seem to have realised the problem and stopped taking the dog so the bad habits may hopefully not be fully ingrained, but i definately would not have out anywhere near game until u've had some good face to face advice with someone who knows wot there talking about and can watch u and the dog and try to get it steadied up
Good luck
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Ladder trap will probably be the way forward, possibly even siting 1 at the nearest farm yard as well at this time of year they quite often hit farm feed/sheds silage pits. Possibly if u ask whoever has the shooting rites on the ground where pellets will land i can't see them really objecting.
Finally as i'm sure u all know afore u set a ladder trap or use the general licence to shoot anything on it u should always check it, (possibly in eng u are meant to have read it, changed wording up north this year to understood it) it does change from year to year and jist because something was legal last year does not mean be legal this year.
In scotland to operate a ladder trap/larsen u have to register with the local police and put an ID no. on the trap along with the Police's phone number so if any problems they can trace trap to u, the same is now happening with snareing althou a bit more complicated as u have to do a course
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Apologies if this has be done to death afore but i'm pretty new to this site, i have flicked throu and searched throu a lot of old topics and not really found answers to a couple off questions .
I was brought up with springers but havnae really used 1 for years now as usually use .22lr or shotgun, at my last renewal they granted a space for a .22 FAC Airgun as i hate the richocets u can get with the 22 sub's and thought a fac 22 would be a useful tool for rabbits where the 22lr is not really suited
1 I'm not overly bothered about any 1 make or an other but i've read some aiguns have valves (electronic switch in new daystate?) so u can have 2 power settings.Wot is the point in this? Also I take it this will affect ur zero/POI so are u running with dial in ballistic turret scopes set for the 2 diffrent powers
2 I realise actual power can be varied and will depend on personal preference/use but 30ft/lbs seems to be a sort of standard for a .22. At 30ftlbs roughly how many accurate shots should u get out off 1 fill, and does this solely depend on the size off buddy bottle/resivoir or does gun make/model make any difference to shots per fill. Is it possible/practical to use a stirrup pump to keep an FAC airgun going, i looked into pcp guns years ago and was nowhere to charge them locally
3 I've read a lot about FAC guns being for sale fairly cheaply i've yet to see any that i'd calll cheap wot sort of money should u be able to pick a complete set up for and is there a better time off year for getting bargins, i've been keeping my eye out for a while but all seem pretty dear to me.
4 this probably should be in ballistics but has anyone tried using CCCI shorts, meant to be a low powered 22lr round thats supposed to be equivalent to around 30ftlbs, some gunshops say should be ideal, while others have a view that will richocet worse than standard subs as still a 40ish grain bullet only travelleing even slower, so loopier trajectory as well, but very few places stock them and never heard of anyone actually usng them. It would be a cheaper option if the rounds work as will pick up 2nd scoped 22lr's for 50 odd quid quite easily that wil do the job
Cheers in advance
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Depending where u are in D& G.
Dunno about prices but will list a few folk off the top off my head that sell them depending on wot ur after. Think all there numbers should be found easy enough in the book
U could try Roy Jacobs Closeburn sporting i think he's called, phone first to make sure he's in and is open evenings
I think Tarff Valley sell them but have to order them the day afore (From there other shop on A75) and pretty dear and only 6's i think
There is/was **** Mossop in annan but he can be murder to get hold off and not used him for years so could be finished?
Also at annan would be Westlands clay/activity centre it was selling shells in the summer, but only clay sizes
Further afield to carisle u've got both Mark (gargeners Guns, Longtown/carisle rd) or Adrian (A Brown sporting guns as u go into carisle)
Jist remembered WCF used to sell them too, dunno if the CD branch will still stock prob be dear and only 6's thou
Hope that helps
Road collision deer
in General Shooting Matters
Posted
I would bevery surprised if u were allowed to take the carcass home, strictly speaking it will belong to the landowners who's land it is on, council if on road side or estate or landowners if further away, i also doubt they would allow it into the food chain, even for personel consumption. I would also imagine they would be wanting expereinced stalkers who have access to a trained tracking dog too. Technically speaking lifting roadkill will be theft, nonesense i know.
As an aside when i done my dsc1 the instructor told a story about picking up road kill, 1 council must have called a vet to PTS the deer by injection, the deer was left at road side to be picked up by council workers later on when they turned up it had disappeared!! They got an urgent message out over all the local radio stations, tv the lot, reckom if anyone ate it could off been game over