I think I’ve heard more arguments against early-season wildfowling than ever this year. “Young mallard and geese on inconsistent flightlines, that’s not my idea of good sport,” opined a fowler of many years’ experience by text in reply to my query as to whether he was heading out. “Wait until the weather gets proper rough; then at least you know you’ve earned the bag,” said another as we chatted at dusk in late August.
“I can’t get out of bed early enough to make it down there at dawn in September,” explained a fellow Gun at the pre-season club meeting. “And there are too many people fishing or sailing in the evenings.”
“Yep. I’d rather be after pigeons or bass in September,” answered another clubmate when I asked him his thoughts. “And I’m off to the Oval — it’s cricket weather this week,” chipped in a third.
Even Avid Andy and son Arthur were joking when they told me they’d be camped out from the evening of the 31st. “Those days are gone, mate.”
So it was with the slightest of reservations that I checked my waders for mouse nests, washed the dust off duck calls and set my alarm for 4am. It did seem awfully early in the face of such pessimism.
Denne historien er fra September 15, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra September 15, 2021-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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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