scolopax Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 (edited) Ever have one of those days when you just do not enjoy it? Morning flight today, blowing a gale, nothing around, no duck, no geese, and as I always regard my 'fowling trips as armed birdwatching, it was pretty dire. Then out of the blue four greylag come from the 'wrong' way going like the clappers with the wind behind them. I was late on them and had a double miss, a tenners worth or so of ITM sent into thin air. An hour later packing up and ten yards away from my gun, another bunch of greys from the same direction, sprint back to gun, drop bino's in mud, late on geese again and miles behind, another £10 of shot wasted. I think I must be averaging 1 goose per twenty shots with the eight ! Not to be deterred out tonight on a different marsh, still blowing a gale, on dusk pair of mallard come whipping over, triple miss. But the strength of the wind blows the sound of the shots to the main creek which was (hopefully) going to be my supply of ducks for the flight, but they all jump at the same time in alarm and head inland on a different line. Last light nice bunch of teal zip past from main estuary, one shot, one crumples. Dog comes back without it, give it another ten minutes then take him for another look. Get dog on fall but no sign of the teal, it had got into a tiny gutter which led into a bigger creek, dogs loses trail at the creek. Return home empty handed. Edited February 4, 2013 by scolopax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reabrook Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 (edited) Lol. Good to know I'm not alone!! Edited February 4, 2013 by Reabrook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Only consolation is that one day you will laugh about it, when you think about it you really had a good day seeing what you saw You could always take up golf :lol: what would you say then? :whistling: Chin up and carry on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Please get me a day ticket as you have actually seen a duck and goose. All I see Sunday morning was a nice flight of seven cormarants and half a dozen seagulls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Mat Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Please get me a day ticket as you have actually seen a duck and goose. All I see Sunday morning was a nice flight of seven cormarants and half a dozen seagulls. We did see a duck down there, shame it was a shelly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve0146 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 My Saturday was very similar. A long trudge though the mud with my shooting buddy, only to find I had left the motherline in the car. I borrowed a bit of line he had in his bag to make do with. I then managed to drop my duck call somewhere on the marsh in the dark. Gutted. As the flight progressed, everything passed just out of range. My mate then fired at two mallard but missed. I put the 10 bore up and dropped both. Cracking shots and a long way out. The tide was taking them quickly out and I lined the dog up. She looked at me blankly. Slowly got in the water and swam in a circle looking confused. No amounts of encouraging was helping, nor shouting. I was getting more and more angry, but know its not helping. The tide took both ducks. I tried to walk around the creek to get to the other side, only for the dog to get under my feet and trip me up. Straight into the mud. Didnt know whether to laugh or cry. Decided it was one of those days and tried not to let it get to me. I was cursing the dog all the way home. On reflection, she has made some brilliant retrieves this season, and several similar in distance and conditions to this one. I can not let the seson end like this so now have to get out a few more times! On a happier note, I found the call as we walked back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Any bad day like this makes you appreciate the good days even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 I was begining to think I was the only one who didn't shoot everything in sight and was wondering if I was blind as well as deaf. I now realise it happens to others too. I was getting bored of reading how people had seen this and shot this and that at 200 yards with a 410. Its nice to know I am not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 only succesful on average 1 flight in 3 at a guess, easy to go on a run of 5 or 6 blank flights, especially easrly, mid or late season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Chalk up another blank this morning, a few little lots of greys about so a return trip is in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highbird70 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Chalk up another blank this morning, a few little lots of greys about so a return trip is in order. I bet you enjoyed it tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I bet you enjoyed it tho yeah, more than yesterday, there was a bit moving so something to watch. A few hundred Pinks went off a mile away, 10 canada's 'walked' off 120 yards away, five or six little lots of greys flew upriver past me, another 30 were on the waters edge a four hundred yards away. No duck to speak of but I had an excellent Curlew flight over me! A rematch is planned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I always regard my 'fowling trips as armed birdwatching, I've never really tried the write down the essence of what wildfowling is, but this comes pretty damn close. I agree entirely. If you can watch wildlife behaving naturally in its natural environment then that is something special to be enjoyed. If you shoot at (or even get a bird ortwo) thats a bonus. If you see nothing, then you look forward to the next time or remember what you have seen in the past. Get a few "nothings" in a row and it gets more tricky to be positive. But it wont stop us going back though - theres always a next time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I've never really tried the write down the essence of what wildfowling is, but this comes pretty damn close. I agree entirely. If you can watch wildlife behaving naturally in its natural environment then that is something special to be enjoyed. If you shoot at (or even get a bird ortwo) thats a bonus. If you see nothing, then you look forward to the next time or remember what you have seen in the past. Get a few "nothings" in a row and it gets more tricky to be positive. But it wont stop us going back though - theres always a next time! That is the point - there's always a next time! As you get older, and I've got older (much), you enjoy your trips more because there may not be a next time... That first trip out every season is so important...I'm there...I made it for another year! Go every chance you get and enjoy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildfowler Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I was begining to think I was the only one who didn't shoot everything in sight and was wondering if I was blind as well as deaf. I now realise it happens to others too. I was getting bored of reading how people had seen this and shot this and that at 200 yards with a 410. Its nice to know I am not alone. Nope, you're not alone! I miss way more than i hit! but that is also part of the attraction of fowling for me. If it was easy everyone would do it. You're normally up to your knees in mud and water, hid up in a creek, not stood on nice firm ground shooting from a 'stand'... every bird in the bag is a bonus to being in spectacular countryside! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 (edited) Well back again to yesterdays marsh and staked myself out under the flight line I saw previously. Now experince has taught me no two days are the same so I was not expecting a great deal, and true enough the direction of the geese had completely changed...................................but they still crossed the same bit of marsh. Missed the easiest mallard I have shot at for a long time, over confidence I think. Then hear a greylag to one side, watch it and it is going to pass well wide when a pair fly directly over my head from behind all of 5 yards up, caught unawares I have just enough time to blot out the RHS bird, put the bead below it's belly and drop it to a single shot. A couple more little lots flight too far either side then about a dozen come down the marsh, I drop the end bird, miss with second shot. The skein flares over the channel but then swings around and comes back, most are too wide but one bird is much closer and I had the feeling I had just dispatched its mate, so might as well addthat one to the bag, 3½" steel #1's did the trick nicely. So that is three down for the flight, all dead in the air, and my bag limit reached. Half an hour later a single canada comes straight at me head height, I make no attempt to hide and it veers off to pass 20 yards away, 10 foot up and I take a number of practise swings, a very lucky goose. Another couple lots of greys also passed by well in shot but were safe as it was now ducks only. Back at the car I check this seasons rule book to make sure it is actually 3 geese limit and not 4, to find no mention of a goose limit at all !! No worries, got to leave some breeding stock. Tomorrow I am going to have a lie in ! Edited February 6, 2013 by scolopax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babka3487 Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 A great morning scolopax - I'm glad you've left some as I've got a couple of trips to the river planned for this weekend! P.s. Lie-ins should be scheduled in for February 21st! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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