CHAPTER XII 



SOME ILLUSTRATIVE EXPERIENCES 



No kind of shooting" is more uncertain than wildfowling. 



Although wildfowl are very regular in their habits during many 



months of the year, there is always a doubt as to 



WILD . 



GOOSE ^°^ much sport they will afford in winter. Of 



SHOOTING course, to a certain extent, a knowledge of their 

 ON THE feeding grounds and daily movements, as well as 



YORKSHIRE o o j 



WOLDS '^^ ability of the shooter in handling the gun, go 



a long way towards eliminating the uncertainty of 

 the sport. Despite these indispensable qualifications, a glori- 

 ous uncertainty still exists, which adds to the charm of a day's 

 shooting. This especially applies to the pursuit of wild geese. 

 The discovery of the actual feeding grounds and the daily 

 movements of the geese are no absolute guarantee of sport. 

 Geese will at times suddenly change from their regular lines 

 of flight and visit new ground. At such times, I believe, the 

 best sport is obtained, so far as inland shooting is concerned. 

 In maritime quarters this is less noticeable. 



The wild geese which visit the Yorkshire Wolds in autumn 

 are invariably of the pink-footed species {Anser brachyrhynchus). 

 I have handled scores shot in the last twenty years, and, with- 

 out exception, they have been always of this species. With 

 us their general habits are regular. They feed in the autumn 

 during the day on scattered grain and young clover, to be 

 found on the large barley "walks" of the wolds. In the 

 evening they repair to the upper reaches of the Humber, 

 where they spend the night. Except during fogs or very 



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