The Shooting Season

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 5, 11 May 1917, Page 2

The Shooting Season

The first day of the shooting season opened too bright about Huntly for any big bags to be filled. Further north towards Mercer, conditions were better and some very good bags were brought back. One party of three guns on Lake Waikare got’l7s ducks and teal early in the week, while another party of two guns got 44 on the first day. The shooting was again spoilt to some extent by poachers who began to fill their bags on Saturday. The quantity of ammunition fired away on Saturday and Sunday was astounding and even among those who respect the law by not shooting until the first day allowed, there were a good' many who could not wait until the legal hour, but commenced shooting before daylight. It always seems a senseless proceeding to shoot in the darkness at the quack of a bird, for it is only chance shooting, and scares the birds terribly, thus reducing the chance of a good bag later. Pheasant and quail seem to be very scarce in Ibis part of the country, judging by the bags obtained, but further north in the Kaipara district they must be fairly thick. Mr F. Littleproud and his brother-in-law Mr R. Raingor travelled as far as Ruawai to try the pheasant shooting there, and were rewarded by obtaining the biggest bag we have heard of for years, bringing back with them 50 fine cock pheasants. The shooting' was good, although every bird had to be well earned by long tramping.