Thread: Game bird diary for all

21 parries,3 mallards, 2 spoonies, 1 canada goose 1 black swan and a ticket for failure to produce licence for the weekend

@nightshooter like the photo

thank you @bigbear, my lovely lady was with me on saturday taking photo's

Did alright today.Sean and his dog were busy retrieving ducks tonight up at the green pond that failed opening morning.This green pond is a night shooter.Got stuff all this morning but a cuppla pukekos on way back from big pond.

Nice to see the a family out enjoying the social aspects of duck shooting @Dundee
Looks like some good laughs where had
When I used to go with Dad it was always a great way to wined down after the milking season cows dried off and all you needed to do was let them across the break. Good times

Quietest season opening we have ever had, only managed 30 odd for the weekend (usually shoot 5-6 times that). Only 7 for all of Saturday, meant a long day. But we still had a good time catching up. 13th year in a row we have been shooting together now.

Just seemed to be no ducks flying at all, we'd be lucky if we saw 30 for all of Saturday. We knew numbers were down regionally this year, but that's just taking the piss

13 ah @JoshC unlucky for some I'd better post on how to build nesting boxs get ya numbers up.

80 on the nail for the weekend, 5 guns on sat, 4 on Sunday. River shooting over decoys, good number of birds around, not many shooters out on the Sunday though, full of the flu took the edge off the weekend but the duck shooting was good now time for the duck hunting.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

13 ah @JoshC unlucky for some I'd better post on how to build nesting boxs get ya numbers up.

Na 32 I think total was, all mallards, plus two spoonies and four parries. Only seven for Saturday. Yeah something for us to think about, specially if we end up having another dry year...the drought this year had more effect on it than anything else, driest spring and summer in the area since 1901. We're extending the pond and building a new maimai this year, will get onto it in the next few weeks. We did the best out of all the ponds in our area, some guys only getting 3-4 ducks on what would normally be 50-80 bird ponds. Most mates I've talked to only managed 20 odd. Have heard from two mates further south who cracked 200, but they have amazing pieces of swampy water to shoot. Every other year we've shot 150 plus, and have seen hundreds flying about....those numbers just were flying this opening.

Reporoa is on a retricted bag limit and short season again this year. However, not to be deterred we went into the creek and gave it a shot. High cloud and very high ducks but I managed to call a few in.

Thor (my young GWP) and Burl (my old GWP) in the canoe as we paddle up the creek to our peg.

Waiting waiting.

Nice retrieve by Thor from heavy flooded cover.

Waiting for the next one.

Checking their work.
Not so many birds this year, but weather is a factor too.
There is an old female swan that uses this area for nesting; been here for many years. How she has survived I do not know, but she called in and said hello a couple of times. Of course, I do not shoot her; she is lovely to see; seems to know she is safe here and flies within a few feet of me quite unconcerned. She brought in two of her cobbers Sunday night as well.
I set two short step ladders in the mud and lean on them, standing in chest waders. Miss a few when my feet get stuck in the bud and prevents me from turning and swinging the gun quickly.
We had half a dozen for our efforts, so no complaints and watching the dog work is the greatest buzz for me, especially in the beautiful environment that surrounds. Dabchicks, teal, spoonies, geese, swallows, hawks, shags, trout, eels,, swans, canadas and all manner of insects make the place magical. Don't need to kill a lot to appreciate one of the finer things in life.
Lastly, drying and cleaning my 20 gauge and ammo.

Me and my mate shot about 20. Had a great morning shoot, night shoot was uneventful. Sadly we lost about 6 to losing them in rapua and injuries.......bit of a shame, don't like to leave a wounded bird

Off for the rest of the afternoon...evening shoot on. Wind is coming

Only 2 weeks out and Invited by an old mate back on the coast for a shoot with a group so a mad rush to get my shit together as we camp on the farm sat-sun night.
182 parries for the weekend between 9 of us.
Best weekend ever

Originally Posted by csmiffy

Only 2 weeks out and Invited by an old mate back on the coast for a shoot with a group so a mad rush to get my shit together as we camp on the farm FRIDAY-SATURDAY night.
182 parries for the weekend between 9 of us.
Best weekend ever

edit one day out ooops.

40 mallards and 1 Parrie . 2 guns . 2 days . Not flash