THE SHOOTING SEASON.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1118, 4 May 1911, Page 8

THE SHOOTING SEASON.

(By TalccrdDh.—Special Correspondent.! Auckland, May 3. The sportsmen who returned to the city yesterday alter taking part in the opening of the shooting season had varied taies to tell of their experiences on Monday and yesterday morning. They were all agreed that native game, particularly grey duck, was very plentiful, but the circumstances were against big bags, the bright weather causing the ducks to fly high, and they became very wild as the shooting proceeded. It" was good weather for tho birds. The game is reported to be in good condition.. The best bag reported so far was got on the Wh.ingamarino swamp with one gun, it being reported that Mr. Lewis shot 140 birds, mostly grey cluck. Messrs. W. Ryan and J. Carl shot 90 ducks on the H'aikato' River near Mercer, and another party shooting on the Waikato opposite Mercer are reported to have shot 50 birds. Messrs. Hazard, Chandler, and Walklate, who were shooting on the Waikato River above Mercer, had only 20 brace' of grey duck falling to their lot. ' Messrs. Cattloy, Pcherff, and Vincent had good sport on Motukaraka Creek, their bag consisting of 60 grey duck and seven swans. The usual opening nf the season incidents are recorded, several sportsmen getting involuntary'baths. One accident, which is fortunately not considered serious, occurred to a sportsman on the banks of the Waikato River above Mercer, while indulging in the sport. His face was peppered : with shot from a distant fowling-piece; and the pellets, not ohtering deeply into tlie-'flosh, were extracted with the point of a penknife. Tho results of imported game shooting are- not yet to hand, several days being usually spent in qiiest of pheasants. .A ranger's report received yesterday from Helensville stated that the birds we're very plentiful, and that a large number of guns were out.