VARIED SHOOTING

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 188, 6 May 1940, Page 8

VARIED SHOOTING

Opening Of Season In Wellington LIMIT BAGS OF SWANS Varied success was met. with by shooters in the Wellington district on the opening of the season on baturdnx. In the Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa areas ducks were reported to lie plentiful, but in the Waverley district there were fewer than normal. In the Wai-r.-rrapa, in spile of the fine weather on Saturday, some good bags were obtained, particularly of swan. Yesterday in the Wairarapa the weather was uoisterous, but the ducks, quickly becoming shy of the guns, we're Hying higher than normal. The number of shooters, though smaller than usual, was considered good. The ranger for the Wellington Acclimatization Society, Mr. I’. W. Wilson, said last night that the opening was the best for some years in the Wairarapa district. Many shooters obtained the limit bags of swan, three, some having them by 8 o’clock on Saturday. Ducks were not quite so easy to bring down, though he had heard of three limit bags on Saturday. These were shot on lagoons. On Satuiday the fine weather in the Wairarapa was expected to make the birds fly high, but for some unexplained reason they came well within the range of guns. One theory advanced was that the delay in the opening of the season upset the calculations of the birds. Mr. W. A. R. Jones, a well-known Wellington sportsman, said last night that the opening had been very good. A number of limit bags of swan and several ducks were shot on both Saturday and yesterday. • Ducks were fairly plentiful in Hawke’s Bay for the opening of the shooting season and fair bags were obtained by sportsmen, says a Special Service message from Hastings. Conditions were not the best for the first shoot of the season. Sportsmen in Wanganui were disappointed that fine weather prevailed for the opening, says a Special Service message from Wanganui. Ducks are reported to be not so plentiful in the Waverley district this year, particularly on the coastal area. Shooting on Mr. W R S Brewer’s lakes, W. Hunter bagged 10 ducks and G. Handley shot three. A further report from Waverley states that E. Sampson and H. Straughan, shooting on Mr. Brewer’s property, brought the bag for four guns up to 30. Some good bags were reported in the Bulls district. Sportsmen throughout the Manawatu district had a very good day, said the Manawatu Acclimatization Society s ranger, Mr. T. Andrews. There was heavy rain in the early morning, but it cleared after 9 a.m. Those who shot inland had better luck than sportsmen in the coastal area. Several limit b'ags were secured. Game was most plentiful in the Rangioutu district, • every member of one party taking an excellent bag. Some parties on the Manawatu River had a good day, indicating that ducks were becoming more numerous there.