wildfowler.250 Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 I was thinking about this when I was out shooting and nothing was happening.. I would say that shooting ten geese in a flight,(for example) would be excessive for one person. But is this any different to one guy going out 5 times and shooting 2 birds a flight? Assuming all birds get used up? How do you decide whats an acceptable limit,(excluding club rules)? I've heard some people say that the good flights make up for all the times you get nothing. would be interested to hear your thoughts/justifications. And no heated debates :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reabrook Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Bag limits are a personal opinion that's why we all disagree about them. What I find excessive others may think of as a normal flight or vice-versa. I'd prefer that any limitations remained with the individual than be forced upon us. Bag limits no matter how well intentioned very soon become targets to aspire to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzypigeon Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 when i'm out i look at it like this if i shoot it i have to carry it, so i shoot enough that i can comfortably carry which is usually no more than 5 per flight unless its all teal then i can carry a few more and to make a meal for 4 people with teal you need a few anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Personally i agree with reabrook and it is up to the individual to decide when enough is enough. But there does seem to a a number (perhaps a growing number?) of people that will visit the same place every time they go out and shoot as many birds as they can with little or no regard to the sustainable level of shooting that is needed to ensure sport for all the season and even further into the future. Personally only once this season have i shot more than i would normally allow and this was preceded by a run of 8 blank flights, it just happened that i was in the right place at the right time and even then i stopped shooting before i could have, it was nice to see duck after duck pile into the water infront of me. The dog wasn't to sure that was going on though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pole Star Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Personally i agree with reabrook and it is up to the individual to decide when enough is enough. But there does seem to a a number (perhaps a growing number?) of people that will visit the same place every time they go out and shoot as many birds as they can with little or no regard to the sustainable level of shooting that is needed to ensure sport for all the season and even further into the future. Personally only once this season have i shot more than i would normally allow and this was preceded by a run of 8 blank flights, it just happened that i was in the right place at the right time and even then i stopped shooting before i could have, it was nice to see duck after duck pile into the water infront of me. The dog wasn't to sure that was going on though Yes thats the greedy gun who want to get all the birds before some else gets them ! & what can be done about such people ? & as for the visiting you know who's from the boot country !!! NO not going there today !!! . Some how I have a feeling bag limits will one day be imposed on us & if that dose happen then will it just be another turn of the bloody screw & mark my words if a motion starts too snow ball the RSPB ect will see it as a great PR for them & more money in the coffer in donations from the bunny huggers ! . All we can do is encourage self imposed sensible limits & do our best to discourage the greedy & get ready for a fight that may well come to us ! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 I think if you need to move them on to others you have taken more than you aught to. If you need to work on finding space in a freezer then the same. Many of the wildfowl we shoot are not internationally numerous, its just harvesting a few does not appear effect their numbers either. I have serious doubts about the motives of some, wildfowling should never ever be about the bag. When you are doing well do not return to the same venue as much as you can to get your numbers up. Its nice to have a bit of a good bag now and again. One club to which I belong has a rumour circulating about someone taking 50 duck over a week, the limit is ten per flight. I agree with many though like in fishing bag limits are often taken as a target to which one might aspire but a line has to be drawn for some do not seem to know when enough is enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert 888 Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Im happy taking what I can eat and carry comfortably. If it was a good day and the flight was on I would be happy with 6 duck and a goose. Club rules are 10 duck 2 grey geese and as many cannadas as you can carry per flight. But I am lucky as local and can go when I want,so no need for me to be a trophy hunter its not a competion just glad of the trip out. Many times I let them go on their way. As said its the experience and trip out for me thats what wildfowling should be about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Of course the dichotomy about this is that if the RSPB and other such bodies get wind of a wildfowling club imposing bag limits it will see it as an admission that numbers of wildfowl are falling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pole Star Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Of course the dichotomy about this is that if the RSPB and other such bodies get wind of a wildfowling club imposing bag limits it will see it as an admission that numbers of wildfowl are falling. Right JDog these bodies just need us to make the snow ball & as always they will be quick to jump on & give it a shove too see how far it will go ! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Of course the dichotomy about this is that if the RSPB and other such bodies get wind of a wildfowling club imposing bag limits it will see it as an admission that numbers of wildfowl are falling. Got news for you the RSPB are well aware of bag limits being set by wildfowling clubs and even lease land to some for the purpose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 I would never shoot more than i could carry. I would probably shoot as many as 6 geese in a flight, but i may shoot as many ducks as i could (given the chance) as it would be once in a blue moon. I've only ever shot single figure bags of duck on the marsh and i have had several blanks, so an odd day every few seasons where i could shoot maybe 20 duck would be fine in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoggy Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 I took an American friend out this season and he couldn`t believe that most clubs do not impose a bag limit...and those that do the bag limit is quite high compared to what he is allowed to shoot. Considering we do not have nowhere near the duck population including migatory birds in this country compared to the US its certainly food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 A friend of mine, a well known shooting man from Northumberland, was invited to shoot a flight pond in a wild and woolly spot high in the hills. The pond had been fed and in perfect conditions he and the host shot and picked 124 asssorted ducks. He wasn't happy about it at the time and twenty years later he still has a conscience about shooting so many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donkey Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 I don't shoot inland geese only foreshore so to echo other posters I only shoot what I can carry that's 2 and on a long walk back along the sea wall that's enough With duck shot over washes or flight pond of usually widgeon or teal up to 10 enough for my game bag but it's been a very long time since I have come anywhere near this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted February 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Cheers for the replies funnily enough I didn't consider a duck limit because I usually only get 2-3 on a reasonable flight,(7 being my best ever). I have to say that I think club rules are there for people who wouldn't actually choose to have a limit. Rather than there not being enough birds to 'harvest'? I'm happy with whatever I get on a flight because I take it down to uni and it saves me £ buying meat If I get a good flight,(6 birds max) ill not be out for weeks after though. Meant to add on a pond the old man thought me when I was wee to always leave early and let the remainder come in in peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anser2 Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Bag limits are always a thorny question. What is a decent bag of wildfowl on one marsh can be a very big one on another. I would hate to see a bag limit imposed by law , but on the other hand I have my own personel bag limits. They are not rigid , If I have had several good flights my personel limit would be lowered on the other hand if the shooting had been poor for some time I might take a few more. I am a member of 3 clubs and the limit on 2 of them is as many birds as you can carry and 10 duck and 6 geese on the other. On my own ground my personel limit is 15 duck and 6 geese , not that I have reached that number . On the other hand I was once invited to a famous duck shoot on the East Coast as part of a team of 4 wildfowlers. I quickly exceeded my personal limit and debated wether to continue or not. My host had worked hard to show me a good number of birds and it would be churlish to stop, also if I stopped shooting in the middle of flight he might think I had some sort of trouble , had an accident or my gun stopped working and come over to find out what was happening. So I kept on shooting , it was brilliant while it lasted and i have no regrets and 30 years later have never aproached thats nights bag again nor would I wish to. On the other hand a month ago a mate and i were on a brilliant goose flight on my inland shoot and we shot 3 pinks each and left the marsh as the geese piled in. We had both acheved what we wanted to , decoyed pinks into a meadow and were very happy with half a dozen birds so what was the point in continuing. I think a friend of mine sums up the size of the bag well " when you cant remember every shot you have shot too many". The only bag limit any of us should need is our personel one, but unfortunetly some people just cant stop and every year we hear of excessive 100+ bags of duck and geese. Hopefuly these people will realise the error of their ways , because if they dont the govenment will impose a limit on us all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Having dropped out of my wildfowling club at the beginning of the season due to the dog being too old to cope with the rigours of coastal fowling (I don't think it's fair on our quarry to pursue them on the saltings and mud without one), I have been constrained to arranging 3 inland flights on an Essex fresh marsh for a team of guns, shooting over two fed freshwater fleets. The first flight on the 11th September was all mallard, 48 to six guns (Avg. 8 duck per man). The second flight was on the 9th December, resulting in a mixed bag of wigeon, teal, shoveler, pintail and mallard, although it was a poor flight with the numbers of duck present in the air and the lateness of when they started to arrive. 13 duck, 4 guns (all on one fleet, the other with 3 guns produced nothing with only 3 shots fired. The last flight was on the 20th January, the first day of snow in that area, with a good stiff easterly blowing too. 7 guns, again shooting over two fleets shot 96 duck. Excessive?? 8 wigeon, 12 mallard and 76 teal. (Avg. nearly 14 duck each, although of 3 guns on the flight I shot on, one gun only had 5, with my dad and I sharing the remaining 30 odd. By far and above the most that I have ever shot in one flight. A total of 511 shots were fired, boy were the some duck present. I think this will be my 'Red Letter' day. Goose wise, 21 pinks between 7 guns, and everyone stopped after shooting 3 each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 And your point is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 And your point is? Apologies. My point is that bag limits should be personal, given the amount of time you get to shoot and the opportunities available at any given time. If I had remained in the wildfowling club, it is likely that my personal bag for the season would have been equvilent to what I have shot over the 3 inland flights, c.40 duck. If I had been on the fresh marsh once every month, I would have certainly limited what I shot. The club I was a member off, had, quite a few years ago a 'syndicate' for want of a better word within the club (Lease was more than the club were willing to pay - so the syndicate was formed) that shot once a month over a large inland fleet on a fresh marsh where the bag limit was 5 wildfowl per man per flight. There were 10 members. With the pinkfeet example, we could have easly shot a lot more, but as experienced fowlers with a love and respect for our quarry, we impossed our own limit of 3 per man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) One goose and a couple of duck per week would satisfy me but that would be some sort of miracle. I'm just happy to be out there. Edited February 12, 2013 by ayano3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted February 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Apologies. My point is that bag limits should be personal, given the amount of time you get to shoot and the opportunities available at any given time. If I had remained in the wildfowling club, it is likely that my personal bag for the season would have been equvilent to what I have shot over the 3 inland flights, c.40 duck. That was what I was suggesting in my initial post. Is it okay to go out less and shoot a lot more per flight if it comes to the same thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 That was what I was suggesting in my initial post. Is it okay to go out less and shoot a lot more per flight if it comes to the same thing? I think so. Different if you can do it every week though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Passionforangling Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 This is an interesting discussion and one I would like to have a say on although my experience is probably the least on the whole of this forum! I would find it hard to justify taking more than a handful of duck and a goose in a session because of the time involved in dealing with them. I know some of you will have friends to give the odd duck or goose to and that's absolutely fine but in my experience the people I know tend to flinch if I offer them anything with feathers or fur on it....perhaps I should get more like-minded friends? So, returning with a few duck and a goose is going to take me a fair time to prepare for the oven (I wouldn't just breast either of these birds, unlike pigeons which I'm happier to do) so I would certainly limit what I could shoot bearing in mind the time available afterwards for preparation. It would probably be a red letter day if I achieved the above anyway so maybe irrelevant for me at the moment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayano3 Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 One very important word, used by silver pigeon, was sustainable. Go beyond that and your killing your own sport or pastime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowlingmad Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 our club limmit is 4 birds per gun per day. This is very resonable there is not need to shoot more than 4 birds in a flightin my opinon. I like wildfowling for what it is, if i wanted to shoot volume id go pigeon shooting, although it is nice to get a few bussy flights a season! And i agree sustainability is the key word. If your shooting a massive area full of ducks then a sustainable amont would be more than someone who has their own small flight pond. In the end it is what the individual is happy to shoot for me that is no more than half a dozen birds. That would require a lots of ducks the way ive been shooting recently!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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