philpot
Well-known member
I have recently aquired a couple of air rifles to teach my daughters two step sons, think that makes me a step grandad, makes me feel old if nothing else. Whenever I am involved in showing a newbie the ropes with any gun, I always think back to my grandfather and the local farmer who let me shoot a few rabbits on his farm, drumming into me about the dangers of guns and if not used safely, how these guns could easily kill someone.
Well as a 16 year old, I listened and learned and in those early years set the standard for the rest of my shooting life. Whilst responding to a thread in 'game' section last night on favorite live target, I posted my love of wildfowling many years ago. Later in the evening, my mind drifted back to those times and I was reminded of two incidents that help me remember what can happen when safety is not a priority.
On the saltmarshes, there are things you have you be aware of, the two that were always at the top of my list were the east coast sea frett which is a fast moving damp fog that will have you wandering around with no idea which way you are going. This happened one morning after I had already left the marsh and like most sunday mornings I saw the riding school trotting along the tide line as I was leaving only to find out later that day that all were lost to the sea. They had gone to the wrong side of the shallow creek heading in the wrong direction. I think the death toll was 8 horses and riders, a sad lesson but I never went again without a compass.
The following year ther were what we used to term 'Tit shooters' out on the marsh. Tit shooters were usually dock workers who would buy a single barrel cooey or similar bought from the dock stores, which you could in those days. They would shoot at anything that flew and generally regarded as a bloody pain in the rear. Now on the east coast there were many 'pill boxes', concrete gun placements left over from the war. These pill boxes were the chosen hides for the tit shooters to ambush duck. I was about 120yds to the east of the pill box in question housing three tit shooters who were shooting at everything. I think you now have guessed where this is going, Most of the wildfowlers were siting upright in their hides as no self respecting duck would come near. An almighty scream was heard amongst their shots at lapwing which saw a couple of us wading across the marsh to the pill box.
I have never seen anything like it, one of the guys had swung the gun and fired into his brother.
As the yougest there, I was sent to get an ambulance as I had my motor scooter hidden at the edge of the marsh. The young man died on his way to the ambulance. a couple of us using anything we could find to carry sea water in, washed the masses of blood and guts that were all over the pill box floor.
These are thoughts and memories that always stay in the back of your mind until something makes them spring to life as the thread did to me last night and I will be using this story to drum into the boys before they even get to hold the air rifles just as I did with my son when I bought him an air rifle 25years ago.
I am sorry to drone on with this but I wanted to share an experience that had a profound effect on me. Please feel free to remove it Matt if you think it is misplaced.
Phil
Well as a 16 year old, I listened and learned and in those early years set the standard for the rest of my shooting life. Whilst responding to a thread in 'game' section last night on favorite live target, I posted my love of wildfowling many years ago. Later in the evening, my mind drifted back to those times and I was reminded of two incidents that help me remember what can happen when safety is not a priority.
On the saltmarshes, there are things you have you be aware of, the two that were always at the top of my list were the east coast sea frett which is a fast moving damp fog that will have you wandering around with no idea which way you are going. This happened one morning after I had already left the marsh and like most sunday mornings I saw the riding school trotting along the tide line as I was leaving only to find out later that day that all were lost to the sea. They had gone to the wrong side of the shallow creek heading in the wrong direction. I think the death toll was 8 horses and riders, a sad lesson but I never went again without a compass.
The following year ther were what we used to term 'Tit shooters' out on the marsh. Tit shooters were usually dock workers who would buy a single barrel cooey or similar bought from the dock stores, which you could in those days. They would shoot at anything that flew and generally regarded as a bloody pain in the rear. Now on the east coast there were many 'pill boxes', concrete gun placements left over from the war. These pill boxes were the chosen hides for the tit shooters to ambush duck. I was about 120yds to the east of the pill box in question housing three tit shooters who were shooting at everything. I think you now have guessed where this is going, Most of the wildfowlers were siting upright in their hides as no self respecting duck would come near. An almighty scream was heard amongst their shots at lapwing which saw a couple of us wading across the marsh to the pill box.
I have never seen anything like it, one of the guys had swung the gun and fired into his brother.
As the yougest there, I was sent to get an ambulance as I had my motor scooter hidden at the edge of the marsh. The young man died on his way to the ambulance. a couple of us using anything we could find to carry sea water in, washed the masses of blood and guts that were all over the pill box floor.
These are thoughts and memories that always stay in the back of your mind until something makes them spring to life as the thread did to me last night and I will be using this story to drum into the boys before they even get to hold the air rifles just as I did with my son when I bought him an air rifle 25years ago.
I am sorry to drone on with this but I wanted to share an experience that had a profound effect on me. Please feel free to remove it Matt if you think it is misplaced.
Phil
