About two years ago we were suffering from an excessive rabbit population which was concerning for me because of the high number of burrows and the inherent risk of injury to my horses...... read on

JW (Castle Combe)

During the early part of this year we had seen a fox on our land which was a major cause concern. Unfortunately during late January my worst fears came to fruition and the Fox ate through the wire of the rare breed owl cage and killed every one of the birds in this enclosure...... read on

About two years ago we were suffering from an excessive rabbit population which was concerning for me because of the high number of burrows and the inherent risk of injury to my horses. Clinton and Mike started shooting the wood and paddocks around this time and we noticed an almost immediate reduction in both the number of rabbits and damage caused to my schooling area.

Clinton is always courteous and professional and phones in advance to arrange a mutually convenient before visiting, we usually discuss where my horses will be so he can avoid these areas to ensure that they do not become stressed, he also uses very quiet rifles when shooting here and often we are not aware of any shots being fired. Earlier this year we had some issues with poachers and Clinton was very supportive, he liaised with the Wiltshire Firearms team to ensure we would receive the best possible support from the local police.

JW (Castle Combe)

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During the early part of this year we had seen a fox on our land which was a major cause concern. Unfortunately during late January my worst fears came to fruition and the Fox ate through the wire of the rare breed owl cage and killed every one of the birds in this enclosure.

After asking a few of the locals about someone who could cull the Fox, it was suggested that I speak to Clinton who runs the gun shop in Dauntsey. After talking about my fox problems with him he said he would need to come and have a look at the land to make sure it was safe. The following Monday he came over and after an initial walk around the boundaries he informed me that there were a number of safe options where a full bore rifle could be used. He took time to clearly explain to me that due to the high velocity of the bullets fired by his centre fire rifle it was imperative that there was an adequate back stop, this was because in most cases the bullet would pass through the fox and he needed to be sure that if this occurred the round would be stopped safely.

Clinton returned briefly on the following Monday but explained that he had to pick his son up from Sea Cadets and it was unlikely that the fox would be active before he had to leave. Clinton called me the next evening to ask if it was ok for him to come over as he had some time available that evening, he duly arrived as I was leaving and I received a txt from him about 2 hours later informing me that he had successfully despatched the Fox.

It was a great relief to me when I saw the dead fox the following morning.

I was very impressed with Clinton's professionalism and that he took time to walk the boundaries with me. I found him to be very knowledgeable and his approach was very reassuring. Clinton is the only person who I have authorised to shoot the land and I have told him he is welcome to shoot here on an on-going basis.

DT (Grittenham)

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