Savouring a lengthy loiter like Savory

In the second part of our series on fowling in the footsteps of the greats, Richard Negus chases geese on a Great Yarmouth marsh

- Richard Negus

I have some rather strong opinions on sporting literature. Other than the acidic genius of R. S. Surtees, no one has ever written anything worth reading about hunting with hounds.

Equally, little springs to mind of any literary note that has been penned on driven shooting. Richard Prior wrote both originally and accurately about stalking, as did Archie Coats on pigeons. Brian Plummer humorously elaborated on tales of ferrets, rats and terriers.

Wildfowling, however, boasts an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the written word. It comes as little surprise as wildfowlers are by their very nature observers, that most important trait of the writer.

The fowler is the partner of dawn, the companion of the moon and ally of dusk. Our sport is spent in lengthy loitering, hoping for the chance of a shot. While we skulk in expectation, bathing in this glorious estuarine panorama, we have the leisure to mentally mark the minute changes in light, sound and smell around us.

The birdlife that awakes and breakfasts in our presence is noted. A few degrees of temperature change on an exposed face is deeply analysed. The merest sound of wind on wing is treated like breaking news of national importance. The wildfowler has the time, location and personality to absorb all of this minute detail.

Thus the sport has spawned some of the finest penmen. Willock, BB, Scott, Wentworth Day, Humphreys and Niall all produced writing that is not only devoured by those with a passion for wild sport in wild places, but also by less sporting readers who simply appreciate descriptive nature writing.

One name missing from that list is Alan Savory. Perhaps not as well known as some of his contemporaries he is, nonetheless, one of the greats. A regular contributor to Shooting Times, this naturalist, fowler, angler, coypu farmer and good ol’ Norfolk boy boasted a prodigious writing career.