October 2012
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Vertigo
As part of the research for an article I’m working on about ptarmigan, I have been forced to enter a murky world; a world of rustly jackets, fabric conditioner and trekking poles. I have had to become a hill walker. Having shot ptarmigan a few years ago and been fascinated by them, I’m quite sure… Continue reading
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Best Practice
My entire life is dominated by shooting, and the sport pays all of my bills. All I ever wanted was to earn my money from country sports, and now that I do, I think I’ve got quite a good insider view on what makes the “industry” tick at the moment. On the whole, I love… Continue reading
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The Great Wall
I don’t want to make a fuss in case I jinx this project. It’s by far the most ambitious thing I’ve ever tried and I am so certain that I’m not going to be able to pull it off that I want to pretend that I don’t really care and that it’s all the same… Continue reading
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Autumn Broody
Six weeks after her pheasant poults were taken away and sent to the wood, the silkie x sussex hen has gone broody again. I knew that silkies were pretty obsessive mothers, but I never imagined that she would be so keen to rear another batch of chicks so soon after the first. When I picked… Continue reading
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HottaDog?
Given that it’s the dog’s first season of proper work, she’s doing alot of working. So far, she’s learnt a hell of a lot but I want to make sure that it’s all positive and enjoyable for her. The past few times that we’ve been flighting ducks, she has got soaking wet and then freezing… Continue reading
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Partridge Factions
Some interesting things are happening to my grey partridges. The way that they are behaving now seems to have a great deal to do with the order in which they were released. Within hours of putting the birds up on the hill, a single hen had managed to escape from the pen. I have no… Continue reading
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Slim Pickings
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted about black grouse on the Chayne, and there is quite a simple reason why – I haven’t seen much worth talking about. There have been a few greyhens going about, but with the exception of the small brood of four which I saw in August, things are… Continue reading
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MacGaiters – a Stalking Review
I think gaiters must be an acquired taste. I always used to wonder what on earth gaiters were actually for, and proudly went without them until one day in my early twenties when I secretly experimented and became a total convert. I then wore canvas gaiters everytime I was going to spend a day out… Continue reading
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October Wigeon
Just worth mentioning that I shot my first wigeon of the year last night on a flightpond down by the Solway. The same pond has been great over the past six weeks for mallard and teal, and it seems as if some sort of switch has flicked during the past few days which suddenly means… Continue reading
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Merlin and Snipe
Many thanks to Mike Groves, who forwarded me this image of a merlin doing a number on a snipe. I’ve never seen merlin hunting snipe, but both species are relatively common on the Chayne. I suppose it must happen, and provided I get to see, I don’t have much of a problem with it. After… Continue reading
About
“Shout on, Morgan. You’ll be nothing tomorrow”
Swn y galon fach yn torri, 1952
Also at: https://andtheyellowale.substack.com
Bog Myrtle & Peat 