SHOOTING SEASON

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 182, 1 May 1931, Page 8

SHOOTING SEASON

Opening This Morning DUCKS ARE PLENTIFUL Good Prospects for Sport Prospects for the opening of the shooting season in the Wellington'Acclimatisation Society's district an hour before sunrise this morning have been considerably improved by yesterday’s steady rain. Ducks are reported to be extremely plentiful in. their two favourite haunts—The Wairarapa Lake and the low-lying country between the Otaki River and Levin. For several days past sportsmen have been leaving for the localities frequented by game to erect their bivouacs and make the necessary preparations for a start at daybreak. If yesterday’s conditions are maintained to-daj many good “bags” should be secured, particularly if there is the added advantage ol a light southerly to keep the birds low when in flight The number of sportsmen taking part in to-day’s opening shoot is not so large as last year. The decrease, however, is exceptionally small. “A large number of licenses have been taken but,” a Wellington sports dealer said yesterday. “The response has been much better than we expected.” Between 400 and 500 pheasants have been liberated in the Wellington district since last year, and no doubt the open scrub country frequented by them will be well scarified by sportsmen. The season for the taking of cock pheasants, Californian quail, Australian quail and hares extends from May Ito July 31; that for mallard duck, grey duck and shoveller duck from May 1 to June 30; and that for black swan from May 1 to May 31. <■