Jump to content

I've come over all Peter Scott'ish


islandgun
 Share

Recommended Posts

Kenzie Thorpe shot hundreds but still had time to keep a gaggle in the back yard of his council house at the Bridge,it wasn't very large but he said it gave him no end of pleasure,and provided models for his paintings.As lads we often went down there to see them,but had to keep out of the way of Mrs,who was a bit peppery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Am getting a bit that way with driven pheasant and have started to doubt the ethics of shooting reared birds.

Hm My own purely personal view is that its fine if the quarry will be eaten (preferably by your family) but whatever, a pheasants life is way better than a factory farmed hen

Edited by islandgun
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are perfectly normal. I feel like this often. Surely there is nothing wrong in appreciating our amazing open spaces and the wildlife that inhabits it? For me it's not about what I bring home it's about being there.

 

I like to study my quarry and get to know their habits. It makes me a more efficient hunter. I doubt there is anyone on this forum who actually needs to shoot ducks and/or geese

 

for food, as they will starve without it? There is something special for me in being able to provide something for the table that is fresh and I know where it has come from. (Although just lately any dependant family of mine would go hungry.)

 

I look at it as reaping nature's surplus.

 

Right I am off to a National Trust wildfowl haven to see where they Greylags are feeding, so that I can ambush them when they fly over our marsh! I wonder what people think when they see the Wildfowl club sticker in my

 

car window when its in the car park? Knowledge = dinner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are perfectly normal. I feel like this often. Surely there is nothing wrong in appreciating our amazing open spaces and the wildlife that inhabits it? For me it's not about what I bring home it's about being there.

 

I like to study my quarry and get to know their habits. It makes me a more efficient hunter. I doubt there is anyone on this forum who actually needs to shoot ducks and/or geese

 

for food, as they will starve without it? There is something special for me in being able to provide something for the table that is fresh and I know where it has come from. (Although just lately any dependant family of mine would go hungry.)

 

I look at it as reaping nature's surplus.

 

Right I am off to a National Trust wildfowl haven to see where they Greylags are feeding, so that I can ambush them when they fly over our marsh! I wonder what people think when they see the Wildfowl club sticker in my

 

car window when its in the car park? Knowledge = dinner.

:good: indeed, I often wonder about the people flocking to watch the birds how many will enjoy a bit of chicken for their dinner :/

 

I will get a few photos of the splash soon when the geese come back for a visit, which is usually the week after the inland close season starts

Edited by islandgun
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have studied the habits of wildfowl and there way of life for as long as I can remember and with being a member of W A G B I and now B A S C for over 52 years that's a long while .

 

I can fully understand how you feel islandgun , as I now get as much enjoyment watching duck nowadays as I do taking my gun after them , from mid October it is very rare there isn't something hanging up in my shed as I do around 30 days a season helping out on two local game shoots and within reason I can bring home whatever I want that is hanging up in the game larder , so I no longer have to rely on shooting duck purely to put meat on the table .

 

In the 70s and 80s I would be shooting and eating loads of fowl and what I didn't eat I don't mind admitting I would sell it and the money I got I would buy the meat we would be having at Christmas , whereas things are different now and although I am nowhere near being well off , I don't no longer have to sell duck in order to have something nice for Christmas dinner .

 

I can see in the next few years my days chasing wildfowl about will come to a close , I have had a good run and thoroughly enjoy it but I am now asking myself what do I enjoy the most as far as fowl are concerned, watching or shooting, and at the moment I am happy to do both , but only just .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can see what you mean Marsh man and good luck to you, I originally flooded the area to perhaps give me the chance of an occasional duck and will be happy to take one or two next season, the knock on effect of the splash is the chance to enjoy seeing the birds without scaring them away, Ive planted some more willow cuttings along one edge and intend to cultivate a small dry area close by and seed it with short oats, dont get me wrong i think a nice Mallard or Teal is a fine thing to put a plate and shooting is an honest way to achieve it.

 

Perhaps you will shoot less but choose when you shoot and only take the occasional bird for the table

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

A couple of weeks ago i diverted a stream to flood the bottom of my croft this has resulted in a pool about 6" deep and about 100sqm with a constant flow of water, my point (if there is one) is that I'm really enjoying watching the greylags, and ducks using the pool so much so I'm loosing the desire to shoot any of the visitors, Is this behaviour natural or am i loosing the plot.

Anyone else experienced this sort of thing or I am turning into a hand wringing leftie tree hugger and will i be knighted :unhappy:

 

Ponderation

When tempered with some empathy, hunting instinct’s seed’s innate tenacity

Plucks at the wildfowlers inner reed, to marvel at the wild geese, genius of audacity! :)

STOTTO

Regards

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My apologies to the more pedantic on the forum, more correctly I should have said, “The assemblage of the words is mine but the words themselves are of course in the public domain”, I trust this will clarify the position! :whistling:

 

When tempered with empathy, hunting instinct’s seed’s innate tenacity plucks at the shooters inner squirrel to marvel at the wild beasts’ genius of audacity and stealth in equal measures.

Malkiserow, believe it or not I have just twigged and am not sure if I am either,

A, going mad or,

B, you are controlling me from afar!

But when I logged on I thought that you were taking the ####, I now see the issue and am going to buy a tinfoil hat!

Don’t know what else to say. :/

Edited by STOTTO
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...