Richie10 Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Interesting. I see no reason why not over time that we may get a few, other than we are on mostly mud with very little sand, and I think they use sand for their gizzards. There is space to roost and the crops inland are similar to around the Wash, perhaps not so much sugar beet and certainly not the extent of grass as there is in Broadland. I have seen Whitefronts on the Crouch and came the closest I have come to shooting one up N. Fambridge way. You in your pants in the garden looking for geese, that has been me before with the ducks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 At 2am'ish in an air frost in October. You in your pants in the garden looking for geese, that has been me before with the ducks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farma Geddon Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 At 2am'ish in an air frost in October. Lucky it wasn't a hoar frost , you might have been bitten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted October 27, 2015 Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Nah, I had taken it's teeth out first. Shame it wasn't windy, I'd have been blown. Lucky it wasn't a hoar frost , you might have been bitten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted October 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2015 Historically they used to winter on the Severn too, I think Scott counted 500 along with several thousand whitefronts. So wintering in the south is not a new thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 Again, they must have been from the Svalbard population, moving over from the Low Countries with the Whitefronts. Historically they used to winter on the Severn too, I think Scott counted 500 along with several thousand whitefronts. So wintering in the south is not a new thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 Penelope out in his Y-fronts looking for white fronts. No wonder the geese never returned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 (edited) Tres bon Monsieur Sardon. What is all this about massive counts?? Penelope out in his Y-fronts looking for white fronts. No wonder the geese never returned. Edited October 28, 2015 by Penelope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 Just maybe I can get out into my North Suffolk/South Norfolk area next week sometime. (Sister-in-law coming to take over some of my nursing duties). Don't shoot them all before I get there... Haven't even heard one yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted October 28, 2015 Report Share Posted October 28, 2015 Hope you are able to get out Grandalf. Just maybe I can get out into my North Suffolk/South Norfolk area next week sometime. (Sister-in-law coming to take over some of my nursing duties). Don't shoot them all before I get there... Haven't even heard one yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted October 30, 2015 Report Share Posted October 30, 2015 Interesting reading all your comments, Ive been out on the marshes 3 times a week for the last 3 weeks shooting at and following pinks, they are here in some numbers, last night I watched about 2000 come down onto a roost where they have been for several days in large numbers, they definitely have not settled in yet as they have been moving daily from one feeding ground to another, we had them on a local marsh for 2 weeks cleaning up beet tops and I managed to bag my first ever pinks, 2 in one session decoying and another on their way back to the roost. but sadly for the last week they have moved onto new feeding sites , I am assured they will settle onto the large grass marsh areas once the cold weather comes but for now we have to be content to watch the numbers grow almost daily and just pick off odd birds below the main skeins , Someone tell me why they need to fly so high, I left my anti aircraft gun at home, Does anyone have a tip for getting callers to call without locking up, I have two , one cheap and one from some German bloke who reckons its infallible but he didnt reckon on me getting hold of it, I get a couple of calls out of it and it jams up or just squeaks , My duck quacker was £10 off ebay, works fantastic and never jams, I cant wait till we have 80 or 90 thousand pinks around hereat least I might get one or two more before the season ends, thats if the frost bite dosn't get me first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted October 30, 2015 Report Share Posted October 30, 2015 Interesting reading all your comments, Ive been out on the marshes 3 times a week for the last 3 weeks shooting at and following pinks, they are here in some numbers, last night I watched about 2000 come down onto a roost where they have been for several days in large numbers, they definitely have not settled in yet as they have been moving daily from one feeding ground to another, we had them on a local marsh for 2 weeks cleaning up beet tops and I managed to bag my first ever pinks, 2 in one session decoying and another on their way back to the roost. but sadly for the last week they have moved onto new feeding sites , I am assured they will settle onto the large grass marsh areas once the cold weather comes but for now we have to be content to watch the numbers grow almost daily and just pick off odd birds below the main skeins , Someone tell me why they need to fly so high, I left my anti aircraft gun at home, Does anyone have a tip for getting callers to call without locking up, I have two , one cheap and one from some German bloke who reckons its infallible but he didnt reckon on me getting hold of it, I get a couple of calls out of it and it jams up or just squeaks , My duck quacker was £10 off ebay, works fantastic and never jams, I cant wait till we have 80 or 90 thousand pinks around hereat least I might get one or two more before the season ends, thats if the frost bite dosn't get me first. The only way to stop your call jamming is by not blowing it so hard so it will be a fine line between blowing it soft enough and getting the volume you need . I can recommend the zink pinfoot call as being very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawntredder Posted October 30, 2015 Report Share Posted October 30, 2015 Haydels b81 that's the call to have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted October 30, 2015 Report Share Posted October 30, 2015 Interesting reading all your comments, Ive been out on the marshes 3 times a week for the last 3 weeks shooting at and following pinks, they are here in some numbers, last night I watched about 2000 come down onto a roost where they have been for several days in large numbers, they definitely have not settled in yet as they have been moving daily from one feeding ground to another, we had them on a local marsh for 2 weeks cleaning up beet tops and I managed to bag my first ever pinks, 2 in one session decoying and another on their way back to the roost. but sadly for the last week they have moved onto new feeding sites , I am assured they will settle onto the large grass marsh areas once the cold weather comes but for now we have to be content to watch the numbers grow almost daily and just pick off odd birds below the main skeins , Someone tell me why they need to fly so high, I left my anti aircraft gun at home, Does anyone have a tip for getting callers to call without locking up, I have two , one cheap and one from some German bloke who reckons its infallible but he didnt reckon on me getting hold of it, I get a couple of calls out of it and it jams up or just squeaks , My duck quacker was £10 off ebay, works fantastic and never jams, I cant wait till we have 80 or 90 thousand pinks around hereat least I might get one or two more before the season ends, thats if the frost bite dosn't get me first. I very much doubt you'll get anywhere near 80 - 90000 pinks there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside1000 Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 I very much doubt you'll get anywhere near 80 - 90000 pinks there. I think even having 10,000 to go at would be amazing, the 80 to 90 was a bit tongue in cheek, only because thats the numbers they are quoting for the scottish roosts, over the last few years I have noticed the numbers grow considerably while I have been out after pigeons through the winter, now Im a fully paid up wild fowler I have put away the pigeon decoys and bought a pile of sillosock pinks and 2 callers, so this will be my first season and a real test of my stamina, Ive never walked so far so often as I have since the season began, these marshes take some getting to. But on the up side Ive never met such a friendly helpful bunch of fellow shooters, everyone I meet out on the marshes are so helpful with lots of help and advice, and lots of stories of past seasons, apart from feeling absolutely exhausted from all the walking I am having a great time learning to be a better wild fowler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6.5x55SE Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 I think even having 10,000 to go at would be amazing, the 80 to 90 was a bit tongue in cheek, only because thats the numbers they are quoting for the scottish roosts, over the last few years I have noticed the numbers grow considerably while I have been out after pigeons through the winter, now Im a fully paid up wild fowler I have put away the pigeon decoys and bought a pile of sillosock pinks and 2 callers, so this will be my first season and a real test of my stamina, Ive never walked so far so often as I have since the season began, these marshes take some getting to. But on the up side Ive never met such a friendly helpful bunch of fellow shooters, everyone I meet out on the marshes are so helpful with lots of help and advice, and lots of stories of past seasons, apart from feeling absolutely exhausted from all the walking I am having a great time learning to be a better wild fowler. Enjoy your Shooting season. But having thousands of Geese doe's not mean the shooting will be easier as you get bigger more alert Skeins similar to Pigeon shooting one' and two's small bunches tend to give you more success. IMHO big wavering Skeins are spectacular for Bird watching and whilst I to like to watch the Geese I do like outwitting the small party's. Decoys and Calls are not the instant success many believe used wrong can educate Geese and make them harder to get on terms with. Its far better to study study and study some more and try to learn why the Geese are doing what they are doing. Learn to understand the effect weather and tides have on Geese even other shooters. Wildfowling is not a social avent and in most cases the most successful Wildfowler is a loner who keeps most things close to his chest. This next comment is NOT a dig or put down but when I've been asked by many who have struggled my answer has been Join a Pheasant syndicate if you want a social and not learn of the way of Wildfowl and Wildfowling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 I saw a skein of Pinks heading in completely the wrong direction (west) at first light this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiler23 Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 Why is west wrong?? We have geese flying in all directions around here, we don't have a lot... But you certainly couldn't pick which direction there going to go on a particular day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joknob Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 most pinks seen over lincs this time of year are heading south east to Norfolk,but sometimes they do head back to reads island which is north westish.all day pinks heading south east over Grimsby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 I am guessing numbers have been reduced a bit after todays fog ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifly Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 if the geese keep getting shot at on the wash at 100 yrds plus and being shoot off and decoyed on there feeding fields they wil soon **** off like they do ever year. so called wildfowlers just cannot restrain from pulling the trigger, makes proper fowlers sick watching cowboys open up on them. and I don't care who this comment offends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 Same when I first started and that was a very long time ago. Don't think you will ever stop it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 if the geese keep getting shot at on the wash at 100 yrds plus and being shoot off and decoyed on there feeding fields they wil soon **** off like they do ever year. so called wildfowlers just cannot restrain from pulling the trigger, makes proper fowlers sick watching cowboys open up on them. and I don't care who this comment offends. The clubs are doing what they can to stop it but I think it will be very difficult to stop all together , Its not a new thing high shooting I have not been fowling long but from what I have read and heard it has always gone on . I also find it distasteful when you get 3 or more people sitting together salvo firing into skiens , something I heard the other night . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hifly Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 we don't stand for it in our club you get a warning then you are out no excuse, if the officials want to stop it they can, see what part area of the marsh it is happening on get to that access and all members who are at that access are told any more high shooting and you are all banned for a month to start with, it soon becomes self policing, what ever happened to compulsary marsh warden duties where members had to check members on the marsh access points. I remember travelling up from Oxford to do it with my father. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted November 1, 2015 Report Share Posted November 1, 2015 we don't stand for it in our club you get a warning then you are out no excuse, if the officials want to stop it they can, see what part area of the marsh it is happening on get to that access and all members who are at that access are told any more high shooting and you are all banned for a month to start with, it soon becomes self policing, what ever happened to compulsary marsh warden duties where members had to check members on the marsh access points. I remember travelling up from Oxford to do it with my father. So you are suggesting banning members for using a certain access , what a good idea --------not , you cannot just tar everyone with the same brush . As most of the wash clubs are struggling for members do you really think it is a good idea to be banning people that have done nothing other than use a certain access ! Certainly one of the clubs I am in has compulsary marsh warden duty but no one can be on every access 24 / 7 . If it was so easy to stop it would not have been going on for so many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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