[vimeo clip_id=”76370413″ byline=”0″ width=”” height=”284″]
Latest
Brandy Hole – 1st October 2013
First trip out on the marsh. Went out early hoping, perhaps, to flush a Pheasant up. Managed to flush several, all of which I missed. Sat up at the end of the sea wall and missed a screamer of a high goose. Finally dropped a Mallard in a group that splashed down 30 yrds away. Harry tried his best but the bird must have been a diver as he just couldn’t find it. He disappeard up the creek for 5-6 minutes ignoring recall whistle desparate to find it without luck. gave me a little scare thinking that I wouldn’t be able to cross the creek to go look for him.
Season Bag (2012-13)
 Howletts Driven and Evening Flights (48 birds for 122 shots)30 Pheasant 8 Partridge 8 Duck (Mallard) 1 Woodcock 1 Goose (Greylag) Wildfowling (0 birds for 6 shots) |
Joyces – 20th February 2013
Last chance saloon, so after talking to Mike Lawrence I decided to go to Joyces, arriving late afternoon. Harry put a couple of Mallard up from the delph, shame it was foreshore season only. A few ducks got up off the splash and settled way out on the water, so I decided to setup at the base of the sea wall hoping to get them as they flew back.
By the time I’d finished and settled they’d buggered off somewhere. The odd duck flew over, but by the time I’d spotted them they were gone. We waited whilst the tide came in and the birds moved closer with the water line. Harry wasn’t too impressed.
Then Nick turned up with Nell, so we moved up the wall a bit. As the sun set Widgeon started to fly in from the Estuary in little groups. I didn’t notice the first bunch utill it was too late. It looked like I pricked one in the next group and Nick said it landed on the splash. Nick hit one from another group that went down in the splash as well. When it got too dark, we walked the long walk around the delph to look for them. Dispite Harry and Nell’s best hunting we only found one, which was almost certainly Nick’s, so it looks like I blanked my first season as a fully paid up Wildfowler.
DUCKS, they’re harder to hit than Pheasants, that’s for sure.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 3 shots)
Gardener’s – 19th February 2013
Took Harry to Gardeners in the afternoon, so he had a run around in the mud again. Setup the hide net as the tide came in and the sun started to go down. Air very still and mild with not a duck in the air. Absolutely nothing about, so decided to hang around well after the sun had set to see what would happen.
Dead quiet, then suddenly two ducks passed over very low from behind, sounding like a couple of tornado jets through my electronic ear defenders, landing in the creek a little way up. After that I could hear a few ducks flying over, but it was just too dark by then to even see them, let alone have a shot.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 0 shots)
Brandy Hole – 8th February 2013
Watery Lane flooded. Thought I’d pushed my luck too far as the bow wave running ahead of the car grew bigger and bigger. I could hear the ice cracking as I drove through.
Should have got there half hour earlier, as usual.
Ducks got up as we reached end of sea wall, then we spent the rest of our time watching them fly up and down the waters edge the other side of the main creek.
Only chance was a Teal that I let fly by, but with hind sight was probably within range and I should have had a go.
Bag for the day (0 birds for 0 shots)
Howletts – 1st February 2013
Last day of the season and a bit of a clear up.
Hen and Cock on first drive but they both needed the second barrel.
Jump on Gaiter to push College Wood through from right back at the bridleway.
Gravel Pit, missed a late wild shot over left shoulder.
Stop for a snack
Walked split through, then took Joey’s down to the pond. Arthur’s Spaniel had a bit of a splash about in the shallows, but wouldn’t get out in the pond to pick a duck. Nell eventually brought it in after a lap of the pond.
Pete on phone
Bag for the day (4 birds for 10 shots)
4 Pheasant
Joyces – 30th January 2013
Bag for the day (0 birds for 0 shots)
Howletts – 26th January 2013
Paul’s last official shoot day, but as before half guns could shoot as walking guns. After beating the Pine Trees I took my gun out of the slip as we walked College Wood through, but hinting at how my day would progress, I didn’t see a bird. Walked over to to see how Paul had got on and his beaming smile told me it had been a great drive and hanging from his hand was the reason, a lovely Woodcock. It was his first and we spent a few minutes admiring it before he slipped it carefully into his coat pocket; there was no question of it being hung on the game cart.
Well after lunch I was regretting coughing up my thirty quid. Even after Dave put me on a peg during Red Gate to replace Peter who had left early, I still hadn’t fired a shot. By the time we had finished the usual last drive the day’s bag was so low they abandoned having walking guns, blaming it on poor beating and us all staring skywards.
Luckily they added an extra drive to up the numbers, so I got to shoot from a peg again. We lined up from near Brenda’s along the back edge of Woodcock Pen, whereupon Joe, Mick and Nick started having a pop at the pigeons moving about as the wood was walked in from three sides. A Woodcock flew along the line from the left and Paul had a pop. He missed with his first shot and as it past over me, we both fired hitting the bird. It flew down and landed in the direction of the oncoming beaters.
As they got near at little terrier called Buster was running wild flushing pheasants, one of which flew straight over me and I dropped it. The chasing Buster ran over and preceeded to chomp on it, causing Dave to steam in and scare him off. The beaters were nearly on top of us when they flushed the hit Woodcock which flew a little way dropping down again near to Mick who picked it. I took a leaf out of Paul’s book and didn’t let the bird out of my sight.
So I ended with a Woodcock (probably a shared bird with Paul) and a cock Pheasant.
Bag for the day (2 birds for 2 shots)
1 Pheasant
1 Woodcock
Howletts – Beaters’ Day 19th January 2013
Genuinely looking forward to Beaters’ Day as much as those day I shoot myself. Last year was a great atmosphere, relaxed and lots of fun. This year turned out just the same.
Took Harry along and once again restricted his off lead time to the ends and between drives. He did well, once again flushing birds in Gravel Pit. He was behind a bush at the time but stopped pretty quickly, so can’t complain. Especially as he was partially out of sight. He patterned quite well out on Polo Field during Nelson’s, but was getting a bit noisy at times during the day. Hmmm.
Snipe, snipe. Never heard anyone mention snipe on the shoot before, but it seems the cold weather has brought them in as Paul Cooper called out several times as they walked the cover through during Nelson’s. Wish I’d been closer to see them.
They boys did well, putting 120 odd in the bag and we all got to take a brace home as usual.
I never doubted them for a moment !!
