I hope you got plenty of sleep, I don't think I would have kept you awake from where I was shooting but I know it's a bugger when you are doing shift work and someone keeps you awake.Quote:
Originally Posted by berg243
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I hope you got plenty of sleep, I don't think I would have kept you awake from where I was shooting but I know it's a bugger when you are doing shift work and someone keeps you awake.Quote:
Originally Posted by berg243
Sounds like everyone had a great time, well done to all those that participated :thumbsup:
we had a good weekend all packed up now ducks plucked & breasted , didn't get bugger all today but picked up 43 yesterday from our main pond & another 12 from a bit of a jump shoot , a dog would have been good to find a few that went down in the gorse & tussock , will be cooking up a feed tonight .
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just to add ot some obs on GSPF report .ellesmere is mellesmmere -its a lake whixch to me is either a feast or a famine.as he said it was a famine though friday night when we did eyeball mk1 -their were morse birds is port thanships in amsterdam harbour.
speaking to a mutual friend of ours afte hed departed she (and family whove lived in this area for decades,ahve noticed changes.
she is usedto cats bringing home mallard egges or even ducklings -which in the past she raised and released back to the wild.this last year she states it was almost zero of either
my beoloved "fat arthurs"the feral geese of which there were healthy pops oher grandkids st toahve provided gran with a very large supply og goose eggs this year for baking. from the granddaughter goosegg pav -thats yummy-also apparently another cocky in that region of ellesmere declared war on em so poulation is not what it was .
however and inspite of GSPFs strident insistence it was spoonbill herons schooled up south of us and their family maimai-its was in fact a mob of ferals.!
highlight of my day -to see in total silence a mob of canadas sail towrs us in silence-i was like a young pointer on the point with GSPF quielty commanding .
it was not to be -they peeled away -good on em -another 10m and the escort would have spoken-bvut as he says since weve shot without the dogs weve lost too many hard earned ducks and geese.
Ifired two shots out of the wee russian in the PM session -Smiffy&i arrived at the maimai -whooooooa -hold up -birds galore- exit wagon load crouch watch and shoot .
bugger me murphy struck again -In like flynn whistled two parries-we were just a tad slow stopping& dropping -they peeld off afterburners in full roa.
fornt of maimai chokka with 2-300 teal&swans just doin what ya do outhere on our lake - just in case a couple of mallards were hoochies up -ilet a couple of rounds go well clear of them- some got off the awater -faltter than newly ironed sheets -the rest "carry on carrying on!are humans stupid!"
we did get a report from another shooter on the entityGSPF mentioned -not good- seems he may also be a candidate for specsavers in order to tell whats legal and whats not judging by two teal found floating in the lake in vicinity of his maimai. he did pass through where we camped but my strong gut feeling was he was a knowall and wouldnt listen so didnt engage.
yup in summary frustrating but onthe other hand I did enjoy it.knowing that my time will come as the season progresses and we willget ducks -its a patience game.other shooters at boggy seemsd of similar mind -what birds were taken required a lot of bloody effortand honining of skills.
spoke to my cousin on the coast .In the family area of lake brunner they took 65 all up but again it was no easy feat ,those ducks qwerent hanging round for seconds.
great to see some limit bags take n,but more imortantly everyone enjoyed the day after our recnt boot in the guts!
just to add ot some obs on GSPF report .ellesmere is mellesmmere -its a lake whixch to me is either a feast or a famine.as he said it was a famine though friday night when we did eyeball mk1 -their were morse birds is port thanships in amsterdam harbour.
speaking to a mutual friend of ours afte hed departed she (and family whove lived in this area for decades,ahve noticed changes.
she is usedto cats bringing home mallard egges or even ducklings -which in the past she raised and released back to the wild.this last year she states it was almost zero of either
my beoloved "fat arthurs"the feral geese of which there were healthy pops oher grandkids st toahve provided gran with a very large supply og goose eggs this year for baking. from the granddaughter goosegg pav -thats yummy-also apparently another cocky in that region of ellesmere declared war on em so poulation is not what it was .
however and inspite of GSPFs strident insistence it was spoonbill herons schooled up south of us and their family maimai-its was in fact a mob of ferals.!
highlight of my day -to see in total silence a mob of canadas sail towrs us in silence-i was like a young pointer on the point with GSPF quielty commanding .
it was not to be -they peeled away -good on em -another 10m and the escort would have spoken-bvut as he says since weve shot without the dogs weve lost too many hard earned ducks and geese.
Ifired two shots out of the wee russian in the PM session -Smiffy&i arrived at the maimai -whooooooa -hold up -birds galore- exit wagon load crouch watch and shoot .
bugger me murphy struck again -In like flynn whistled two parries-we were just a tad slow stopping& dropping -they peeld off afterburners in full roa.
fornt of maimai chokka with 2-300 teal&swans just doin what ya do outhere on our lake - just in case a couple of mallards were hoochies up -ilet a couple of rounds go well clear of them- some got off the awater -faltter than newly ironed sheets -the rest "carry on carrying on!are humans stupid!"
we did get a report from another shooter on the entityGSPF mentioned -not good- seems he may also be a candidate for specsavers in order to tell whats legal and whats not judging by two teal found floating in the lake in vicinity of his maimai. he did pass through where we camped but my strong gut feeling was he was a knowall and wouldnt listen so didnt engage.
yup in summary frustrating but onthe other hand I did enjoy it.knowing that my time will come as the season progresses and we willget ducks -its a patience game.other shooters at boggy seemsd of similar mind -what birds were taken required a lot of bloody effortand honining of skills.
spoke to my cousin on the coast .In the family area of lake brunner they took 65 all up but again it was no easy feat ,those ducks qwerent hanging round for seconds.
great to see some limit bags take n,but more imortantly everyone enjoyed the day after our recent boot in the guts!my rescort will only take 2x3"'with pin in mag.
commiserations go rto c404 also being called away to a traing course at the last minute .also big ups to Gadgetman who txted us wishing us all the best .no bloody wonder that man is a gem in my eyes!
23 mallards,5 parries and 2 spoonies....3 camp possums..... so it was a typical season for us.
we all had plenty of chances and had a great weekend. my daughter spent weekend with me which was awesome,she turned 21 the other week and its the first time she has wanted to come along...already talking about "next opening"
Well as promised some pics from our weekend 225 birds in total including 1 spoon can't wait to tuck into some great tucker all birds processed and in the freezer.
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damn is that a spooonard??Quote:
Originally Posted by dannyb
No she was a little spoon henQuote:
Originally Posted by gsp follower
Some young fellas downstream of me were skybusting tonight and stuffed up my decying ducks; however just on dark I heard geese and managed to call in a small group of five. Dropped one bird as they came in and watched my young dog do a beaut retrieve on his first goose :) Old dog stood in shallow water and supervised while the young dog did the hard yards in the stream. Very happy.
Plenty of sky busting going on down Rakaia way shit there was some shooting going on, pleased to have a private pond to shoot on even still occasionally decoying birds would pull out and bugger off if some bugger on the next farm was mag dumping on a few birds. Guess it happensQuote:
Originally Posted by Woody
That's a bloody good lineup you have there danny well done .
I'm not a duck shooter but has anyone else noticed that this year there hasn't been any media reports on opening day. Most years there is a big story with the odd group of protesters chucked in saying how appalling the sport is. A nice change.
i suspectrecent events made for better ratings .howver last week the CHCH PUSS had a headline with typical plod dangling and over&under repeating the time honoured homily.Quote:
Originally Posted by RUMPY
was visitng after shooting yesterday -someone commented -A plod in the group,himself a shooter, just raised an eyebrow!
anyhow the next royal filly .mvver of nations engagement make for much better print than boring middleaged men with rambo guns:x_x:
surprised we never saw the rangers or plod or any other bugger
I shot a couple years ago but now only take drakes.Quote:
No she was a little spoon hen
still that bill speckling I don't re,member
One of our crew is a fish and game ranger so we saw one :DQuote:
Originally Posted by gsp follower
