Hi all,

I thought I would share a rather amusing story from last week while I'm waiting to download all the photos from my computer.

One evening Dig and I went to a large network of dams and pans to shoot ducks and geese somewhere in the free state, ~(I think it was called Reits). All week we had been accompanied by two "bird boys" to use the Argentinian phrase, and it seemed they had an arrangement with the guide. He would pay them a wage and provide food/drink for them through the day. They would then take the bag of birds home to the township and sell them for additional money. Francolin made 10 rand, guineas made 20 rand and the pigeons made five. It all amounted to the potential of substantial "beer money" and also made us happy that all game was going to a good home and not wasted. Their faces through the day were a clear indication of how well we were shooting!!

We got to the dam about 2hours before dark and the flight started almost immediately that we had settled into the grass. Aarron seemed to have tagged himself to me over the course of the first couple of days, and I quickly had the first four or five birds that came past, collected and put into the bag. It was a great help to have a committed set of eyes, (motivated eyes as well) watching birds drop, and these guys lost very little indeed.

At some point I had a skein of Spurwings come over and I dropped a bird into the water behind me. It promptly lifted his head and swam for the far bank some 200yds behind me. I marked it where it entered the reeds and continued to watch for the flight. However Aarone was getting jittery....

"Sir, goose... it swim to side" he stated with a distinctly manic air. "I bring?". I asked him to stay put as he would be directly in my line of fire from where most of the birds were, and the flight was hotting up. I would go and assist him to find the goose once the quota was reached. As we crouched down a pair of red billed teal swung over my left shoulder and I took my first right and left of the evening. Aaron was out in a flash to pick the first one, then straight round to the goose at a run. I pondered the odd obsession with the geese and came to the conclusion that they must be worth some money to the boys back in the township. As I watched him and continued to shoot in my limited safe arc of fire I saw him in the water thrashing about up to his waist, in and out of the reeds. He ignored the next 3-4 ducks I shot and only came back when I dropped another spurwing into the reeds behind me. He came running back, straight past me and into the water again with more enthusiasm than your average spaniel!!!

By this point I'm trying to work out how much money they are selling these geese for back in the township. After all, a big spurwing must make a fine meal for a large family. I decided that this evening I would not ask for any of the game to cook for the group, as the guys were now wet through with a long drive home. They had earned their bonus money and a good tip on top. We collected the last of our duck, only leaving the second bird from my left and right behind, and headed back to the truck.

I was telling Dig about how enthusiastic Aaron was in fetching the geese and he agreed that his guy was the same as he had shot 5 of them, and he seemed very happy sat in the grass grinning from ear to ear. He had also been keen to get geese from the water but not so much on the ducks....

We asked the guide what they sell for, and he laughed a very knowing smile.

"They don't sell the geese. They sell everything else but not the geese"... He noticed our slightly confused expressions and said something to Aaron in his native tongue before turning back. "He says that for a spurwing goose he can get laid twice!!". We fell about in fits of hysterics realising just how different a perspective we had each had on the success of that evening flight.

With that all cleared up we spent the drive home laughing and trying to work out what would happen if back in London; we walked into a trendy west end bar and slap a Canada goose on the table instead of offering to buy girls a drink by way of a chat up line!!

It doesn't matter where you are in Africa, as she still manages to turn up these little gems.

Rgds,
Kiri

Is that what might be described as a 'fowl thing to do?'

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Is that what might be described as a 'fowl thing to do?'

A bird in the hand is worth two in the "bush"?

Funny stuff right there....


Well told on the story

I guess a bird in the hand is better than the option...

For a young guy anyway

Rich

quote:

A bird in the hand is worth two in the "bush"?

A bush in the hand is worth 2 on the street

the oldest occupation - Goose hunting?

According to the story, a bird in the hand is really worth TWO IN THE BUSH!

F'ing comedians!

Whatever you put in the bush is likely to drop off.

Too funny!



Mad Dog