Thread: Game bird diary for all

Originally Posted by Woody

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.
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Thor (my young GWP) and Burl (my old GWP) in the canoe as we paddle up the creek to our peg.
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Waiting waiting.
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Nice retrieve by Thor from heavy flooded cover.
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Waiting for the next one.
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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. Attachment 87066

Very nice side by side a friend has a hulgu one and its his go to for gamebirds he reckons it leads better. Really should get one of my old timers going there should be a dispensation for 12 gauge bp proof guns like there is for muzzle loaders.

95 birds 7 parries 6 guns, wairarapa

day 1, 11 mallards 2 guns Thornton

Got our limit of 32 mallards between 4 (Wellington region) on opening morning plenty of birds keeped landing in the pond as we packed up and left. I was very impressed with my shooting skills on Saturday. On Sunday ended up with 13 mallards. Now back to Hunting in the reporoa region bit of a bugger the four week season aye @Woody but seems to be a bit more birds around this year though. Opening weekend sure seems to go in a blink of an eye. Good luck for the rest of the season guys

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Very nice side by side a friend has a hulgu one and its his go to for gamebirds he reckons it leads better. Really should get one of my old timers going there should be a dispensation for 12 gauge bp proof guns like there is for muzzle loaders.

Yes. This is a Beretta silver hawk. I still use lead of course, and the only duck I lost this weekend was actually to eels. Darned near lost another to eels also, but dog got it in time, minus the vent. Lead kills best IMHO. I've shot a number of Canada's with my 28 ga using Fiocchi #5's.

Few photos from this evening. Took a mate and his 3 boys out, I take these kids out a lot, they’re great company, willing to get amongst it and very polite and respectful. We set up on a small river about 1km from my house, 6 floaters and 3 resting deeks. Quite a flew flying about, really windy so they had trouble hearing where we were but once they honed in they flopped in nicely. Managed to take 9, the boys missed a few sitters but they’re only learning to shoot. Highlight of the evening was me taking a pair with one shot, long time since I did that. Mint piece of water to work the dog and she did awesome, only missing one that got caught in the current while she was bringing in two others. A quick sprint down stream and we got it retrieved eventually.















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It's getting worse! 4 parries over two days. Never seen so many of parries at my spot, although they didn't come close enough. Very few, maybe no mallards/greys seen.

Post-mortem to follow

Opening day was quieter this year over in the grey valley, we only managed 12 between 2 of us by 10am and only 3 more for sunday morning and quite a lot of effort jump shooting a few spots over the weekend , parries seemed to abundant but didn't really try for them, the greys and mallards just were'nt coming in.

Main thing were- the dog was bloody good all weekend retrieved everything i shot and someone elses woundy we saw out of range in a paddock on the way home and behaved when the action wasn't on, was impressed with her at 20 month old and 2nd season and relieved as i forgot her rope.


The eldest boy (5) had his first opening morning with me and his grandad, he lasted until8am until the first are we going home soon, so just kept giving him snacks and jobs.

the next Hunter Morrow

Mrs has me booked up next weekend so may have to finish work early for a couple of evening shots (she'll never know)

Chur Little fellow will never forget.
Who bred that good dog?

@Woody good on ya mate nice shotgun didn’t know that we had dabchicks in NZ.
We have them in the Lambourn river here in the uk fascinating to watch.

I got lucky if I'm honest she came from Hoki and is GWPXGSP fist dog I have had myself and loving the journey now she has calmed down a bit and stopped wrecking shit.

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

Will get my dachshund out this season. I reckon he will go alright, has a awesome nose on him just no good in long grass. Should be entertaining enough anyway

@PerazziSC3 seen dachshund in action in France. They use them to track wounded boar and deer. Must say they have some nose on them and balls those boar are not small. Recon it will find them fine retrieving them himmmm

We have a resident dab chick up at the big pond @Sideshow it really keeps the dogs on the alert with the ripples and diving then popping up somewhere else.They are cool little birds to watch.

Saw a sign up Rotorua way years ago and it said Dab chick capital of NZ.
Managed to get back home from work and up at the green pond tonight by 530pm two hit the deck but when the dog went to retrieve the first one it decided its engine will restart and buggered off
Only one bird came home tonight the oats that have been fed certainly helped.

Saturday, 2 mallard , 3 parries , 3 black swan , 2 guns , was hard work on the open water and nice clear day , with most birds sitting safely in middle of lake by 8am , was a good day all the same with the young fellas (7) first opening morning he was wrapped

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a couple of pics of the set up opening morning paarries on the right mallards to the left and front


it did cloud over after about an hours or so and blow a bit .
we had steady action for most of our tenure.
seemed to be a lot less parries action at the boggy creek end of elly this year but way more mallard chances than in the last 2 years.