That snipe is toast

Walking-up snipe and wigeon on a wild, windswept estuary in west Wales provides cracking sport, challenging birds — and free meals for Adam Hart’s lucky university friends

- Adam Hart

Springbok!” I couldn’t help but chant the word a few times in front of my friend Tom. England had just lost the Rugby World Cup final. As a lad from Essex, Tom’s accent was clear. Unfortunately for Tom, we were in deepest, darkest west Wales, where the rugby fans never miss a chance to torment an Englishman, despite our team being trounced by New Zealand just 24 hours earlier.

Ollie, Tom’s six-year-old brother, couldn’t care less about the rugby and was already next door scoffing bacon sandwiches and his Halloween chocolates. Today was going to be his first proper outing on a marsh, so he needed proper fuel. Ollie was bouncing with excitement as he carried game bags and cartridge-boxes to the car. Our job was to keep him this way for as long as possible — no easy task as the rain and wind whipped off the Atlantic.

Despite the weather, we were all secretly bouncing with excitement. When the weather is this rough, it adds something hard to describe to the day. Some sort of primeval man-versus-nature feeling is aroused. Every step, let alone bird, is earned. I’m not sure Poppy, our oldest Labrador, felt the same way though.

Olympian

As the other dogs bounded out into the elements, she looked at us questioningly. Never had the car boot seemed so cosy. Soon, we were joined by the final member of our team, Richard. Compared with our scruffy marsh clothes, Richard looked the business. He is a former Olympic skeet Shot and his gun was the subject of considerable envy, with its custom thumb grip and adjustable stock. As if that weren’t enough, he was also sporting a cowboy-style hat covered with woodcock pin feathers.