Thread: Puke or Pukeko?

The swamp block, Hauraki Plains where we shoot we had a 1080 aerial drop about 4 years back. It sure cleaned out the Pukes, they are only just coming back.

Must have cleaned outa lot of ducks as well possibly because the pond levels were very low. It was the worst shoot for many years and actually the duck population is still very low.

Worst thing was the place was still loaded when duck shooting came around and it was recommended not to take dogs into the block.

We did, but many did not. There were a lot of very disgruntled duck shooters that year. Very few ducks are ever retrieved in the Swamp Block without a dog.

Jasus what a rat population explosion we have had since, our lodge is almost unliveable as we cant despite the trying keep them out.

I seen them on the way up the Sunshine Coast from Brissy on the sides of the highway. Musta flew here from aussie? Probably why the like the rooting and fighting.

dont get much sympathy from me.iknow on the coast thecockies frequently request F&Gassistance to deal with plagues of the bastards.i remember WCF&G manager telling me of a bloke who rang up seeking assistance as hed'd got sick of blowing them out of trees with his .270. F&G organised a drive and cleaned up 400odd if my memories correct.


also those whove attended the "great grey valley duckhunt in years past will remember the sunday morning call for volunteers to go to rogatskis farm up the ahaura valley and deal to the blue huas!
Ive heard its good exercise though havent done it as always overdosed on great hunting(ducks&geese) ,great company(the locals) and great tucker courtesy of the ikamatua volunteer firebrigade boys &partners. If westcoast F&G do hold another one in 2015 -get on it -its an eyeopener!,BTW -bomb the blue bastards &save the ducks.

You have to admit, those baby Pukes on the Contact Energy TV adds were quite cute the way they walk in the house and turn on the lights

OMG just read what I posted. Think I have baby brain. Someone bitch slap me quick

I like to see a few around our swamps, they would be a bit desolate without them. They are not a hard bird to control with a good team of keen bird shooters and its fun.

I enjoy watching a puke funeral. One gets run over and the rest crowd around and look at it and make a gonk noise. Nek minnit car gets another one and they crowd around that and do the same.

Its interesting to watch a group that lives near your house. They seem to have a well defined social structure. If a hawk bothers one of them the mob come rushing to the rescue like the Beagle Boys. A mob might visit from across the paddock and there is a hell of a fuss.
Fighting Rooting screeching, all sorts of stuff. I guess its their sort of rock concert, big day out

They have the reputation of NZ most promiscuous bird. As the parents hand over their chicks to the young adults who have not nested to raise, it allows them to have multiple nesting in a single season.

Probably earned their reputation for fighting and rooting

"Probably earned their reputation for fighting and rooting "

Sounds like more of a NZ icon than the Kiwi

Originally Posted by sako75

"Probably earned their reputation for fighting and rooting "

Sounds like more of a NZ icon than the Kiwi

I have said it before. The Kiwi icon is embarrassing.

Our Aircraft and Trucks used to have a Kiwi painted on them in Vietnam. A less warlike creature the world has yet to see.

The Americans referred to our pride and Joy as those 'Fat Assed Ducks'.

I remember a discussion I had up here as I gently tried to explain to a gentleman who wanted to have all the pigs on the Peninsula poisoned in case they ate kiwi's. I said if you poison them we will re release the pig.

"The pig is part of the folklore of this area" I told him . "I can well remember hanging on to every word of the men who lived just to hunt the huge boars in the ranges around here. Of hero dogs and fighting pigs, shields two inches thick and tusks that killed with a single flick.

What stories these were to stir a young mans blood. There is even an old story I read as a child called "The Great Boars of the Coromandel"

"Who is ever going to write about the 'Great Kiwi of Coromandel" I asked him. "It just doesn't have the right sort of ring to it"

I taught one to dance once with my .22. unbeknown to me at some stage It became confused and unable to tell left from right ,ran into my guiding round. very sad demise that ,altho in true greenie fashion it did become fertiliser after considerable time!

Originally Posted by Pengy

Does endemic not mean that they are only found here in NZ, IE unique to one country. I would have thought that meant it is native ? semantics eh
My little book of NZ birds tells me they are native

I thought they were native too mate until I had my head taken off at another forum

You need to learn how to duck a bit quicker

Originally Posted by deadidick

I seen them on the way up the Sunshine Coast from Brissy on the sides of the highway. Musta flew here from aussie? Probably why the like the rooting and fighting.

Same here. Queensland has heaps of the bastards.

I remember an old ozzy program called the Sullivan's. You always heard Pukes squawking in the background when they did military scenes.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Pointer

I thought they were native too mate until I had my head taken off at another forum

But they are native!!!!

Originally Posted by Toby

2. Native and introduced birds – Birdwatching – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand

But doesn't this above explain they are native or have I missed something here.

Sorry Scribe that link was more to do with the meaning of native and endemic

This leads me to believe they are Native. So Pointer was right and the people who tried to take there head can go take their own head off?



Pukeko: Wetland birds