harrycatcat1 Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Surely someone has been out I am not out till Thursday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Yes Harrycat I have been. Had the end of season Cocks Only shoot at my local shoot yesterday, not a great bag but it was just a walk around with the kids beating for us. I think the final bag was just short of 20 head. That's Pheasant's Hares and my lone Magpie. This was follower by a couple of beverages in the local pub and a nice Beef dinner. A good day was had by all. This morning I went to the marsh, Bigmat from the forums had asked about Fowling so I offered to show him around. I met him at 5 15am just outside of Holbeach St Marks so he could follow me to Sheps. I have heard about one guy getting lost and taking wrong turnings trying to find sheps, not sure of the name of that guy at this point in time We only sat by the bank as Mat didn't have waders or chest waders so the bank was the best option. There was a couple of Teal early on and about 50 Widgeon come back on soon after daylight. The geese seem to have deserted the area and there wasnt a Mallard in sight. I think Mat still learnt a bit about the best sport in the world and appreciated the sport does not always offer shots etc. So its back to the drawing board at the moment !! Harrycat, I now have a washed up plastic bottle to go with the old beer tin that the dog bought home when we went together, at this rate we wont need to do our annual High tide line clean up this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Went out last night as a last minute decision, just me and the dog. Got on the marsh at about 16.30 and my plan was to take a slow walk up to the pill area, the plan was to take a slow walk up and hopefully we would find some ducks taking cover.....unlucky for me there were a few people walking about, so if anything had been there it would of been scared off. Plan B i sat on the edge of the foreshore in anticipation, I did see a group of Wigeons lift up in front of me but as this is my dogs first season i could not be sure of a retrieve from the water, so i decided not to take a shot. Sat there until about 6pm and that was it, did not see anything else. But me and the dog had a lovely time peace and quiet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Went out last night as a last minute decision, just me and the dog. Got on the marsh at about 16.30 and my plan was to take a slow walk up to the pill area, the plan was to take a slow walk up and hopefully we would find some ducks taking cover.....unlucky for me there were a few people walking about, so if anything had been there it would of been scared off. Plan B i sat on the edge of the foreshore in anticipation, I did see a group of Wigeons lift up in front of me but as this is my dogs first season i could not be sure of a retrieve from the water, so i decided not to take a shot. Sat there until about 6pm and that was it, did not see anything else. But me and the dog had a lovely time peace and quiet Its a great place to be with mans best friend even if you dont get a shot. Wise decision not to shoot if you have not got an experienced dog. Theres nothing worse than seeing a dead bird in a place you cant pick it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spaniel Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Yes totaly agree, i normaly shoot so i can be sure that the bird will fall on land at present, or over a shallow splash This years training will be water work to be honest, although i will still be very choosy when it comes to the water in the channel, i just wont risk my dog for a duck.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 I was the same with my Fox Red lab last year, but this season she has done two wonderful picks from a fast flowing outward going tide on Lawyers Creek on Shep Whites (The Wash). Maybe not as dangerous as the (Im Guessing now) Bristol Channel as I know that's very fast flowing and high tidal swells. I pick up on a shoot where the birds usually drop into small bushes and cover at the side of a very busy road, the dog is kept on her lead for this drive, no pheasant would ever replace a dog. Thankfully the farmer realises this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 A flight of a lifetime on the North Norfolk coast just before Christmas. We walked out across the marsh to the sound of Pinks out on the sands and even the occasional one flying about in the pitch dark. It was obvious the roost was stuffed full of geese. We could see the dim torches of a few more fowlers following us out to the front. But we were in front and my guide left me near a small creek with instruction that there was a small sueda bush another 50 yards in front. He then left me to find his own hiding place. Well I got to the bush, and it was small, I hid behind it best I could but I knew with the dog there aswell we were going to be pretty exposed. The more I fidgetted the more wound up I got, for some reason I had worries about the impending flight, I just did not feel right, just nothing more than a feeling that somehow it was going to go wrong. And it did!! Skein after skein, two's, three's, dozens, hundreds, thousands of geese in total flighted past and over as it got light...... And I could just not hit them, my head had 'gone' and I knew it had. Somehow one dropped stone dead, and I cannot honestly tell you what I did differently to kill that one to the ten or so I missed. All thirty to forty five yards, side slipping a bit coming into a breeze but no excuses, I just plainkly blew the best flight of my life, buck fever, goose fever call it whatever. I have had some nice flights at geese in the past and shot reasonably well, but for some reason this time, because I knew it was going to be special, and that geese were guaranteed, well I think its also called 'performance anxiety' In the end I threw my gun to one side in disgust and just got the camera out to photograph the rest of the flight. Anyway, I feel better now for unburdening myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Do not worry to much about it Scolopax it happens to us all at some time . Next time i will let you keep your feet in a creek instead of crouching behind a sueda bush. You forgot to mention you did get your aim back with a few teal and wigeon on the tide flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Scolopax - Don't worry about it. For the last two months I have shooting like a total idiot at all wildfowl - Couldn't hit anything that remotely resembled a duck or goose. But I have been OK at game - although I don't do a lot of it these days. Yesterday Pavman kindly took this old man (73) out on a private broad he sometimes has access to by the kind permission of the keeper. Involves lots of hard work - launching and recovering his boat, placing and recovering decoys, hide erection, and then hours of sitting on a very small island waiting for the birds. When they come you musn't screw it up and the dog has got to do its part in the total dark. (Pavman's Astra is an ace at water work). So eventually the greylags came. Six shots from the two of us - He's got three down and me two - I'm estatic with happiness. Picking up takes some time and lots of boating and dog work in the dark. We find his three and none of mine - I'm back in the doldrums again. The drive home is not a happy one. (For me). By the time I got home and after a lot of thought about it - I came to the conclusion that one of the birds we picked was actually mine - You know, action replay in your mind. Anyway, after he'd given me a super day out I'm certainly not going to mention it to him. But, give him his due, he phoned up at lunchtime today to ask what he should do with my goose. He shoots steel and it was downed with Heavyshot... Now I feel better but he's still got my goose in his freezer... I think I'll let it lie there... He's an honest man... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Yes Harrycat I have been. Had the end of season Cocks Only shoot at my local shoot yesterday, not a great bag but it was just a walk around with the kids beating for us. I think the final bag was just short of 20 head. That's Pheasant's Hares and my lone Magpie. This was follower by a couple of beverages in the local pub and a nice Beef dinner. A good day was had by all. This morning I went to the marsh, Bigmat from the forums had asked about Fowling so I offered to show him around. I met him at 5 15am just outside of Holbeach St Marks so he could follow me to Sheps. I have heard about one guy getting lost and taking wrong turnings trying to find sheps, not sure of the name of that guy at this point in time We only sat by the bank as Mat didn't have waders or chest waders so the bank was the best option. There was a couple of Teal early on and about 50 Widgeon come back on soon after daylight. The geese seem to have deserted the area and there wasnt a Mallard in sight. I think Mat still learnt a bit about the best sport in the world and appreciated the sport does not always offer shots etc. So its back to the drawing board at the moment !! Harrycat, I now have a washed up plastic bottle to go with the old beer tin that the dog bought home when we went together, at this rate we wont need to do our annual High tide line clean up this summer. It was a interesting morning out, i really enjoyed it! Thanks for taking me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 "This morning I went to the marsh, Bigmat from the forums had asked about Fowling so I offered to show him around. I met him at 5 15am just outside of Holbeach St Marks so he could follow me to Sheps. I have heard about one guy getting lost and taking wrong turnings trying to find sheps, not sure of the name of that guy at this point in time" I bet thatd be me then Bigmat was lucky all I got was a flashlight across a ploughed field from shepps car park and everyone off Pigeon Watch laughing at me Anyway these stories have made me look forward to getting out on the marsh on Thursday. Bank or YBR Dont know yet, wherever I go the ducks will be elsewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Harrycat, forget the bank and YBR, go to the game dealers or the nearby butchers and buy yourself a duck and save your fuel :lol: It was ok, we see a few Widgeon, they come back on the marsh around 8am roughly where we went last time . There was a couple of Teal but they wizzed un-saluted early on. The stone hide is flat, bring your mortar board and mixer Theres been an article in the local paper about early morning moocher wandering around the marsh farm tracks with a little terrier, they are asking for photo-fit pictures .....I think I could claim a nice reward and share it with Oxfordfowler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 It was a interesting morning out, i really enjoyed it! Thanks for taking me! No problem Mat, pleased you see a little bit of what we do as Wildfowlers. Be prepared for some mud if you come again. Youre not getting away without getting ****t5d up next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) Harrycat, forget the bank and YBR, go to the game dealers or the nearby butchers and buy yourself a duck and save your fuel :lol: It was ok, we see a few Widgeon, they come back on the marsh around 8am roughly where we went last time . There was a couple of Teal but they wizzed un-saluted early on. The stone hide is flat, bring your mortar board and mixer Theres been an article in the local paper about early morning moocher wandering around the marsh farm tracks with a little terrier, they are asking for photo-fit pictures .....I think I could claim a nice reward and share it with Oxfordfowler Dont tell em that me and the ping pong are going Thursday then, or tell em after the flight so I will have an excuse for not seeing anything I am not sure but I think OXFD is in Scotland this week so he will not be appearing out of the dark with a duck edited to say bank then as I have not trained the dog in wall building, or anything else come to think of it Edited January 22, 2012 by harrycatcat1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 No problem Mat, pleased you see a little bit of what we do as Wildfowlers. Be prepared for some mud if you come again. Youre not getting away without getting ****t5d up next time. I look forward to it! I'm sure i'll be able to put up with abit of mud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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