The joy of the season

Friday 31 April
First let me start by saying that this post will be sans photos, somehow I never unpacked the camera once! Anyhow, here's how it unfolded for me. Arrived at Munster Jr's (this year's hosted junior shooter organised by Tim) house at 7.30 for a cuppa and packed his gear into the car and we were off! Relatively uneventful drive to the landing, only a handful of cars were parked there. Dad (who had gone in to the hut the day before) picked us up just after 9, and we got our gear stowed in the hut before lugging the dekes out to the pond. We got Willow set up, then McLennan's, Park, Puru and finally bollocks finishing about 3pm - quite a big effort all in all. The new GHG J weights are a bonus, making life really easy. (Maybe FA can get a similar product on the market Breda? ;)
Rick arrived early afternoon, so back out to Willow to place the splasher flashers, pulsators, his Wonderduck and Roboduk and a dozen of his motion head shell dekes (brilliant!!!). In addition we had my robo and wonderduck so the place looked alive! By the time Rick and I got back both Frank and tom were in residence, leaving just the Hollands to be picked up. Unfortunately the tide was low by then and still going out so a few quick txts to let them know to take their time. Quite a bit of time was spent watching birds pealing into the ponds, and then Frank's dog took off. The neighbours brought the stoopid mutt back and shared a whisky or two before going on their way to have some 'Ambush Stew' - something to do with having to get out of waders fast when the need for a movement arose!!!!
Finally Rick and I got down to pick them up after 8 - having a wee run in with Gus on the way, he got upset with Rick... but anyway.

Saturday 1 May
Up, up and away! Fuelled by veni sausages and porridge, we're clambering into jackets, waders, hoisting ammo, blind bags, rounding up dogs and jumping into boats.
Here's the break down;
Willow pond - Nick & Rick
McLennan's - Andrew H
Watsons - Dad (Dick)
Puru - Tim & Liam (Munster Jr.)
Park - Frank
Bollocks - Tom

Rick and I are placing decoys at 6.10 when we hear the first shots of the season - grrr. 6.15 and a fair barrage goes off. We're still fiddling with batteries and stuff but are relaxed as we'd agreed on drakes only and all week I'd been watching birds in the mornings and couldn't tell ducks from drakes until after 7. We had a fair multitude of birds visit us, letting a good number of hens and greys go unmolested. Can't remember what time we were done, but the 6 bird limit was easily achieved without any dramas. Rick used his new Benelli 28g, and I packed the Winchester for old time's sake. We all meandered back to the hut for lunch, then rick, Tim, me, Frank and dogs went after a rooster who had been cackling. We found where he'd been, for a while the dogs got pretty excited. Back at the hut Andrew and Frank prepared for the evening hunt so Andrew could close out his limit, he needed a final bird. Frank needed 2. Andrew and I propped up McLennan's and waited maybe 90 minutes for a brace to come in. Andrew dropped the drake, finishing the day in fine style. Very gratifying to have resting ducks on the ponds all day too. Back at the hut the day's events were regaled in fine style, then Tim & Tom set to making a fine meal of venison and mashed swede, followed by apple crumble and cream. I seriously ate myself to a stand still. A few high jinks involving an eel and a pukeko carcass, then dragged myself to bed.

4.45 Sunday May 2

The alarm goes off and i'm on breakfast duty so I get up and build the fire, smoking out the top bunk residents in the process. :D This morning the roster is changed around:

Willow - Rick & Frank
McLennan's - Liam
Watsons - Tim
Puru - Tom & Andrew
Park - me
Bollocks - dad

This morning I'm using mr. Xtrema. I call a flock in early (larger groups rarely come in to Willow, with extensive competition from nearby water so its nice to see) and take one drake, missing another as they scattered behind me. Then Robo starts playing up. I change batteries. The Mojo already on the pond isn't working either, so for while its just the good old wonderduck paddling around out there. For the next half hours its backwards/forwards with batteries to Robo, as I discover that flat batteries have been left in the maimai and no sooner have i changed the battery than its flat. I nail a few ducks while up to my chest in water, including a very cool double. Birds come consistantly and I'm done by about 8 o'clock so I call dad over. As he's coming across a flock arrives and he smacks his first bird. Within an hour he's knocked down his limit as well so we hitch a ride from Tim and go about bringing in the first bags of dekes. previous experience with leaving them hidden around the ponds has been ok until last season, when we had upwards of 60 dekes stolen by itinerant shooters. We begin to pluck out the morning's bag, while the guys trickle back from the ponds and join the prduction line - pluck singe, chop, slice, gut, wash, pack. By mid afternoon we're well on top of the job, and dad's mate Larry arrives to join him for a few days.

Rick, Tim, Frank, Tom, Munster Jr and me are leaving today. Rick and I are loading for a couple of Guy's clients tomorrow on a pheasant drive. As it is Lakeland's first real official shoot day we're all keen to make it work so its breeks and ties, fancy socks with tassles and best behaviour. I get home and play with Rilee, clean the gears and put them away and make a nice dinner. Hit the hay early.

Monday June 3

I arrive slightly late at Lakelands, nothing like Monday morning traffic - a mini horror story. The guns today are Australian industrialists, friends of a well known kiwi who made his fortune in fisheries. They are quite down to earth and have travelled the world extensively pusruing fish and beasts. My gun had over a dozen 1000lb marlin to his name and the older gent's biggest trout was a 25lb brownie from Argentina.

The guns started a bit slow to be fair, but by the and of the day had accounted for 255 pheasant and 5 partridge with a few over 1,500 shots. 5:1 is not bad I'm assured. The day went marvellously well, the previous 2 year's practice paid off and it was great to see Guy and Johnno actually relaxed. I took Pete the gamekeeper from Rathmoy to the airport on the way home - now here's an interesting and enlightened dude. Will have to make sure to stay in touch. We also had Tim from Matangerahi onboard as a loader - so in terms of game bird husbandary expertise we were well covered! Caught up with Kawhia as well, he'd had the best opening of his life.

Today's guns are off to fish with Milo for 2 days, maybe no 25lbers but hell they'll see fish over 10lb for sure!

Anyway, back to work. Roll on Saturday and the Shanks Ranch.