12 Attachment(s)
Opening weekend 2013, Rakaia
The boys set off at 6pm on thursday, picking me up at wellington and we jumped on the 2.00am ferry. Ute was fully loaded (there is a dog in their somewhere)
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Destination was a irrigation pond on the north of rakaia river and east of SH1. After getting some supplies we arrived at the pond and set up.
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Saturday morning came around after a difficult sleep and the weather forecast was for clear blue skies. Morning started with a mob of 15 teal coming straight in and swimming around the coys. At about 6.35 we heard the first few flurrys of shots (meant to be 6.45 down their apparently) but didnt get our first duck until 7.00. Quickly learnt that we had to take the ducks on the first pass over as if we let them circle to long more mobs would join them and soon enough we would have 50 birds circling!
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Was the first time for us shooting on the pond and we are use to shooting swamps or mud holes in the waikato so bit hard to get use to the open water (about 6Ha). Stopped shooting at 12 as we had some rules to abide to and no night shoot for us. Ended up with 102 mallards and our limit of 25 parries which we got very early on.
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Sunday rolled around and we started off very well, no wind and birds were coming straight down into the spread, not much got away until a bit later in the morning. Stopped shooting at 10.30 and we had 55 mallards and 15 parries.
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Just got back after a very shitty ferry crossing, a lot of spew was involved, and keen to get some sleep. Mint trip had and definitely worth the drive. 196ish birds harvested for the weekend
