"A Wildfowling Dilemma "

[Big Al]

I was seriously close to going back to bed and not bothering going out when the forecast got it wrong. Flat calm and still.

I remembered that the Harvest moon had been during the week so on the chance of some early migrants, I headed off. I left the dog leads at home by mistake and so I had two unruly dogs . Unruly or not, I didn't even come close to losing a bird. 

I hope you enjoy it. I certainly did!

 

[Gerry78]

Glad you went out Big Al you ended up having a good morning Nice to see geese flighting Your 36 g steel shot working well mate Nice to see a shoveller Having hunted one in years last time I got one was lough beg Fantastic video thanks for posting Murphy’s law changing chokes lol 😃😃😃

[oowee]

Thats a great video just like being there. I thought you had to identify stuff before you shoot it in case you shoot the wrong thing? It must be tough when the stuff is coming at speed out of the gloom. 

[Big Al]

1 hour ago, oowee said:

Thats a great video just like being there. I thought you had to identify stuff before you shoot it in case you shoot the wrong thing? It must be tough when the stuff is coming at speed out of the gloom. 

Yes that's true about quarry ID. Probably 95% of the time I know the species of duck before I pull the trigger but the most important thing is to know the identity of what NOT to shoot at.  If it's duck shaped, that mostly means you have to know that it's not a shelduck or Brent Goose. On salt water, its mergansers, gooseander and the like. You do get it wrong sometimes but as long as you had ruled out the definite no-nos it's all good.

I lost a friend once when I called off a shot at greylags in the pre dawn light. They were so silent,  I thought they were swans and not geese. I called the shot off, but they were greylags. He didn't forgive me.

It's a very good point you make though.

1 hour ago, Gerry78 said:

Glad you went out Big Al you ended up having a good morning Nice to see geese flighting Your 36 g steel shot working well mate Nice to see a shoveller Having hunted one in years last time I got one was lough beg Fantastic video thanks for posting Murphy’s law changing chokes lol 😃😃😃

Aye Gerry - Murphy's law is right!

3 minutes ago, Big Al said:

I should also say that in all my years I have never shot anything I shouldn't have. My shooting means too much to me to make a mistake like that.

 

Edited September 26, 2021 by Big Al

[Gerry78]

1 hour ago, oowee said:

Thats a great video just like being there. I thought you had to identify stuff before you shoot it in case you shoot the wrong thing? It must be tough when the stuff is coming at speed out of the gloom. 

I’m sure big Al has plenty of experience of legal quarry regarding identification of birds Watching this mans videos for years you can see he’s well experienced 

[Big Al]

9 minutes ago, Gerry78 said:

I’m sure big Al has plenty of experience of legal quarry regarding identification of birds Watching this mans videos for years you can see he’s well experienced 

Thanks Gerry. As I say, I'm good with all species before i shoot, but i do sometimes get the mallard/ gadwall wrong. Both are on the quarry list though. In the half-light I can pick out what I can't shoot 100% of the time.

[Dave at kelton]

Another good video well done.

[Big Al]

17 minutes ago, Dave at kelton said:

Another good video well done.

Cheers Dave.

[Gerry78]

1 hour ago, Big Al said:

Thanks Gerry. As I say, I'm good with all species before i shoot, but i do sometimes get the mallard/ gadwall wrong. Both are on the quarry list though. In the half-light I can pick out what I can't shoot 100% of the time.

100 percent Big Al keep posting Always  look forward to the videos 👍👍👍

[Cranfield]

Its somehow better when you have a great result, when expecting a dud.
You are right, you won't shoot a lot of ducks from your bed.🙂
The geese would have been a bonus, but it was nice to hear them.
That was a good long retrieve, its nice to have the confidence in your dogs to send them and then trust them when they are far away.

[Big Al]

44 minutes ago, Cranfield said:

Its somehow better when you have a great result, when expecting a dud.
You are right, you won't shoot a lot of ducks from your bed.🙂
The geese would have been a bonus, but it was nice to hear them.
That was a good long retrieve, its nice to have the confidence in your dogs to send them and then trust them when they are far away.

Thanks Cranfield. 

[Jim Neal]

If that had been me caught with my pants down, I'd have dropped all of my chokes in the mud along with my cartridges, eventually fumbled a shell into the wrong barrel after first trying to put it in the wrong end first, and then missed!

You were cool as a cucumber there mate 👍

[Big Al]

14 hours ago, Jim Neal said:

If that had been me caught with my pants down, I'd have dropped all of my chokes in the mud along with my cartridges, eventually fumbled a shell into the wrong barrel after first trying to put it in the wrong end first, and then missed!

You were cool as a cucumber there mate 👍

😂😂 Cheers bud. The pressure was definitely on when you know you have only one barrel!

[greylag]

Another great vid, brilliant long retrieve on the Shoveller,you must have been very pleased.

Never a waste of time going out even if you blank,so much to see and hear,and the dogs love it.Thanks for posting.

[Big Al]

5 hours ago, greylag said:

Another great vid, brilliant long retrieve on the Shoveller,you must have been very pleased.

Never a waste of time going out even if you blank,so much to see and hear,and the dogs love it.Thanks for posting.

Wise words greylag. Its always worth it.