I received an unexpected phone call from the Editor a week before the start of the shooting season. I thought he had phoned to pass some time as he made his way from London back to Dumfriesshire, but I was pleasantly surprised when he kindly invited me duck flighting on the first Saturday of the season.
It’s a 28-mile drive between my house on the Solway and the Editor’s home, taking in some stunning rural scenery on winding backroads. The change in landscape is the most noticeable difference between these two distinct parts of Dumfries and Galloway. However, if you delve into the ecological workings of a place, you soon notice local variances, even when the sites are only separated by a few miles.
These ecological differences may be easy to explain and are usually linked directly to the adjacent landscape or prevailing weather conditions. But in other cases, explanations are much more difficult to find. Recently, I was asked if I would be duck flighting at the start of the season on one of my coastal ponds. It was not something that had crossed my mind, not least because two of our ponds are currently home to 300 released mallard growers.
My lack of enthusiasm for early season flighting stems from a poor show of ducks during the months of September and October. Feed waste is high and the returns are usually low. To most — myself included — this seems strange considering my ponds are situated a mere stone’s throw from the Solway Firth and several large river systems.
Consistent
Esta historia es de la edición September 22, 2021 de Shooting Times & Country.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 22, 2021 de Shooting Times & Country.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside