Duck shooting season kick-off goes well

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 47, 12 May 1987, Page 7

Duck shooting season kick-off goes well

Most hunters have reported a very successful opening weekend to the 1987 game season with good bags obtained despite the fine weather. The duck shooting season opened on Saturday 2 May and closes 28 June. The season for pheasant and brown quail closes on 2 August and for Californian quail on 23 August. Paradise shelduck featured less in bags than in previous seasons although many limits were obtained on ponds and grain stubble. Mallards made up a much larger proportion of most hunters' bags which is unusual for the Waimarino. Some limits on mallards have been reached. Most hunters prefer mallards to paradise shelduck because of their good eating. Paradise ducks can be good but because they tend to live longer and they are graziers they are often

tougher than mallards. The population of paradise shelducks in the South Waimarino district has grown in the last few years. The optimum population is deemed to be around 6000 by the Department of Conservation, but is at present close to 10,000. Many Waimarino farmers have problems with paradise shelducks eating grass on their farms, hence the need to keep the population down. Much of the work of the local conservation officer in summer involves using scare guns to move on paradise ducks, which congregate in flocks of up to 2000. Conservation officer John Heaphy said he thought most hunters had shot at least one bird for the pot on opening weekend. If not then perhaps their shooting was a bit astray.he said. Of course this does not include the Waimarino's

keen sportsman and traffic officer who was reported to have downed three turkeys with one pull of the trigger during opening weekend. The officer was off duty at the time but it is not known if he had his radar with him. The behaviour of Waimarino hunters has been very good up till now with no offences reported, said Mr Heaphy. One concern of the conservation department is with Canada geese. Recently the local population of the geese has doubled to around 200, but hunters are reminded that they are protected along with black swans, harrier hawks and shags. The bag limit per day for greys, mallards and shovelers is 15 in total. For paradise shelduck the limit is 12 and for cock pheasants and pukeko it is three. In previous seasons there has been no limit on cock pheasants.There is no limit on brown and Californian quail.