I don’t really know what prompted me into wingshooting. We were not a hunting or shooting family. My dad did own a pretty ordinary Spanish 16-bore side-byside that he bought after the Sharpeville incident, which took my fancy. So, I presume the old Nationalist government can be blamed for laying the foundation of my early wingshooting interest. That sweet little 16 is still going strong, by the way.
Perhaps the affordability of wingshooting was another important factor. As a young extension officer for the citrus industry, my annual salary of R5 800 (minus income tax) wasn’t enough to buy impala or kudu, although I did have access to farms. However, game birds were abundant and free and willingly offered to young, drooling extension officers – unlike today when, pound for pound, a greywing must be the most expensive meat you could buy.
I never looked at the pros and cons and positively decided this was the type of hunting I would like to do. I sort of stumbled into it from the affordability side. My stumble then evolved into a love for dogs, guns and birds, which became the most wonderful sport imaginable. I cannot compare
