# Hunting > Varminting and Small Game Hunting >  Spur-winged plovers

## suthy

Hey guys. Got a question for ya. I never seem to see anyone posting anything about knocking these annoying little a-holes over even though I know they are in the "not protected" part (section 5) of the wildlife act, does no-one else have a problem with them? Or is it because they used to be protected?

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## bully

You haven't looked hard enough, plenty of people tip them over, look in the what little pesties have you knocked over thread.

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## muzza

Puff-birds.  try whacking them with a high power to find out why...

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## Moa Hunter

A misnomer, they are actually 'Lap Wings' not plovers. This does not however change the fact that they is a great deal of pleasure derived from quietening them - permanently.

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## dannyb

Only reason I don't shoot many is because I normally see them in the same place as magpies and they get the medicine first  :Thumbsup:

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## Martin358

i get quite a few. 17 hornet makes a puff of feathers when hit in the right spot

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## Happy

Only reason I dont send then to departure lounge as they all already there Have a 17 Hornet but its way more fun with 308 lol

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## Rushy

Shoot the ugly looking noisy little bastards.

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## chopsuey

I read a while back that they are an Aviation threat? But also they make a heck of a racket so i dealt to them with the 17.
Had about 4 of them being chased by magpies today. Why are magpies considered a pest? Apart from swooping etc?

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## Russian 22.

> I read a while back that they are an Aviation threat? But also they make a heck of a racket so i dealt to them with the 17.
> Had about 4 of them being chased by magpies today. Why are magpies considered a pest? Apart from swooping etc?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk


magpies compete with nz birds and are aussies. enough said

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## suthy

@bully Well I've been a semi regular contributor to that thread for some time now and I don't recall seeing anyone else post up any pics, hence why I asked. Not saying I haven't missed the odd post but these little buggers are not few and far between at my place, we get swarms of them so I figured others would be the same and might have put a few more posts up.

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## 57jl

I just brought a new plover puff rifle  goes BANG and you see a big puff of feathers in the scope  :Wink:  helps fertilize my paddocks hale the  204 :Have A Nice Day:

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## chopsuey

Good enough reason for me. 
More target practice....

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## suthy

And when I say problem I'm not just talking about the fkn racket they make, I'm talking about dive bombing the chooks, the cats, dog and wifey while riding the horses...We are only on 10 acres and these ARE JUST FROM THE LATER PART OF THIS YEAR!!

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## kidmac42

Magpies are just cnuts. 
Doofers arent much better.

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## tiroatedson

I get my fair share. I put mine up on FB though...


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## Moa Hunter

Suthy, have you considered breasting them and making a pie ??

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## bully

> @bully Well I've been a semi regular contributor to that thread for some time now and I don't recall seeing anyone else post up any pics, hence why I asked. Not saying I haven't missed the odd post but these little buggers are not few and far between at my place, we get swarms of them so I figured others would be the same and might have put a few more posts up.


Ok, I guess one reason could be most people pop them and leave them. They are not worth taking, nothing of value, so probably less cool factor when posting.
I shoot a few. As soon as they wake me up, it's war for a while.

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## tiroatedson

Last Saturday morning...


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## Mintie

I get the bastards when I can, this was a beauty headshot at 120m and my son even witnessed the shot!

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## r87mm

They start nesting around here July/August so a good chance to get close and clean up pairs. From what I've seen they seem to be able to have at least two broods since they start to nest so early(a month or two before most other birds). A shot gun sorts the big flying mobs outwith style!

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## Micky Duck

big wide tyres on truck makes short work of the bumblebee sized ones.....have run over two adults over the years too. the meat is SIMILAR to pidgeon . when they have bumblebees around they should be fairly easy to pick off as they wont leave them.

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## rupert

They are one of the few birds that control the spread of magpies.

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## Martin358

chuckle, i control maggies as well

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## charliehorse

Before and after

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## Moa Hunter

> big wide tyres on truck makes short work of the bumblebee sized ones.....have run over two adults over the years too. the meat is SIMILAR to pidgeon . when they have bumblebees around they should be fairly easy to pick off as they wont leave them.


Well the chance of making a pie and entering it in this years national comp has just passed - shame would have been unique - it was a mince and cheese that won

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## Marty Henry

> Suthy, have you considered breasting them and making a pie ??


Breasted this one today from 180 yds with the 223, dont think ill bother making a pie from it.

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## tiroatedson

Popped one this morning..



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## Micky Duck

9 nests and 7 bumblebees so far....been VERY close to collecting mum on nest a few times too...

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## Moa Hunter

> Breasted this one today from 180 yds with the 223, dont think ill bother making a pie from it.


A de-constructed pie Marty ?

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## tiroahunta

Just before....




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## hotbarrels

Just a note (and no, I am not a plover lover), if you have ponds with ducks breading on them, having plovers around is a good thing as they hound the hawks out of the area, saving the ducklings.
If you do have ducklings, and you also have shags, shoot the f'n shags.  They will demolish a clutch of ducklings in under an hour.

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## chopsuey

Thanks @hotbarrels. Now that you mention that we had a set of ducklings on Tuesday which had freakishly disappeared by Wednesday........ noticed the hawks hanging round there more than usual aswell as the usual traffic of pukekos.

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## Krank

Actually knocked a couple of these over myself at the direction of my employer who informed me of just how unpleasant these aholes are. Lots of little fan tails and song birds around where i live and have seen them knocking them out the sky which really pisses me off specially with those barbs on their wings. Plus the make a bloody racket also.

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## tiroahunta

Taken a hour or so ago...




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## Marty Henry

Your rifle works unsupervised? Brilliant, I can only assume it has its own license.

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## tiroahunta

Couple more plovers....




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## Mintie

My son got this bastard last night with the PCP, then culled its 2 chicks.

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## stagstalker

Plover vs 7mm08. Skip to 9:15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLReUBOwmoQ&t=51s

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## Survy

> Plover vs 7mm08. Skip to 9:15
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLReUBOwmoQ&t=51s


Haha , loved it.

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## tiroahunta

A couple more from weekend...




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## muzza

dont have any pics - you dont find many bits anyway - but whacking plovers with my 220 Swift has to be one of the small game highlights

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## Ryan_Songhurst

I kinda like the wee buggers. You gotta hand it to them they've got big hearts to protect their young and stand up too people, cows, tractors etc sometimes thousands of times bigger than they are. It's funny when you put 400 cows in a paddock and the whole paddock is eaten the next morning except for one little circle of perfectly preserved grass... where the Plover is Haha

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## muzza

they are about the only bird who will roll an egg back into the nest , too. Try it if you ever find a nest. gently move an egg outside the  nest bowl . Check tomorrow and it will be back in the nest with the others.

Then when the eggs hatch , use the plovers as targets of opportunity . They are Australians , after all

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## charliehorse

First two kills for the new 22-250, 100m for mum on the nest and Dad at 200m. The resounding thud and explosion of Dad at 200m was very impressive. Kids are inside so wont wander off to get pictures even though I'm very keen to see.

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## tiroahunta

Popped these two this evening...




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## charliehorse

Snuck out for a couple of pics

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## tiroahunta

Got busy/lucky today....





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## Cigar

I got buzzed today spreading fert on our lifestyle block, first time this year, there must be a nest on the neighbours place.

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## Marty Henry

> Popped these two this evening...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Whats with the stock? It looks a bit like a version of dundees old one on the sterling with less varnish

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## tiroahunta

> Whats with the stock? It looks a bit like a version of dundees old one on the sterling with less varnish


I wood burned a dragons arm? with a claw around the wrist n one gripping the fore end.  My attempt at personalisation. 
 To be fair it does need a rub with linseed oil. 

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## Marty Henry

I could make out the celtic cross some oil might help☺

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## csmiffy

mate did that years ago with his remmy 788. tripped the varnish then gave it a bit of a scorching with an lpg burner. very quick clean up and then re-oiled it (cant remember what with. as it wasn't sanded back super smooth it had quite a tactile feel to it. I was a little shocked at the time but to each their own.

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