There are actually 3 or 4 puntgunners still active here on the River Blackwater and a couple more on Hamford Water near Harwich. And there's an old boy on Mersea Island who'll still build you a traditional Essex gunning punt, for a modest fee of course They attract quite a lot of interest from casual observers on coastal walks etc., who understandably find the whole issue of launching a boat with no freeboard or buoyancy into the middle of a tidal estuary in winter completely insane and eccentric.
Would love to see a punt gun in action - must be awesome!!! Have fired a .500 nitro express and that was incredible - one hell of a roar - recoil was nothing like the short sharp thump of a 12bore but one almighty shove instead!
Funny to think you can have one of these things on a shotgun licence but you can't have an airpistol of more than 6ft lbs muzzle energy (punt gun about 12000). Just to put into perspective the power a 9mm MP5 as used by the Police develops about 400!!!
Looks like I have been blobbed again - maybe Mr Kennett is having some fun???
Back in the old days we Kenter's used to venture across the water into Essex for a different kind of hunt (yes i said hunt) we'd run the guantlet across no mans land (the Dartford tunnel) and into the waste lands now known as Thurock on our way into the plush pastures of Essex, famous for a particular type of bird sadly rarely seen these days as they were driven into extinction by excessive jokes and night club Burburry bans.
Ah yes, mayhaps the well known hunting grounds of TOTS, Sarfend, 'Ollywoods, Romford & Dukes, Chelmsford?
My soon to be Uncles in law in Canada are keen for me to get my gun licence when I arrive so's I can go into the pool for Moose hunting licences. I told 'em that I've hunted moose in essex as well, albeit a different type in the aforementioned hunting grounds!
Ah yes, mayhaps the well known hunting grounds of TOTS, Sarfend, 'Ollywoods, Romford & Dukes, Chelmsford?
My soon to be Uncles in law in Canada are keen for me to get my gun licence when I arrive so's I can go into the pool for Moose hunting licences. I told 'em that I've hunted moose in essex as well, albeit a different type in the aforementioned hunting grounds!
Ah Alan hunting moose in essex......that brings back so many memories to me
They attract quite a lot of interest from casual observers on coastal walks etc., who understandably find the whole issue of launching a boat with no freeboard or buoyancy into the middle of a tidal estuary in winter completely insane and eccentric.
