First Things First
Sporting Shooter|September 2017

Those last few days of August will be gone before we know it… Despite a not-quite-healed shoulder, Alan is determined to get out for the first day of the season

Alan Jarrett
First Things First

Even if it seems that the close season is endless, the last few weeks leading up to 1 September rush by; suddenly, before we know it, the last day of August has arrived and we’ll be chasing wildfowl tomorrow!

Here, I make two bold assumptions: firstly, that you actually have somewhere to shoot come the new season; secondly, that all your wildfowling gear was stowed away in a fit state for reuse the following season! If either of those details has not been attended to then look sharp!

My position is a fortunate one in that l have plenty of shooting opportunities via my membership of the Kent Wildfowlers, so that box is ticked. Putting away my gear at the end of the season is often more problematic.

However, my spring trip abroad provided a bonus, as all my wildfowling gear came back grubby and is now clean again and ready for the fray. Coats, waders and decoys hang from garage rafters and are ready to go.

Other more complex matters remain to be dealt with, and l was reminded of that when my youngest son recently came home with a brand-new rubber dinghy and a shiny outboard engine to go with it; not for wildfowling purposes, but essentially to play with.

This story is from the September 2017 edition of Sporting Shooter.

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This story is from the September 2017 edition of Sporting Shooter.

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