riptide

The problem here is that the Chair of BASC should now consider his position ,in fact it seems that he with another wrote a indepth report or paper on having to concider the state of mind of soldiers brought on by thier exposure to war ,,if so did he apply it in this case as part of the defence team for Blackburn ? . .. My thinking is what should one do in this situation ? will this tarnish BASC in any way and if so should he stand down untill it is sorted out ? Food for thought .

I am 12 miles south of Chelmsford so guess I am level with you if one draws a line across the map And I drive 80 to 100 miles up to the Ouse washes befor dawn to have a days flighting then back after dark ,so maybe FWA might also be a choice ? Just saying .

Yes as above . I have a few ponds and walk duck of at about 11/12 noon when its getting dark at 4 pm ,then feed it ,takes a hour maybe less ,then back to hide up about 3/3.30pm .. But Only shoot pond once every three weeks ,but feed were needed and walk off every day if possible as have two ponds does allow me to shoot a bit more often ,but to be honest tend to go down to marsh as prefer trying to outwit them in their own back yard ! .. but its nice to see duck winging in across the hedgerow to drop down to feed as it gets dark on my ponds ..Can sometimes be a fair few as they tell their mates that food is avalible . I know of two ponds near to river that get hammered hard ,I am uncomfatbul with the no of shots I hear when its being shot and the amount of times as well ..I think the reason for that is I am a wild fowler and dont see the need for that type of heavy shooting which is at mainly wild birds ..and as I can get plenty if I need to , I know its not dog in manger attitude ... Riptide PS Forgot to say the weather and the moon can also change their flighting ..

Thats odd Guy as in the Dengie we expect you to come up for full membership in a year ! Also if you are already a fowler and can have sponsor ship to show you know your stuff ,then we look at your record and check it out with a view for full membership ,and in fact the FWA also do the same ! But hope you find a club soon and get back out on the marshes !!! . I might be able to give you a nod or two so pm me if you like Riptide

I have a really nice Thomas Wild of London 16 Bore sxs ,ok its a boxlock not a side lock ,but its a sweet gun very tight hardly used asnd nice and light for rough or game ..

Just to report that at our AGM of the Essex joint Council of Wildfowling Clubs we once again unanimously voted for a sum of £350.00 to be sent to the WHT as a donation ..Some of the Essex clubs have been recipients of funds from the WHT over the years and we feel it right and proper that we put something back . Riptide

Just read ,take in ,and read again ! Council has recently reinforced its original stance - being BASC will of course support any club, but needs to have a full control over the content and direction of any negotiations with Natural England.

We had a £30,000 pound loan and interest and repayment free for 1st Year ,try that at local bank !!!!! As to Swift well I will hurl abuse at him for his latest folly over his chairmanship of the LED committee the BAS--------- let us shooters down big time ,and when he saw he was losing he used every trick in the book to get his way even to the extent of submitting his one sided report to the minster with out the vote of his committee ( think I am right in That ? ) I have over the years had a lot of run in with him at BASC AGMs were I was fighting for a fund to be set up were all BASC members paid say £2 on their subs that went direct to a land purchase fund he was against it !!!! My point was then and still is that with now 140,000 + members thats about £280,000 per year with that income one can get hell of a big mortgage to buy land ! Any way it seems if we can get a member or to on to council it might strengthen the arm to get BASC to look at purchase in a different light !

I am referring to all wildfowl and not any particular specious ,but yes geese are a glaring example !!! I was pleased to see that Sue NE lady at conference has sat down with some of her other workers and come up with a better way to handle the visit quota yes it might be better but It should and is not needed . Clubs can for sensitive specious or as in cold weather situations handle any problems a lot more efficiently with local knowledge and use ! The problem of bag limits only apply s to areas with consents , why should NE not be looking at the wider picture I know of a few heavily fed flight ponds that get hit hard during the first 3 months or so of the season , they in fact get hammered !!! with out a duck released and then as the season progresses they dont get shot so much or rather less shots are heared as they have by then shot so many that the rest now steer clear of those areas but the effect on the nearby coastal areas is devastating as all the duck are driven away .. This is were NE should rule the roost make that wetland a sssi and give consents or rather dont give a consent till later in the season ! Mind you we are told in person that we have to allow for the public with this new roll out of the English Coastal footpath to spread right to the low water mark on the sea would side of the wall or defenses I do hope the members of the public are given some "visits" and as a precautionary action maybe they should have to apply to NE for their consent to spread and also to be granted a small amount of visits ,this way NE would have control and knowledge as to the damage or disturbance factors just like they are hell bent on doing to us Fowlers !! I am not a learned judge or barrister ,but if they NE let the public now spread to all areas down to low tide then surly we are being discriminated against by having a Visit rule !! they NE will play the violin and say they have no control over these other more damaging factors !! dont be mislead by this myth , as the DVLA has total control over the road users and therefore NE can have the same with public footpaths and access whoever uses them !!!!! ( Note 2000/1 all footpaths closed due to foot and mouth ) .. I am pleased to see that Sue did suggest a better way of working the visits but the best way is not to have that restriction at all its not needed and is only used due to their weak will to reduce all the other more damaging actions that happen along our coastal walks and marshes !! Yet again I am only one voice and might be wrong ,but I am voicing the concerns I hear from the fowlers I represent !

Non toxic and the high water mark is part of the written law ,but one must not deposit lead shot into areas below the high water mark !!!

I think some need to read the law as it pertains to England and Wales !! I am often wrong ,but my view of it is you cant shoot TOXIC shot ( Lead ) over any forms of wetland that includes rivers and ponds lakes reservoirs with designations and this also includes coastal wet lands or areas !!! It also refers to the fact you cant shoot wildfowl anywhere with Toxic ( lead ) I am not discussing the above shoot as dont know any thing about it I am talking about the law ! But as these regs are in force to protect fowl from picking up spent shot it must behoove us all to desist from shooting over any areas with lead if used by feeding fowl > And as a aside I am nervous of all this glorification as I see of high shooting of game , I see it on the front of shooting mags ,Like the famous drive at nods end ( made up name ) were birds are like specks in the sky !!!!!! Well us Fowlers tend to refrain from that type of high shooting as we can get pulled by our marsh wardens and club rules for high shooting as you will on Montrose Basin with the warden watching you !!!! I am starting to worry that this high shooting will come back soon and kick us in the teeth !!! Your views on this will be good !!!

As to the conference ,it was a good day and pleased to see a large support from the fowling community , good topics and I feel its starting to move back towards what most clubs would like to see , bearing in mind that a lot of clubs help towards the cost of their member or members attending so they rightly want a good agenda on topics that affect their clubs and fowling in general .. So Basc well done and keep up the good work , see you all next year , God Willing as my old gran would say !!!!

I am extremely worried that some staff at Basc seem dead set that numbers limit and visits locked into consents is the way to go Its NOT !! I might go a hundred times but only connect 30 times ,But when I go no one knows I am their till I get up and come back or the other way round . For me to harvest I have to be just a invisible part of the area ! So how many times I am their is of no consequence ! So thats VISITS ruled out .. Now to numbers/ bag limits Lets look at this in reality I went to Montrose I came away after a week with 18 geese , Hell 18 !!!!! Lets impose bag limits !!!!! Why I ask ?? I did 5 am flights and 5 pm flights as per the rules so 10 flights in all 18 divided by 10 = a bag for the week of 1.8 birds per flight .. I say again Bag Limits Why and as a aside I see in the EU they are gassing geese in gas chambers due mainly to the fact they banned goose shooting back in 19 99 ( correct me if wrong ) and now have a population explosion , Bag limits get a grip ! Oh sorry guys I should have mentioned I do sit on the WLC and chair the Essex joint Council of Wildfowling clubs as well as my own club , and find now a days I spend more time defending it than partaking in it !!!!

Enjoy your trip into the life of wildfowling ,,but first I have 6 Fordson E27N s in Our Tractor shed ,just thought you would enjoy reading that !!! I am sure their are some on here more qualified than me to give you info as to what gear you need .. All I can suggest is you need to be Thick Skinned !!!

the trouble is a lot on here have left the forum as you see this as a better medium !! maybe it is but if one wants to talk fowling and be secure that you are among fowlers then the Forum is the place to be !!! yes you can still come on here and broad cast to a wider audience a lot being non fowling and have a good chat ,but with the forum you know were you are and who you chatting with !!! . I have found I need to be extra guarded on here as open to all !! and some of the comments on here show a tendency of what has caused most of the trouble up on the Findhorn !!!

Hi all ,,I have shot Montrose a few times as well as around the coast up their . I find the time restrictions and walk on walk of times very alien to fowling as I know it But having said that as its a LNR it does how ever much it grates allow you to shoot on the Basin ! I think to help solve the Findhorn problem that is being forced on us by others it could be run by a local club on a LNR basis were the council does not have to be in control the club or group run it sort out permits and control it so keeping it hands of fowlers ,this would cost the council little or no cash it would immediately bring in a sensible fowling regime so the locals would be more relaxed about it It would be a way out from the them and us situation ,,and yes I see that a few die-hard antis wont agree till all shooting stopped ,but a sensible run council would I am sure except a workerbull solution to the problem .. maybe BASC could be involved in set up but it would always be in hands of local fowlers /club/group .. as it will be by permit local or not the management would know who was on each day so any problems could be followed up .. A bit like say having to shoot inland Ouse Washes were owned by club it works well ,so why not , . the above could solve the problem for the good of most and also keep the control in the fowlers hands .. Any one shooting it would also know that if they did not tow the line that would be their last time on the bay !!!!!

I get on very well with gamebore 3s on duck but always have 3 1/2 " 3s as third shot !!! Have also taken to use a 7s 2 3/4s inch 28grm for close teal when decoying tidal ,but again with a heavy load as third shot works really well .Some of these Teal scream in at super sonic speed leaving me thinking of putting gun up and they are gone before the dam gun even moves I am sure some ****** has put a big weight on it somewere !!! lol But ,yes at close range 20yds or so the Clay Compertion steel 7s do a grand job .. This will be my first season in ernest with 7s so will keep posted !!! But all fowling except for some close Teal is with gamebore 3s 3" and 31/2" with 1s and bbs for the geese ! Oh and all using my Browning Gold S/A with half choke !

Hi guys ,funny how times change ,only a few years ago say 10 or 15 the very mention of the word Chesapeake brought howls of derision people falling over them self's to tell the longest most gullible tale of Chessies they could dream up .. I for one did not care as i have owned them ( or they owned me ! ) for over 30 years now .. you know what I don't argue with them they all knew best !!! I go along with their tales about having two boats to go fowling one for you and your mate and the other for the dog ? in case he eats your mate !!! Having a training aid ,yes a chunk of 4x2 you need it with a Chess they said !!! you all can tell me lots more no doubt ! But back in 82 My Custer was the only Chessie to be seen on those famous inland Ouse washes , now they are to common last year at least 6 or 7 were out working to my knowledge alone ..I must admit I love it the way it is only a few about and all with owners who have listened and asked for help were needed . I sold one to a local fowler years back a lovely dog pup he was adamant he wanted it for trialing , my thought of this trialler achieving with one of my dogs got the better of me , I did for a while tell him a bitch would be best but he wore me down and took the dog a year later he had passed it to a nephew i think who then had so he told me the best fowling dog ever !! the Trialler well he knew best ,would not listen , had to have a dog and to top it all knew what to do !! that says it all !!! I made the mistake of thinking he knew better then me as he had trained so many dogs , My old Nan used to say " theirs always one " I never extol my dogs over any one else s ,whats the point ? we all love our dogs and they all do no wrong !!! Us fowlers are a independent breed and so our dogs should be also ,the main thing is to have a dog so what you reap you collect as wounding and not retrieving to the bag will be the downfall of us all .. As to Chesapeake's in my view luckily we are still thin on the ground not many born each year so hard to find ,but we are still one breed one standard ,a true working dog that excels in the show ring as they do in the field , not a trialing dog by any means (( Some are and good at it to boot ) but most aren't as they have that streak of independence that says ,So you want the job done ? well dam well stop interfering and let me get on and do it ! teach and train but then get them out with you working as that's how they learn their trade ,not you throwing dummy's all over the shop !!! my tatty girl last season lost me only one duck of all those she had to go for , oh and by the way we work as a team I dont send her for dead duck that are just as easy for me to walk to and collect shes my mate not my servant !! the duck a Shoveller had crashed in dead ,you all know the ones were the shooter tells you its just their , mate , dead as a do do , and can you find it ? No , but your dog goes of 100 yards to the side while he yells at you to tell your stupid dog its just their were he dropped it stone dead !!! dog comes back with a lively wigeon from the near distance I give him his duck and say dispatch it and don't ask me again OK !! that shovel er ,well as she got to about 10 ft from it the duck just righted itself took one look at this brown monster speeding towards it and took of to dissapear along the wash gaining height and away !!!! all three of us could not believe it , Beaver the Ches was a bit put out about that as when she got back shore side gave me the most odd look as if to say well kill the bloody thing next time please !!! Oh and that same Beaver has just been made up to a Show Champion She is true to type and meets the breed Standard with excellent confirmation and the Chesapeake Breed standard is the working one !!! So yuo want a Chesapeake ? as Fagin sings in Oliver , I think you had better think it out again !

Voted ! Alan were with you !! By the way if you get in its a big drink after you shot all my ducks !! So who is going to the AGM ?

I do like the Basin if the weather is right !! But not so happy with the time regulations ,i am not used to that and lining up at Bridge of dun car park ,waiting for the clock reminds me of school sports day !!! On your marks Look at the watch GO !!! Not my sort of fowling but it does give me the opportunity to enjoy the basin ! Riptide !! Ps Mind you I have had a good Sat morning flight with friends from the Solway on the Foreshore by Montrose ,why my dogs nearly bagged a seal pup while I had a pink !!! Oh and a mate was asleep as a wing of Pintails were right over him !!!!

The rougher the better ! I am out as nobody else is ,Thats how I like it , My safety is down to me ! So far I have got it right ! But don't forget only Gods perfect !!! Must say its been close at times but its always been fun ( Once I get warm again ! ) Riptide

Sorry I think your post above is wrong ,,When it was single barrel you only had the one shot then side by sides gave you two and just think the amount of times you get your bird with the second shot !! and Autos 3 shot well very ofton I have finished a duck with the third shot as my first or second only wounded or missed ,what does help is even when duck shooting as against Geese I always put shot sizw 1 heavy load 3 1/2" in as 3rd shot and this gives a bit more range ! I am not a consistent excellent shot I think of myself as a middle of the road shot ,but my average seems to be 3 shots per kill , If I was as good as some on here i would go out a lot less as would not have the frezzers to keep all the duck in !!!!! My sort of fowling which I guess is the same as most on here is in a muddy hole or creek or laying at a uncomftable angle or if lucky on a drum in a hide but duck coming from any side at any given point ,normally from behind or were you are not looking so to get your bird does take more than one shot ,and think of this I dont ofton loose of 3 shots at any bird yet alone all birds ,and if the third shot brings a wounded bird down and in the bag then thats a good thing...But were you put " if it aint in range the first shot it sure isnt going to be for the other 2" well I am,sorry to have to disagree ! and by the way my 3 game frezzers are full !! I do not joke ask other half who complaines she has no room !!! Riptide But I do agree with you that high shooting is out of order and having three shots at everything is also .. And to add a edit Maybe my bag is full due to field craft rather than olympic standard shooting skills !!!

Hello Oldtoad not sure of your age but as you call yourself oldtoad guessing your not a youngster ! .. I am a bit concerned for you and your shotgun cert !!! what seems to be your lack of understanding on basic rules of were one can shoot ! I feel it might stand you in good stead to join a local (To You ) wildfowling club so that you can gain more knowledge and info on shooting .try FWA or Gedney and also Kings Lynn maybe anyway happy but safe hunting to you and friends ...

I just could not resist signing in to post !!!! Us wildflowers are a tight bunch of guys I reckon some of us squek when we walk !!!!!! LOL

Cabelas dry -Plus are the buiss !!! why ? well Ive used em for 15 years ,had 3 pairs over that time .. I walk a fair way to shoot and I am a sweaty bod ,but these are the Dogs Boll---- . I dont dress up thin socks normal jeaners but its in the boot that counts !! Warm feet = warm legs . Same as your hands warm wrists = warm hands (well most of time ,except when getting deeks in !!! ) When I know I am sitting in boat all day its nerpoeans ,cabelas again as the boot part is just so warm ! But rest of time its the Dry-plus for me ,if you look at customer comments on theit web site I come in at no 32 or so were i berated them on the seams running down inside of each leg ,I then phoned as they did not read the comments they ask for !!! They got the message as now seams are on out side so dont rub and then allow water in as they used to do after one season !!! Also when you first put them on in youyr kitchen having just unwrapped them you think Bloo-----y hell they are to big !!!!! but when you use them its a diffrent tale as when you knell or flatten down its suprising how much room you do need to be comfatablle in a wader !!!! Ok standing in deep water when its so dam cold even the duck are froxen like ice they dont cut the mustarrd , but in moderate conditions they are just the bees knees !!!!! and one more thing I use the Waist high ones as not into chesties never have been since the time 40 years ago when I started to float about in some !!!! Dont want water up to my nipples thank you bol-----ck high is high enough !!! lol