Defra Minister taking “a balanced approach” on snares
BASC review what was said following a parliamentary debate discussing banning the use of snares in England.
Get information on the legal shooting season for mammals and birds in the UK.
Learn about our current conservation projects and how you can get involved.
Comprehensive information and advice from our specialist firearms team.
Everything you need to know about shotgun, rifle and airgun ammunition.
Find our up-to-date information, advice and links to government resources.
Everything you need to know on firearms law and licensing.
All the latest news and advice on general licences and how they affect you.
As another game shooting season ends, this week sees the final shoots and beaters’/keepers’ days. We’ll be saying goodbye to our sporting friends and colleagues, but hopefully not for too long.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that, and while most of us are sad to see the end of the season, it is also refreshing to consider life without game shooting. A chance to think about the onset of spring, holidays, DIY, and other sports or activities.
However, some very important jobs need to be done. These include the practical requirements of a shoot – syndicates and gamekeepers are very aware of the long list of tasks that need attending to in preparation for next season – however, there are other important factors beyond the physical shoot needs.
February is the perfect time to reflect on the season on a personal level, while it is all still fresh in our minds. What went well and what needs improving?
Perhaps your dog has picked up some bad habits that need working on over the summer. The ripped waterproofs or holes in the wellies will not magically disappear by next autumn, nor will that sticking ejector on your gun.
If you are struggling with a left-to-right bird, then a trip to your local clay ground is vital. Shooting is a way of life for many of us and a cultural lifestyle choice; we will be far stronger as a community if those who walk away at the end of the season are not strangers for too long.
The continued existence of shooting is linked to delivering our broader benefits; without positive impacts for the economy, society, and nature, we have little chance.
The fight to secure sustainable shooting comes in many forms and we all have the power to help. Do those cover crops work for key declining bird species as well as gamebirds? Are you feeding wild birds through the hungry gap? Can you improve your woodland by leaving deadwood for insects?
The harder we work as conservationists, the more pleasure and satisfaction from shooting we will get. It is a perfect circle where the more you put in, the more you get out.
As the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust campaign says, let’s “Check in with a Mate”. We are not friends just during the season, let’s pick up the phone or call in for a brew over the coming months.
Many shoots also host a BBQ or clay shoot over the summer months; these can be great opportunities to raise funds for local charities.
Knowing we do a good job is not enough these days – we must prove it. Yes, you can use the national data like the Value of Shooting report due this year. However, nothing is more powerful than evidence for each shoot.
Use some of the spare time once the game shooting season ends to collate useful and important data for your shoot. A good place to start is by taking part in the GWCT big farmland bird count (2-18 February 2024).
It is more important than ever that individuals understand the challenges and opportunities shooting faces.
For BASC members, the spring and summer months are the perfect time to book a shoot briefing with your BASC regional team. The briefings are free for all BASC shoots and we delivered over 370 in England last year, so don’t miss out.
If you haven’t done so already, perhaps now is the time to affiliate your shoot to BASC. BASC syndicate shoots really do get more benefits for less cost per member.
I hope you all had a good season. Remember to keep in touch with your shooting friends once the game shooting season ends – there is plenty of important work to be done and you really can get much more from shooting than just the shoot days.
BASC review what was said following a parliamentary debate discussing banning the use of snares in England.
A decision by the Scottish government to ban snares would be catastrophic to threatened bird species, including the iconic capercaillie.
Twenty shoots who are members of the Greater Exmoor Shoots Association (GESA) have joined the Aim to Sustain Game Assurance Scheme.
Sign up to our weekly newsletter and get all the latest updates straight to your inbox.
© 2024 British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Registered Office: Marford Mill, Rossett, Wrexham, LL12 0HL – Registered Society No: 28488R. BASC is a trading name of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 311937.
If you have any questions or complaints about your BASC membership insurance cover, please email us. More information about resolving complaints can be found on the FCA website or on the EU ODR platform.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
More information about our Cookie Policy