Gundog Training Forum

Who's on the shore on Monday for the start of the new season ??

Good luck to everyone and hope you all have a fantastic wildfowling season.

I'm being tame and going to the pond... but same quarry nonetheless

A good season to you too!

Its been 25 years since I was below the high tide line on the first, I envy you. I hope it blows a gale for you and the ducks are in range have a great morning

I'll be having a crack at them at evening flight. Past getting up at crack of dawn at this time of the year - leave that until the clocks have changed & I can get up at a more reasonable hour. Good luck to those who're braving muds & tides. I envy you, I think.

Naj

I've been considering going fowling on Monday . It has been so long since I last did shoreline fowling that I am no longer sure of where I can go and where I cannot. Some bits of shoreline have become bird sanctuaries and some are now being controlled by various wildfowling clubs.

Not sure I'd manage a walk through mud now either ....

Wullie

got to admit I dont go out till october, saw a brood of 4week old mallard yesterday.

4 teal, 1 mallard

The teal were all sitting on the pond, friend clapped them up and hit 3 with two shots, and as I was a bit back I hit one as they flew over me. Lots of activity but nothing coming in close enough (there are a few ponds within a mile or so of each other) then two mallard dropped in on the far side and as the flew away over the field my friend dropped one.

Now here's where the dog bit comes in...

We had two dogs with us, both mine, a 14 month old dog and an 18 month old bitch. They cleared up the pond of the 4 that were hit at the beginning very efficiently, especially since they've only ever had warm rabbits! Never flinching at the birds that were still flapping or shaking before they delivered. My fiancé was behind a wall with the bitch, I had the dog beside me, the mallard dropped, we weren't watching and didn't mark it. Given the mark, I lined him up and on his name out he went, straight as you like. Friend indicated we were on it, stopped him, "there". Picked it nicely, and off we went home.

Absolutely delighted.

I got 3 geese & didn't fire a shot.


Woke to find that three lads had set themselves up a couple of fields away from the cottage to flight the geese coming in to feed on a field of oats. They finished quite early but must have shot getting on for 15 - 20 birds. They'd been hiding on the overgrown banks of a burn & in the afternoon I decided to hunt down the burn in the hope of springing a duck, The dog found 3 dead geese within 20 yards of where they were hiding so I imagine that they couldn't be bothered to go & pick them up. I also picked up a carrier bag full of spent cartridge cases & empty cartridge boxes that they had just left where they fell.

Didn't see any duck or geese within shot but had a cracking shot on a pigeon which fell 40 yards out on a sea pool & which my young dog made a good retrieve so, better than nothing!

Naj

Naj wrote:I got 3 geese & didn't fire a shot.


Woke to find that three lads had set themselves up a couple of fields away from the cottage to flight the geese coming in to feed on a field of oats. They finished quite early but must have shot getting on for 15 - 20 birds. They'd been hiding on the overgrown banks of a burn & in the afternoon I decided to hunt down the burn in the hope of springing a duck, The dog found 3 dead geese within 20 yards of where they were hiding so I imagine that they couldn't be bothered to go & pick them up. I also picked up a carrier bag full of spent cartridge cases & empty cartridge boxes that they had just left where they fell.

Didn't see any duck or geese within shot but had a cracking shot on a pigeon which fell 40 yards out on a sea pool & which my young dog made a good retrieve so, better than nothing!

Naj

That's disgraceful. It's not like a goose is difficult to find, no excuse whatsoever for not picking them. Do you think they even had permission to be there?

They did have permission but it's pretty typical of some local shooters. The geese they shot will probably end up in the land-fill.

Naj