- News and Reports
12/02/08 - Dan Reynolds reports on the end of the shooting season
The end of the season always comes with mixed feelings and while it is always a relief for us and our estates to get to the 'finish line', there is now no tangible break between the end of one season and the planning of the next. Such is the popularity of shooting these days, clearly illustrated by the recent PACEC report, that many of our clients want to fix their entire shooting diaries well before the leaves start to appear and summer is upon us...
10/01/08 - HN51 Avian Influenza outbreak in Dorset
Under EU community law, there will be a temporary but immediate cessation of shooting in an area of Dorset hit by avian influenza today. The shooting of wild birds should cease in the protection and surveillance zones surrounding the outbreak at Abbotsbury Swannery...
01/12/2007 - Special offer for dove shooting in Argentina - less than £1 per bird
Roxtons has teamed up wth David Denies in Argentina to offer dove shooting year round at unbelievably fantastic value. The David Denies operation is renowned for its standard of service both in its lodges and in the field. It operates two first class lodges in the Cordoba region and together we can offer entirely tailor-made itineraries to suit every requirement...
14/11/07 - New report identifies that gamekeepers help wild birds to thrive
The shooting season is underway but the role of gamekeepers in conserving many non-gamebirds is not widely understood. Many songbirds and other bird species have dramatically declined in recent decades but a new report shows that where land is managed by gamekeepers many species thrive.
The report 'Singing fields' compiled by Dr Stephen Tapper, director of policy and public affairs with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (formerly The Game Conservancy Trust), highlights the contribution that gamekeepers have made in protecting many of our most threatened birds from starvation and attack from generalist predators such as foxes, magpies and crows...
09/10/2007 - New policy on transporting firearms from American Airlines
The National Rifle Association has been working with American Airlines to change a recently implemented airline policy that would no longer allow the transportation of civilian firearms in checked luggage to Europe and Asia on all American Airlines flights. This policy was effective for tickets purchased on or after Sept. 24, 2007...
13/09/2007 - Foot and Mouth Disease
Roxtons will be complying with regulations and advice as issued by DEFRA and other rural organisations. We will also be adhering to biosecurity measures that estates and landowners may put in place. For further information on FMD, please visit the DEFRA website or the Deer Commission website.
10/09/2007 - The Rovos Rail hosts another successful season. Adam Bromfield reports
The Rovos Rail train is a superb mobile shooting lodge. The food, the wines, the comfort and the service and friendliness of the staff make it very difficult to beat. It is a once in a lifetime trip and as Adam Bromfield reports, this year's train shoots were a great success...
17/08/07 - The grouse season opens with some record bags
Early reports suggest that in some parts of Northern England and Southern Scotland, many grouse moors are looking at having a vintage season. Bags of 150 to 400 brace per day have been recorded. This has come about from a combination of leaving a healthy stock from last season as well as the warm and dry weather we had throughout April and early May...
15/08/07 - Morocco - another successful season draws to a close
14th August sees the end of the dove shooting season in Morocco. It has once again proved a great destination for guns as well as their non-shooting partners. The birds arrive in Morocco having already travelled 2,000 miles from the sub-Sahara regions of West Africa, on their way to Europe...
23/07/07 - Game Fair cancelled
The CLA Game Fair has made the difficult decision to cancel their show which was due to open at Harewood House, nr Leeds on Friday 27th July. Adverse, and worse than predicted weather which has hit Harewood Estate over the last 48 hours, has now defeated all the efforts the organisers have made in order to open the show this coming Friday. Up until then the gallant efforts of the 100 strong site team and the added financial commitment made by the CLA to keep the site in good condition and build up on target meant that the show organisers remained confident that they would be able to receive the contractors and exhibitors from Monday in the run up to the show...
18/7/2007 - HMRC Investigations Continue
Several of our estates have recently been the subject of an 'Employer Compliance Review' conducted by H M Revenue & Customs. A booklet labelled TIP 73 Field Sports has been published by the Revenue to guide their officers through, what is seen by them to be, a difficult Field Sports minefield...
23/04/2007 - End of Game Licence
As from the 1st August 2007, shooters in England and Wales will no longer need to be in possession of a Game Licence.
12/04/2007 - Adam Bromfield reports from Spain
Despite the threat of Avian flu at the start of the season, Spain enjoyed a fantastic 2006-7.
Rain is not usually welcomed on overseas trips but Spain's autumn and winter rains produce wonderfully lush terrain that is excellent for partridges.
06/03/2007 - End of UK season
The partridge shooting months of September and October were blessed with many dry days with light winds and it was only towards the end of October that we started to see rain in any great quantity.