After a winter layoff from rabbit shooting, Mat Manning makes a return to coney control with an evening on the pony paddocks. Rabbit numbers have been up and down on my patch over the past few years. Myxomatosis, which has…
the countryman
Rabbit shooting – the Countryman w/ Mat Manning
Tagged with: binoculars, bipod, countryside, field, kit, mat manning, pellets, quarry, rabbit shooting, Range, rangefinder, shoot, stalk, stalking, the countryman
Posted in Features, Hunting
Posted in Features, Hunting
The Countryman: ratting by lamplight
Mat Manning goes old school and heads out after the scaly-tails with a spring-powered gun and a scope-mounted lamp. Rat shooting is synonymous with winter evenings, and as the year gradually rolls around it is starting to take up more…
Tagged with: air cylinders, airguns, ammo, countryside, farmyards, gear, gun, hw95k, kit, lamp, lamplight, mat manning, night vision, NV, pellets, pest, pest control, rangemaster sovereign, ratting, shooting, spring, springer, the countryman
Posted in Features
Posted in Features
Autumn hunting – The Countryman
The ripening of autumn seeds and berries creates a time of plenty for woodland pests and, as Mat Manning shows, an opportunity for hunters to cash in on the feast Autumn is a wonderful season for the air rifle hunter.…
Decoying woodpigeons – The Countryman
Mat Manning sets up for a morning’s decoying as the woodpigeons gather over a harvested barley field Late summer is a prime time for the pigeon shooter. Large flocks of these birds gather to feed on spilt grain left behind…
Tagged with: airgun, ammo, autumn, binoculars, bird, camouflage, crops, decoy bag, decoying, decoys, feeding grounds, field, gun, mat manning, optics, pest control, pigeon, pigeon shooting, pigeons, scope mounts, seasons, shooter, shooting, shotgun, summer, the countryman, trigger, woodland birds, woodpigeons
Posted in Features
Posted in Features
Evening rabbit hunting – The Countryman
With skittish rabbits proving difficult to outwit with a roving approach, Mat Manning switches tactics and sets up a stakeout. This ground has produced some good shooting through late spring and early summer. Short stalking sessions regularly yielded bags of…
Tagged with: binoculars, bipod, bolt, evening rabbit hunting, field, hunting, mat manning, optic, pellet, pest, quarry, rabbit, rabbit hunting, Range, rangefinder, season, shoot, shooting, stalking, target, the countryman
Posted in Features, Hunting
Posted in Features, Hunting
Summer rabbit stalking – The Countryman
Balmy evenings are made for stalking rabbits – Mat Manning sets up for a roving session in the hope of bagging some bunnies for the pot. Summer rabbiting is one of the highlights of the airgun hunter’s year, not just…
Tagged with: airgun, ammo, camouflage, countryside, gear, gun, Hunter, hunting, knife, mat manning, pest control, rabbit, rangefinder, ranges, shooting, stalking, the countryman, trigger
Posted in Hunting
Posted in Hunting
Squirrel control – The Countryman
Go about it in the right way and invasive grey squirrels can be controlled safely and discreetly in the back garden – Mat Manning explains how. Unless you’re lucky enough to live in the middle of nowhere, garden pest control…
Tagged with: airgun, blackbirds, business, corvids, garden, grey squirrel, mat manning, pellet, pigeons, Range, rodent, shot, squirrel control, target, the countryman, trap, trigger
Posted in Features, Hunting
Posted in Features, Hunting
Hunting for squirrels w/ Mat Manning
In this month’s Countryman, in association with BASC, Mat Manning sets up a feeding station to keep his squirrel control in full swing through the summer months Today, I’m shooting on an estate that’s managed for pheasant shooting, wildlife conservation,…
Tagged with: basc, farming, feeder, ground, mat manning, pheasant shooting, shooting, squirrels, the countryman, timber production, wildlife conservation, woodland
Posted in Features
Posted in Features
The Countryman with Mat Manning
Mat Manning sets up a stakeout to bring the bunnies back under control after their springtime breeding boom. The late spring and early summer months are peak breeding season for rabbits, which means you’ll often see a distinct spike in…
Tagged with: airgun, bipod, breeding season, camouflage, headnet, hunting, mat manning, night shooting, pellet, rabbits, rangefinder, shooting, shooting prone, stalking, the countryman
Posted in Features
Posted in Features
