Young Shots from the North of England experienced coastal wildfowling for the first time at an event run by Preston and District Wildfowlers’ Association and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC).
The Introduction to Wildfowling Day saw participants coached on all aspects of wildfowling including safety, equipment, basic fieldcraft, calls and decoys as well as plucking and dressing wildfowl. They also learned about quarry identification, range and distance. They took part in a practice session with clay targets, shooting from sitting and kneeling positions.
After the safety briefing, plus pie and peas from the local Croft Bakery, the Young Shots were taken onto the marsh for the evening flight. Alongside experienced guides they set up their positions and put their coaching into action, returning with a successful final bag of 31.
Duncan Thomas, BASC’s North West regional officer, said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for the Young Shots. Everyone got a true taste of wildfowling including the skills anticipation and preparation involved in an outing. I would like to thank Malmo Guns for supplying the cartridges and Dolphin Clay Target Centre for providing the clay facilities which helped to make this event such a success.”