2 summer days, hunting prep time

The past couple of days we've been plagued by southerlies, which has been both lucky and unfortunate - lucky because some pretty heavy toil yesterday would have been unimaginably horrible if a heavy wet NW had been blowing; and unfortunate because winds from the south generally kill our fishing around here.

Anyway, on Friday I spent a nice day with the family at the duck ponds, checking up on the spraying results and also looking at the work dad and Larry had performed on the hut ceiling.

Everything looked perfect, lots of young ducks around (and I mean lots) so breeding looks to have been strong. The ponds were in perfect nick, the water black and clear and the spray had knocked back the Poa aquatica substantially.

Poa die-back

Damn, missed a bit!

Ponds looking great

Dad, sis and niece Daisy on the punt

Saturday and I was up and away early, to meet the boys (and girl) of the Tui Ridge syndicate. The day's task was to complete the release pen; having already got the posts in. We had a full crew:

Rick,
Matt & Warren (Warren the second in command game keeper)
Malcolm (Keeper)
Andy
AJ
Jase
Dickie & Helen
Jamie
Me

Timmo also turned up; the farm his his shoot at Matingerahi was on has been sold, so he's looking for new ventures.

Originally it had been thought that the job was big enough to warrant 2 day's work but we all just pulled finger. First job was to support the corner posts with strained waratah's; then run the top wire around the pen, put up the shade cloth with 300 odd clips, while pegging it at the bottom edge, and finally running a support wire around the pen.

Jase & AJ... straining a corner post

Site of the pen



The pen door



Shade cloth going up

Our game keep

The view from the pen (imagine birds sailing down...)

We also put in a fence to keep cattle at bay, and finished some shelters inside the pen for birds to get out of the wind.

By 5 we had it done, aided no end by a cooling southerly that took the sting out of the searing sun. A great day's work indeed - next up we need to put in the watering system and the feeder. The birds will be with us by early Feb. Then we'll rotate the effort to feed, shoot hawks, check the traps etc.

A good couple of constructive days.