reality check.

Just been talking with my brother at the funeral of a family friend.
he like me was a keen duck shooter as was his oldest son.

asked his plans for this year -no theyre non starters as both didnt like the antics of thosethey shot with -pissing up large in the maimai ,arguments and and last year an all out brawl.
what really kicked me in the nuts was the young fella had a very keen mate,who also upon hearing this decided hed find other pursuits.
im not putting this up from a righteous "im without sin ,im always impeccably behaved "cause thats a load of tosh -ive had my moments.
What does worry me though is the fact this behaviour seems at face value to be regarded in some quarters as par for the course ,and by that standard we are conceeding ground to both anti hunting factions ,but also the police who use this to lobby for more Firearm laws,why shouldnt they its tantamount to rolling over and confessing all your crimes before the cuffs hit ya wrists.
whats your opinion.
Im just interested -im not here to judge or place anyone in that role.

Kotuku I have never been duck shooting so have not attended a Maimai nor been with a group on opening morning so I freely admit that I do not have the experience to draw comment from. That said I have a brother in law and other friends that are keen duck shooters (pricks have never even so much as invited me) so anecdotally I am aware that they do use opening weekend particularly as an annual get together and drop a fair amount of grog over that first weekend. I would note that I can't comment as to whether this is before, during or after the firearms have been in use as I simply do not know.

Like many things in life, it's good to have standards. If people are being fuckwits around guns, then the young guy you mentioned is smart for wanting nothing to do with the circus you describe. In fact, with common sense like that, he's exactly the person I'd like to see participating in my sport, what a pity.

I am relatively new to the hunting/shooting scene and very keen on shooting things I can eat. My wife told me that her friends partner has a pond on his land and goes duck shooting every season and it shouldnt be a problem to tag along. After broaching the subject with him, he explained how it generally works which consisted of drinking all day. This discussion reminded that he needed new decoys as the last time they went out they got bored and shot the ones they had. I will get into it one day however it wont be with him.

Drinking before and during the handling of firearms in any circumstance is a no no for me and i will not undertake in it. After all it is in the arms code to avoid drugs and alcohol whilst handling firearms.

Its just not just duck shooting were firearms alcohol and hard drugs are used together drive down any 4x4 track on doc land cody and wood stock cans every were from a bit of harmless driving and spotlighting .Then there is a group of people who drive around kaingaroa .Bonnet covered in dogs fried on P to be fare most of that lot don't carry firearms but they are still f#*ked out there heads on drugs on the same roads that some of the people on this forum use at the same time.Those same people often have young kids with them a lot of young people grow up thinking this sort of behaviour is normal

booze and guns don't mix. as far as i am concerned the fucktards who keep pissing it up before and during shooting are a much bigger danger to the shooting community than the feared anti brigade. if you want to have a couple once the guns are locked away, all good.

good on your brother for pulling the pin, hopefully he finds someone else to team up with and enjoy safe shooting sport.

kotuku...see if you can get contact details for the young fella and get him out to see how it should be done.... last 2 opening weekends Ive taken a dozen cans and bought some of them home!!!!!!
only drink at night after shooting is over for the day.
ranging is "interesting" when you see/smell grog as you approach maimai.

I guess it is what you are used to. My family and friends growing up never drunk in the maimai, they would wait until the guns were away at the end of the day and then they got stuck into it. I think its a case of monkey-see monkey-do, as I have never drunk during duck shooting. Afterwards is a different story :)

Hot barrels everyone and stay safe. If you see something you don't think is right, speak up. You may save a life. All it takes is for one person to lead by example

it would be nigh on eight or so years ago when the dog and I spent opening morning down on the river...upstream were vehicles, alot of yahooing, semi-auto fire etc and because I am pedantic about such things they started a volley before the prescribed start time which annoyed me...suffice to say that dog and I headed down stream well out of the way of the
galoots...I, as you all, get very concerned when people such as these behave like juvenile twats...Opening Weekend is no excuse...saying that, I do have a hipflask in the vehicle...my dog and I came close to hypothermia one trip...

the people who i learnt off were all hard working hard drinking types farmers share milkers shearers and shepherds the only people i saw pissing up in maimais were townies or retired types
but after the guns were away or in the week before opening when we arrived in say cambridge or had a pre opening stratedgy meeting at the patangata on the thursday before opening,
well you can imagine the grog literally flowed like water.
if we lose keen youngsters we are f..k.d but there is hope choggy for instance and ando,s offspring mine are all to busy chasing poon and clubing in welly.

Guns and alcohol are not a good combination at any time. I have enjoyed duck shooting for many years and yes i enjoy a beer as well. On the afternoon before opening I visit my spot and set up decoys etc ready for the day. Once this is done its nice to sit there with a couple of cold beers and enjoy the moment and watch the ducks return to there pond. This said its the only time that alcohol is allowed in my maimai. Not until shooting has stopped ,the birds are hung, the guns are cleaned and put into storage is it time for a beer. I find that it is more rewarding and enjoyable to review the days events with friends over a few cold beers once all the work is done.

yeah i have offered if the want to fly down to chch ,to take em out ,but apparently the young bloke(hes 15)has other birds hes interested in and brothers familial situation aint to crash hot with his ex trying to gouge him something wicked.
he did mention something about a mid Nth island block he can get for a week mid year and go for a sneak about ,but again he says he cant be arsed with the antics of idiots in the field.
the good news is hes stillgot his guns secured away ,so maybe next year ill have another crack!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EeeBees

saying that, I do have a hipflask in the vehicle...my dog and I came close to hypothermia one trip...

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alcohol is a vasodilator, it increases the risk of hypothermia

I had a couple of problems with guys I was shooting with & I refused to go hunting with either again.Long time ago now in both cases.
I'm still alive & that matters to me.Another was a guy that had a problem with my dog from the day I got him. He reckoned my dog was
to hard in mouth & damaged the birds bla bla.He told a lot of people this B/S but it got back to me,well the guy was talking shit.He'd
never shot with the dog & due to his gossip he isn't ever likely to.But not just the dog I avoid going hunting with the wanker Period!!

End of the crap I'm still going to go duck shooting but just me & my dog. Thats how its been now for 30 odd years ,current dog is my 3rd.
I enjoy my duck ,pheasant shooting & no one is going to stop me.Why give up because of some frigin idiots, end of the day those clowns
shouldn't have an Arms license let alone a duck shooting license .Just accidents looking for a place to happen but they ain't going shooting
with me & a value my dog to much to allow it .

As said not just duck shooters and I am guilty to a minor degree if having a few drinks at the end of the day is anything to judge by. The last night of our roar trip finished just before 4am which was a reminder as to why we have not done that for so many years.

Few years back at the Lakeland helipad one lot going in had stacks of beer 4’ high (If they were brown bombers I would have said Dundee was behind it).
I like to enjoy my next day hunt and have my wits about me. Same as fishing, don’t drink and fish.

When we flew into the Ureweras the other month we were talking to one of the pilots an he said one group basically needed a second flight because of the amount of alcohol they were taking in :(
If I'm going hunting/fishing then that's what I'm there for. A drink at the end of the day is very secondary for the guys I regularly go with. They would be given the boot from trips if the priorities were the other way round.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barefoot

When we flew into the Ureweras the other month we were talking to one of the pilots an he said one group basically needed a second flight because of the amount of alcohol they were taking in :(
If I'm going hunting/fishing then that's what I'm there for. A drink at the end of the day is very secondary for the guys I regularly go with. They would be given the boot from trips if the priorities were the other way round.

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I agree, one or two coldies after a big day is great but not a priority, they do taste sweet after some success mind you :D But im talking mooses not gooses

Our problem is these are the idiots that the media look for , they sell stories and grab head lines ...I fear we will see a death on opening day no matter how much we as a group put our hands up and say booze and guns don't mix.

We sit a firearms lienence stating firearms and alcohol / drugs don't mix we all know this ,so why the hell does having a tot or getting pissed / blazed whilst sitting in a Mai mai / stand change this?

I love my beers , I treasure my shooting, but pissing with up a loaded gun ,whilst in close confins with others pissing up with loaded guns. Its fucking stupid.

What we need to understand is that even a small amount of alcohol effects judgment. Your there with family & friends , eat, shoot and enjoy the comeradery ...also let the ducks fly , shoot only those you know that you can make a clean kill & recover, enjoy the day not the booze.

And FFS please please please treat EVERY gun as loaded.

Edit to add when clearing a semi auto use a finger or headlight / torch to make sure the mag & chamber is
empty. I've being caught out one never again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ebf

alcohol is a vasodilator, it increases the risk of hypothermia

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well it sure helped warm me up!!!

good n ya Chris...how dare that pillick insult your dog...hope he has to strip down to his jocks to get a duck and catches hypothermia

Last look at the mai mai there was a diet coke can in their..I don't need it neither does the dog
Attachment 48998Attachment 48999
There will be beer in the fridge when I get home;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dundee

Last look at the mai mai there was a diet coke can in their..I don't need it neither does the dog
Attachment 48998Attachment 48999
There will be beer in the fridge when I get home;)

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And 4 dozen beside you a[emoji13]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stingray

Our problem is these are the idiots that the media look for , they sell stories and grab head lines ...I fear we will see a death on opening day no matter how much we as a group put our hands up and say booze and guns don't mix.

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And the biggest problem we have unfortunately is there are no shortage of idiots either with guns or otherwise!!!!



There must be villages everywhere in the world pondering where their "idiots" went.................................... well now we know!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mikee

And the biggest problem we have unfortunately is there are no shortage of idiots either with guns or otherwise!!!!



There must be villages everywhere in the world pondering where their "idiots" went.................................... well now we know!!

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true idiots with cars are killing themselves others every damn day the irony of you not even needing a licence to buy one is not lost on me.

ive decided this year not to shoot opening??/
well really my wallet decided for me new car boarder shooting thru have left us a bit more in the poo than we thought.
but i,l call for a newbie abuse the shite out of him when he misses[nah not unless it becomes a habit] and concentrate on working the dog;
in a week or two i,l grab a licence and head out after all the opening weekend /week hunters have moved on.

shit im quite loooking forward to being a semi passive observer a fountain of useless information and well targetted criticism:yaeh am not durnk:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

good n ya Chris...how dare that pillick insult your dog...hope he has to strip down to his jocks to get a duck and catches hypothermia

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Would be a horrific sight seeing that fat ugly prick strip down to his jocks to retrieve a duck ,hypothermia might be good for him. Don't if it would effect his manhood is a blind
date every time he takes a piss. Wonder if he ties a string on it so he can put it out of his guts or at least find it. Rip cord on his willie

As others have said, I like drinking and hunting, but don't want to mix them. Being in the company of a load of pissed up blokes with shotguns is not high on my list of things to do.

Today, even though the weather was crap, me and Burl went walkies along a bush boundary hunting birds. This is a necessary activity for both out fitness, and needless to say, we do not carry the weight of booze. Hunting in wind and rain is not much chop on upland game but we pointed and flushed several pheasants and quail, but shot nothing. On the way back to my vehicle a few km away I spotted a p[erson silhouetted on the track ahead. He turned out to be a young fellow , about 15, with rifle and a dog. I stopped and had a yarn with him.

Now this boy was in possession of a semi auto firearm, alone and said he was pig hunting. He told me he had others working through towards him from the opposite side of the forest block we were in. Now, strictly speaking, this boy was in breach of a number of laws. However, he was well presented and tidy. Spoke clearly and without rancor or bs, and had his firearm pointed at the ground and towards the rear of us. He had his single dog under control ,sitting beside him, as had I, with my dog. All in all he behaved as a responsible adult and as I departed I wished him all the luck in the world. To me, this boy demonstrated the "old school" upbringing and conduct some of us had. Good luck to him and his whanau.