wildfowling for beginers

[wag 13]

i thought i would put up a bit about wildfowling for beginners

 

 

WHAT IS WILDFOWLING

 

wildfowling is an ardous but very romantic , a lonely sport and for a newcomer it is one of the hardest to learn . it involves safety, quarry identifcation ,marsh craft and ethics .

when out wildfowling you will experience some wonderful sights and hear some sounds that will amaze you .

wildfowling is a dangerous sport and should be taken very seriously, wilfowling also involves the pursuit of ducks and geese and some waders in bodies of water on estries and marshes .

wildfowling can be a very wet , very very cold , and most defently muddy ,so wildfowling could not be for you .

 

to be a sucessful wildfowler you need to be fairly fit ,very patient and sit for long periods of time in mud.

wildfowling also involves very early mornings, also long walks along mud flats , in and out creeks with very soft mud bottoms also in heavy rain , high winds, in severe cold weather , through fast tidal water most of this is done in complete darkness when walking to your spot where you want to shoot and all the above could be for nothing .

 

if you think you`re going to shoot lots of ducks and geese everytime you go wildfowling then you are very much mistaken and again wildfowling is not for you .

when wildfowling you must be able to identify your legal quarry from a distance ,at half light, under the moon and in bad weather, some experienced fowlers can also identify their quarry by the sound of their wing beats and the quarries silhouttes. this is an important skill for any new wildfowler to learn your legal quarry to shoot .

 

WHAT ARE WILDFOWL

 

wildfowl are mainly ducks and geese but there are some waders that can be shot . check which ducks and geese and waders can be shot because there are alot that can't be shot.

THE WILDFOWLING SEASON

 

the wildfowling season starts on september 1st across england and ends on the 31st of january inland but carries on until february 20th on the foreshore estries and marshes in england and scotland . also you are not allowed to shoot on sundays in some parts of england and not at all in scotland .

 

so lets reflect on some parts of wildfowling .

wildfowling can be romantic ,lonely ,disheartening, very hard at times.

you must be prepared to walk long distances across mud flats and hard weather conditions and mostly in darkness.

TIDES

when wildfowling it is vital that you always double check the tides times

and the height of the tides . dont forget wind can effect the height of the tides .

also how fast the tides will run so always check them before going fowling .

also always leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the bank safely.

 

remember to respect other wildfowlers when fowling they will not appreciate you walking around on top of the marshes at flight time . shouting your dog or looking about, remember to get well hidden , if you see another fowler walking out to where you are, stand up let yourself be seen by him so he avoids walking close to you. also he can keep his distance when its flight time .

DOGS FOR WILDFOWLING

now this is a pain in the arse for me and its a big hate of mine too and most wildfowlers . if you dont have a dog then in my eyes and alot of other fowlers you should not be wildfowling on tidal water or foreshores. what is the point of going wildfowling on tidal water where there is long grass and other obsticals you come across when fowling .

EXAMPLE

your shooting from one side of a large creek and the tide is pushing hard its flight time and the creek is half full of water a bunch of duck come down the creek at you. you shoot a right and left ,one has winged out on the other side of the creek to you and the other falls in the water ,how are you going to get them, swim in your undies for them i dont think so.

 

i have seen many a fowler without dogs ruin many flights for themselves and other wildfowlers through looking for shot birds on the marsh because they cant find them. they have either dropped in the water and they stand there watching them float away with the tide or they have dropped in the long grass or crab grass or the bird is not dead and its crawled into a ankle snapper that cant be seen.

 

so to me they should not be fowling without a dog for that reason and for that reason alone it is not ethical to shoot a duck or goose even anything come to think of it and just leave it ,so for me it is a must that you have a dog when wildfowling and it should be made a rule in every club .

TOOLS OF THE TRADE THEY SAY

when starting out in any sport you always have to buy equipment and you know it can be very expensive.You will need a good waterproof coat of your choice what will suit the places of where you shoot,chest waders or thigh boots again of your choice.A good strong rucksack .I have a selection of rucksacks for different kinds of wildfowling.Hats,i have a balacava for when its really cold,a waterproof hat when its raining hard,some warm clothing when its real cold in the winter,If theres snow or frost on the ground.

 

You will need a thumb stick the reason being it can be used to gauge water when crossing creeks and for when you are finding your way off a flood tide.

 

DECOYS

 

Dont go mad just a few for a start,i mainly use hen birds for most of the season,but it maybe different for others with the decoy.you will need a strong good line and some lead weights to stop the decoys drifting off in the water.you can also use silhouttes which can be made out of ply wood or bought from shops.

 

you must remember when shooting wildfowl inland or costal that non-toxic shot must be used at all times because lead has been banned in England&Wales and Scotland.

WHAT GUN

A gun of your choice may be used but make sure its proof for steel shot.but most wildfowlers use semi-auto 3 shot.because you dont get many chances at ducks and geese,so when a chance comes along the third shot comes in handy.

 

some wildfowlers use a compass,these are very helpful in the fog and dark .if you got plenty of money some wildfowlers use GPS which are very useful and will get you in 3 feet of where you want to be.

 

A flask comes in handy for moonflighting,cold mornings and long flights.

 

Binoculars are used in wildfowling for spotting your quarry when scouting for a flight .

 

the most important thing for costal wildfowling is your tide table book because if you dont check your tide times and height and go out wildfowling without checking that is foolish on your behalf,your not only putting yourself in danger but probably others that will be willing to help save you.

also remember the wind can effect the hight of the tides and how fast they run too.

 

i think i have about covered most things about wildfowling.But im sure someone will come up with something to say.

 

[SportingShooter 0]

Just one thing.

 

Whats the position on Non Toxic shot in Scotland? I was under the impression it had already come into force for anywhere that was considered, "Wet Land".

 

Otherwise a superbly informative post to give budding and Novice fowlers a helping hand. Well Done Pal.

 

Regards

SS

[tom1cameron 1]

Hi all

 

Not a grey area at all, its quite simple, if you think your shot will land on permanent wetland (ditch, burn, marsh, estuary), then you cant use lead shot. Technically you can stand at the edge of the saltmarsh/estuary and fire landward at your quarry and be within the law.

 

However, in managed wildfowling permit zones there is additional rules that come with rights of access for shooting, one of these is often that you do not even carry lead shot.

 

There is a great BASC leaflet about it that I think you can download from there website.

 

A simple rule of thumb is, small inland flightpond or stream where the shot wont fall in the pond - you could use lead, large inland pond/loch/river - non-toxic, inland fields or even temporary seasonal flooding - lead, estuary/saltmarsh/sea - non-toxic.

 

Its all about where the shot will fall, not what you are shooting at. As an example. On the Eden LNR you are allowed to shoot woodpigeon during the wildfowling season but you must use non-toxic shot.

[blackdug 90]

i thought i would put up a bit about wildfowling for beginners

 

 

WHAT IS WILDFOWLING

 

wildfowling is an ardous but very romantic , a lonely sport and for a newcomer it is one of the hardest to learn . it involves safety, quarry identifcation ,marsh craft and ethics .

when out wildfowling you will experience some wonderful sights and hear some sounds that will amaze you .

wildfowling is a dangerous sport and should be taken very seriously, wilfowling also involves the pursuit of ducks and geese and some waders in bodies of water on estries and marshes .

wildfowling can be a very wet , very very cold , and most defently muddy ,so wildfowling could not be for you .

 

to be a sucessful wildfowler you need to be fairly fit ,very patient and sit for long periods of time in mud.

wildfowling also involves very early mornings, also long walks along mud flats , in and out creeks with very soft mud bottoms also in heavy rain , high winds, in severe cold weather , through fast tidal water most of this is done in complete darkness when walking to your spot where you want to shoot and all the above could be for nothing .

 

if you think you`re going to shoot lots of ducks and geese everytime you go wildfowling then you are very much mistaken and again wildfowling is not for you .

when wildfowling you must be able to identify your legal quarry from a distance ,at half light, under the moon and in bad weather, some experienced fowlers can also identify their quarry by the sound of their wing beats and the quarries silhouttes. this is an important skill for any new wildfowler to learn your legal quarry to shoot .

 

WHAT ARE WILDFOWL

 

wildfowl are mainly ducks and geese but there are some waders that can be shot . check which ducks and geese and waders can be shot because there are alot that can't be shot.

THE WILDFOWLING SEASON

 

the wildfowling season starts on september 1st across england and ends on the 31st of january inland but carries on until february 20th on the foreshore estries and marshes in england and scotland . also you are not allowed to shoot on sundays in some parts of england and not at all in scotland .

 

so lets reflect on some parts of wildfowling .

wildfowling can be romantic ,lonely ,disheartening, very hard at times.

you must be prepared to walk long distances across mud flats and hard weather conditions and mostly in darkness.

TIDES

when wildfowling it is vital that you always double check the tides times

and the height of the tides . dont forget wind can effect the height of the tides .

also how fast the tides will run so always check them before going fowling .

also always leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the bank safely.

 

remember to respect other wildfowlers when fowling they will not appreciate you walking around on top of the marshes at flight time . shouting your dog or looking about, remember to get well hidden , if you see another fowler walking out to where you are, stand up let yourself be seen by him so he avoids walking close to you. also he can keep his distance when its flight time .

DOGS FOR WILDFOWLING

now this is a pain in the arse for me and its a big hate of mine too and most wildfowlers . if you dont have a dog then in my eyes and alot of other fowlers you should not be wildfowling on tidal water or foreshores. what is the point of going wildfowling on tidal water where there is long grass and other obsticals you come across when fowling .

EXAMPLE

your shooting from one side of a large creek and the tide is pushing hard its flight time and the creek is half full of water a bunch of duck come down the creek at you. you shoot a right and left ,one has winged out on the other side of the creek to you and the other falls in the water ,how are you going to get them, swim in your undies for them i dont think so.

 

i have seen many a fowler without dogs ruin many flights for themselves and other wildfowlers through looking for shot birds on the marsh because they cant find them. they have either dropped in the water and they stand there watching them float away with the tide or they have dropped in the long grass or crab grass or the bird is not dead and its crawled into a ankle snapper that cant be seen.

 

so to me they should not be fowling without a dog for that reason and for that reason alone it is not ethical to shoot a duck or goose even anything come to think of it and just leave it ,so for me it is a must that you have a dog when wildfowling and it should be made a rule in every club .

TOOLS OF THE TRADE THEY SAY

when starting out in any sport you always have to buy equipment and you know it can be very expensive.You will need a good waterproof coat of your choice what will suit the places of where you shoot,chest waders or thigh boots again of your choice.A good strong rucksack .I have a selection of rucksacks for different kinds of wildfowling.Hats,i have a balacava for when its really cold,a waterproof hat when its raining hard,some warm clothing when its real cold in the winter,If theres snow or frost on the ground.

 

You will need a thumb stick the reason being it can be used to gauge water when crossing creeks and for when you are finding your way off a flood tide.

 

DECOYS

 

Dont go mad just a few for a start,i mainly use hen birds for most of the season,but it maybe different for others with the decoy.you will need a strong good line and some lead weights to stop the decoys drifting off in the water.you can also use silhouttes which can be made out of ply wood or bought from shops.

 

you must remember when shooting wildfowl inland or costal that non-toxic shot must be used at all times because lead has been banned in England&Wales and Scotland.

WHAT GUN

A gun of your choice may be used but make sure its proof for steel shot.but most wildfowlers use semi-auto 3 shot.because you dont get many chances at ducks and geese,so when a chance comes along the third shot comes in handy.

 

some wildfowlers use a compass,these are very helpful in the fog and dark .if you got plenty of money some wildfowlers use GPS which are very useful and will get you in 3 feet of where you want to be.

 

A flask comes in handy for moonflighting,cold mornings and long flights.

 

Binoculars are used in wildfowling for spotting your quarry when scouting for a flight .

 

the most important thing for costal wildfowling is your tide table book because if you dont check your tide times and height and go out wildfowling without checking that is foolish on your behalf,your not only putting yourself in danger but probably others that will be willing to help save you.

 

i think i have about covered most things about wildfowling.But im sure someone will come up with something to say.

 

Hi tom davie here ,this helps alot of people understand the fowling way of life great!!! .I was out last sat , fog came down and so did the greys ,my mate i shoot with took three greys with two shots{smart ass}will put pics up soon . great day!! 8teal 3geese 1mallard ..... Just remember guys who take up wildfowling watch THE TIDES easy to get caught out!!!!! rgds davie

[seprim 32]

Very Informative - especially about the tides and use of a trained dog

 

Andrew

[Banter 1,751]

Edited April 3, 2013 by Banter

[MrDjk 3]

Hi. The above is very informative but can someone please clarify something for me? Am I correct in thinking that using a semi auto for wildfowling would have to be sec 2 ie 3 shot?

[charlie caller 3,654]

Hi. The above is very informative but can someone please clarify something for me? Am I correct in thinking that using a semi auto for wildfowling would have to be sec 2 ie 3 shot?

That is correct mate,our club and I am sure every other club,does not allow the use of section 1 firearms of any kind,3 is plenty anyway mate.

[choo-choo 41]

[Andrew24 5]

brill read very informative for a begginer like meself - thank you.

[BarryA 1]

Got my first guided trip onto the marsh next month. I've been reading loads, the above confirms all I've read. No substitute for experience for me though.

My greyhound (if he had any sense of recall) wouldn't be too welcome, so if the bug bites I'll be looking for a club where you get taught the marsh by someone with a dog!

[kwitie 1]

Very informative guide - thanks.

[Waxed Canvas 14]

Dad’s side came from Scotland. Mother’s side came from England——old English—-and the family name did not change during the Norman period. My most notable ancestor on Mom’s side is Reverend Thomas Goodwin. 

Reading this content is fascinating for one whose roots are firmly grounded in the United Kingdom.  Most of us who hail from the Southern U.S. trace our ancestry back to Britain and as such, hunting is an integral part of our heritage. 

Steel shot has been mandatory in the States since the 1980’s and the quest to find the ideal shotgun/choke combination is relentless. My answer is to get the Ducks closer, to land them in the Decoys and shoot them on the rise. Otherwise, wounding is commonplace and that’s an outcome I cannot accept. 

My number one suggestion to anyone considering hunting Water Fowl is this: Find a solid mentor. Earn the right to benefit from their mindshare. Buy their fuel, carry their gear, clean their quarry, clean their shotgun after the hunt. You will learn more from just observing a safe, accomplished hunter. Then, in due time, pass the knowledge and tradition on to the next generation. 

I second the advent of a good retriever to the mix. They make life in general complete and bond between a wild fowler and his or her pup cannot be described. It gets to the point where they know what you are thinking and you know what they are thinking. 

Many of us in Arkansas choose to hunt the flooded timber. Usually surrounded by rice fields, the green timber as it is often called, serves as a rest or loafing area. Ducks also consume invertebrates such as nematodes to prepare for their migratory trek back to Canada and the Prairie Pot Hole region of South Dakota and North Dakota.  Finally, Ducks use the flooded oaks as a rendezvous  point for pair bonding if they don’t already have a mate. 

Here’s a picture from Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area in Eastern Arkansas  couple of years back. As you see, I speak to the Ducks with a call to coax them in. It is possible to converse with Ducks and the experience is electrifying. Some call at them. As my late father taught us:  “ Speak with them. “

[Stavross 15,583]

Nice post that, I’ll keep my eyes open for more from yourself