Morning flight

 

A good resting area for wildfowl must have adequate freedom from disturbance. This requirement can be met on large expanses of water where the birds can roost some distance from the shore, or it can be provided by a fair-sized lake (2 acres or more) that can be kept absolutely quiet. A useful feature is to have plenty of islands or large rafts on which the duck can sit about and preen. In this case it does not so much matter if the banks are used by fishermen, gravel-pit lorries or agricultural machinery.

A little feeding will always improve a morning-flight pond, particularly in hard weather, but no great quantity will be required. Natural cover and foraging areas are more important.

One of the Game Conservancy staff visited a lake where the whole central area was covered with mare's-tail. On approaching, some 300 mallard rose from it and flew away. Previously, they had been quite invisible from the bank. Without shelter or safe places to roost duck will often be blown from one side to the other in rough weather and have little peace. Their only alternative is to roost on the bank sides, and this they will not do if constantly disturbed.

Unless it consists of a vast lake, a resting area must be shot less frequently than an evening-flight pond- say, three or four times a season.

A large expanse of water makes the problem of placing the Guns more difficult, and certain rules should be followed. Firstly, the host should study the actual arrival of the duck, since they very often favour one particular area to alight on. This will change depending on the weather, so it will be wise to have different hides to cover changes in wind direction. Shooting from the bank obviously tends to be more successful in rough weather, when the duck will usually land closer to the sheltered shore and within range of the Guns. Many lakes have a string of hides built out on islands or rafts.

Artificial decoys are always useful at morning flight to concentrate the ducks in the required places. They should be placed about 15 yds. from the hides in groups of three or four, with odd singles in between - about 15 decoys per Gun being sufficient. In choppy water, however, they can scare the wild duck away.

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