Thread: Game bird diary for all

Full Choke? he is shooting a communist gun, isnt he?

Good work fellas

Originally Posted by Pointer

Took Toby out this morning for a run with Patch, had a few finds:

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Toby nailed this one under 10 metres, full choke!

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Next bird I pricked, it did a runner out the other side where it got the full choke treatment again! This one went 32 bars to Toby

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Brilliant but where has your smile gone Toby?

The owner of that fine looking pointer messaged me about needing his dog for a 2 week long mission to the Far North during the school holidays

Originally Posted by Pointer

Had to head over to the BOP today, what better excuse for a hunt?

I had a place in mind, that I had previously only been to hunt deer. The inland river flats of the Motu area make for great deer hunting, but also hold reasonable bird numbers. I had promised myself one day I would run a dog up there, today I got my chance...

After a ball-deep river crossing, and upstream another hour so I could hunt back into the wind, I popped up onto the terraces. These river terraces are upwards of a kilometer long each, and up to 300m wide, perfect country for a young dog to stretch his legs. And stretch he did - plenty of open country to run, but just enough cover to slow him:

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First off the bat two hens got up away from the dog and myself, maybe 200m out. Flushed no doubt by my battles with the weeds. Always encouraging, where there's hens there's cocks... Next bird I saw was a cock bird, gliding from a tree back into the native. I find it fascinating to see a bird that often ground roosts adapted to its environment like this. Even more so to see them in native! The next bird I saw was Enzos' - he found this one right out in the open, miles from any tall cover, tucked up in long grass. Certainly uneducated birds up here - in fact I would say they had never been hunted. Here is Enzos' find of the day:

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After this find, our mate Enzo had a full head of steam, at full speed, ears turned off, the works. So I sat him down for bit while I had a drink, gave him 10 minutes to bring him back into the quiet. When he had settled, I cast him off again, and we had a find on a covey of 4 brownies, again out in the open. Well that was enough for Enzo, he was off! Chased them to oblivion. Time to call it a day it seems, so on the leash, walked out. On the way out, saw another hen and a cock gliding amongst the rewarewa. Always a sight to see!

Great write up & photos Pointer, I've never hunted with dogs, looks/sounds cool......

Shifted a few decoys and silos to a small pond that has only had water in it for the last week.



Cattle had shifted them selves so I put them at the other end of paddock.

Been a few feathers on the water the last couple of days.



A couple of parries have been there also and flew off tonight on the approach.

Sitting on hay bales the dog and I watch the skyline.



A pair of mallards came in and the hen was retrieved

I knew I had hit the drake too,cause I could see him crumble a bit as he flew behind us.

The neighbour stopped me this morning and said there was a drake in front of there door this morning



I never heard the thud last night of the second bird hitting the deck,but at that distance who would.



The dog was working after the first retrieve but didn't cross the boundary.We were sitting on the bales,another example of bloody steel shot.

100 percent last night Woo Hoo!!!

Well done Dundee.

Your on to it Dundee, well done mate......

Back at the little puddle tonight at 1700hrs,only been shot at last night and tonight.

The position of the dog and shooting position



It was bloody easy blowing the duck chatter on the caller cause it was fricken cold 5 degree with a stiff southerly blowing from behind.

One drake flew over the pine trees from behind our shooting position and a few short "quacks" from my caller turned Donald the drake back into range.

The dog placed it on our firing position



That was the only shot fired when Jess and I left for home after seeing lights go on at the neighbours,they were probably thinking dinners served again

Stroll back too the bike covered in camo coats



Suppose to be shit weather tomorrow so back to the big pond with a roof over our head

You are the master provider Dundee.

Brilliant but where has your smile gone Toby

he,s definately got what my ucle used to call the ''lean hungry look''
well done on the pheasants

Out to Ellesmere this afternoon. Interesting indeed. There is a bit more water in than last time, was getting rather deep on the way in but drove most of the way. When it got too deep (about 800mm deep on the road) we backed up about 150m and parked the truck where is wasn't so wet. It was cold, wet and windy and there were very few birds flying about at all. Came back empty handed. Still damn good fun.

Thanks for the update Gadgetman

Been a bit slack here the last couple of nights but the weather was good for the birds.

Friday at the big pond



The southerly blew like hell and a few birds came in but the dog fucked it up and stormed outa of the mai mai,no shots fired

Tonight was 4 degrees out side and tried the green pond,nothing came in but the ponds a finally starting to full up



It was fricken cold out there

looks cool as. Shoot one coming in watch it have this blooy skid mark 20m long