Show Notes
What exactly counts as wildfowling? Is it any pursuit of wild ducks and geese, or does it only become wildfowling once you are cold, wet, deep in estuary mud and questioning your life choices?
Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner attempt to get to the bottom of one of Britain’s oldest and most demanding forms of shooting.
They look at the traditional world of foreshore wildfowling: early starts, evening flights, shifting tides, slippery mud, quarry identification and the importance of joining a club whose members know how to get safely onto and off the marsh.
The conversation also covers the dogs, guns, cartridges, calls, decoys and clothing involved; why a synthetic semi-automatic may be more useful than Grandfather’s best gun; and whether a muddy Labrador is easier to clean than a spaniel.
There is also a look back at the formidable punt guns once used by commercial wildfowlers, before attention turns to the most important question of all: what should you do with a duck or goose once you have brought it home?
Plus duck cooked over coals, smoked goose, wildfowl burgers, questionable jerky experiments, Teflon Labradors, baritone chickadees and the familiar suggestion that a badly cooked Canada goose may be less appetising than the brick beneath it.
In this episode: What wildfowling is — and whether mud is an essential part of the definition Why traditional wildfowling is closely associated with marshes, estuaries and the foreshore How clubs manage access, sporting rights, mentoring and local safety The importance of understanding tides and learning an unfamiliar marsh from experienced members Recognising legal quarry before taking a shot Why Labradors are so closely associated with wildfowling Calls, decoys and attracting ducks and geese Why electronic bird calls cannot be used Choosing a robust shotgun and suitable non-lead ammunition Why an inexpensive synthetic semi-automatic may be a practical choice The history and extraordinary scale of punt guns Clothing, communications and emergency planning on the foreshore Why newcomers should not venture onto unfamiliar tidal ground alone Keeping both wildfowler and dog warm in difficult conditions Cooking duck and goose over fire, in a wok, as burgers, smoked or made into charcuterie Why Avian may finally have talked himself into trying wildfowling BASC introduction to wildfowling BASC wildfowling permits, handbook and code of practice BASC guide to quarry species and open seasons UK Government guidance on hunting and shooting wildlife The Crown Estate — wildfowling and foreshore sporting rights Please note: Wildfowling law, quarry lists and local restrictions can change. Always check current government guidance and the rules of the club or land over which you are shooting.
Part of the SideCountry Network.
DISCLAIMER Views are those of individual speakers and do not necessarily represent SideCountry, its presenters, contributors, partners or sponsors. For general information and entertainment only. Laws, seasons, access and guidance change; check official sources, obtain permission and act within your competence.
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What exactly counts as a British deer?Is it a red stag on a whisky bottle, a muntjac standing beside the A11, or a Chinese water deer that appears to have grown a pair of fangs?Jake Woolf, Avian Sandercock and Sam Turner take a look at the six species of deer living wild in Britain, with Sam bringing some first-hand experience from farming red deer.They work through red, roe, fallow, sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer, including where they came from, where you are likely to find them and the surprisingly complicated business of what to call males, females and young.Then the conversation turns to deer management. Why have numbers and ranges increased so much? What happens when neighbouring landowners take completely different approaches? And how do forestry, farming, road collisions and sporting management all fit together?Sam explains how management works on deer farms and in the Highlands, while the three discuss the differences between managing deer for sport, controlling numbers and producing healthy animals for the food chain.There is also the curious economics of venison, why wild deer can sometimes be worth surprisingly little at carcass level, some very straightforward ideas for cooking it, and a final test of whether Jake and Sam can tell the difference between a deer term and a medieval insult.In this episode: The six species of wild deer found in Britain Red and roe deer, our two native species Fallow, sika, muntjac and Chinese water deer Roe deer and delayed implantation Why muntjac seem to be everywhere Stags, bucks, hinds, does, calves, kids and fawns Why deer numbers and ranges have increased Deer damage to woodland, crops and new planting Deer and road traffic collisions Highland versus lowland deer management The importance of managing females as well as males Farmed deer and wild deer The changing market for British venison Simple ways to cook venison Deer terms or medieval insults Useful links: British Deer Society: UK deer species British Deer Society: Why manage deer? British Deer Society: Deer open seasons British Deer Society: Venison GOV.UK: Deer impacts policy statement for England SideCountry Please note: Deer seasons, legislation and management requirements vary across the UK and can change. Always check current guidance for the species and location concerned before carrying out deer management.Part of the SideCountry Network.