SHOOTING SEASON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23340, 8 May 1939, Page 13

SHOOTING SEASON

WEATHER UNSUITABLE FEWER LIMIT BAGS MOST DUCKS FLYING HIGH PHEASANTS KEEP TO BUSH

For all sportsmen who had been eagerly anticipating the opening of the shooting season on Saturday, the fine, calm weather of the week-end was the exact opposite of what they desired. Had there been the ideal combination of wind and rain, the ducks, of which there are reported to be plenty, would have flown low over the guns, but as jt was, most of the birds kept high and, after the first few bursts of shooting, scattered away from the lakes, rivers ai-.d swamps. Heavy liberations of pheasants had beeu expected also to provide good sport, but in the majority of districts very few were seen, the fine weather keeping them in the bush. Shooting in tho Waikato was reported as fairly good, although not so satisfactory as last year. Much of tho inland marshland where sportsmen customarily build their niai-mais is dry as a result of the lack of summer rain-fall,-and much of it is also being used for supplementary grazing of stock. As a result, most duck-shooters concentrated on the rivers. Here> however, thick fog added to their early disappointments, ' making shooting difficult until as late as il a.m. : Some Good Bags While limit bags were comparatively scarce, however, most of the guns managed to bring a few birds home. At Piako. a party of six killed 9S birds in the two days. One gun obtained a limit bag inland* from Kawhia Harbour. At Jtangiriri, always a favoured area, the foe obstructed * shooting until late in the morning. One party of three sportsmen returned at noon with 12 birds, but another spent the whole day getting eight. At Horotiu, one gun secured eight ducks. In the Morrinsville district, birds irere more plentiful in good range, and a number of limit bags were shot. At Leeson's Lake nine guns killed 100 birds; at Mosleum's Pond three men obtained the limit; and at Kiwitalii five guns returned the limit. Pheasants Hard to Shoot ■Throughout the Waikato area, large liberations of pheasants were made during -the recess by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, and a good natural breeding season increased the number of birds available. However, few parties returned with good bags, the fine gather keeping the game to the bush, where many were heard, but few were seen. At Matamata, where the sport , obtained was as good as anywhere ' else, a number of parties could get no more than an average of two birds each. Bright, clear weather was against the guns in the Rotorua and Taupo districts. As far as early reports indicated, little success came their way, A heavy mist low on the lakes made conditions difficult for accurate shooting, consequently only very small bags were taken.* Mapy guns stayed out over the week-end. From Te Puke it was reported that bright, clear conditions had not prevented shooters on the Kaituna River and Wa'ilii Estuary from obtaining good bags. Pheasants were stated to be more plentiful than for many years. Because of the late opening of the season, many parties adopted the new practice of remaining in camp for the whole week-end/ * ■ /• North Auckland Conditions

Conditions in North Auckland were much the same as in the Waikato. Sportsmen who went from Wellsford to Topuni, about 18 miles away, stated that very few shots were heard on either day and it is not expected that birds will begin to come out in numbers until heavy rains fall. Sportsmen from the Warkworth district also stated that good bags were harder to obtain than usual. A remarkably forge number of guns went to the Kaipara River system and ducks wera, kept on the move all day Saturday. Shooting eased off yesterday, when birds were* scattered. One Warkworth man, Mr. B. Hamilton, shot the limit near Kaipara on Saturday and 12 more yesterday morning. Four Warkworth brothers, R., J., W. and A. Munro, succeeded in getting 52 ducks between them. The Port Albert River was particularly popular with the guns. Good Sport at Whangarel

Conditions in the Whangarei district were good and manv limit bags were secured before mid-day. Recent rains were sufficient to put a good supply of water into the lagoons and duck were plentiful. Pheasants were also reported to be in good numbers, but sportsmen had to oe prepared to go after them. Farther north the season also opened successfully! Whangaroa reported good bags of both ducks and pheasants. Inere was an unusually large number of visitors to the district and all local sportsmen -were out on Saturday. Two Auckland guns, Messrs. 11. . Lynn and A. Knight, secured good bags of both types of bird and a visitor fronx Totara Jvorth got five ducks yesterday morning.. In addition to these districts, all areas throughout the province with good shooting water attracted scores of guns. Although conditions varied slightly from place to place, it seemed, however, limit bags were generally harder \o obtain than lapt year.

p} CANTERBURY EXPERIENCE MINISTERS' GOOD BAGS Iby telegraph—ow>- correspondent] CHRISTCHTJRCH, Sunday Sportsmen's hopes for rain for the opening of the duck shooting season in Canterbury were fulfilled to-day, out the weather was almost too perfect. There was no wind, and in most instances the ducks were out of range rr. 1 6 s P°rtsmen's guns. The duck flew high and the swan new low, with the result that more bags of swan than duck were taken. «ood sport was obtained by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, the Minister of Public Works, the R. Semple. Both Ministers came back to town with reasonably good b ags.