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In the USA "rallying ducks" is getting them off the water with a boat and is illegal in most places...which could easily be termed as driving them.

I CAN IMAGINE DRIVING, FLIGHTING OR RALLYING DUCKS WOULD BE A LOT LIKE HERDING CATS!

BEST TO ALL.....GEORGE

Tudurgs - inland duck flighting (not to be confused with wildfowling/waterfowling on coastal marshes) is generally undertaken at first or last light, on a pond/ponds which may or may not have been fed ongoing during the season. For those ponds which are fed to attract the wild duck, it will generally tend to be grain or old rotten potatoes to attract the wild birds to feed and establish themselves there.

I have flighted duck for many years and it can produce absolutely terrific shooting with all-wild duck - as long as the conditions are right (i.e. plenty of wind), and crucially, as long as the flight pond is not overshot. Shooting it any more than once a month (in general) can cause the visiting wildfowl to desert and seek quieter hide outs. In short, a good flight pond is worth its weight in gold and to be cherished.

Duck driving is, in my view, entirely different. Although a flight pond can be "driven" - for example during a driven pheasant shooting day - a driven duck shoot will generally be of a mix of reared and wild duck and is often a component of a formal driven days shooting. Duck this way can be presently superbly and could be every bit as challenging as driven pheasant (there are several shoots here in the UK which specialise in this and deserve their quality reputation); however, I have equally seen the other end of the spectrum where semi-tame duck reluctantly take to the air with much shouting from the beating line and thereafter gain very little height. At this stage, I generally sleeve my gun as I have no desire for this kind of shooting.

CBL1 is correct in all he says.

I'd just add for completeness that duck, woodcock and geese can be lawfully flighted under the moon in UK when cloud conditions allow. It's the purest form of the sport IMO; no decoys or driving, just getting into the right place at the right time with a good dog.

It can be done on ponds, but I prefer the extra bit of challenge that rivers and estuaries provide with truly wild birds.

The shooting is fun, but for many including me, the dog work is the real reward. In common with many I train my dogs at night especially to develop the required skills.

Eug

CBL and Eugene,

Thanks for saving me the trouble of explaining all that, you did it better than I ever could.

The driven duck shoot I participated in was interesting in that they didn't start shooting until the ducks had left the ponds and started drifting back in up to half an hour later. The birds were high and very sporting, a really challenging shoot. I didn't feel overgunned with the double four bore and killed what was probably the longest duck of my life with the gun.

I've shot geese under the moon in Scotland and it was one of the most memorable events in my sporting life. The big Churchill in my hands, only being able to see them for a split second as they crossed directly over me, a quick double shot, then listening hopefully for that heavy thump on the sand behind me. The joy when the spaniel loomed out of the dark with a greylag or pinkfoot in it's mouth is hard to describe to someone who hasn't done it.



Destry

Moonflighting is indeed a magical experience and I was fortunate enough to experience it on one of my first outings after geese. Sitting under a flight of over 2000 pinks pouring out of a field and then gradually flighting back downwind in small groups over the next 2-3 hrs was an experience I shall never forget. After reaching our imposed limit of 3 geese each, we called it a day and watched as pinkfoot after pinkfoot zoomed overhead under the full moon and wispy cloud. Won't forget that in a long while - although I would have sorely loved to have had the double 8 churchill to try!

A lighter gun would have been a better fowling piece for the job actually. At about 16 pounds, it isn't real fast handling and the shooting was. The moon wasn't full so the light wasn't the best, you could only see the geese as they were directly overhead. You had to keep the gun near ready when you heard them coming, throw on a fast lead and just pull two quick shots, sometimes after they'd passed into the dark. Hundreds of geese flew to my right and left that I never saw, I had shots at just a few flocks but did manage to hear that magic thump more than once I'm pleased to say.

I got to flight woodcock once in the dusk and dark too, that was equally amazing. I'd killed one on a drive earlier in the day and then managed to make a miracle shot at a long billed shadow just as everybody was starting to walk back to the vehicles so I can say I've killed them both of the classic ways. I wear the club pin of the syndicate I shot with on the collar of my jacket to this day. Everytime I run my finger across it I remember that moment like it happened yesterday.

If I've told either of those stories on here before you'll have to pardon me. The conversation just brought them to mind and I'm always willing to tell them again.

DLH

Destry, You're going to have to write a book on your waterfowling experiences one day. You have been doing things that most of us will never get a chance to do,but would love to read about. Plenty of pictures please.

Lucky for sportsmen most of it has been outlawed in the USA.

The gunners in the UK are just as keen as we are and those types of gunning still being legal hasn't hurt the game as far as I could ever see.

DLH