‘The hunters & the hunted’

11^th October 2009:- In my own opinion, concealment and keeping still are two fundamental things a wildfowler needs to be conscious of if he is ever going to get to grips with his quarry below the seawall. During the season wildfowl develop a keen eye for the human form and the slightest movement of a fleshy face or hand will have them veering away from danger in an instant. It is so often, that in hiding himself well, the wildfowler will encounter nature at much closer quarters than your weekend bird watcher can ever envisage. The wildfowler has no need for a ‘battery’ of high magnification telescopes to identify his species. He will have already recognised the bird by its call, its silhouette or its flight pattern even in the half light of day. We are at one with our environment, absorbed by it and part of it……..The sun had just started to rise to the east of the railway viaduct. A jay ‘looped’ noisily across the estuary, seemingly mocking the world, as it flew towards the marsh gutter that I was crouched in. Vermin, it was, and an intrepid songbird egg and fledgling thief in the Spring, yet admirable in its own way with its powder pink hues and electric blue wing flashes.

Wildfowler ready for the shot

Mallard tend to flight much later than the wigeon on our estuary and today followed the customary pattern. With tell tale chattering a good bunch of twenty or so had lifted from their nightly ‘stubbling’ inland. Most had flighted further along the salting, a thousand yards away, but a singleton had broken rank and followed the same line as the earlier wigeon. One can often predict whether a bird is likely to respond to a duck call. I often wait until they have ‘gone past’ before hailing them back. This was one of those opportunities. Think about it. All your mates have gone one way and you are suddenly on your own. If you heard a familiar voice behind you there’s every chance you would turn back? Can one balance human logic with wildfowl psyche? I often wonder. The Haydels DR-85 kicked out a pleading comeback note. The drake made his fateful turn and within minutes he too was lying prone on a turf of Puccinellia with a few dust grey breast feathers turning over violently in the wind across the salt marsh grass. Calling is a skill we all should all learn and practice well. Almost as the echo of the shot had faded, another drake mallard was homing in on me from the opposite direction. This one knew where he was going, the call had no effect so I stopped hailing immediately and waited. Wildfowlers Tip: Do not over call. He would cross right to left at 35 yards. The first shot didn’t compensate enough for his sheer speed and he flared upwards and back on the wind, at the shot. The quick second shot was now on target and he spiralled towards the water with a wing down. The third shot folded him dead to make sure the retrieve would be a simple one for Rolo. I always try to make sure that a visibly wounded bird is dead even if it means firing another ‘finishing’ shot at it. A true wildfowler has the utmost respect for his quarry. A diving bird can be awkward for a dog & a prolonged period of swimming in cold water can also sap the strength of your four legged companion. Wildfowlers Tip: Always hunt the tide line with your dog if a bird is wounded and lost over the water. A bird will often make its way back onto land. Two fine drake mallard and a cock wigeon now lay at the back of

A good bag & a great days wildfowling

By Stotty:- ‘Paddlesdown Pro-staff’