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 how much sport they will afford in winter. Of 
. SHOOTING course, to a certain extent, a knowledge of their 
ON Te feeding grounds and daily movements, as well as 
YORKSHIRE ‘the ability of the shooter in handling the gun, go 
WOLDS ag g gun, g 
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 Goncenscd: 
In maritime quarters this is less noticeable. 
The wild geese which visit the Yorkshire Wolds in autumn 
are invariably of the pink-footed species (Axser 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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