Poor Shot Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Good Afternoon. I'd thought I'd share the result of my first solo wildfowling trip with the PW wildfowling crowd as I'm quite happy with how it went obviously. So, this last year and a half has been my return to field sports and shooting after leaving to pursue females and alcohol in my teens. I'm near thirty now.. Until recently I've not really had the facility (money and time mostly) to get back into shooting but a birthday treat of a clay pigeon day and change of circumstances got the fire burning again, 12 months waiting for an SGC etc brings us to this season. I joined a local wildfowling club as an associate member for this season, I've always fancied trying wildfowling so I gave it shot. After a few guided group trips with senior club members we were given the ok to go it alone and see how we felt about it, we could always request further guided trips should we not be confident etc. As far as marshes go it's a really safe marsh and you'd probably have to be some kind of idiot to even end up with wet feet never mind being in serious danger. (Not that I ever take this for granted, I'm a keen sea angler and I know being cut off by a rapidly rising tide is no joke). A few weeks back I took the afternoon off work and set out to reccy a few new spots that we hadn't yet been introduced to on our guided trips and I really took a fancy to a spot about a mile walk from the nearest car parking spot. I quite fancied this place as it was a) a long way from the car park meaning I wouldn't be disturbing any seasoned regulars (who I'm told often congregate at a small bay close to the main road) as I carefully navigate the maze of gullies and pot holes with a fully lit head torch to get to the tide line, b) has a large muddy pool which fills up on a higher tide and c) is sheltered by a large boulder embankment on one side so I can hide away from the ducks and the elements without having to construct a hide or kneel in a muddy gutter. This morning I was (rudely) awoken by a 4:45 alarm (as was everyone else), forced down some breakfast and a coffee before loading the gear into the car and setting off. I arrived at the marsh at 6:00 to find no other cars in the car park. I unloaded the car and made a start on the mile walk to my chosen spot. I'm really surprised at just how wet the inside of the PVC waders become from sweat alone. I'm not an unfit person and even I was quite damp by the time I'd reached my destination. High tide was set to be at 8:05 at 11.4m which should coincide with dawn perfectly. As I arrived I could hear a lot of birds moving about but it was still pitch black dark so I no chance of getting a shot off. I'm especially weary about taking shots in the dark as my duck silhouette identification is still quite weak and last thing I want to take a shot at something and later regret it when it turns out not to be a quarry species. I set up on the far side of the pool with the tide line on my right and pool on my left hoping to catch any ducks flying down the tide line and to intercept any coming from inland onto the pool. There is a series of gullies which allow water to flow into the pool as the tide rises. I sat down into one of the shallower gullies, loaded the gun and eagerly awaited the arrival of the ducks. Time ticked away and slowly but surely I was pushed up the marsh by the rising tide with no sign of a duck. The Met office had forecasted an SE wind which should have been keeping the tide at bay it actually appeared to be blowing into my face/ north perhaps moving the tide in quicker and higher than I had anticipated. A pair of mallard flew overhead and to the left but unfortunately even George Digweed himself would of struggled to bring them out of orbit. Far beyond a range I was comfortable with. Eventually the tide had pushed me right up the opposite side of the pool against the boulder embankment and dawn had come and gone. It wouldn't have been a shame if my first solo trip had ended in a blank. As long as I'm not sat in the office then I'm just happy to be out. It approached 8:30 and I was starting to think about packing up and heading for home, hands had become cold and the rock I was sat on increasingly uncomfortable. In the distance I could hear some honking of geese, I had heard this on past trips and I know the geese like to congregate on some pasture just behind the safety of the sea wall. The distant honking very quickly become nearing honking so I positioned myself facing the embankment and waited. Just as curiosity got the better of me and I stood up to get an idea of where the geese were a flock (skein?) of about 15 birds came over the embankment about 25 yards to my right. I raised the gun, picked out a bird and pulled the trigger. The 35g 3 steels did the job just fine, I got the goose on the front edge and stone dead by the time it hit the water. I shoot a semi auto so I don't quite know why I didn't follow on with shots 2 and 3 for a further two birds. I just paused in sheer disbelief that I had just nabbed my first goose on my first solo trip and just watched it down to the water. Maybe next time I'll follow up and bag some more.. Unfortunately the springer pup we picked up at the beginning of the year isn't ready for action on the marsh just yet so she stayed at home tucked up in bed. This meant I had to wade out a few meters into the pool to collect the prize. I'd set out that morning knowing that I had to pick my shots should they present themselves to not end up with shot but un-retrievable birds. I put the bird away into my foldable game sack (less than £10 from Decathalon and very useful!). I perched myself back on my rock and took 10 minutes to calm down and think about what just happened, also took the chance to text a picture to my old man who has been joking about my lack of success since the start of the season. Following that I packed up and headed for home but not before a further picture to remember the trip by. I set about preparing the bird for the freezer which took an age. Game preparation isn't my strongest point and two hours later I was left with a scruffy yet presentable bird ready for a family dinner over the Christmas period. I was left with this... Via this... Very lucky that the girlfriend is working today. A few things to take away from todays trip? A few decoys would have been useful, especially in the pool I was sat next to this morning. There were a lot ducks moving about high up and very far out of range and perhaps a decoy setup would have encouraged them to come in and investigate before heading out to sea or elsewhere on the marsh. Don't take wind direction from the met office app and take the time to become familiar with height of tide vs the landscape. Ensure that the spaniel pup is ready for next season, its no fun wading waste deep into water to retrieve a shot bird. It's about time she started to earn her keep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weihrauch17 Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Great write up, have you eaten one before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 A fine write up. Thank you for posting and congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Anderson Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Superb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Hello, nice report well done, 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holloway Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Thanks for posting ,I can see your going to be a convert already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Nice write up. Well done! Another thing to remember for next time. Do not fire shots two and three. You do not want to carry three Canada Geese over a mile of marsh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spr1985 Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 What a great write up! I’m also into my first season on the marshes and as yet I haven’t managed to bag a prize but great to read of your success on your first solo outing 👏🏻 And I stills faith that it will happen when the time is right. I’d be inclined to agree with the above from London best…..I don’t think I’d fancy a walk with three canadas on flat ground wearing comfy trainers let alone a mile across marsh wearing pvc waders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokersmith Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 You did well to get any sleep the night before! I’ve been going for years and still watch the time go by until it’s appropriate to get up! Keep at it, it’s both rewarding and good for you. I’m now packed up with hand warmers and a flask, and will soon be expectantly listening for the take of battalions of pinks under a festive moon 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninjaferret Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Remember when you're cooking the goose, put a brick in he oven... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Well done. A grand write up and a great picture. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 Excellent write up and a joy to read , however many geese you manage to shoot in your wildfowling career, I can guarantee you will remember your first one for the rest of your life . Your first season and many of the following ones will be a leaning curve and even when this season have finished you can spend time checking your clubs marshes out , the first thing you got right was going on a marsh that is a long way from where you park your car , you will find the longer you will need to walk to your flighting spot the less foot prints you are likely to see , this is not always the case and you can shoot fowl within a short distance from your parking place , in fact I once shot a Pink within a minute of leaving my motor and once my dog brought it back it went back in my car so I didn't have to carry it about . When I first joined my last club nearly 20 years ago I spent the warm Summer days going around every marsh they had and made mental notes of the dykes conditions , any low depressions in the fields where water can lay and I even put any liggers that were over the dykes on the maps , this paid dividends the next season and I had many excellent flights , mind you it wasn't always for the faint hearted as some of the best marshes were over two miles from the car parking space and it seem a long way back in the pitch dark , but on average the close and easy marshes to get to are shot the most and the longer the walk the marshes are shot the less . GOOD LUCK for the rest of the season and keep us informed on success's and failures . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippermaj Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 A great write up and well done on your first goose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry78 Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 7 hours ago, Poor Shot said: Good Afternoon. I'd thought I'd share the result of my first solo wildfowling trip with the PW wildfowling crowd as I'm quite happy with how it went obviously. So, this last year and a half has been my return to field sports and shooting after leaving to pursue females and alcohol in my teens. I'm near thirty now.. Until recently I've not really had the facility (money and time mostly) to get back into shooting but a birthday treat of a clay pigeon day and change of circumstances got the fire burning again, 12 months waiting for an SGC etc brings us to this season. I joined a local wildfowling club as an associate member for this season, I've always fancied trying wildfowling so I gave it shot. After a few guided group trips with senior club members we were given the ok to go it alone and see how we felt about it, we could always request further guided trips should we not be confident etc. As far as marshes go it's a really safe marsh and you'd probably have to be some kind of idiot to even end up with wet feet never mind being in serious danger. (Not that I ever take this for granted, I'm a keen sea angler and I know being cut off by a rapidly rising tide is no joke). A few weeks back I took the afternoon off work and set out to reccy a few new spots that we hadn't yet been introduced to on our guided trips and I really took a fancy to a spot about a mile walk from the nearest car parking spot. I quite fancied this place as it was a) a long way from the car park meaning I wouldn't be disturbing any seasoned regulars (who I'm told often congregate at a small bay close to the main road) as I carefully navigate the maze of gullies and pot holes with a fully lit head torch to get to the tide line, b) has a large muddy pool which fills up on a higher tide and c) is sheltered by a large boulder embankment on one side so I can hide away from the ducks and the elements without having to construct a hide or kneel in a muddy gutter. This morning I was (rudely) awoken by a 4:45 alarm (as was everyone else), forced down some breakfast and a coffee before loading the gear into the car and setting off. I arrived at the marsh at 6:00 to find no other cars in the car park. I unloaded the car and made a start on the mile walk to my chosen spot. I'm really surprised at just how wet the inside of the PVC waders become from sweat alone. I'm not an unfit person and even I was quite damp by the time I'd reached my destination. High tide was set to be at 8:05 at 11.4m which should coincide with dawn perfectly. As I arrived I could hear a lot of birds moving about but it was still pitch black dark so I no chance of getting a shot off. I'm especially weary about taking shots in the dark as my duck silhouette identification is still quite weak and last thing I want to take a shot at something and later regret it when it turns out not to be a quarry species. I set up on the far side of the pool with the tide line on my right and pool on my left hoping to catch any ducks flying down the tide line and to intercept any coming from inland onto the pool. There is a series of gullies which allow water to flow into the pool as the tide rises. I sat down into one of the shallower gullies, loaded the gun and eagerly awaited the arrival of the ducks. Time ticked away and slowly but surely I was pushed up the marsh by the rising tide with no sign of a duck. The Met office had forecasted an SE wind which should have been keeping the tide at bay it actually appeared to be blowing into my face/ north perhaps moving the tide in quicker and higher than I had anticipated. A pair of mallard flew overhead and to the left but unfortunately even George Digweed himself would of struggled to bring them out of orbit. Far beyond a range I was comfortable with. Eventually the tide had pushed me right up the opposite side of the pool against the boulder embankment and dawn had come and gone. It wouldn't have been a shame if my first solo trip had ended in a blank. As long as I'm not sat in the office then I'm just happy to be out. It approached 8:30 and I was starting to think about packing up and heading for home, hands had become cold and the rock I was sat on increasingly uncomfortable. In the distance I could hear some honking of geese, I had heard this on past trips and I know the geese like to congregate on some pasture just behind the safety of the sea wall. The distant honking very quickly become nearing honking so I positioned myself facing the embankment and waited. Just as curiosity got the better of me and I stood up to get an idea of where the geese were a flock (skein?) of about 15 birds came over the embankment about 25 yards to my right. I raised the gun, picked out a bird and pulled the trigger. The 35g 3 steels did the job just fine, I got the goose on the front edge and stone dead by the time it hit the water. I shoot a semi auto so I don't quite know why I didn't follow on with shots 2 and 3 for a further two birds. I just paused in sheer disbelief that I had just nabbed my first goose on my first solo trip and just watched it down to the water. Maybe next time I'll follow up and bag some more.. Unfortunately the springer pup we picked up at the beginning of the year isn't ready for action on the marsh just yet so she stayed at home tucked up in bed. This meant I had to wade out a few meters into the pool to collect the prize. I'd set out that morning knowing that I had to pick my shots should they present themselves to not end up with shot but un-retrievable birds. I put the bird away into my foldable game sack (less than £10 from Decathalon and very useful!). I perched myself back on my rock and took 10 minutes to calm down and think about what just happened, also took the chance to text a picture to my old man who has been joking about my lack of success since the start of the season. Following that I packed up and headed for home but not before a further picture to remember the trip by. I set about preparing the bird for the freezer which took an age. Game preparation isn't my strongest point and two hours later I was left with a scruffy yet presentable bird ready for a family dinner over the Christmas period. I was left with this... Via this... Very lucky that the girlfriend is working today. A few things to take away from todays trip? A few decoys would have been useful, especially in the pool I was sat next to this morning. There were a lot ducks moving about high up and very far out of range and perhaps a decoy setup would have encouraged them to come in and investigate before heading out to sea or elsewhere on the marsh. Don't take wind direction from the met office app and take the time to become familiar with height of tide vs the landscape. Ensure that the spaniel pup is ready for next season, its no fun wading waste deep into water to retrieve a shot bird. It's about time she started to earn her keep. Welcome to the Addiction of Wildfowling well done lovely write up It will be even better when your dog is ready 👍👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenshank1 Posted December 22, 2021 Report Share Posted December 22, 2021 Congratulations 👏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greylag Posted December 22, 2021 Report Share Posted December 22, 2021 A goose on your debut trip,well done you.Dont believe the stories about them being poor eating,I have had plenty over the years and if prepared properly they make good eating. Hope you continue to enjoy your wildfowling and when the dog is old enough it will open up more shooting opportunities on the marsh. One bit of advice don't take photos of your bag next to the place you had success as it will soon become a popular with other members especially if they recognise the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6.5x55SE Posted December 22, 2021 Report Share Posted December 22, 2021 21 hours ago, ninjaferret said: Remember when you're cooking the goose, put a brick in he oven... Better still Learn how to cook a goose. Well done to the OP first of many i hope enjoy your wildfowling career 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted December 22, 2021 Report Share Posted December 22, 2021 My , how times change , the majority of my mates ( myself included ) who shot there first goose was a Whitefront , we never saw that many geese before December and on a good year we would have around 5000 come down to the Halvergate levels , Canada geese were as rare as seeing a Swallow in the Winter , the odd one that was shot or seen would have come off a wildfowl collection , then when a few were unclipped and began to spread out the numbers soon started to multiply and these gave us a chance at early season geese , this also happened with the Greys , this was helped with the local wildfowling club by putting eggs down under other birds . Now we have far to many Greys and the Canadas are on the open list , our main goose now is the Pink Foot and these arrive around the end of September and stay most of the season, would you believe some of the goose boys get more excited now when they shoot a few duck , like I said at the beginning , how times change . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor Shot Posted December 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2021 Many thanks for the congratulations and the compliments on the write up. I'm no writer so it took nearly an hour to piece together that 500 or so words. I've never had the pleasure of eating goose but I've had duck quite a few times. We've a recipe in mind involving apple sauce and a cider infused gravy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor Shot Posted December 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2021 On 21/12/2021 at 17:59, London Best said: Nice write up. Well done! Another thing to remember for next time. Do not fire shots two and three. You do not want to carry three Canada Geese over a mile of marsh! On 21/12/2021 at 18:07, Spr1985 said: What a great write up! I’m also into my first season on the marshes and as yet I haven’t managed to bag a prize but great to read of your success on your first solo outing 👏🏻 And I stills faith that it will happen when the time is right. I’d be to agree with the above from London best…..I don’t think I’d fancy a walk with three canadas on flat ground wearing comfy trainers let alone a mile across marsh wearing pvc waders. The goose had the last laugh as I carried it, my kit bag and gun over a mile back to the car. I image three of them would have been the best part of 40kg. I initially thought that my waders had sprung a leak when I took them off but it was just a bath of sweat in there! On 21/12/2021 at 18:42, Smokersmith said: You did well to get any sleep the night before! I’ve been going for years and still watch the time go by until it’s appropriate to get up! Keep at it, it’s both rewarding and good for you. I’m now packed up with hand warmers and a flask, and will soon be expectantly listening for the take of battalions of pinks under a festive moon 😁 I did manage to get some sleep. I've fished for years and I still get the excited stomach ache the night before every trip. Wildfowling is a new adventure for me and the excitement starts to build days before hand. On 21/12/2021 at 18:57, ninjaferret said: Remember when you're cooking the goose, put a brick in he oven... And when it's done chuck the goose in the bin and eat the brick? 😂 On 21/12/2021 at 19:35, marsh man said: Excellent write up and a joy to read , however many geese you manage to shoot in your wildfowling career, I can guarantee you will remember your first one for the rest of your life . Your first season and many of the following ones will be a leaning curve and even when this season have finished you can spend time checking your clubs marshes out , the first thing you got right was going on a marsh that is a long way from where you park your car , you will find the longer you will need to walk to your flighting spot the less foot prints you are likely to see , this is not always the case and you can shoot fowl within a short distance from your parking place , in fact I once shot a Pink within a minute of leaving my motor and once my dog brought it back it went back in my car so I didn't have to carry it about . When I first joined my last club nearly 20 years ago I spent the warm Summer days going around every marsh they had and made mental notes of the dykes conditions , any low depressions in the fields where water can lay and I even put any liggers that were over the dykes on the maps , this paid dividends the next season and I had many excellent flights , mind you it wasn't always for the faint hearted as some of the best marshes were over two miles from the car parking space and it seem a long way back in the pitch dark , but on average the close and easy marshes to get to are shot the most and the longer the walk the marshes are shot the less . GOOD LUCK for the rest of the season and keep us informed on success's and failures . Many thanks. That was a part of the reason why I chose to go where I did. It doesn't always work out, the popular spots are popular for a reason I suppose. I'll be sure to post something about the next trip out in a week or so. 6 hours ago, greylag said: A goose on your debut trip,well done you.Dont believe the stories about them being poor eating,I have had plenty over the years and if prepared properly they make good eating. Hope you continue to enjoy your wildfowling and when the dog is old enough it will open up more shooting opportunities on the marsh. One bit of advice don't take photos of your bag next to the place you had success as it will soon become a popular with other members especially if they recognise the area. That did cross my mind at first so I took the photo on the way back to the car. Though the area where I took the photo looks promising also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greylag Posted December 24, 2021 Report Share Posted December 24, 2021 Keep up the good work,hope to meet you on the marsh some day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow white Posted December 24, 2021 Report Share Posted December 24, 2021 I would not want a Canadian goose for Xmas dinner we have tried them ever way you can cook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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