wag 13 Posted December 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2008 A friend and myself have been feeding a small pond (only 20yds x 35 yds) on a farm where we go ferreting.On Monday we managed 5 mallard and a Pochard, and saw many more including a few Teal. Another small pond only a mile away had lots of mallard on it the other morning when I was past. Are Pochard common on small inland ponds/lakes? Regards, Ian. pochard,(Aythya ferina) Are mainly found on open water such as gravel pits,reservoirs lakes and estuaries. they are normally in big rafts like wigeon, tufted, but you do get them on flight ponds and some rivers also it is not uncommon to shoot them on small flight ponds were being fed . well done, was it a drake bird you shot ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tom1cameron 1 Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 well done on the pochard, I've been after a drake for ages. To update Shot our first evening on our first pond last tuesday, fed it tattites (peelings and par boiled and frozen) and wheat for about 8 weeks. I was placed in top position, got 8, mate got 3 and his FIL got 2. Amazing shooting, very fast and far too close to be honest. Used a danish shell (28gm 5's 1600fps 3" steel). 10 Mallard, two drake teal. Amazing inland fowling. Out on inland geese two days ago with aberdeenshire guide, all went pear shaped, saw thousands and thousands of geese, all went to a tiny little pond next to where we were decoying. I missed two opportunities and then one just sailed into the deeks while we packed up with I shot, a litle behind, with 1, 9/16 oz of no1 steel. Turned out the only reason it came in was it only had one eye and it could not see us! As we finished so early we went after some scitty wild pheasants, we missed 8 before we got 1 each! Pigeons and woodcock today and then Montrose on the 2nd. I love Christmas hols! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sauer 2 Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 heard you would be in my neck o the woods on the 2nd Tom. ( v-max told me) if you meet up then ill be hangin round we will get you set up wi summit... might even show you secret bits if your good sauer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian292 0 Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 Yes. the pochard was a beautiful drake. Just waiting on the roast veg then it will be tea. Regards, Ian. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wildfowler-2007 0 Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 Tom which guide did you use in aberdeenshire i hear most guns are getting there quota on the basin still the numbers are still around the 12.000 mark good for the basin at this time of year All the best Regards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tom1cameron 1 Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Hi everyone Great hols in Aberdeen. First trip was our first fed pond as said above, next hit in a fortnight as now loads more teal due to frost. I went out with SAC, no nonsense and quite strict rules including bag limits etc. Will be putting something together for magazine, may like some comments from you SS so I'll PM you later. Loads and loads of geese at Montrose. 1000's of pinks, most stayed on the reserve all day, about 200 icelandic speckle bellied greys of which I was lucky enough to get under them. A huge beast. Will post a pic later asap. A small skein went over us about 30 yards up. One shot right above me as it dissapeared behind the gun. Stone dead. Not a mark on its body anywhere, genuine head and neck shot! Very happy. Using 3.5" 1300fps 44grm Remington 2's (UK 1's), 1/2 choke. We heard literally hundereds of duck calling on arrival at the sea wall but after the shooting at the greys they dissapeared, but we got 4 goldeneye, 1 wigeon and a teal on the river. Including one tag team double with some ace retrieving by Deuch on the river. He made 4 40yd+ water retrieves from the river and two shorter ones. The evening clouded over so we could not see the many duck pilling into our deeks at high tide in the evening. We just had to leave them till next year! Great trip and great time of year to go, this is my 3rd year (not consecutive) going in early jan and I have not blanked yet! A big big thankyou to V-max and Sauer for there hospitality between flights at montrose, some great fast pheasant shooting. They put me in the front line which as they found out was not the best plan, I kept wingin' them, but we got them back. We had one of those unfortunate lung shot events, while my dog switched off due to being a bit knackered. This hen rocketed skywards after being pricked in the lung then collapsed into some tall reeds. Dog was too busy chasing snipe to care so I lost it!!! Fabulous lads and fabulous ground, you look after it very well. If you ever go to montrose and you are hungry after the eveing flight, a 5-in-1 special burger with Chips from the 5-in-1 takeaway in the town does the business! I cant vouch for what the meat was made of but with raw onion relish, gerkins , salad cheese and two frizbee sized slabs of burger, who cares! Until next time T Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sauer 2 Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Tom Glad you and Blair made it...just wish there was a bit more for you both but v-max got couple o good woodcock if your ever in the neighbour hood again just holler... save you sitting in tesco's cafe for 5 or 6 hours PS!!!! DINNAE USE THE 5 IN 1 ...... you took your life in yer hands using that kebab shop bud!!! hehehehehehehehe did you check yer dog was still in motor after you left that place??!!!! all the best Sauer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wag 13 Posted January 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 been out tonight for a flight its been a bit quiet latley but tonight was different , i managed 5 teal and 2 drake pintail ,i didnt shoot at my best because my hand is still bad and i can't grip the fore end very well but it was still a good flight ,i also had 30 + greylag go wide of me but it was not to be . anyone else been out lately ???????? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tom1cameron 1 Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 been out tonight for a flight its been a bit quiet latley but tonight was different , i managed 5 teal and 2 drake pintail ,i didnt shoot at my best because my hand is still bad and i can't grip the fore end very well but it was still a good flight ,i also had 30 + greylag go wide of me but it was not to be . anyone else been out lately ???????? 2 drake pintail! You lucky sod, well done! That was the foreshore? Any pics pf the pintail? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wag 13 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 been out tonight for a flight its been a bit quiet latley but tonight was different , i managed 5 teal and 2 drake pintail ,i didnt shoot at my best because my hand is still bad and i can't grip the fore end very well but it was still a good flight ,i also had 30 + greylag go wide of me but it was not to be . anyone else been out lately ???????? 2 drake pintail! You lucky sod, well done! That was the foreshore? Any pics pf the pintail? yes it was the foreshore , sorry tom no pics this time but im out tonight again , i will take camera with me , i was going to go this morning but had to be at the hospital for 9 to change the dressing on my hand, so i had to leave it for tonight . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tom1cameron 1 Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 A drake Pintail is my wildfowling mecca! The first one is for the taxidermist! The second for the pot! We never get so many of them in the NE where I do most of my hunting, I often hear them after dark, as I did on the montrose trip, but none ever seen. ATB T Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wag 13 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 A drake Pintail is my wildfowling mecca! The first one is for the taxidermist! The second for the pot! We never get so many of them in the NE where I do most of my hunting, I often hear them after dark, as I did on the montrose trip, but none ever seen. ATB T i supose we are lucky really tom, we get loads of them at times up the north shore, also at a place we call the flood water. with whats going on around the wash lately ie RSPB reserves and NATRUAL ENGLAND reserves the big infulx of migrating waterfowl that we get on the wash that normally stay for a couple or so days then move further inland to places like RUTLAND WATER ,GRATHAM WATER , WELNEY WASHES and so on are now staying on these reserves which can only make it better for the clubs around the wash . i have noticed more wildfowl this year around us than in the last 15 or more years , i have evan seen velvet scoters and i have not seen them for years , i think the last time i see one was in the late 80s when i was a young lad many moons ago . so i hope there is good things ahead of us clubs on the wash .. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tom1cameron 1 Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 very cold continental weather = more waterfowl numbers and species in Britain. If thats not an incentive for all of us to switch our cars to used chip oil and turn of the standby LED's in the house I dont know what is! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
v-max 2 Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Hi here is a couple pic's from moonlight flights at the geese that were hitting a wheat field. We had 3 on monday & 2 on tuesday for a couple hours each night. We could have stayed all night as the farmer had to put the tractor out into the field for the night on monday when we left . Here is my 11yrs old lab dog with monday nights bag Tuesday night with another of my labs. . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lindsay 1 Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Nice one mate Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.