Wild-Fowl (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 Excerpt: ...skill will oftentimes be taxed to the utmost ere such results are obtained. SHOOTING THE DUCK AND THE GOOSE AFLOAT BY NIGHT BY W. H. POPE WILD-FOWLING AFLOAT BY NIGHT Few British sports demand a more complete surrender of self to the exigencies of the moment than that of wild-fowling, and particularly is this the case when it is followed at night. The ever-varying conditions of tide, wind, moon, and stars are the fowler's constant study, and no opportunity is lost which may possibly be turned to good account. Personal considerations should, in fact, be made subservient at all times to his sport, otherwise he can never hope to attain success. Generally speaking, however, a wildfowler is a sportsman to the core, and does not hesitate to accept the hardships and uncertainties of his craft with equanimity. 'The love of wild-fowling, ' says Mr. Abel Chapman, 'is no commonplace sentiment, such as the keenness that field sports are wont to excite in the youthful breast. It is something beyond all that--an overmastering passion that neither difficulties nor obstacles can resist, nor even age and disability wholly quench.' Towards the end of the seventies, fortune favoured me with the friendship of a keen and enthusiastic fowler who possessed all these characteristics in a marked degree. Many were the happy hours we spent together in 'flighting' the ducks and circumventing the waders and shore birds which haunted the mudbanks of a well-known estuary on the south coast. Of the fascination of fowling with the big gun I was then quite ignorant; but one November night the chance arose for my initiation, and I gladly availed myself of my friend's offer to accompany him on a cruise in his punt. The experiences of that night, though novel to me, were in other respects cheer...