Friday & Saturday

Having left home after dinner on Thursday, I was surprised to make excellent time to the landing, arriving at 7.25 for my 8pm pick up. I had a quick chat with a few Flax Block hunters, who reported excellent water levels and the best shooting in years. Fantastic, some of those guys have stuck it out through thick and thin, with low to no water having been a common recurring theme. Dad and I nattered for a while, spent some quality time and made ourselves at home. We were up early on Friday, and at the ponds early. Lots of electronica to setup. The morning flight was quiet but we were interupted by a flight of 4 mallardsand brought them down and that set the pace for the day. We pulled out at 11.00 with 10 in the bag, having missed not a bird. Dad even nailed a spoonie drake that buzzed the dekes while I was switching off the robos, he had unloaded and only managed to chamber one shell on its first pass, amazingly after the shot it roared off, turned 180 degrees and roared back, thuis time dad took him down with 2 shots. Bird # 10. We went back to the hut, had a massive lunch involving bacon, eggs, hash browns & mushrooms and set about cleaning our morning back and chilling down the birds. After a quick clean up we puulled the dekes off the Park pond; no one else in the party would be joining us it seemed. We brought the dekes in from Park, McLennan's & Watsons and then decided on a tramp thru to Tukes. Amazing what a difference high water makes, the Puru grass had died back leaving a much more open clearing. 2 Greys made their escape on our arrival.



Dad and Geordie with Friday's bag



We still needed a couple of birds and late in the afternoon they arrived, a pair of greys that we smashed. An amazing day's hunting really, not a single bird escaped. Not often we can say that! Steak, onions and salad for dinner, then we turned in pretty early. Hunting is tiring work.

Up super early Saturday, to a brekkie of muesli. Dad had porridge. Second Saturday of the season is normally a very busy day, with lots of shooters out and about. More on that later. We were set up at 5.50 so killed time chit chatting and waiting for legal shooting time. Right on 6.30 3 birds swung over head. We got into them and I dropped my bird, dad missed I think. While reloading another hen came over and I dropped her into the pond. Even in the semi light i could see she was a bit different - a dead ringer of a bird I killed 3 or 4 years ago. The ginger bird!

Ginger bird - too many Gingernuts?




Gingernuts - yum



The ducks played ball, quite a number came in chatting and with a decent breeze were quite sporting birds. I had a great chance on a flock while dad was away searching for a bird. Hit the drake with the first shot, pulled on a hen and bang, bang, bang, bang she was gone without losing a feather... along with another half dozen birds.

We needed 2 birds and at 10.30 after a decent lull another mob came in to our calling, We dropped one each and high fived. Another limit apiece, good times. We pulled in all the dekes, dropped the dekes back, went out to Willow for a check on the pond, came back in for a legendary meal, cleaned and chilled the birds and then set about tidying. Amazing how much crap we took out with us when we pulled out at about 3.



Saturday's bag