marsh man Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 With only one day left of the coastal wild fowling season , How good , or bad have it been for you ? Going by the amount of threads and posts being put on the wild fowling section this past season I would imagine for some of the older hands it have been below your average season. This past season I started late and shot duck and the odd goose as I required them rather than keep sticking all the surplus in the freezer , so from my point of view , it was alright with the quantity of fowl on the estuary and the marshes but no flight I had was out of the ordinary . How was it for YOU ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 Learning curve as usual MM Ive shot very few [cant say on here or i would be banished] im happy to have shot more ducks than geese, as im struggling to bring off clean kills with these greylags, my springer has had a few nice retrieves and has been fine company on my long waits. Yesterday with the big moon i was out on my little estuary and it was the epitome of fowling [but without the birds] a real BB scene, bright enough to cast a shadow, with silver water, a dark mountain to one side and a big sky with heavy clouds to the other, Planning on a small hide amongst the splashes next year when i can find a wadeable ? path across, I was lucky enough to enjoy the Mallard with some woodcock and think thats the two best tasting birds you can get.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer425 Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 Yes Marsh man its got here too quick as usual time to reflect on the past season and plan for the next. This season has been a tough one for me started off looking great but illness in my immediate family soon trimmed my wings, and i ended up not venturing far staying lincolnshire / Norfolk mainly until things steadied down at home. I will say i needed wild fowling to help me through this time , its suprising what the solitude it can offer can help with when your up against it. By November things were looking up and i was back in the swing of things a trip up north was productive, got to meet and stay with friends up there and the geese were cooperative in that they were there and had a great time. Back home the geese were there but needed a little more working out but did ok and my newest lad now 2 years finaly got to see some work and he seems to be moving from strength to strength, if anything i am of the opinion that leaving him in limbo last summer and early season using the other dogs improved him in that he was that bit more mature by the time he got to make a real start in November. The next few trips up north and over to the west coast early december through january were pretty good duck and geese, and not the best but were good and dog learned a lot and i enjoyed every trip. Local wildfowling was good overall and last week i got a couple of geese off a local marsh where a thousand or so have been showing up again lately and home here on the river the widgeon and greys have been in good numbers, and i would say its one of the best seasons ever here. So despite a tough start for us its come good and it turned into a decent season for me, the new lab is looking like he will make the grade with tread to spare and if he does what he did this year next it will be great. So here is looking to September the 1st. Well after tomorrow night on the river anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6.5x55SE Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 (edited) Conor has had another exceptional season with many first's. Myself also have had a good season with one of my best February foreshore endings for years three flights last week saw me shoot numerous Pink's with my 20ga from a Marsh that doesn't give up it's Geese easily weather dependent will decide if i can manage another Pink or two February 20th under the Moon Edited February 19, 2019 by 6.5x55SE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenshank1 Posted February 19, 2019 Report Share Posted February 19, 2019 This has been the first season I have truly focussed on the shore and fowling instead of beating and picking up at local pheasant shoots and I have absolutely loved it. Initially lots of blank trips but everytime I have come home happy , after watching and learning flightlines , learning local tides and where I can get to and safely get back from wading and crossing tide pools. Got my first Greylag and first Canada this year and the young lab was really excelled with her first geese and ducks. Thanks to all the experienced guys for posting their accounts of their trips and for all the good discussions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diabolo Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Started late in the season as running in a new hip, best moments were getting under geese on the December and January full moons on two different saltings. Pleasantly surprising number of mallard around at the end of the season on my local salt marsh on The Wash. The new puppy didn't do too bad for her first season, not the most elegant of retrieves, but, as an old 'fowler said to me once when I was a novice and worried I couldn't get my springer pup to drop to shot and some of the other stuff I had read they needed to do, "so long as they bring 'em back mate." So now I don't bother about the field trials stuff - too time consuming and frustrating for me. Here she is having a gambol - 70 pounds of springer/retriever first cross hybrid, with a bit of wolverine thrown in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancer425 Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 30 minutes ago, Diabolo said: Started late in the season as running in a new hip, best moments were getting under geese on the December and January full moons on two different saltings. Pleasantly surprising number of mallard around at the end of the season on my local salt marsh on The Wash. The new puppy didn't do too bad for her first season, not the most elegant of retrieves, but, as an old 'fowler said to me once when I was a novice and worried I couldn't get my springer pup to drop to shot and some of the other stuff I had read they needed to do, "so long as they bring 'em back mate." So now I don't bother about the field trials stuff - too time consuming and frustrating for me. Here she is having a gambol - 70 pounds of springer/retriever first cross hybrid, with a bit of wolverine thrown in! Looks good to me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 only got out on my local estuary a fraction as much I did as years gone by but had 7 flights for 7 birds (3 geese 4 ducks) A weeks trip to Scotland gave me one Greylag but some tidy bags of decoyed ducks on the foreshore, once I realised the geese were not there in the numbers I hoped for I tried some different places to normal and it paid off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted February 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Some excellent replies and lovely photos , by the sound of it you have all had a worthwhile season with one or two duck and geese ending up in the bag. What was also good to hear was the dogs get a mention , I have spent most of my life with a dog beside me when I am shooting both wildfowl and pigeons , oh and not forgetting during the game season as well , this past season Bobbie ( my dog ) have been on a full Woodcock day and 22 game shoots , on one shoot he come with me in the truck while driving the beaters about and then pick up behind the standing guns when I park up ,and on the other shoot we have been picking up on every one of the shoots plus a couple of small days where we were allowed to take our gun as well . I know now at my age I couldn't continue fowling without a dog and if I am honest I believe my dog is more keener than me when we sitting down the marsh on a winters night , sometimes the only sound I hear is his tail swishing about in the water while he is sitting beside me being on red alert as he is looking ahead for the first signs of any approaching duck . Yes you can go wild fowling without a dog and a lot of people do , but once you start fowling with one you will never want to revert in going after fowl again without a dog . Good luck to whatever you are doing in the close season and before you know it you will be getting your gear ready for another season in September . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Don't do much of the coastal stuff these days except when one of my younger friends will come along and hold my hand - and walk at my speed. But I got out quite a lot on my other bits and pieces of marsh around East Anglia. Took a couple of PW members with me to show them the area. Usually go on my own but would not go without the dog - It's part and parcel of fowling. Noodle is my new protegee. He's been, and still is , a bit of a handful. Hadn't even been for a walk when I acquired him at nine months. Now he is fowling, picking up, foxing and stalking. Soon will introduce him to pigeon shooting. Fowling has always been my passion. Will miss that more than all the other shooting that I have been involved in. Going to hit eighty years in June. I always treat my last flight of the season as my last flight ever. It will be one year. Hopefully not this year. Will be paying my club subscriptions as usual and hoping that I come out of the summer recess as fit as I am today. Then September will be looked forward to as much as it has been for the last fifty five. The bags don't matter anymore - It's just the being there... Glad to hear you all had good seasons. Enjoy the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 30 minutes ago, Grandalf said: Don't do much of the coastal stuff these days except when one of my younger friends will come along and hold my hand - and walk at my speed. But I got out quite a lot on my other bits and pieces of marsh around East Anglia. Took a couple of PW members with me to show them the area. Usually go on my own but would not go without the dog - It's part and parcel of fowling. Noodle is my new protegee. He's been, and still is , a bit of a handful. Hadn't even been for a walk when I acquired him at nine months. Now he is fowling, picking up, foxing and stalking. Soon will introduce him to pigeon shooting. Fowling has always been my passion. Will miss that more than all the other shooting that I have been involved in. Going to hit eighty years in June. I always treat my last flight of the season as my last flight ever. It will be one year. Hopefully not this year. Will be paying my club subscriptions as usual and hoping that I come out of the summer recess as fit as I am today. Then September will be looked forward to as much as it has been for the last fifty five. The bags don't matter anymore - It's just the being there... Glad to hear you all had good seasons. Enjoy the summer. Great stuff mista, You've got 15yrs on me and i can only hope i will be able to do the same when im 80yrs old, mind you, you will probably still be out there in 15yrs time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamch Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Disappointing season. The new access restrictions at Lindisfarne have in effect closed a lot of good spots at high water. Think won't be bothering next season. Guns cleaned and ready for sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandalf Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 That is very sad grahamch. There are always other places to go. Don't do anything too hasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry78 Posted February 20, 2019 Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 Only got out couple times with work shifts didn’t do very well ducks were I shoot wernt in any numbers not enough cold weather here in NI When it did rain to many flooded fields for them to fly in too Even my big fox red lab Duke was fed up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted February 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2019 11 hours ago, islandgun said: Great stuff mista, You've got 15yrs on me and i can only hope i will be able to do the same when im 80yrs old, mind you, you will probably still be out there in 15yrs time.. It's the fresh air islandgun , I am not to far behind Grandalf and I hope I will be still be getting out when and if I reach the next milestone with a nought on the end of my birthday , mind you I am going to join another club for next season and they recon I am one of there oldest new members Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Docleo Posted February 21, 2019 Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 The one just closed was my first full wildfowling season and was GREAT! Not for any big bag, (managed 3 geese and few ducks on the foreshore through the season ) but I did enjoy every single flight especially in the late part of the season when I had my young dog with me. Reading some of your reports here makes me even more aware of how much I have to learn about this fantastic sport! Next season target: first goose under the moon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 21, 2019 Report Share Posted February 21, 2019 11 hours ago, marsh man said: It's the fresh air islandgun , I am not to far behind Grandalf and I hope I will be still be getting out when and if I reach the next milestone with a nought on the end of my birthday , mind you I am going to join another club for next season and they recon I am one of there oldest new members One the oldest ! .. Glad to hear your branching out, Im hoping to buy you a beer when im next down in Norfolk, as i want to do a couple of flights with the BASC scheme.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted February 23, 2019 Report Share Posted February 23, 2019 Glad to hear most had good seasons. Those that didn't, I hope things work out better for next year. My season was above average, I would say. Pinks were a regular feature in the bag throughout. I shot all of the duck species on the list apart from tufted and goldeneye, though the inland washes were a little disappointing this year. Next season will be here before we know it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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