A sky full of geese

The weather can be a challenge but all the elements are in place to make Orkney a wildfowling utopia, says Peter Theobald

After weeks of expectation, we were finally on our way to Orkney for three days of goose shooting. For those of you unfamiliar with the place, it is wildfowling utopia. There are geese lacing the sky everywhere you go and flotillas of wigeon bobbing on the tidal edges of the uncountable bays and inlets.

That said, you still need a reliable guide to get you on to the fields and under the flightlines and there is no one better than Steve Rogers, boss of Orkney Shooting Holidays. Steve is in his second season as a full-time guide and has consistently found productive fields to shoot over. He learned his trade from Rob Frampton, the previous owner. Our party consisted of Robbie, me and Warren, my nephew and goose-shooting tyro. To be fair, Warren had shot a few Canadas lumbering into my flightpond at home, but I assured him that these feral greylags would be a different kettle of fish altogether.

Pest problem

Such is the problem with geese on these islands, that the authorities have allowed different rules than those on the mainland. Farmers suffer so much damage to their crops that they are allowed to shoot the geese under licence from the beginning of August, as can registered goose guides. So as to not waste the meat, local butchers can sell it during this out-of-season period; something that Thorfinn Craigie has taken full advantage of with a modern processing plant. When we visited him, there were rows of geese and duck waiting to be turned into sausages and burgers, or vacuum-packed breasts. It is one of the conditions of shooting with Steve, that everything you bag must be processed and taken home with you, something the vast majority of fowlers heartily endorse. If you can’t take it with you, Steve can arrange to have your package delivered to your home.

So why are there so many geese on these wild windswept islands? The vast majority are resident greylags that will not suffer the losses of unpredictable weather conditions that migratory birds have to put up with on their journey to and from their breeding grounds in Iceland. Plus, they have no natural predators, as there are no foxes on Orkney. This means their population would almost double every year were it not for us shooters, who just about keep numbers within acceptable limits. About 90 per cent of the islands is sown with grass, so the birds have an unlimited choice of fields in which to feed. Most vulnerable are the new grass leys, which the geese love, ripping the tender young shoots out by the roots. I am used to gas guns being employed to keep pigeons off rape and pea fields here in the south, but it was strange to see them set up on grass fields to deter the geese.

Duck broken

So, how did we get on? The first morning saw us set up on the grass field, but with almost no wind, geese were late to move. We decided to let Warren have the first shot to try to break his duck (ahem) and on cue, a single goose was expertly called by Steve, right over the hide, 30 yards up. On the cry of “take it”, Warren rose like an old pro and killed it stone dead. Much backslapping and handshaking followed, as we settled down for the flight to begin in earnest. Geese were on the move in nice small parties, responding confidently to the decoys, but we were not making the most of our opportunities. There were two reasons for this. They were trying to pitch in at the back of the spread, which meant our first shots were taken at a range in excess of 50 yards, plus we could not get used to the borrowed semi-autos. I could have cried with frustration as we emptied our magazines for little result — this was remedied for me by Steve letting me use his over-and-under for the rest of the trip.

Strong winds

Not unusually, the weather changed overnight, with a strengthening gale greeting us as we stepped out the hotel the following morning. This made the spot that Steve had chosen a bit exposed, encouraging the geese to sideslip past our position and land in a more sheltered part of the field. So many were doing this that I asked Steve if I could try to intercept the line as it passed over a fenceline no more than 20 yards high at the bottom of the field. The only cover was a gatepost, but I managed to keep it between me and the approaching geese and, with the help of two decoys, added eight to the bag. That evening the wind was blowing so hard that we could barely open the doors of our vehicle. I was swept off my feet as I stepped out. The geese came in their hundreds, anxious to gain the shelter of their roost, and we enjoyed the most fantastic flight I have ever seen. No need to elaborate on the total bag for the three days but suffice it to say, we have already booked for next year and will be eating goose burgers for most of the summer.

“When shooting with Steve, everything you bag must be processed and taken home”