SuperGoose75 Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 Do many bother with taking something to sit on when fowling? When I was fowling on a regular basis, it is not something I bothered much about. I usually plonked myself down on the edge of the marsh and usually kneeled at fight time. Back in the day, sometimes and old bit of flotsam like a milk crate or bucket would be took advantage of! I see a lot of des-res ''wildfowling'' taken place on online platforms, with fowlers basically shooting from inside sheltered roof covered platforms around loughs ect..! Surely that bit of discomfort is part of the appeal of wildfowling.I know the old saying (Any fool can be uncomfortable) I appreciate the older one gets, the more comfort becomes an important factor. I'm talking morning and evening flights on the coast and even tide flights. Do you use a seat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 I thought wildfowling was kneeling, sitting, or if necessary lying in several inches of estuarine mud for hours at a time? It certainly was when I was doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m greeny Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 51 minutes ago, London Best said: I thought wildfowling was kneeling, sitting, or if necessary lying in several inches of estuarine mud for hours at a time? It certainly was when I was doing it. Agreed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CumbrianWildfowler Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 (edited) No need to be uncomfortable if you don't have to! I know it's part of the fowlers tradition to make things sound as miserable as possible but it's supposed to be fun! I take a picnic chair to my local Marsh. It's only a short walk so why not. On other venues and inland duck shooting where more walking is requires I use a night hawk seat. it's basically a foam stool that spins on an axle so you can shoot at all angles. And on good old marsh I take my punishment kneeling down in the mud like a good fowler is supposed to. Bring on the bursitis and arthritis like a good martyr! all good fun. Edited October 23 by CumbrianWildfowler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippermaj Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 If I take a seat it is when out on the mud. 3 legged camping stool very uncomfortable as they sink into the mud. I now use one of those bucket seats which comes which a padded swivel top. Problem is the padded swivel top runs on ball bearings that rust and any rain and the seat is soaked through plus the top weighs a lot if you have a long walk. So I have ditched the top and just take the bucket part and turn it up side down. Light and doesn’t sink into the mud too much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted October 23 Report Share Posted October 23 I had a Post Office canvas postman's bag in fact it is still hanging up in the garage , this was ideal while sitting beside one of the drains that run over the mudflats , I would fill it up with dry grass and sit on it , no point in sitting it out on the mudflats as you would stand out to much but around the dykes would be fine , on the fresh marshes I had I would leave a Green beer crate in the spear grass near a flash of water , this was ideal as you sat in comfort and you were partly hidden by the long spear grass , once the cattle were off by the 1st of November I had them the rest of the season without seeing another person then after the season I would take my ( seats ) off before the cattle come back just before April. Happy days MM . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrimshanker Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 Depends where I go but I either take a swivel bucket as mentioned previously but if I am travelling light and a bucket isn't suitable for where I'm going I bought a seat pad like this one. It has a carabiner clip so I clip it to my slip, it keeps you off the cold ground & it provides a bit more comfort. It isn't essential but why wouldn't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 16 minutes ago, Scrimshanker said: it keeps you off the cold ground There is NO solid ground where I used to go wildfowling, just ooze, some of it seemingly bottomless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 I have a huge Montrose Gamebag lined with army sleeping mat to keep my bum warm, mud free and dry. If it’s frozen I add a mat Like London Best which I bought in Canada! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrimshanker Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 1 hour ago, London Best said: There is NO solid ground where I used to go wildfowling, just ooze, some of it seemingly bottomless! Yeah obviously all depends on the area you shoot or plan to shoot. The only problem with the bucket here is that the ground is pretty rocky in places so it doesn't sit very well but I like the idea of taking the lid off and turning it upside down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yickdaz Posted October 24 Report Share Posted October 24 I take one of these weighs nothing and it folds up into pocket size Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperGoose75 Posted October 26 Author Report Share Posted October 26 Thank's for the replies folk's! Interesting that some do and some dont. Back in the day a pair of waterproof over trousers kept your clothes reasonably clean and dry. I think we are spoilt nowadays with neoprene waders etc..! The game bag stuffed with grass is a good idea MM, as you are carrying it anyway. The small fold up seat seems a good idea also. I think I just wont bother for the forseeable future anyhow. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted October 26 Report Share Posted October 26 1 minute ago, SuperGoose75 said: The game bag stuffed with grass is a good idea MM, as you are carrying it anyway. The small fold up seat seems a good idea also. I I, too, tried the game bag stuffed with grass. It was a great idea unless you were trying to sit in a creek on mudflats, when it quickly disappeared beneath the mud, which made a mess of it. I did also sometimes take a fertiliser bag stuffed with grass and when finished emptied the grass and washed the mud off the bag in a creek. Likewise the fold up seat. Great on solid ground but useless on an estuary mudflat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperGoose75 Posted October 26 Author Report Share Posted October 26 (edited) 13 minutes ago, London Best said: I, too, tried the game bag stuffed with grass. It was a great idea unless you were trying to sit in a creek on mudflats, when it quickly disappeared beneath the mud, which made a mess of it. I did also sometimes take a fertiliser bag stuffed with grass and when finished emptied the grass and washed the mud off the bag in a creek. Likewise the fold up seat. Great on solid ground but useless on an estuary mudflat. Yeah the estuariane mud is an all together different story. I was lucky enough to go out on a flight out on the Wash with a well known guide/warden and he carried a seat. It was the type with a long štake he stuck into the salt marsh that seemed to work well for him and he was a burly enough fellow. (Then sitting stil and clothing matching the surroudings was his game) rather tham laying down out of sight. Edited October 26 by SuperGoose75 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted October 27 Report Share Posted October 27 22 hours ago, London Best said: I, too, tried the game bag stuffed with grass. It was a great idea unless you were trying to sit in a creek on mudflats, when it quickly disappeared beneath the mud, which made a mess of it. I did also sometimes take a fertiliser bag stuffed with grass and when finished emptied the grass and washed the mud off the bag in a creek. Likewise the fold up seat. Great on solid ground but useless on an estuary mudflat. Whatever you use L B have it's limitations , I wouldn't sit out on the mud flats on my game bag as you would forever more be trying to keep the mud off , but around the salting's where we have got grass rhond's then my bag is fine and again around the salt marshes is no problem . Our mud flats are all right to walk over if you are careful but trying to cross a gutter at low tide is a different story . I remember in my young and carefree days when danger was something you didn't really care about in your quest to get a few duck while being afloat , I had seen a few duck which were bunched nicely and were well worth a chance of getting a shot , I rowed round below the estuary wall so I had some background and then started to push on them which they were well out towards the main channel , I was going along nicely in about 18 inches of water when I began crossing one the drains below me , as I pushed down I lost grip and the pole dropped several feet below the surface as I had forgot to tie the push pole to the rollock block , this was now game over as my spare was in my other punt , I did have a spare oar so I pushed it into the mud to mark where I had lost it . A day or two later I went back up there to get my pole back at low tide , I could see my oar sticking up so it shouldn't be any problem , I quickly crossed the mud flats and there was my pole lying at the bottom of the gutter , like a fool I went down the side and the mud was like silt , it was very soon near the top of my water boots and I just managed to reach my pole , now the hard part was getting back up as I was getting deeper while trying to get out , as I was fairly fit and with a lot of f'ing and blinding I did after a while manage to get out , this was weigh before mobile phones and nobody would have had a clue where I was , thankfully no harm was done and another lesson learned , this was as near to coming unstuck , or you know what I mean . MM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted October 27 Report Share Posted October 27 I have a large pvc game bag [ebay a few years ago] and use a piece of kingspan type insulation in side of it, its very light and amazingly warming as it reflects the heat from your backside... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenshank1 Posted October 27 Report Share Posted October 27 A mate has made a great seat out of old cushions wrapped in feed sacks to make it water proof . I use an old rifle slip for the gun on the shore then fold it up and use that but I am mostly on positioned on rocky tide pools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cash1 Posted October 27 Report Share Posted October 27 Years ago in my late teens, (I'm now 75) a little old fella who lived very close to the marsh would walk by carrying an old hammer gun and a biggish paint tin (snowcem). Clearly the tin was his seat and it had a series of holes punched in it above the lower rim. Curiosity eventually got the better of me and I asked him if he wanted anything better. He just laughed popped the lid off and inside was a candle and said " It's as warm as toast but you've not to forget to cut the candle in half." Sadly I can't remember what happened to that grand old chap or his cottage. After one morning fight he came walking by with a Flamingo over his shoulder, he said, " Funny looking curlew here son". He ate it too and said it wasn't too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted October 27 Report Share Posted October 27 9 minutes ago, cash1 said: Years ago in my late teens, (I'm now 75) a little old fella who lived very close to the marsh would walk by carrying an old hammer gun and a biggish paint tin (snowcem). Clearly the tin was his seat and it had a series of holes punched in it above the lower rim. Curiosity eventually got the better of me and I asked him if he wanted anything better. He just laughed popped the lid off and inside was a candle and said " It's as warm as toast but you've not to forget to cut the candle in half." Sadly I can't remember what happened to that grand old chap or his cottage. After one morning fight he came walking by with a Flamingo over his shoulder, he said, " Funny looking curlew here son". He ate it too and said it wasn't too bad. Brilliant , You do get a fair amount of heat off a candle , they say you can put a candle under a dustbin lid full up with water and it will stop it freezing overnight , not sure about that but I wouldn't be surprised if it did work . I have eaten most things but a Flamingo is not on the list , seen then a few times along with Pelicans , Cranes , Spoonbills and we even had Black Swans , I have ate young Swans but not the Black type , and no I am not Prejudice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamch Posted October 28 Report Share Posted October 28 Used to use an old fertilzer bag full of straw with a bit of baler twine as a strap. Cheap, effective and if needed disosable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Svenandolaf Posted October 29 Report Share Posted October 29 I have an old German military neoprene sleeping mat that folds up perfectly to use as back support in my Bergen and it’s perfect for sitting / kneeling. I also have recently got a marsh seat from Avery as that suits some of the marshes I visit and so far it’s great (but pricey!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fellside Posted October 30 Report Share Posted October 30 On 24/10/2024 at 11:12, yickdaz said: I take one of these weighs nothing and it folds up into pocket size Mine is similar but must be an earlier type - just folds flat. It fits inside my game bag. Very easy to carry all the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manish Posted November 5 Report Share Posted November 5 I just use a bit of army kip mat to sit on. Nice long bit folded in 2 or 3. Bum stays warm and I can fold it out if I want to lay down. Done weigh much and cost me ****** all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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