Halloween this year coincided with a fine full moon, which must have multiplied the pleasure of trick-or-treating many times over. For east-coast fowlers, it was of less interest as an aid to telling bloodcurdling stories and more as an indicator of the first decent numbers of wigeon to arrive on our shores.
I sat out under the stars and heard several packs passing above me but the sky was a deep blue. Though I could see my own night-time shadow cast across the mud and on to the water, there was too little cloud to create the slight glow upon which moon flighting relies. I had to be satisfied with listening to the purring of the females and that unmistakable and magical whee-ooh of the males and to imagine their long journeys.
I thought of the punt-gunners who ghosted alongside these most evocative of little birds. Shooting Times contributor Pat Cringle in his book, Saltmarsh and Sandunes, describes his experiences: “I spent many hours floating among them waiting for a shot, listening to them talking and answering the calls of others on the wing… I not only thought like a wigeon but nearly understood their language.”
Under that Halloween moon I realised what he meant and crept away, leaving them to their conversations but resolving to get among them, perhaps from the water.
High tides
Denne historien er fra December 02, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra December 02, 2020-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