Thread: Ten more sleeps

I insisted on bringing a frying pan..... it clanged like a cow bell walking in and may or may not have frightened them away.....!!

Well, blue sky, hot, no wind. Our loal geese flew over at stratosphere altitude about 7.30 am never to return. The few ducks we saw were at a similar height but managed 4. Well down on usual. Pulked lin at 4.30 as nothing seen after 2 pm and dark would have come quick. Forecast till next friday is same so when weather gets dirty next weekend things may improve I hope. Dog very pleased with himself though with his good retrieves..

6:45am and we had not fired a shot, then we limited out by 7:55. Maybe new home flocked decoys did the trick. Got a rooster in the arvo. Great day with No.1 (and only).

3 shooters here today. Shooting a maize paddock. First frost of the year and bloody cold, only to turn still, hot and clear. also I guessed wrong at how the birds would come in, and our maimai was out by 90 degrees, so first shooter had to shoot, and then drop down to let second guy have a crack at departing birds. A bit frustrating! So tough conditions. We were one bird shy of a combined Parrie limit, and also picked up about 20 mallards and greys between us, so can't complain really.

We still had a bad start to the season for a second time in a row.
Never had any experience with duck shooting so don't know what to really expect, but am finding that most of the people firing the shots were in the same spot well away from our maimai.
Seems to be the same area in the wetlands where the ducks want to land, other shooters were telling us it was because the ducks don't like flying into the sun with the glare in the water where we were situated.
I don't seem to be the greatest shot either which doesn't help things.

the greylard hen was a woundies on lake,followed her till shot presented.the drake flew off when approached but was running rough like a B52 with engine out...kept following him.landed then off again over island and went down in long grass,I marked the spot.parked boat and stalked in with gun at ready.young Poppy was casting about then hit scent.nose going bananas then focused on tuft of long grass,she went around it but kept eyes n nose focused on spot.i approached,reached in and Yippy!!! One very much alive drake was plucked out. Made the 70 km trip each way and early start worth it just to see her work it out.

nearly a grey.

Originally Posted by kotuku

no mateits not tough .its only the start of the season after all and me being retired can grab gun and gummies and go stooge round ellesmere or wherever if the mood takes me . beleive me some of my greaterst discoveries on ellesmere have been doing just that .furthewrmore why should my foolishness put good buggers like you and LSAR at risk for a bloody mallard or two shit happens and at 70 well Illjust have to wear it .anyhow givesd me another day top find that bloody stretcher the late immortal gadgetman gave me years ago .searched up in roof ,dads trailer so its gotta be hidin in me bloody mancave!coupla more beers and illfind it .gadget old chap yes its me if youre not busy up yonder could ya just send me a cxlue ...or two ....

re gadgetman and the stretchers -bugga me he came through .didnt find his but picked up two of that model in good nick and bagged off TM..wait for it $2.00!no its not a misprint $2.00.

one very tired pooch after a dozen or so retrieves in raupo infested pond today and a few retrieved from stump /log/branch infested shallow water in the big lake ..

I shot by myself this morning, and as is often the case, shot really well when not having to think about others and able to choose when I wanted to shoot. Less people means less movement too and the birds decoyed well and in smaller numbers.
Ended the morning with 24 and some good shooting, which I was happy with.

Rotonaro?

@whanahuia not only does it help sometimes not having to compete with someone else in the shooting, the likelihood of shooting really well always increases exponentially if no one is there to see it

That should be a law along side Murphys.

My brother in law was among a group of twelve that shot sixty ducks on opening morning. He shot three so I took delight in pointing out that was only 60% of the average. I feel I have the right to abuse him as he hasn’t missed an opening in the last 35 years (and nor has he ever invited me to tag along).

Had the rangers and fish and game turn up to the friends pond today here in Manawatu.
All above board here Lads and nothing too see
They were doing spot checks along our road as there is a few shooters and mimias along it.