Ducks fair game this Saturday

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 534, 3 May 1994, Page 6

Ducks fair game this Saturday

The hunter, arriving a goodhourbefore 'opening', rows with creaking rowlocks through seeping mist in the still dark ofthe morning and follows a scampering labrador into a brush-and-raupo-coveredmaimai. The fragrant aroma of coffee from a thermos can be smelt as the dog quietly crunches on a choice biscuit, both hunter and dog keeping a watchful eye on the steadily lightening sky and the clock. Suddenly, a swoosh as a pair of mallards side-slip around the gently bobbing decoys. The hunter is upright, recoiling from the booming gunshots and the labrador surgesouttowards the two still forms on the water. Variations on this scenario will be played out all over the region this Saturday 7 May, with the official start to the 1 994 Duck Shooting Season. Prospects for the coming season are good despite the dry spring and summer this year. While the dry weather has provided less than ideal breeding conditions for dabbling ducks, the region still has a strong population of adults that have built up over the last two, very good breeding years. Dry weather means that

birds will tend to be concentrated along streams and in ponds that have retained water throughout the year. Jump-shooting along streams should therefore provide good sport. The dry weather has been a boon to pheasant and quail populations and good numbers of young birds have been reported. Quail have been seen recently in areas where they have been absent for several years. Good numbers of paradise shelduck are also present throughout the region. The Fish and Game Council hunter survey has shown that many hunters put in little effort after opening weekend. This is unfortunate, because those that continue hunting throughout the two month dabbling duck season often bag more birds per hour than they did on opening weekend. A lack of success on opening day is therefore no reason to give up the rest of the season! On the licenee front, the Fish and Game Council is again offering a 'young adult' category for those hunters who are over 1 6, but under 20 years of age on opening day. The licence is available for approximately half the cost of the adult full season licence. Every hunter is required

to hold a licence except the occupier and the Mfe (or husband) and one son or daughter. The important. word to note is occupier: if you own a property, but do not reside there, you are required to hold a licence. Where there are several occupiers, the group must nominate who the appropri-

ate persons are and gain an endorsement from the Fish and Game Council. If you shoot on a neighbouring property you are required to hold a licence. This year's introduction of the game bird habitat stamp programme will see $1 from every licence go into a fund for creating and

enhancing waterfowl and upland game habitat. While NZ licence-holders will contribute $35,000 this season, a further $800,000 is expected to be generated from the North American stamp and print collector market. The first 10 years of the programme could raise about $5 million for habitat work.