A Seasons End
Well That's A Wrap Folks.
Well it only seems like yesterday we started this Game and Wildfowling Season, now here we are just as it ends, what a season its been too, not just for Goose and I but also my Young Sports, their families and all my family and chums, I will try and do it the justice it deserves with my humble scribbles, but I feel I will fall very short with the justice it deserves, even with the photos and indeed videos at the bottom of this article.
First lets start with My Food Heaven Pic's and Videos.
Home from Wildfowling to a wonderful home made steak and kidney suet pudding, all the meat was from Perry and Son Butchers, with veg from the local veg shop, new potatoes, carrots and peas with a thick gravy, oh and some proper butter from Jacklands Farm shop for the spuds.
By golly Goose and I enjoyed that, our hearts are now as full as our bellies, now that's how to end a Wildfowling season I telle nom nom nom.
Home from Wildfowling to a wonderful home made steak and kidney suet pudding, all the meat was from Perry and Son Butchers, with veg from the local veg shop, new potatoes, carrots and peas with a thick gravy, oh and some proper butter from Jacklands Farm shop for the spuds.
By golly Goose and I enjoyed that, our hearts are now as full as our bellies, now that's how to end a Wildfowling season I telle nom nom nom.
The Somerset Masonic Shooting Club a club I am Chairman of, along with many members from around the province joined us for a wonderful duck shoot in Devon, thank god for the keepers 4x4 shoot buggy as he was able to drive me to and from as my legs are still not good.
A wonderful time was had by all and we harvested some lovely free range, organic wild meat for the table.
After the evening flight was over and the guns locked away, Several of us all went for food and a drink afterwards at a local pub, a jolly social event this was too, if you are a subscribing Somerset Masonic craft member and would like to join the club click on the website link below.
www.somersetmasonicshootingclub.co.uk
A wonderful time was had by all and we harvested some lovely free range, organic wild meat for the table.
After the evening flight was over and the guns locked away, Several of us all went for food and a drink afterwards at a local pub, a jolly social event this was too, if you are a subscribing Somerset Masonic craft member and would like to join the club click on the website link below.
www.somersetmasonicshootingclub.co.uk
The Somerset Masonic Shooting Club held an inter club shooting competition day at the Mendip Shooting Ground.This day was very well supported by many masons from across Somerset.
First place top gun went to Josh Fidler JDC,
Joint 2nd place went to Robert Collins (Snr) Gordano Lodge and Richard Combs Sylvanus Lodge,
3rd place went to TD from JDC and the wooden spoon to Craig Harding from The Adair Club.
A full report will be on our website and the province new letter on the website links below very soon.
www.somersetmasonicshootingclub.co.uk
www.somersetfreemasonry.co.uk
First place top gun went to Josh Fidler JDC,
Joint 2nd place went to Robert Collins (Snr) Gordano Lodge and Richard Combs Sylvanus Lodge,
3rd place went to TD from JDC and the wooden spoon to Craig Harding from The Adair Club.
A full report will be on our website and the province new letter on the website links below very soon.
www.somersetmasonicshootingclub.co.uk
www.somersetfreemasonry.co.uk
Red Squirrel Protection and Grey Squirrel Management.
Also using some of the traps we use on the Grey Squirrel Management Lantra training courses, these were bought from a local agricultural shop or The Trap Man.
Here also using the original prototype of the Katch It Traps trappings combe top left.
These are licenced humane traps are widely available from most good stockists, the spring trap version with 1" mesh are good for holding rats as well as squirrels, I particularly like these for domestic use, especially when non target pests are caught, where there are Red Squirrels and Hedgehogs etc, all can be easily released un harmed.
Grey Squirrels are non native to the UK, they are a massive conservation nightmare, let alone the vast damage they do to our native broad leafy woodland and other forestry, taking song birds eggs, chicks and killing the adult birds and ground nesting birds, they are also the direct threat to the decline of our native red squirrel, The Air Rifle is still the best tool for getting the job done quickly and humanly and is what I call my Landrover gun with Air Arms Field Diablo 5.52 pellets.
Also using some of the traps we use on the Grey Squirrel Management Lantra training courses, these were bought from a local agricultural shop or The Trap Man.
Here also using the original prototype of the Katch It Traps trappings combe top left.
These are licenced humane traps are widely available from most good stockists, the spring trap version with 1" mesh are good for holding rats as well as squirrels, I particularly like these for domestic use, especially when non target pests are caught, where there are Red Squirrels and Hedgehogs etc, all can be easily released un harmed.
Grey Squirrels are non native to the UK, they are a massive conservation nightmare, let alone the vast damage they do to our native broad leafy woodland and other forestry, taking song birds eggs, chicks and killing the adult birds and ground nesting birds, they are also the direct threat to the decline of our native red squirrel, The Air Rifle is still the best tool for getting the job done quickly and humanly and is what I call my Landrover gun with Air Arms Field Diablo 5.52 pellets.
Well That's A Wrap Folks.
A Seasons End.
Goose (my cocker spaniel) and I ended our wildfowling and Game Season on a real high, with a magnificent flight that will live in my memory forever, the best part I didn't fire a single shot although I could have shot a bag full of wildfowl.
I drove down to one of my ponds next to the river, parked up and hobbled the ten yards from the truck and sat on my seat, gun at the ready, calls around my neck, Goose with his jack pyke wildfowling coat on, all was set, the dog was on high alert as he loves Wildfowling as much as me.
As I say just being there and being treated to one of the most spectacular sunsets was quite simply heavenly. a calmness came over me, the sound of the moors coming alive with all manner of wildlife not just wildfowl, the jackdaws heading home to roost, an old crow caw caw cawing over head.
Duck on the wing their whistling wings all around me, ahhhh I am home again exactly where I started this season, I started calling and watching how the duck responded to me, Mallard, Teal and Wigeon all dropping in paddles down as they slipped air into my little pond, Goose was not to pleased with me as I didn't even raise the gun to salute them.
Then the ghost riders the wild geese came in, I laid the calls on think and in they came calling back, so close I could feel the air from their wings beating down on me, Goose again looked at me with a look of really boss you could have had them easily, ahhhh it's ok boy I have a freezer full of game, tonight is a salute to the end of another wonderful season harvesting from mother nature's living pantry
Sat there quietly Barney the Barn owl came to say hello, just as he did at the start of the season, Goose and Barney playing chase in my lush long meadow grass, I swear those 2 are chums, Sid and Sonia my resident swans came to say hello, much to Goose telling them off for being in his part of the river, his singing voice was in fine fair.
The light dropped to dark and I said my usual farewells and prayers for yet another wonderful season on god's green earth and being able to harvest from mother nature's living larder.
I went home and had home made steak and kidney pudding so did Goose, our bellies are now as full as our hearts, we went to bed dreaming of wildfowl, Goose muttering in his sleep as I drifted off myself with much the same dream of Wildfowl on the wing calling back to me and Goose retrieving that long lost teal.
A Seasons End.
Goose (my cocker spaniel) and I ended our wildfowling and Game Season on a real high, with a magnificent flight that will live in my memory forever, the best part I didn't fire a single shot although I could have shot a bag full of wildfowl.
I drove down to one of my ponds next to the river, parked up and hobbled the ten yards from the truck and sat on my seat, gun at the ready, calls around my neck, Goose with his jack pyke wildfowling coat on, all was set, the dog was on high alert as he loves Wildfowling as much as me.
As I say just being there and being treated to one of the most spectacular sunsets was quite simply heavenly. a calmness came over me, the sound of the moors coming alive with all manner of wildlife not just wildfowl, the jackdaws heading home to roost, an old crow caw caw cawing over head.
Duck on the wing their whistling wings all around me, ahhhh I am home again exactly where I started this season, I started calling and watching how the duck responded to me, Mallard, Teal and Wigeon all dropping in paddles down as they slipped air into my little pond, Goose was not to pleased with me as I didn't even raise the gun to salute them.
Then the ghost riders the wild geese came in, I laid the calls on think and in they came calling back, so close I could feel the air from their wings beating down on me, Goose again looked at me with a look of really boss you could have had them easily, ahhhh it's ok boy I have a freezer full of game, tonight is a salute to the end of another wonderful season harvesting from mother nature's living pantry
Sat there quietly Barney the Barn owl came to say hello, just as he did at the start of the season, Goose and Barney playing chase in my lush long meadow grass, I swear those 2 are chums, Sid and Sonia my resident swans came to say hello, much to Goose telling them off for being in his part of the river, his singing voice was in fine fair.
The light dropped to dark and I said my usual farewells and prayers for yet another wonderful season on god's green earth and being able to harvest from mother nature's living larder.
I went home and had home made steak and kidney pudding so did Goose, our bellies are now as full as our hearts, we went to bed dreaming of wildfowl, Goose muttering in his sleep as I drifted off myself with much the same dream of Wildfowl on the wing calling back to me and Goose retrieving that long lost teal.
I hope you have enjoyed my humble scribbles of a True Countryman, Goose and I will be having more adventures as the summer comes on, although I will be driven now as I cant yomp across the hillside like I used too.
A Seasons End
And that's A Wrap Folks
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
A Seasons End
And that's A Wrap Folks
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk
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