CumbrianWildfowler Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 (edited) I learned from 20 years of falconry with peregrines that the best falconry and hunting is always what you can do sustainably and locally on your doorstep and after work - for free. I caught snipe with peregrines on my local fell in South West Cumbria. That can't be beaten for me. Now the ultimate bucket list is just to do more wild fowling on my local estuary and flashes. If a drake pintail shows up then great if not then so be it. Wigeon on the moon on my local spots is magical. I'd like to join the wild fowling clubs on the Duddon and Furness. One day maybe. Local is always best. More of the same is the dream.....and turn a few of these Canadas into chilli. On 06/06/2024 at 09:07, Dave at kelton said: Well anyone who wants to shoot the Solway, get over here and take a ticket at Caerlaverock, and join me, or a ticket with SSWA. As to shooting a big bore I only go up to 8 bore but could probably arrange a morning with a pal and a 4 bore. Guess it depends what you mean by Big! PS details of Caerlaverock and SSWA are on the web with Caerlaverock in my article for BASC. Only thing for me would be out in a punt. I have done most of the rest. I will definitely look that up. Thanks for the info Dave. Edited June 10 by CumbrianWildfowler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 I have had a fair few marvellous experiences whilst out shooting and fishing but I am quite sure that mine pale into insignificance compared to those of wildfowlers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 15 hours ago, CumbrianWildfowler said: I learned from 20 years of falconry with peregrines that the best falconry and hunting is always what you can do sustainably and locally on your doorstep and after work - for free. I caught snipe with peregrines on my local fell in South West Cumbria. That can't be beaten for me. Now the ultimate bucket list is just to do more wild fowling on my local estuary and flashes. If a drake pintail shows up then great if not then so be it. Wigeon on the moon on my local spots is magical. I'd like to join the wild fowling clubs on the Duddon and Furness. One day maybe. Local is always best. More of the same is the dream.....and turn a few of these Canadas into chilli. I will definitely look that up. Thanks for the info Dave. I fully agree that if you have got the species in your area or on your doorstep then if you learned the ways of the wildfowl in various tide and wind conditions then you would stand more chance if you devoted your time trying to work out the ways on how to comes to terms with the species you are trying to get . It is very hard in planning a moon flight well away from home without knowing the weather conditions on the night you have planned , it's not really worth driving a long way if it is raining hard with no chance of the moon coming out , whereas if you are at home and the moon come out with ideal cloud formation then have your tea and way you go , you might not get it right but you will learn a bit more about what time the fowl move about on the salt marshes or below the sea wall , the sheer joy of getting what you are going out for after spending night after night along with the odd morning flight will make it all worthwhile and the memory will stay with you for ever . GOOD LUCK . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiler23 Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 On 10/06/2024 at 18:52, CumbrianWildfowler said: I learned from 20 years of falconry with peregrines that the best falconry and hunting is always what you can do sustainably and locally on your doorstep and after work - for free. I caught snipe with peregrines on my local fell in South West Cumbria. That can't be beaten for me. Now the ultimate bucket list is just to do more wild fowling on my local estuary and flashes. If a drake pintail shows up then great if not then so be it. Wigeon on the moon on my local spots is magical. I'd like to join the wild fowling clubs on the Duddon and Furness. One day maybe. Local is always best. More of the same is the dream.....and turn a few of these Canadas into chilli. I will definitely look that up. Thanks for the info Dave. Evening cumbrian wildfowler, where abouts in South cumbria are you? I can help you out with access to shooting the Furness area and the duddon, I can certainly put you onto drake pintail.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildfowler Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 On 05/06/2024 at 21:09, SuperGoose75 said: As per title, are there things you really want to do to add to or make your Wildfowling career complete? Such as a a specific species you want to shoot, or a certain place the would like to go Wildfowling, or a certain gun you would like to obtain? I'll start with a short list. 1. Shoot the Solway Firth 2.Shoot a fully plumaged drake shoveler 3.Go on a Puntgunning excursion 4.Fire a Big Bore Gun 5.Have a Go the Snow Geese Stateside. What's on your list? Over to the PW Wildfowlers. I’ve been luck enough to tick all the above off the list, bar the states. I’m yet to shoot a nice Drake pintail or whitefront. I had the opportunity at a whitefront a couple of years back under the moon and I wasn’t 100% sure what they were, until they let out a call right over head, and with the tailwind, they were gone!🤦♂️ I’m planning a trip for pintail with the punt this season, so fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CumbrianWildfowler Posted June 11 Report Share Posted June 11 19 minutes ago, Smiler23 said: Evening cumbrian wildfowler, where abouts in South cumbria are you? I can help you out with access to shooting the Furness area and the duddon, I can certainly put you onto drake pintail.. 19 minutes ago, Smiler23 said: Evening cumbrian wildfowler, where abouts in South cumbria are you? I can help you out with access to shooting the Furness area and the duddon, I can certainly put you onto drake pintail.. Hi Smiler, I'm at Bootle. Ive been in contact with the secretary of Furness wildfowlers. Very helpful guy. Thats very kind of of you. I'll send a PM. cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperGoose75 Posted June 19 Author Report Share Posted June 19 Some great replies gent's. The Whitefront and Pintail seem to be the holy grail for some. A Pink was high on my list for many years and I suppose it is the bread and butter goose for many in the UK but not as plentiful over here. Was genuinely one of the happiest moments in my life when I bagged my first. I hope those after their dream bird feel as joyful when they finally manage to bag one. Keep plugging away and it will come good. Dave at Kelton, that is very decent of you to offer such help. I certainly will make the effort to get over at some stage. Thanks for the replies folk's, a bit of off season wildfowling talk keeps the fire burning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worrall26 Posted June 19 Report Share Posted June 19 On 07/06/2024 at 17:36, greenshank1 said: Great topic 👍 I love my local shore and the fowling it provides. But we don’t see pintail at all so would love to go somewhere and have a chance at a drake pintail. The descriptions of huge rafts of wigeon at Lindisfarne sounds amazing to see and hear and of course the Solway and its legendary pinkfeet . The flooded timber holes in states look amazing and so does their black duck 🦆 🦆 🦆 Cracking Lab . What is his Name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted June 19 Report Share Posted June 19 On 11/06/2024 at 21:09, Wildfowler said: I’ve been luck enough to tick all the above off the list, bar the states. I’m yet to shoot a nice Drake pintail or whitefront. I had the opportunity at a whitefront a couple of years back under the moon and I wasn’t 100% sure what they were, until they let out a call right over head, and with the tailwind, they were gone!🤦♂️ I’m planning a trip for pintail with the punt this season, so fingers crossed! I admire your restraint when some geese come within shot above your head and you left them alone as you were not sure what they were , if you knew they were Grey geese you would had been the unluckiest man out that night to had shot anything bar a Pink , Greylag or a Whitefront , unless you are very close to the Buckenham marshes then the chance of shooting a Bean would still had been very slim , the law of the land say if you cannot tell what you are shooting at then don't shoot , but I wonder how many fowlers under the moon would keep the safety can on as they are not sure when after sitting in the cold for a fair ole time would just watch them pass over , t b h how many on this forum would have held fire , I don't think I would have done , in fact I know I wouldn't had let them pass without trying to take one out , Lets be honest , How many of you would had done the same , or am I the only wrong en amongst us ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenshank1 Posted June 19 Report Share Posted June 19 2 hours ago, worrall26 said: Cracking Lab . What is his Name? Thanks She’s called Tarn 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiler23 Posted June 20 Report Share Posted June 20 On 11/06/2024 at 21:14, CumbrianWildfowler said: Hi Smiler, I'm at Bootle. Ive been in contact with the secretary of Furness wildfowlers. Very helpful guy. Thats very kind of of you. I'll send a PM. cheers. That would of been me you spoke to them, I remember you emailing me now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fandango Posted June 21 Report Share Posted June 21 On 07/06/2024 at 09:15, m greeny said: Got to be a whitefront for me 🤭🤭🤭🤭 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nic Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 I think I am really lucky in that I have never had any yearning towards having a 'to do' list of birds that I want to shoot. I can fully appreciate that some get real satisfaction from getting a duck and drake of each of the legal species in a season or getting a stag with huge antlers, it has just never meant that much to me. Therefore all I want is to continue to be able to get out, to see nature and the world waking up ( I prefer morning flights) to have a chance of a shot and to be able to cook and eat what I shoot. Every flight is magical in its own way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dainty duck Posted August 26 Report Share Posted August 26 On 05/06/2024 at 21:09, SuperGoose75 said: As per title, are there things you really want to do to add to or make your Wildfowling career complete? Such as a a specific species you want to shoot, or a certain place the would like to go Wildfowling, or a certain gun you would like to obtain? I'll start with a short list. 1. Shoot the Solway Firth 2.Shoot a fully plumaged drake shoveler 3.Go on a Puntgunning excursion 4.Fire a Big Bore Gun 5.Have a Go the Snow Geese Stateside. What's on your list? Over to the PW Wildfowlers. done all of them apart from the Yankee doodle gander , carnt think of owt else I want to do so I'll carry on doing what I like doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted August 26 Report Share Posted August 26 1 hour ago, dainty duck said: done all of them apart from the Yankee doodle gander , carnt think of owt else I want to do so I'll carry on doing what I like doing If you get half a chance try Spur-Winged Geese in South Africa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted August 26 Report Share Posted August 26 On 26/06/2024 at 08:55, nic said: I think I am really lucky in that I have never had any yearning towards having a 'to do' list of birds that I want to shoot. I can fully appreciate that some get real satisfaction from getting a duck and drake of each of the legal species in a season or getting a stag with huge antlers, it has just never meant that much to me. Therefore all I want is to continue to be able to get out, to see nature and the world waking up ( I prefer morning flights) to have a chance of a shot and to be able to cook and eat what I shoot. Every flight is magical in its own way. Now that's what I call a balanced approach to hunting. I am the pretty much the same and regularly turn down hunting that looks to be too 'organised' or on demand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dainty duck Posted August 27 Report Share Posted August 27 10 hours ago, London Best said: If you get half a chance try Spur-Winged Geese in South Africa. Thanks for the recommendation but South Africa is a tad far to go and shoot geese , I'm going to the Flow country for my gander fix in October and that's about as far as want to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted August 27 Report Share Posted August 27 12 hours ago, London Best said: If you get half a chance try Spur-Winged Geese in South Africa. I have just looked them up L B , they are not one of the prettiest geese I have seen but they make up for that with size and stamina ,possibly one of the biggest goose and also one of the fastest you will come across , I say come across but at the moment you are not likely to meet up with one in the U K , mind you with the amount of people coming to our shores from that part of the world you can never rule out they bring a few eggs with them and before you know it they could be put on the G L list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted August 27 Report Share Posted August 27 (edited) 58 minutes ago, marsh man said: I have just looked them up L B , they are not one of the prettiest geese I have seen but they make up for that with size and stamina ,possibly one of the biggest goose and also one of the fastest you will come across , I say come across but at the moment you are not likely to meet up with one in the U K , mind you with the amount of people coming to our shores from that part of the world you can never rule out they bring a few eggs with them and before you know it they could be put on the G L list Yes, not overly pretty, but when you shoot one the crew bale out! I think they go to about 22lbs. Edited August 27 by London Best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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