Shoot at Hickling Broad 1934

The Norfolk Broads are an important wetland nature reserve, albeit largely a man made product created by peat digging over the centuries. The following account of a shoot on Hickling Broad in 1934 from the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalist Society may appear alarming. However, it should be considered that coots in particular are very aggressive and you seldom get other waterfowl nesting near them and they will crowd out and kill other species with their territorial behaviour and I have known WWT wardens cull them. Something that the over sensitive TV nature watchers are unlikely to share with the public. The following is from a different era of nature conservation:

The annual coot shoot at Hickling took place on February 10th, when the following bag was made:

Coots 1213

Moorhen 2

Mallard 10

Pochard 14

Tufted Duck 7

Shoveller 1

Scaup 1

Swans 27

Total 1275

The swan total will probably be a surprise to the reader, but it has to be remembered that these birds have increased very largely in number of late years in the Broads and have become a serious menace to smaller nesting water fowl, for which reason they have to be kept in check.

Norfolk Broads photographed in 2007