I remember he published a series of booklets about various muzzle-loading processes, wood-work, barrels etc. I have a few that I've picked up over the years and last I heard they were available from Track of the Wolf or direct from his Widow. They make interesting reading... Very nostalgic!
Coach Harness, now there's a name to conjure with! I remember their catalogue and also spending large slices of my wages there!
Dear Toot the' Punt 'is the shallow draft boat you fasten the gun into then paddle or drift up to a flock of ducks or geese line it up and in some cases fire a little popping pistol so the birds all rise so the punt gun sythes the flying mass .Then its all down to some cripple stopper normal shotgun to finish any cripples . Not that Ive done it Felt Wad probably has But Ime going off Col Hawkers accounts'' Instructions to young sportsmen ' he was a 19c shooting Gentleman (Didn't have to work) Particularly fond of Wildfowling .Much could be written about him but he wrote many Editions of his books & his Diaries have been published ..
As far as I know, a PUNT is a small boat. It was used when they used to do market hunting for waterfowl. They would lay it in a carved out section in the bow of the boat and steadily scull up to a raft of ducks on the water and then let it rip. It would kill lots of waterfowl and was eventually outlawed.
Feltwad, I googled is puntgunning illegal in the UK and it appears that there are some still doing it.
I remember them well Feltwad also meeting up with old friend Sandy on the M25 and motoring down to Paris in 1976 for a World Champs. at Versailles. I provided the the Wheels, he bought the petrol. Long gone but was a Gentleman and Great company who knew his way around,. We met up with the late Val. as well.. Fun times.. OLD DOG..
I am amazed that it is still done in the UK. Is there no limits on a daily take as we have here? Where I live (Long Island, NY) market hunting was done a lot I guess til around 1920s, the ducks then were sold in NYC. Hunters back then used another thing which is illegal now I guess, called a sink box. Think of a 5' square box 4' deep that was like a boat, only you had only a few inches of free board. So you were just about level with the water in the bay, talk about dangerous. I have a vintage decoy that Teddy Roosevelt probably shot over as it came from one of the club estates he used each waterfowl season. I grew up hunting ducks and geese and of all I've taken before and after the one I remember most is the first one I took with a ML with toilet paper wadding in 1970.
