Shooting Times Country – 9 September 2026

Summary

Natural England was denied permission to appeal July's High Court ruling that it acted unlawfully in licensing gamebird releases — the lead news item in Shooting Times & Country's September 9, 2026 issue, Issue 6,622, priced at £4.50. The ruling at the Royal Courts of Justice on September 3 ordered Natural England to pay 100% of BASC's legal costs, with the judge calling its enforcement threat "tantamount to bullying." For readers who follow UK shooting politics, gamekeeping and countryside management, this 50-plus-page issue also covers moorland wildfire management polling, firearms-theft security advice, and a guide to Mull's fieldsports.

The news section dominates the front half. Public polling by Opinium Research of 2,050 UK adults finds 41% favour controlled burning, cutting and grazing to reduce wildfire risk versus 32% favouring natural processes. Eighteen recess questions on burning licences, shotgun backlogs, gamebird release and hunting law face a shrinking Commons window. The Eat Wild Countryside Auction raised £80,000, with founding director Dylan Williams calling it "an extraordinary result." Terry Bobbett, 1947-2026, a Clay Pigeon Shooting Association national and regional director, is remembered in an obituary.

Featured content includes "You Have to Eat What You Shoot" (sporting ethics), "The Magic of Mull — A Fieldsports Trip to Remember", "Kitbag — Essentials for Hill Stalking", "Key Supporters — A Salute to Keepers' Wives", and "General Licences — Scotland Is at a Crossroads." The Dog of the Week feature profiles Wren (4) and Nev (2), owned by Stephen Vickers. A subscription offer at £46 directs readers to the shootingtimes.co.uk website.

—————

Content Guide

▸ News / Legal

p. · Court Blocks Appeal by Natural England
Mr Justice Ritchie at the Royal Courts of Justice refused Natural England permission to appeal on September 3, following the original ruling on July 16 after a two-day hearing. Natural England must pay 100% of BASC's legal costs. The licence regime affected fewer than 1% of shoots in England, requiring a licence within 500 metres of a protected site since 2021. BASC funded the case through its Fighting Fund. Any shoot owner operating near a protected site should monitor Defra's call for evidence on gamebird rearing, which opened September 4 and closes November 1.

▸ News / Moorland Management

p. · Poll Shows Public Backs Active Moorland Management
Opinium Research surveyed 2,050 UK adults: 41% prefer controlled burning, cutting and grazing over natural processes (32%), with rural support at 46% vs 29%. The poll follows a summer of repeated UK moorland fires. Richard Bailey of the Peak District Moorland Group said the findings "match what we've seen across the English uplands all summer." Landowners with heather moorland should review their burning rotation schedules before the next dry season.

▸ News / Security

p. · Gun Owners Told to Check Their Security After Thefts
Police Scotland and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association issue security warnings after a series of firearms thefts from private residences. Recommendations include checking cabinet anchoring and lock function, hiding keys away from the cabinet, being discreet when moving guns to and from home, avoiding social-media posts showing the house is empty, and storing ammonium nitrate in a separate locked container. During extended absences, shotguns should be lodged with a registered firearms dealer or another certificate holder.

▸ Crime / Legal

p. · Burning Questions for Ministers to Answer
Sir Julian Smith (MP for Skipton and Ripon) submitted six written questions on heather burning licensing, including the peat-depth threshold change from 40cm to 30cm. Scotland's muirburn licence becomes mandatory on September 15. Blake Stephenson (MP for Mid Bedfordshire) asked about shotgun certificate processing backlogs. Land managers in Scotland should ensure muirburn licence applications are submitted before the September 15 deadline.

▸ Auction / Game Meat

p. · Eat Wild Auction Raises £80,000
The Eat Wild Countryside Auction closed on August 30 with a total of £80,000 raised. Founding director Dylan Williams described it as "an extraordinary result." The funds support Eat Wild's work to get more game into the food chain. Game dealers and shoots with venison surpluses should contact Eat Wild about contributing to future auctions.

▸ Obituary

p. · Terry Bobbett, 1947 to 2026
Terence Bobbett, known as Terry, died after a two-year illness. He served 11 years with the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association as national and regional director and chairman, and also served the British International Clay Target Shooting Federation and International Clay Target Shooting Council. Made life vice-president on retirement in 2019. A keen fast Trap competitor who restored stocks and forends for individuals and the trade.

▸ Sporting Ethics

p.26 · You Have to Eat What You Shoot
A feature on the ethical responsibility of consuming the game you take. While the full body text was not available in the source material, the title signals a commitment to field-to-table ethics that aligns with the Eat Wild auction's mission. Shoot captains should discuss game-consumption expectations with their teams before the season starts.

▸ Travel / Fieldsports

p. · The Magic of Mull — A Fieldsports Trip to Remember
A feature on Scotland's Isle of Mull as a fieldsports destination. While the full text was not available in the source material, Mull is known for its red deer stalking, rough shooting and coastal wildfowling. Anyone planning a Mull trip should book accommodation and local guides well ahead of the winter stalking season.

▸ Gear

p. · Kitbag — Essentials for Hill Stalking
Gear recommendations for hill stalking, including rifle, optics, clothing and safety equipment. While the specific product recommendations were not available in the source material, hill stalkers should prioritise waterproof breathable layers and binoculars with low-light performance.

▸ Regulars

p. · Leader: The Spice of Life — Managing Editor Martin Puddifer on variety in shooting
p. · News in Brief
p. · Dog of the Week — Wren and Nev
p. · Subscription Offer — £46 for 26 issues
p. · Advertisers' Index

—————

Editor's Take

A strong news-driven issue that earns its keep through active legal and political reporting. The Natural England appeal denial and the £80,000 Eat Wild auction are both verifiable, consequential stories with named sources and dates. The Opinium moorland-management poll gives land managers useful public-opinion data. Weaknesses: the feature content (Mull, Kitbag, Keepers' Wives) suffers from missing body text in the source material, making them title-only entries in practice. The subscription offer at £46 for 26 issues suggests the title relies heavily on circulation revenue. Best for practising shoot managers and gamekeepers who need the regulatory updates; casual shooting readers will find the features too thin.

Strengths
• Natural England appeal denial names the judge, date, cost order and exact licence threshold
• Opinium poll of 2,050 UK adults provides verifiable public-opinion data
• Eat Wild £80,000 auction total is a specific, newsworthy fundraising figure

Weaknesses
• Feature articles lack reported body text in the available source material
• Subscription focus suggests circulation pressure over newsstand appeal

Verdict: Recommended — The legal and political news reporting alone justifies the cover price for UK shoot managers.