Outside Days » Sporting

Battle of the Somme: French Wildfowling

Howard — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:30:22 +0000

Having had so many great guinea pig trips, you can forgive me my audacity when I planned an expedition to explore wildfowling a la francaise and invited a journalist to join me.

Years of writing as a sporting journalist for titles like the Sporting Gun have left Ian Mason more open-minded and intrepid than most, and he accepted the invitation to cross the channel for an entente cordial with alacrity. After a comfortable night on the ferry, we awoke in France and made the two hour drive from the ferry port to Le Crotoy inland from the Bay of Somme. Famed for its duck shooting from hutte, this area is littered with flight ponds and wetlands and thousands of hutte to accommodate the nightly influx of guns from September to sometime in late January or early February.

In France, there is no law preventing the use of live decoys, so each pond has a holding pen for pricey ducks and geese (up to 200 euros a brace for geese). These decoys are taken out onto floating stands where they are fixed for the evening, able to hop in and out of the water at their leisure. The live decoys are laid out in straight lines so they don’t become targets as dusk descends.The logic for this arrangement becomes apparent when it is explained that while the evening flight is undertaken in much the same way as it is in Britain, the main event involves a shotgun with a telescopic sight mounted on it and the ducks that have settled onto the water between the lines of decoys.

Through the pillbox-like window of the hutte, we squinted out at indistinct shapes bobbing on the water. While it undoubtedly challenged our perceptions of a sporting shot, firing at a bobbing target in the dark through a small slit when only just awake is much harder than it sounds. Our bag was 6, one shot British-style at dusk and the balance in the French manner. While definitely not a sporting destination in its own right, when combined with wild grey partridge and/or walked-up snipe, the adventure becomes worth crossing the Channel for.

For more details or to book your trip contact us at info@outsidedays.com

Norfolk In Chance For Woodcock

Howard — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 19:03:56 +0000

My passion for wild birds in wild places has led many of you astray. While it’s a stretch to call parts of Norfolk wild, the woodcock that flock there to avoid the winter cold had me dragging out my windproofs and the guinea pigs for a couple of walked up days earlier this month.

Two groups tested their metal against the wily woodcock, wading through Norfolk in search of that illusive left and right. Over the two days, two of us achieved the challenge, but even more impressively, Martin Broad shot ten woodcock with ten consecutive shots leaving him in a league all his own.

With next year’s woodcock opportunities disappearing rapidly, don’t dilly dally when it comes to getting in touch about the 2011-2012 shooting season. We’ve got some stunning wild bird opportunities close to home and across the globe. And of course, if you are willing to take the rough with the smooth as long as its a bargain and have a considered opinion and constructive criticism to share, we’re always looking for a guinea pig or two to try out new sporting opportunities.

Cartoonist’s Pen Shoots Down Sporting Agent

Howard — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:29:37 +0000

Well, its finally happened. After years of leg-pulling, stick-giving, and micky-taking at my beloved clients’ expense, one of you has finally gotten your own back. And oh so publicly, too. Talented satirical cartoonist Andy Sipson got his revenge with an image on his Facebook page.

Andy, his father, and the coffee table with legs he swears is a springer spaniel joined me for a walked up day this past season. I can’t honestly remember being that insulting (aside from a few choice comments when hunting for his lost ‘dog’). No. 2 observes I must have made an impression as 5 months later he posted this incredibly accurate (if a bit pointed) cartoon of me on Facebook. After howling with laughter and sending the cartoon to everyone we know, No. 2′s scheming to redecorate with placemats, notecards, and wallpaper featuring what she describes as Andy’s art. My ego hasn’t recovered enough to be objective.

There’s no doubting the man’s talent. If you can think of a good use to which to put his talents, the commissioning process is a dawdle. All Andy needs is a photo of the victim and a character sketch of their personality traits and he’s away. Alternatively, he’ll join you on a shoot day and produce a series of cartoons to capture the characters and misadventures. Just beware. That quiet exterior belies a wicked sense of humour readily released on the unsuspecting sporting agent.

Hamptworth Country Fayre Sunday August 16th

Howard — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 06:31:25 +0000

One of the best kept secrets of the country/sporting show circuit, Hamptworth Country Fayre is a little gem, showcasing all that is best about the countryside. From the 50 bird sporting clayshoot that yours truly is running to the local hunt and its hounds to a select array of trade stands, everything is selected with care by the Estate.

The forecast is for a balmy summer’s day, so slap on some sunscreen, grab your gun and come on down to enjoy. Tickets are £5 for adults, £4 concessions, children under 6 free. We are just off the A36 in Landford.

CLA Game Fair: The Sporting Shopper

Howard — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:26:53 +0000

I hate to shop. My wife is an expert. I love fieldsports and gatherings of what the Americans call ‘likeminded individuals’. Each year, Number Two takes advantage of this and uses the CLA Game Fair to kit me out from top to toe for the coming season.

We’ve got it down to a science…in fact, in lots of cases I don’t even have to waste valuable browsing time. Victoria at Almost Unwearoutable has my foot and lower leg measurements, so Number Two makes the colour choices to match my tweeds and the stockings appear in my drawer as if by magic. A quick visit to Kiwi Kate and I’ve got insoles from the ONLY PC fur, Kiwi possum (the naughty non-natives are eating their way through NZ), and merino skivvies to keep me warm in Croatia and Outer Mongolia.

Purdeys is my favorite source of shooting shirts (bargains to be had at the Game Fair), and I’m on my third Arktis fleece (machine washable and drier friendly!). The Mole Hole tailor made me a pair of moleskin breeks for grouse and early season partridge, and they arrived in record time.

So while Number Two exercises her expertise, I am free to explore the covetable. If Hector the Clumber turns out to be anything special, I’ll be commissioning a portrait of him…John Bye (Stand No. C0681) has already immortalised his dad Rufus, and I am coveting the limited edition woodcock print ‘Hidden Treasure’, too. Of course there’s always room in the gun cabinet for just one more, and the temptations of AYA, or the 243 I need to round out my collection. And when Number Two is ready to find me, she knows I can be found on the Boss stand drooling over the Robertson guns.

When I’m asked why Outside Days doesn’t take space at the Game Fair, I can only say I can’t bear the idea of being tied down to one spot and missing out on all the fun and games. So if you see me, glass in hand, do stop and have a chat. And Number Two always welcomes a helping hand with the packages.

Stalk Austria: Hirsch, Reh, Gemse, Steinbok, Murmeltier

Howard — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:00:10 +0000

The closed season in Austria meant that the only stalking I was able to do was with a camera…sporting Tevas, red shorts and a blue fleece enhanced the challenge. Having spotted a group of chamois moving across distant scree slopes earlier in the day, I was determined to get a closer look.

Late in the afternoon, we hiked to our accomodation, an alpine hutte, sat on the deck and scanned the hillsides for game. The Tirolean habit of outfitting livestock with tinkling bells made it easy to identify the brown lumps just below the summit of Honig as, well, other and probably chamois. Two hours later, having flushed a brace of black grouse, startled a roe, and knackered myself, I emerged on the slope above them (next time I am taking a camera with a stronger zoom lens). Well above all the highseats and blinds I had seen were two small groups of chamois enjoying the last of the evening light.

Austrian game inhabits some of the most stunning scenery, and much of it within easy access of airports. An overlap with the skiing season makes it easy to combine passions or divert the family’s attention from your whereabouts. I find the opportunity to shoot a chamois without incurring NZ-style jetlag appealing, and from marmoset to alpine ibex, there are stalking opportunities for every purse. If you fancy packing your poles (no, not nordic walking) and scope, get in touch.

Feral Hog Heaven and Bob Whites over Pointers

Howard — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:43:49 +0000

Despite the perception of Texas being populated by longhorn cattle, cowboys and cacti, when we arrived East Texas was just drying out from a flood. Ranch manager cum wildlife biologist Zach Willeford and Mike, a Texas Parks and Wildlife ranger, awaited us with weapons at the ready. In a country where you can buy a rifle at WalMart (read ASDA with prices to match), most ranch guests bring their own. Our borrowed arms were a variety of calibres from 30.06 to 9mm.Having proven our metal on the range, we mounted quads and set out across the 5,500 acre ranch after hogs. Feral pigs, the hogs are a mix of escaped farm stock, wild and Russian boar. Quads may be designed for off-road, but Argo carts they’re not…although with a little persuasion they got us to our highseats. The first night was quiet with the exception of Martin who was ‘treed’ in his high seat by a troupe of raccoons.

The following morning we woke determined to redress our duck. While Martin and I tried our hand at Bob White quail over german shorthaired pointers, Jeremy and David stalked in seriousness. Between them they bagged a pair of hogs and Jeremy took his first whitetailed deer. We swapped quarry, and after determining that it required rounds in the chamber to make any impact, Martin and I finally bagged our hogs.

Sporting Guinea Pigs go to Texas

Howard — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:18:56 +0000

Every year I try to add at least one new package to our repetoire. With the exchange rate in our favour, and the welcome mat out at friends’, it seemed only right to sample Texas. I am loathe to experiment on clients, so friends get roped in as lab rats (for those of you keen to join the rat ranks, I am contemplating 2009 trips to Outer Mongolia for taiman and partridge, and Peru for peacock bass).

This year’s cohort were head keeper Martin ‘Sausage’ Broad, vermin control officer David Hillier, and stalker Jeremy Mason Elliot (as it turns out, stalker only has one meaning in America, and it is nothing to do with deer…led to many amusing introductions).

On arrival in Dallas, we made straight for the hallowed halls of Bass Pro and Cabellas where everything and anything shooting and fishing is available. As the rats emptied their pockets and filled newly-purchased cavernous hold-alls, I contemplated the virtues of over-the-counter handguns and over-the-top interior decor. As if the range of items available in RealTree (cot duvets, sofas, underwear…why do you need camo Y-fronts) wasn’t proof enough that anything’s for sale in Texas, we came across the following emporium enroute to hog-hunting. Why?

Contact us

Christopher — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:03:33 +0000

Our peripatetic habits and Blackberry addiction make email (through the form below) the best way to reach us.

Walked Up Shooting

Christopher — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:28:05 +0000

The origins of walked-up shooting lie in our prehistory as hunter-gatherers. From quail in Texas to partridge in France, foreign opportunities abound. But some of the best opportunities to pursue a range of winged quarry are to be had in the British Isles.