Thread: North Island game bird hunting pro seeking apprentice?

I'm wondering if anyone in the North Island is desperate to teach a rookie a few tricks of the trade? If it's out of Auckland I could sort out a weekend mission It's my first season and it seems to be bloody complicated! Gonna pop down to a shop tomorrow to see if someone can help me make sense of things, I know I need the $91 season license but need others on top for public land? I thought shotguns were a no go on DoC land but assume the various permits provide exemptions or something. Quite a bit to take in really! Hopefully have a pond to shoot on opening day, but I know there's more to the season than just opening day! I can offer beer and lifetime friendships in return.

Square1. when you buy your licence you are given a booket with all the rules and regs regarding each province re which species you can shoot, daily bag etc. Your local fish and game office can advise where you can shoot on public land without a permit. Stating the obvious I know, but don't forget your FAL Our local F&G offers ballots (far too late to go in for one now with only a week out from Opening Day) on forestry land under the mantels of Pan Pac and other big forestry ownership.

I learnt all I know from you tube and after two years of water fowling I've become an above average hunter. Buy a dozen half decent decoys and a Hammond call, make up a jerk rig. Learn how to blow your call properly (don't use voice inflection in Hammond calls) and make sure you are concealed. Now you are a water fowler

! Gonna pop down to a shop tomorrow to see if someone can help me make sense of things, I know I need the $91 season license but need others on top for public land?

that could be your first mistake
try the local waterfowlers clubs/gunclubs even if they cant take you out they,l give you better info than a shop desperate to sell you shit you wont know how to use :yaeh am not durnk

:

Hopefully have a pond to shoot on opening day,

then tatou tatou invite some one from here thats handy to show you the ropes.
what goes round comes round square1

You need the fish and game license and also a DoC permit for hunting on public land, this allows you the use of your shotgun on public land. You can fill the DoC one out online. I believe you also need another permit to have a dog on public land also but I have never bothered.

Then find someone who has shot a ton of ducks or at least is not worried about shooting heaps. My point being find someone that's going to teach you to hunt not just bomb up and try for limit bags. Too many people get the idea that being successful is getting to the bag limit.
A set of half a dozen or so good quality decoys and a couple rigged up with a 'jerk string' and some good timed calling is all you need to get ducks. Learn the basics in the first couple seasons without going overboard on all the gadgets.

+1 @Tahr-Bound...so many are hell bent of buying every gadget under the sun and as you write want to bag the limit...there is always another day, another pond, another duck or two...there is nothing like observant experience. Softly softly catchy fox...

If you can't find someone to help you don't stress it's not rocket science

I certainly won't be rushing out to buy loads of gear, far far too Dutch for that sort of behaviour. I have read the regs link that Dundee put up in another thread which I found pretty helpful, really just have to get out there on Saturday. @gsp follower the pond I plan to shoot is one I have been invited to, unfortunately not my place to bring anyone along. Must've been a good morning if you were in that state before 10am hahaha.

Thanks for your input everyone

i[QUOTE]. @gsp follower the pond I plan to shoot is one I have been invited to, unfortunately not my place to bring anyone along. Must've been a good morning if you were in that state before 10am hahaha.
[/QUOTE
]i figured it was probably the case but its still worth remembering if you find your own pozzy theres plenty of experience on here handy to help you sort it out