Time to hang up The duck decoys

[marsh man]

Like you say S G , wildfowling need to be in your blood as it is a very hard sport to take part in , I was lucky when I first started with the estuary at the bottom of our road so didn't involve any traveling, when I first started to explore the estuary the ole punt gunners were always up the boatsheds either just yarning or maintaining the boats and the sheds , these were about all the year round and you would often find them doing a bit of fishing in the Summer and then getting everything ready for the new season , in those days they would start off shooting the Curlew and then keep an eye open for the first Widgeon to arrive , the first one would often be shot by the second week in September and word would soon get about who shot it , these chaps were very close to each other but rarely gave to much information away , when they used to come home with the odd duck or a few waders then it made me even more determined to learn the habits of the wildfowl and waders and try and bag a few myself , as time wore on I started to put the odd duck and a few Curlew in the bag and at long last I was accepted in there circles , as luck would have it me and my brother bought our first gun punt when I was the ripe ole age of 14 , then one of boat sheds came vacant and we rented that as well , I then started work and we bought a single handed punt to go with our double one , by now I had more salt water in my body than blood and every spare moment we were up the estuary as the local wildfowling club never had any marshes to shoot on so all our fowling was hard work and every duck was earnt the hard way , then in 1968 it was made into a reserve and we had to get a permit to carry on shooting , I carried on with a permit for the next 17 years and then I gave it up as far to many members of the public were using the new bird hides and shooting as we knew it was gone forever , we then had our own marshes and the club had rented a fair bit of shooting so we got into shooting on the fresh marshes and compared with shooting out of a gun punt it was nowhere near as hard , the interest stayed on full time till I was past the three score years and ten and then the light started to flicker and I knew I was past , or getting past the sell by date with having the interest in fowling beginning to wane , each year then I started a bit later in the season and last year I only shot the duck I wanted , this year I will be 77 and having recently lost my wife I can now see the end of my fowling is now in sight ,

So some last a bit longer wildfowling than others, but it will happen to us all one day where we hang our boots up and get the enjoyment watching the fowl rather then shooting them .  MM

[Gerry78]

On 27/03/2024 at 19:30, SuperGoose75 said:

Not an easy decision, I'm sure Gerry. I think if fowling is in your blood, then you are never really ''packing it in'' so to speak. Hopefully it will still be there if you ever decide to pick it up again.

Myself personally, I am only a part time fowler nowadays as compared to when it was pretty hardcore. I still am always on the shore but mostly with a wading staff and a pair of binoculars. Some people term it doing the Peter Scott, but I genuinely don't like killing as many fowl as I used too. I have been pretty selective in my shooting this past many year's, but then big bags was never my thing anyway. I done very little shooting this year until January and I really enjoyed being out during a few storms shooting fully plumaged birds.

I could tell you were never a big bag man either, and got your enjoyment from the whole other enjoyments that are unique to Wildfowling. You were aways a respectful poster also and I hope you continue to do so. ATB S.G.

Super Goose thank you for that thoughtful reply I know come the 1st September il be wondering how the lads I hunted with got on As you say it’s a type of sport once it gets in your blood it’s very hard not too fall in love with it I think the early morning sunrises with the dog is what I will miss most 👍👍

[grahamch]

An

Am currently debating what to do, I have around 100 ITM/Hevishot shells left and had planned to take my permit until most or all had been used up. 

I planned not to rejoin my pheasant syndicate this season but that decision has been taken from me as the land owner has closed down the shooting to facilitate a barn conversion project in the middle of the shoot. 

Have been doing a bit of stalking but have been asked to shoot heavily pregnant does over the past few weeks, which although legal and in season does not sit ethically/morally well with me. 

Am now starting to think of dropping out of all live quarry this year and buying a decent sporter and stick to clays in the future. 

 

 

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, grahamch said:

An

Am currently debating what to do, I have around 100 ITM/Hevishot shells left and had planned to take my permit until most or all had been used up. 

I planned not to rejoin my pheasant syndicate this season but that decision has been taken from me as the land owner has closed down the shooting to facilitate a barn conversion project in the middle of the shoot. 

Have been doing a bit of stalking but have been asked to shoot heavily pregnant does over the past few weeks, which although legal and in season does not sit ethically/morally well with me. 

Am now starting to think of dropping out of all live quarry this year and buying a decent sporter and stick to clays in the future. 

 

 

I know very few , if any who have called it a day and then restarted at a later date , life do not stand still and is always changing , a lot of things can change from when you took up the sport in the first place , I was single like a lot of other guys and getting married didn't make that much difference but it do for some , then the first child comes along , money becomes tight , time is at a premium , work and the household chores take priority  and the list just go on and on .

If you are as keen as ever after you have got through that minefield then you could well be init for the long haul , then as you advance in age you will find the rigors of coastal fowling start to take it's toll as the body cannot respond to the harsh elements as it once did , so you look for a easier way to carry on wildfowling , this is when you go for the morning and evening flight on the fresh marshes , so far so good , then you start asking yourself did you really enjoy shooting those duck that are hanging up ? , when the answer become no then you know it is only going to be a matter of time before your fowling days are drawing to a close , the interest can still be there , but you can still be interested in the sport like a lot of others without taking your gun with you if that makes sense  .    GOOD LUCK in whatever you decide .      MM

[Manish]

Hi Gerry sorry to hear that. It seems like our sport of fowling keeps getting smaller. 20 years is a good lot to put in. Never know you might taste that salty air of the foreshore again. 

[Sweet11-87]

i was a member of a club for a few years, but i lost interest when the club wasnt really offering anything and was more of just the old boys getting together to reminisce and i think thats what the club was for to keep the old guard who may not be able to get out anymore in contact so fair play to them. One thing they did all agree on was its not like it used to be. they said the birds dont really arrive until it gets colder in October and its all over with by xmas.

ive been a permit holder at lindisfarne a few year now and they do seem to have been telling the truth with this one. i go on the 1st day of the season as its tradition for me and my pal but we blank more often than not outside of the window mentioned above

[Gerry78]

11 hours ago, Manish said:

Hi Gerry sorry to hear that. It seems like our sport of fowling keeps getting smaller. 20 years is a good lot to put in. Never know you might taste that salty air of the foreshore again. 

Manish thank you my love for the sport hasn’t diminished in my mind But with family commitments and a old tired Labrador I’ve had to give it up 👍👍👍The first category I visit on PW is always Wildfowling 👍👍👍

[London Best]

On 31/03/2024 at 17:02, grahamch said:

Am now starting to think of dropping out of all live quarry this year and buying a decent sporter and stick to clays in the future. 

 

 

Don’t be ridiculous! 
That is not going shooting at all.

[grahamch]

2 hours ago, London Best said:

Don’t be ridiculous! 
That is not going shooting at all.

Am sure it is, am just tired of killing things so mostly will be clays going forwards.

Have 80 or so ITM so will use these on the shore and drop the fowling when they are used up. 

Will use what rifle ammo I have left on the range then p/x them for a decent sporter. 

 

Edited April 11 by grahamch

[Grandalf]

It's not easy.   I have also decided to call it a day as I explained on this site a few weeks ago.   I'll be 85 by next season so I have had a good run.

You will always have the memories.

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, Grandalf said:

It's not easy.   I have also decided to call it a day as I explained on this site a few weeks ago.   I'll be 85 by next season so I have had a good run.

You will always have the memories.

85 is a good ole age and hope you have got a few years ahead to relive those days of the past , tell me Grandalf , is your decision to call it a day because of age , or is there less enjoyment is shooting game and wildfowl than in your slightly younger days , I am not as old as you but last season I dropped out of wildfowling clubs which I had been in since 64 and just went on my own marshes to shoot the odd duck when I wanted one , now with having eyesight that can no longer pick duck out in poor light and losing  the desire to sit down the marsh on a cold / wet Winters night I can now see the light getting brighter at the end of the wildfowling tunnel, my s g c run out at the end of next year and weather I renew or not I will make my mind up after this coming season .   MM 

[Penelope]

On 11/04/2024 at 22:38, marsh man said:

my s g c run out at the end of next year and weather I renew or not I will make my mind up after this coming season .   MM 

Worth doing, John, you ain't got to use it or feed it, but you'd you'd be booggered if you did and you didn't.

Edited April 16 by Penelope

[islandgun]

1 hour ago, Penelope said:

Worth doing, John, you ain't got to use it or feed it, but you'd you'd be booggered if you did and you didn't.

That makes perfect sense..

 

On 11/04/2024 at 22:38, marsh man said:

85 is a good ole age and hope you have got a few years ahead to relive those days of the past , tell me Grandalf , is your decision to call it a day because of age , or is there less enjoyment is shooting game and wildfowl than in your slightly younger days , I am not as old as you but last season I dropped out of wildfowling clubs which I had been in since 64 and just went on my own marshes to shoot the odd duck when I wanted one , now with having eyesight that can no longer pick duck out in poor light and losing  the desire to sit down the marsh on a cold / wet Winters night I can now see the light getting brighter at the end of the wildfowling tunnel, my s g c run out at the end of next year and weather I renew or not I will make my mind up after this coming season .   MM 

MM I would renew, I bet there will be a time when you want to just sit out and just listen and having your favourite gun will give reason for being there.. 

[Grandalf]

On 11/04/2024 at 22:38, marsh man said:

85 is a good ole age and hope you have got a few years ahead to relive those days of the past , tell me Grandalf , is your decision to call it a day because of age , or is there less enjoyment is shooting game and wildfowl than in your slightly younger days , I am not as old as you but last season I dropped out of wildfowling clubs which I had been in since 64 and just went on my own marshes to shoot the odd duck when I wanted one , now with having eyesight that can no longer pick duck out in poor light and losing  the desire to sit down the marsh on a cold / wet Winters night I can now see the light getting brighter at the end of the wildfowling tunnel, my s g c run out at the end of next year and weather I renew or not I will make my mind up after this coming season .   MM 

Sorry the delay in answering Marsh man. 

It's a combination of things.   I don't have the urge for fowling as bad as I used to and that's come on slowly over the last several years.   This is mainly due to the fact that, as we all know, the best fowling is when the weather is at its worst and the inclination to sit out there cold and wet is not the same as it once was.   My wife went into a care home just over a year ago and I had been home caring for her for more than ten years.   (She was disabled but now has Alzheimer's badly as well and is totally confused all the time).   This meant that my free time for fowling and other things was limited to when I could get a relief carer and this could not be done accept on a pre arranged basis.   No last minute decisions.   So I would have everything ready days before and go whatever the weather - Good or bad for fowling.   Now I can go more or less whenever I want but find that I would much rather go stalking which I took up a good few years ago.   (I have just done a DSC1 course - Not that I needed to but wanted to.  It was very informative).   So now I still get up at silly o'clock but don't have to do long approach marches on the marsh.   A gentle wander to a high seat or a slow and sedate stalk through the woodlands is far less strain on this old body of mine.   The drag out can still be very taxing though.

However, I think the main reason is that I have had glaucoma for many years and my eyesight has deteriorated very badly in my right, master, eye.   This meant that about six years ago I had to start doing all my shooting left handed.   I got on with rifles straight away as my left eye is still very good and you ususlly have lots of time with a rifle shot.   Shooting shotguns cag handed is not so easy though.   Simple birds get missed very easily and it has never got any better.   It just feels all wrong after 70 years of doing it the other way round.   I have handed all my shotguns bar a Hatsan semi over to my son.

So now I am getting out just as much, maybe more at certain times of the year, but I never go stalking in bad weather as it is usually a waste of time anyway.   The deer bed down in the thickest brush and stay there.

The other thing is that the resultant venison is much valued by many of my neighbours in the small village in which I live.  I also enjoy the butchering and basically live on venison myself these days.   It is super stuff to eat.

So I am still very active but just doing something different but similar, if you know what I mean. 

I intend doing a sponsored half marathon for Alzheimer's Society funds this coming August so I am not sitting on my backside watching daytime telly yet.

[marsh man]

51 minutes ago, Grandalf said:

Sorry the delay in answering Marsh man. 

It's a combination of things.   I don't have the urge for fowling as bad as I used to and that's come on slowly over the last several years.   This is mainly due to the fact that, as we all know, the best fowling is when the weather is at its worst and the inclination to sit out there cold and wet is not the same as it once was.   My wife went into a care home just over a year ago and I had been home caring for her for more than ten years.   (She was disabled but now has Alzheimer's badly as well and is totally confused all the time).   This meant that my free time for fowling and other things was limited to when I could get a relief carer and this could not be done accept on a pre arranged basis.   No last minute decisions.   So I would have everything ready days before and go whatever the weather - Good or bad for fowling.   Now I can go more or less whenever I want but find that I would much rather go stalking which I took up a good few years ago.   (I have just done a DSC1 course - Not that I needed to but wanted to.  It was very informative).   So now I still get up at silly o'clock but don't have to do long approach marches on the marsh.   A gentle wander to a high seat or a slow and sedate stalk through the woodlands is far less strain on this old body of mine.   The drag out can still be very taxing though.

However, I think the main reason is that I have had glaucoma for many years and my eyesight has deteriorated very badly in my right, master, eye.   This meant that about six years ago I had to start doing all my shooting left handed.   I got on with rifles straight away as my left eye is still very good and you ususlly have lots of time with a rifle shot.   Shooting shotguns cag handed is not so easy though.   Simple birds get missed very easily and it has never got any better.   It just feels all wrong after 70 years of doing it the other way round.   I have handed all my shotguns bar a Hatsan semi over to my son.

So now I am getting out just as much, maybe more at certain times of the year, but I never go stalking in bad weather as it is usually a waste of time anyway.   The deer bed down in the thickest brush and stay there.

The other thing is that the resultant venison is much valued by many of my neighbours in the small village in which I live.  I also enjoy the butchering and basically live on venison myself these days.   It is super stuff to eat.

So I am still very active but just doing something different but similar, if you know what I mean. 

I intend doing a sponsored half marathon for Alzheimer's Society funds this coming August so I am not sitting on my backside watching daytime telly yet.

I can fully understand your reasons in giving up the shotgun side and just concentrating on the stalking side , we can both look back and say to ourselves we have had a very good run and all good things have to end at sometime , rather than pack up overnight I hope to have the odd flight this coming if and when I want to , as you say it is down to a combination of events and under normal circumstances if want something bad enough then you can normally find a way around these issues , in my case I now feel the cold and it's not that healthy keep getting cold and wet when you are past the mid seventies , then with failing eyesight it was getting difficult to see duck in bad light , then the last people who had a few fowl off me are now all sadly passed away and as you most likely know that my wife passed away in her sleep just before Christmas which I am still finding it hard to accept after 47 years of happily married life.

I still enjoy a couple of hours Pigeon shooting and I did make every shoot we had on the estate last year , so I am still keeping active and I am at peace when I am in the countryside , but taking a gun is not as important as it once was and it's all down in doing whatever you are happy with and enjoying the amount of time we have got left , hopefully a few more years yet . 

[Grandalf]

Right now I am trying to sum up the energy and the interest to go and mow the lawn.   But then I was never interested in gardening.

Will get round to it sometime I suppose.   It won't go anywhere.

Look after yourself my friend.