Thread: Game bird diary for all

Yes, times have changed since I was a kid very rear to get a wet foggy or windblown opening day in the far north these days. maybe I should just put my speedos and take up sunbathing instead

Great photos woody, after opening I'm usually on a Waikato river backwash up or down river from you but shoot down in Wellington region for opening.Here's my ammo for this season...

Went from 3 inch falcon 36 gram load of #4 to the 2 3/4 35 gram loading. Cut open one of each and the 3 inch had 243 pellets if I counted correctly and the 2 3/4 had 226. Can't wait to fold some greenheads.

Good luck then. I don't own any 12 guns proofed for steel and for the few years left to me I figure to just use bismuth in my elderly guns; the youngest being 50 years and the others over 70 and 80; so they are sort of appropriate for me

It's going to be my first season for 3 years. Just spent a couple of hours getting my gear ready. I don't have high expectations, but the farmer was moaning about the number of parries on the property, so should get a few of those at least.

good ammo BUT for us the #3 wins hands down...the #2 is very good stuff too,less pellets to be sure ,but you need less to drop birds.
that kent is very good stuff,the pellets stay bright n shiney even after cooking LOL.
if you on a pond that #4 should be great,it seems to have big following,why we bought a slab of it.....tried and yeah nah back to #3s .

I bought a slab of Eley #4 five years ago and slowly working through it. I didn't feel that it had enough knock down power, so bought some 3 inch #2 shells which do a good job. Having said that, I don't do enough duck hunting to come to any firm conclusions.

the dog is horribly confused.....we went out and set our decoys,got some stuff in the maimai AND THEN WENT HOME ......this isnt right you can almost see her thinking,NORMALLY we would have set up camp underthe pinetrees and be sitting back enjoying a cool beer or two,just chilling out waiting for day to pass....
have to admit its kind of nice to be in comfy chair beside the fire with hot cuppa tea and fresh baking all the same. the good wifey will crack into making B&E pie soon.... one more restless sleep guys n gals

May your steel shot fly true, going to shoot 20g with 3" steel, will have the 12g handy if I let the 20g down.

Used steel this morning for first time in 20G with 1/4 choke, will use skeet next time, at times lot of feathers but ducks flew on, won't make judgement on first attempt.

Great walk this morning. Managed a double on quail and to cap it off one was retrieved to hand by my wee girl and the other was retrieved by her sister. Absolutely stoked I was

8 waterfowl after some hard work.
Used Eley bismuth 6 in cyl choked 70 yr old shotgun first two or three hours and no problem killing mallards and parries out to 30 metres. The switched to my 82 year old S2 beretta choked half and full. Used Eley #5 and home made #4 bismuth. No difficulty out to 40 metres.
So we are happy here apart from the scarcity of birds. Also unusual was to TOTAL absence of canada geese. This was weird.

Great day. Used a 20gauge for first time. The 3" number 2 steel are killing way better than number 4 steel.

and you will probably find #3 is best of both worlds.
we had SLOW day ,but relaxing all the same. there were no ducks,then a pair would simply drop in.... then no ducks again...then another pair.... finished day with 9 mallards...only 2 after lunch and we stayed till dark...first time on seldom used farm pond.

Originally Posted by tetawa

Used steel this morning for first time in 20G with 1/4 choke, will use skeet next time, at times lot of feathers but ducks flew on, won't make judgement on first attempt.

might I suggest you try modified instead???? it seems to work best for me.

After a accident at the start of the year i am unable to shoot this year, so i wasn't able to do any pond prep or didn't really have the money to buy maize.
Have shot here the last 7 years.
Any how a plan for my ten year old to shoot fell through at 8 o'clock last night, so of to my pond this morning chuck out a handful of decoys and waited. few teal turned up, then a pair of greys, young fella up with his single 410 took one of those. Nothing much flying and the first opening in 7 years it was damp with a bit of wind. Tried stalking the river but it was hard work been fenced of with meter high rank grass, tried staking a few ponds but big lack of ducks. Its been pretty dry in the area and still have a lot of dry ponds and creeks the usually hold a few ducks have no water.
Then sitting at home my boy spotted a cat next to the pond so that got dispatched by the 7mm08.
It wasn't even worth going out for a night shoot with the lack of ducks around
1x duck
1x cat