Thread: Nathan's 2014 season

Well Done.

Come up here Nathan and shoot 6 a day and a 4 week season. Cheap on ammo thats for sure. I sure hope that F&G get some answers soon, or it will be a closed season for us. I wouldn't even mind that- if it meant a sustainable population long term.
We also picked mostly drakes after opening. Got a bit anxious later on with fewer birds around, but maybe it helped the breeding population a little bit. Any idea why your region has such a good population of ducks? Do you think that your bag limit is sustainable?

Originally Posted by Lentil

Come up here Nathan and shoot 6 a day and a 4 week season. Cheap on ammo thats for sure. I sure hope that F&G get some answers soon, or it will be a closed season for us. I wouldn't even mind that- if it meant a sustainable population long term.
We also picked mostly drakes after opening. Got a bit anxious later on with fewer birds around, but maybe it helped the breeding population a little bit. Any idea why your region has such a good population of ducks? Do you think that your bag limit is sustainable?

A heap of feeds my guess. If I was a north islander I'd come south. 6 birds a days terrible. Be all over 2 minutes after first light in Canterbury

It's all relative Nathan. Six birds a day each for two of us means lots of bullshit talked in the maimai, great big cooked breakfast/brunch, and plenty of time to use the video camera. You really appreciate each bird taken, and remember each bird. I think I'm getting soft in my old age, 'cos it doesn't worry me too much. In my younger years it was all about numbers. I just HAD to get my limit. Now I get more excited about getting it on film.

Don't get me wrong . Any day out buntings good. I used to hunt the Waikato when I lived in Auckland. Seriously I don't know why the duck numbers are in decline up there. Lack of food and a lot more people maybe?
50 per person a day in CSI is probably sustainable given the amount of cropping and food. In saying that we never limited out in csi once this year. Shot it three times and stopped at the 50 mark between two of us. Mainly because plucking ducks is repetitive hard work. We don't shoot them for the sake of it. Drakes are plucked and everything else breasted for sausage.
One shoot in Canterbury I limited out in forty minutes (25). They were still coming when packing up. There's certainly some great bird hunting to be had.

Can you chase them up North Island next season Nathan

Dundee, lately I have seen Mallards everywhere...on the land, in ditches, on the rivers...