stuart21 Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 Evening all! I have been looking for some duck shooting and I have found a couple of potentials. I have received details from both and one says, "we don't shoot on a full moon as it's advisable not to" and the other one says "we will be shooting on a full moon as we usually get very good bags". What are your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsonicnat Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 He is probably talking about tides involved. You do get some back lighting from Full Moon,better if a bit cloudy though. Flashing Wings is Very exciting.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShootingEgg Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 He is probably talking about tides involved. You do get some back lighting from Full Moon,better if a bit cloudy though. Flashing Wings is Very exciting.. Agree with tides if its shooting foreshore. Alot of flight pond shoots I know of do it on full moon as visibility is better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted September 1, 2017 Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 No problem shooting wildfowl on the shore under the moon, shooting flight ponds too much and/or under the moon, could temporarily drive the duck away?.......Especially any wild ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted September 2, 2017 Report Share Posted September 2, 2017 No problem shooting wildfowl on the shore under the moon, shooting flight ponds too much and/or under the moon, could temporarily drive the duck away?.......Especially any wild ones! Does shooting on a full moon scare the ducks away more so than flighting them any other time on an inland pond?? I usually think any flight on a pond will scare the duck away for a few days-week, depending on the pond Must admit I sometimes think flighting around a full moon is often a poor flight, but more so because its so light the ducks could flight in at any time, even if u get a bit of cloud cover still light above it. I also think it is easier to see the ducks on darker nights esp if some cloud cover so u get the siloutte's I think the local NNR has banned night flighting on a full moon now as birds were getting hounded to much and some folk were going right out on to the roosts if the tides suited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sollis1 Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 Full moon will mean high tides so anyone new to shooting on estuaries etc should bear this in mind due to the speed it will come in and the usual safe egress being possibly being cut off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 I'm out for first time this season and it's a full moon, luckily full cloud is forecast as where I am it's usually a poor flight. The ducks and geese tend to stay out on the stubbles and splashes feeding under a full moon rather that flighting into the marsh. Hoping the high tide hour and half before flighting starts pushes some off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted September 6, 2017 Report Share Posted September 6, 2017 Good Luck, had my first coastal flight of the season last and had a mallard. I'm out for first time this season and it's a full moon, luckily full cloud is forecast as where I am it's usually a poor flight. The ducks and geese tend to stay out on the stubbles and splashes feeding under a full moon rather that flighting into the marsh. Hoping the high tide hour and half before flighting starts pushes some off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Continental Shooter Posted September 11, 2017 Report Share Posted September 11, 2017 ate full moon report: Went out on Friday night for a full moon flight; conditions were far from ideal with light onshore wind and minimum temperature of 10 degrees. The sky, however, was full of white thin clouds and the tide was rising; so, an opportunity not to be missed. At the car park it was apparent that, in other conditions, it would have been an epic day for a night flight. Walking through the marsh I could clearly see the curlews lifting as I was advancing towards my chosen spot which, given the very high tide (5.6 Mt) had to be at the top of dune. I hadn't even taken my gun off the slip and few teals flew overhead; time to take the flask for a cup of coffee and a couple of mallard came straight at me in an untimely fashion. Few herons and a whole lot of curlews later I fired my first shots at a bunch of teals coming from behind missing them in style. I thought the shots would have caused some havoc in the estuary but other than the (now) annoying curlews and few oyster catcher nothing else lifted...mallard and teals stayed up in the middle of the estuary while I still haven't heard, let alone seen, a single widgeon. That should have suggested I would have probably be better off going home... but me being me and the magnificent scenario of the lit estuary made me decide to remain; after all, I thought, ducks and geese will be feeding and the estuary will start to empty in a few hours allowing the gees to fly back into roost ... how wrong was I... Stayed up till when the clouds become dark and the tide reached high water; then layed down for wee nap waiting for high water to recede. when I woke up I was immediately met by the rain and the sun was rising. I doe and her fawns came approx 3 yds from my hide; unfortunately while videoing them I pull a branch and off they went. Still in awe for the close encounter I let 2 mallard flying by unscathed... then I was game on again! the rain seemed to have moved things about and I successfully missed another bunch of teals and 4 mallards coming over the dune at close range. A lone grey start flying around the estuary at incredible height... she looked as lost as I was as to why her peers weren't there....or thereabouts. She eventually decided to fly south. After that everything went quiet and other than a couple of swans nothing wanted to be filmed, let alone shot, so, packed up and went home. I blame my new 30" magnum barrel for these misses! I swapped my 26 (as it's neither steel nor 3" chambered) and I noticed my shots are all behind the ducks; even on my pond I managed to spoil my first day by missing an incredible amount of teals; firing 20 shots for a grand total of 2 mallards and 2 teals (yet, wigeons AWOL from the pond as well...is this a theme??) I suspect, while the weather is still not fit for a decent flight and geese are still AWOL, i might employ my time shooting some clay with the new barrel and try to get the hang of it... Cheers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted September 12, 2017 Report Share Posted September 12, 2017 I miss in front with my semi auto being used to a heavy clay gun I swing it too hard. Sounds like you had a good time anyway and to me that's what it's about. A bird or two for the table is a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted September 12, 2017 Report Share Posted September 12, 2017 ate full moon report: Went out on Friday night for a full moon flight; conditions were far from ideal with light onshore wind and minimum temperature of 10 degrees. The sky, however, was full of white thin clouds and the tide was rising; so, an opportunity not to be missed. At the car park it was apparent that, in other conditions, it would have been an epic day for a night flight. Walking through the marsh I could clearly see the curlews lifting as I was advancing towards my chosen spot which, given the very high tide (5.6 Mt) had to be at the top of dune. I hadn't even taken my gun off the slip and few teals flew overhead; time to take the flask for a cup of coffee and a couple of mallard came straight at me in an untimely fashion. Few herons and a whole lot of curlews later I fired my first shots at a bunch of teals coming from behind missing them in style. I thought the shots would have caused some havoc in the estuary but other than the (now) annoying curlews and few oyster catcher nothing else lifted...mallard and teals stayed up in the middle of the estuary while I still haven't heard, let alone seen, a single widgeon. That should have suggested I would have probably be better off going home... but me being me and the magnificent scenario of the lit estuary made me decide to remain; after all, I thought, ducks and geese will be feeding and the estuary will start to empty in a few hours allowing the gees to fly back into roost ... how wrong was I... Stayed up till when the clouds become dark and the tide reached high water; then layed down for wee nap waiting for high water to recede. when I woke up I was immediately met by the rain and the sun was rising. I doe and her fawns came approx 3 yds from my hide; unfortunately while videoing them I pull a branch and off they went. Still in awe for the close encounter I let 2 mallard flying by unscathed... then I was game on again! the rain seemed to have moved things about and I successfully missed another bunch of teals and 4 mallards coming over the dune at close range. A lone grey start flying around the estuary at incredible height... she looked as lost as I was as to why her peers weren't there....or thereabouts. She eventually decided to fly south. After that everything went quiet and other than a couple of swans nothing wanted to be filmed, let alone shot, so, packed up and went home. I blame my new 30" magnum barrel for these misses! I swapped my 26 (as it's neither steel nor 3" chambered) and I noticed my shots are all behind the ducks; even on my pond I managed to spoil my first day by missing an incredible amount of teals; firing 20 shots for a grand total of 2 mallards and 2 teals (yet, wigeons AWOL from the pond as well...is this a theme??) I suspect, while the weather is still not fit for a decent flight and geese are still AWOL, i might employ my time shooting some clay with the new barrel and try to get the hang of it... Cheers, I would say , even though you are well up North it is still a bit early for Widgeon , even more so on a pond , we have got five flight ponds on the estate and I can never record myself or any of the guns I have took for a flight ever shooting a Widgeon , although we have had Pintail , Gadwall , Shoveler , Teal and of cause Mallard. We have also got a smallish lake that we use for a duck drive and on this piece of water we do get Widgeon plus all the others mentioned and all the duck are wild as we don't rear or put any duck down . GOOD LUCK with your new gun , now things are quiet if I were you I would get as much practice as possible before the geese arrive , nothing more annoying having a skein hanging above and you are struggling to hit the body , let alone the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Continental Shooter Posted September 13, 2017 Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 I know mate, Missed a skein right over my head on the 1st. So much work to call them in...and not even a feather to show for it...so annoying! As for the Widgeons... they were counted in numbers in the spring/summer surveys ... but they not been there since the 1st; also the geese have gone: second day they got shot at and the estuary is empty! waiting on better (or worse really) weather for some movement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted September 13, 2017 Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 Just a bit of advice from a pedant, the plural for Wigeon is Wigeon and the plural for Teal is Teal, i.e a pack of Wigeon, a spring of Teal. I know mate, Missed a skein right over my head on the 1st. So much work to call them in...and not even a feather to show for it...so annoying! As for the Widgeons... they were counted in numbers in the spring/summer surveys ... but they not been there since the 1st; also the geese have gone: second day they got shot at and the estuary is empty! waiting on better (or worse really) weather for some movement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Continental Shooter Posted September 14, 2017 Report Share Posted September 14, 2017 good shout! can you tell i am foreign, can you? don't worry another couple of years and i'll be deported LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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