Wildfowling clubs should sort out waiting lists!!!

[shbrend]

Ok is it just me or are the majority of new guns finding it really difficult to get a place on local wildfowling club???

 

I live in Lytham St annes so my local wildfowling club is Lytham & District wildfowling club. I have eventually after a year of trying got onto the waiting list, however, i am now told that i would be lucky to get a place within 5-7years!!!!!!!!

 

Southport club have such a big waiting list that they are not even entertaining applications

 

Morecambe Bay - will send out an application but say a minimum wait of 3 years

 

ect ect ect...............

 

BASC even told me that they could not give me any contact details of clubs or pass my details onto any clubs because they had been asked not to due to massive waiting lists!!

 

Ok..... I have managed to get place at the Dee wildfowlers and am totally over the moon with this!! as it looks like a superb club to be a member of but its a 160 mile round trip for me!! The thing that really struck me about the Dee club was that they charged £50 to even get on the waiting list. I think this is a really good idea as it stops time wasters and also stops what i think is the main problem........... which is that everyone has put their name on all the lists they can in the hope of accepting the first place that comes up,it's my suspicion that the latter is why all the lists are so big!! would it not be a good idea for all wildfowling clubs to have a good sorting out of the massive waiting lists that have now become out of control and maybe prioritize for local people??? I really think that other clubs should take a leaf from the Dee wildfowlers book and charge to get on the list (this money is taken off your membership when you get offered a place), i really think that it would reduce the waiting times and also how many of those new guns who put their name down on the list 5-7 years ago are still shooting???

 

Don't get me wrong,like i said i'm over the moon with my place at the Dee but would jump at the chance of being able to shoot in my home town.

[docholiday]

Ok is it just me or are the majority of new guns finding it really difficult to get a place on local wildfowling club???

 

I live in Lytham St annes so my local wildfowling club is Lytham & District wildfowling club. I have eventually after a year of trying got onto the waiting list, however, i am now told that i would be lucky to get a place within 5-7years!!!!!!!!

 

Southport club have such a big waiting list that they are not even entertaining applications

 

Morecambe Bay - will send out an application but say a minimum wait of 3 years

 

ect ect ect...............

 

BASC even told me that they could not give me any contact details of clubs or pass my details onto any clubs because they had been asked not to due to massive waiting lists!!

 

Ok..... I have managed to get place at the Dee wildfowlers and am totally over the moon with this!! as it looks like a superb club to be a member of but its a 160 mile round trip for me!! The thing that really struck me about the Dee club was that they charged £50 to even get on the waiting list. I think this is a really good idea as it stops time wasters and also stops what i think is the main problem........... which is that everyone has put their name on all the lists they can in the hope of accepting the first place that comes up,it's my suspicion that the latter is why all the lists are so big!! would it not be a good idea for all wildfowling clubs to have a good sorting out of the massive waiting lists that have now become out of control and maybe prioritize for local people??? I really think that other clubs should take a leaf from the Dee wildfowlers book and charge to get on the list (this money is taken off your membership when you get offered a place), i really think that it would reduce the waiting times and also how many of those new guns who put their name down on the list 5-7 years ago are still shooting???

 

Don't get me wrong,like i said i'm over the moon with my place at the Dee but would jump at the chance of being able to shoot in my home town.

 

 

We dont seem to have the same problem down south, No waiting lists that I have seen, indeed clubs are very keen to get new members

doc

[shbrend]

We dont seem to have the same problem down south, No waiting lists that I have seen, indeed clubs are very keen to get new members

doc

 

Great thats what i'm trying to find out, maybe the problem is just in the North West :blink:

[scolopax]

It as a well known problem in the North West, the Ribble clubs in particular. The reason is quite simple, they have both a limit on membership and superb wildfowling, once someone joins the club then there is little chance of them ever dropping out again, it is literally a case of dead mens shoes to get in. Iused to shoot a stretch of the Ribble on a day ticket and it was a common complaint from the local wildfowlers. The RSPB took over the management of the fresh marsh at Marshside and hey presto Sefton Borough council withdrew the wildfowling scheme next door on the council owned salt marsh, so no option of day tickets either nowadays.

 

It could be said with some justification that these clubs are very selfish, but why should they change, they have full membership, excellent shooting and an 'I'm alright Jack attitude', I wonder if the had some real problems in the future whether the wider wildfowling community would be rushing in to give them help.

 

Have you thought of the SSWA to the north or Frodsham WA to the south. I think there are also other clubs in south Cumbria? All worth a shot.

[pavman]

no waiting list here........ more members means you can rent or buy more land

[Highlander]

Actually and perhaps unlike many shooting folk wildfowlers tend to put their money where their mouths are when shooting's in the frame.

 

As far as I’m aware ALL wildfowlers belong to BASC, a requirement of their membership to the clubs. They also buy the Wildlife stamp, the funds from which help support clubs to buy their own land to shoot over.

 

Without the foresight of wildfowlers and especially the likes of Stanley Duncan the founder of WAGBI now BASC shooting of all kinds would not be as it is today.

 

Don’t knock ‘em, join ‘em and support them.

 

Not all the clubs have waiting lists but it does seem that some of the ‘northern’ ones are well subscribed to but they also have some great shooting areas so that's not so surprising.

[David BASC]

Many clubs also run a permit scheme, contact our Wildfowling team for a copy, a new booklet is about to be published.

 

Yes some clubs are full to bursting and only have a limited amount of land - hence v long lists. All those in your area fit that profile I am affraid!

 

Others are crying out for members!

 

David

[shbrend]

Thanks guys will look into the permit scheme & won't give up....................... i will get local shooting some time in my life

[jonnybgood]

I have found the same problem, even as a junior! i have just got onto morecambe bay wildfowlers, but clubs on the ribble, esspecially southport have huge waiting lists, due to the excellent shooting. i have shot southport and other ribble marshes quite abit and another problem i have found in ribble clubs are older members, who dont even shoot the marshes any more, staying member! several i have spoke to claim to stay a member because the clubs sorts out there basc membership, so they dont have the hassle! they stay on the list and dont even go out! other older members have said they dont want to give up there place, even though they dont go out anymore, as they dont want "other" people shooting on the marsh! i know this for a fact! the south ribble clubs- preston and district, hesketh bank, and southport are a very "klicky"!

on another note have you tried westmorland wildfowlers, to the north of morecambe bay?

Edited July 25, 2010 by jonnybgood

[anser2]

Wildfowling clubs have limited membership for two reasons. Any wildfowling marsh will only stand so much shooting before the birds are driven away. Exceed the threashold level and the shooting for all is ruined for all. They do not have limits to keep people out , but to protect the shooting of existing members. Secondly many wildfowling clubs have membership limits imposed by Natural England or the landowners.

 

Whats the alternitive to opening their marshes up for all. Reduced seasons ( like the USA ) or limiting the number of days a week the marsh can be shot. Wildfowling is not a group sport. Success depends on having a reasonable area around you to yourself or a couple of friends with no others shooting within it. Fill the marsh with guns and everyone loses. You must also remember were it not for the wildfowling clubs many marshes would have been lost to the sport , being taken over by various conservation bodies.

 

Yes its true 90% of the wildfowling on a marsh is usualy done by less that 20% of the members. But why should someone who joined a club perhaps 30-40 years ago , helped build up the club and its shooting to what it is today have to leave to make room for someone who has little experiance of the sport and may well drop out after a year or two. The majority of club openings are likely to come from this group of the membership. Though I have been a wildfowler for 40 years and am a member of several clubs some 50 miles away from my home i have recently managed to get into a third club close to where I live after attending every club event for the past year ( about 11 ) and joining the conservation section of the club.

 

Any wildfowling club does not have a responsibility to let anyone in to their club. Membership is a prevlige not a right and if you want to join try and think what you can bring to the club. Offer to help with club events , rubbish collection on the marsh or helping with conservation projects. As you get to know club members and make friends your chances of joining will be enhanced greatly and hopefuly you will have the chance to join within a year or two.

Edited July 25, 2010 by anser2

[Vince Green]

Its not only wildfowling clubs where this problem occours. More than twenty five years ago I applied to join a club near me, I was told there was a waiting list but I would be informed. I'm still waiting!

 

Shortly afterwards I joined my present club. Since then I have been secretary, chairman and I'm now treasurer.

 

I was told later it was because at that time I put down that I was a factory worker ( a temporary job) and not a doctor, lawyer accountant etc. Had I been I would have got straight in.

 

Some clubs are just clicky.

Edited July 25, 2010 by Vince Green

[Pinkfooty]

The problem is much worse in the north-west of England than in most other parts of the country. Elsewhere, wildfowling clubs are actually advertising for members.

 

Several times I have suggested to wildfowlers in north-west England that, if they are faced with lengthy waiting lists for existing clubs, then they should start a new one. Every existing club had to be started by the enthusiasts that were around at the time and there is no reason on Earth why more should not be started in areas where demand exceeds supply. Or, indeed, where there is dissatisfaction with existing clubs.

 

In many walks of life we find that the "silent" majority are not so much "silent" but apathetic. It is easier to moan about something than to get of their ***** and do something about it. Fortunately, in the case of wildfowling clubs, if any group of enthusiasts do want to start a new club, there is a huge amount of advice and assistance available from BASC, so they are not really starting from scratch.

 

Remember, also, that the WHT has funds available to assist any club to purchase their own marshes and BASC has a chartered surveyor on the staff to help clubs identify available land and help them negotiate all the hoops in either leasing or buying.

 

You only need half a dozen keen wildfowlers who are willing to form the first committee. There is a bit of work involved but you should be able to reach the stage (with BASC's help) of launching a club within a year. Then you only need another half dozen members to reach the minimum size for affiliation. Clubs don't need 500 members. Some of the most successful only have 20 or 30 to start with.

 

Here's a practical suggestion: Talk to Mark Greenhough at Marford Mill and, once you have identified the first 6 potential members, ask him to write a notice for Shooting & Conservation saying that there are exploratory moves to start a new wildfowling club in the xxxx area and inviting interested wildfowlers to get in touch with you at an e-mail address and phone number. At the same time, put up a website that prospective members can look at to get more details about your plans.

 

Does it work? Yes, I did exactly that a couple of years ago and, within a year of the first club meeting, the new club had over 100 members. I was able to take a back seat and let an amazingly energetic committee drive the club forward, thus avoiding any suggestion that it was "my" club or any sort of "personal project".

 

Go for it!!

[AceBrad]

The problem is much worse in the north-west of England than in most other parts of the country. Elsewhere, wildfowling clubs are actually advertising for members.

 

Several times I have suggested to wildfowlers in north-west England that, if they are faced with lengthy waiting lists for existing clubs, then they should start a new one. Every existing club had to be started by the enthusiasts that were around at the time and there is no reason on Earth why more should not be started in areas where demand exceeds supply. Or, indeed, where there is dissatisfaction with existing clubs.

 

In many walks of life we find that the "silent" majority are not so much "silent" but apathetic. It is easier to moan about something than to get of their ***** and do something about it. Fortunately, in the case of wildfowling clubs, if any group of enthusiasts do want to start a new club, there is a huge amount of advice and assistance available from BASC, so they are not really starting from scratch.

 

Remember, also, that the WHT has funds available to assist any club to purchase their own marshes and BASC has a chartered surveyor on the staff to help clubs identify available land and help them negotiate all the hoops in either leasing or buying.

 

You only need half a dozen keen wildfowlers who are willing to form the first committee. There is a bit of work involved but you should be able to reach the stage (with BASC's help) of launching a club within a year. Then you only need another half dozen members to reach the minimum size for affiliation. Clubs don't need 500 members. Some of the most successful only have 20 or 30 to start with.

 

Here's a practical suggestion: Talk to Mark Greenhough at Marford Mill and, once you have identified the first 6 potential members, ask him to write a notice for Shooting & Conservation saying that there are exploratory moves to start a new wildfowling club in the xxxx area and inviting interested wildfowlers to get in touch with you at an e-mail address and phone number. At the same time, put up a website that prospective members can look at to get more details about your plans.

 

Does it work? Yes, I did exactly that a couple of years ago and, within a year of the first club meeting, the new club had over 100 members. I was able to take a back seat and let an amazingly energetic committee drive the club forward, thus avoiding any suggestion that it was "my" club or any sort of "personal project".

 

Go for it!!

 

I know this is an old thread now but it's one thats relevant to me as I've been looking into local clubs and talking to a couple of members.

I might mention that I too am local to the Preston area where the problem seems to be the worst.

 

I chose to quote the above response because the idea of starting a fresh club at face value is a good idea however when you've no land to start it on because it's all taken up then it's an impossibility.

If the available local marsh or wetland is taken up then how on earth can you start a new club... apart from buying out or out bidding the existing clubs, which is not gonna win favour or even likely to happen at all, so your pretty much stumped.

 

Another point is that I'm always getting told by the odd member from various clubs "O we've lost such an such a piece of land now".... The clubs in terms of land permission are getting smaller and the membership is staying the same, but in near enough every case of lost permission, it's a tale of someone buying it up or a question of funding.

The problem is that like the young chap said in an earlier reply above, some of these guys don't shoot half of the ground or even at all, it's a massive problem round here in general actually, people sitting on permission and not using it but kicking off to land owners if anyone else does.

Now I'm not saying all the club don't use the grounds but if it comes up that a certain land owner wants more money for the rights but that land isn't shot by alot of the guys... well it's not gonna get paid for by the majority for the minority is it??

The problem started many years ago with the "Clicky" side of things and the rot has set in firmly over the years, so much so that now clubs are pretty much stuck in a rut that they don't appear to be trying actively to get out of... the attitude of "o well at least will still have" is't going to last forever and to be honest I don't think alot of them actaully care. As long as they have it now thats ok... not what the clubs actively promote, but certainly what some members attitudes seem to portray.

 

I think that if these clubs took a leaf from some of the rest of the UK's clubs books and where actively working to not only preserve what they have, but also to exspand then they would be doing their club, members, the environments they look after and the future of our sport a far greater justice.

 

To coin what someone else said, more members equals more money for more land and ultimately more power in terms of lobbying against any infringement upon their sport.

 

I don't think this will happen though, so saddley I guess as I can't drive hundreds of miles to try and bag a duck, I'll not be joining a club.

[TJ91]

i do approx 150mile round trip to an estuary for wildfowling (on a season permit scheme)

been very regularly this season and have not fired a shot at all on some visits.

i enjoy it thoroughly and would travel double if i had to!

 

i guess i am lucky in that i applied to join a club just a couple of months ago and have already been accepted.

wouldnt want to be on a waiting list but i can understand why they have them, it would be crazy to not have them and lose all our shooting!

 

good luck with your search

i do hope you find something soon!

[Spaniel]

Clubs do seem to purchase new land etc obviously there is a price to be paid but most would get some sort of assistance i would of thought financialy,

Some clubs may even turn down more land for what ever reason, so on those points it maybe possible to start a club up from scratch, not saying it would be easy mind you..

 

It would take some considerable work in looking at potential foreshore or even inland areas where geese and ducks are visiting and then finding out who owns the land and if someone already as the shooting rights, but if you dont ask you wont get..

 

A few clubs also do taster flights as well as the permit days, yes i know you still not becoming a club member but at least you can still get a few days shooting plus you could then try different clubs etc.

Im down in Bristol and i am a member of the GWA but i expect next year i will travel up North to try to experience some wildfowling on the Pinks, as we dont get them down here.so i may pay for a guide or go for a permit scheme, taster flight option...

 

hope you get sorted

cheers

[AceBrad]

Clubs do seem to purchase new land etc obviously there is a price to be paid but most would get some sort of assistance i would of thought financialy,

Some clubs may even turn down more land for what ever reason, so on those points it maybe possible to start a club up from scratch, not saying it would be easy mind you..

 

It would take some considerable work in looking at potential foreshore or even inland areas where geese and ducks are visiting and then finding out who owns the land and if someone already as the shooting rights, but if you dont ask you wont get..

 

A few clubs also do taster flights as well as the permit days, yes i know you still not becoming a club member but at least you can still get a few days shooting plus you could then try different clubs etc.

Im down in Bristol and i am a member of the GWA but i expect next year i will travel up North to try to experience some wildfowling on the Pinks, as we dont get them down here.so i may pay for a guide or go for a permit scheme, taster flight option...

 

hope you get sorted

cheers

 

I'd love to start up a club, I really would but in this area it'd be more a syndicate and would end up revolving around rough shooting which is fine if thats all you want. But you'd have little in the way of wildfowl to shoot at other than maybe if you where feeding a pit or flash. Which on it's own isn't going to sustain a clubs whish to shoot duck. Then there's also the fact that if people are gonna pay, they want somethin to shoot at, on the above basis thats gonna involve pheasants or releasing birds or some ilk, thus basically just turning it into a basic saturday syndicate with more over heads and less freedom for it's members.

I'm saying this because as far as I'm aware the only foreshore with no shooting on it over here is where Sefton Council banned it at Marsh Side, Southport.

Lets face with all the coffin dodgers petitioning against everythin in Southport and the RSPB having the fresh water marsh on the inland side, Saten will defo be skating to work before anyone's ever allowed to shoot down there again.

 

Now by all means if anyone knows any different or is from the same area and has any ideas about this they'd like to share, get in touch.

[barraboy]

An old thread, stumbled upon this via google, two years later and the status quo remains. Very lucky to get into any of the clubs in and around the Fylde. I could whinge forever on this theme but.......

[russdy]

I know this is an old thread and sorry for hi jacking but has anybody got a links of how to get hold of southport or lathom wildfowlers to put your name down on the waiting lists ??

[Westley]

 

 

Just as a point of interest, Sefton Council stopped shooting on ALL of it's Council owned land along with even stopping the fishing in Southport's Marine lake. I believe that there is a strong RSPB influence on the Council members.

[Samball]

Hi I’m looking to get the rights to shoot on the marsh in hesketh bank?