Piripiri Pheasant Plucker's Preserve

The pheasant shoot previously known (by me) as Little Ruawai Preserve has now been officially renamed. We have a cast of good buggers now, and are putting down 500 birds this coming rearing season.

Roll Call:

Craig aka Shankspony (El Presidente)
Tim aka Cleaky (El Treasurer)
Me aka Snuffit
Hendrik aka Hendrik375
James aka Top Predator
Mitch aka GQHoon
Simon aka Aunty
Mick aka Mick Hunter

This will be the third year of bird raising and releasing, and this year we're getting more organised than ever. Including establishing working capital, because with raising birds you never know what the next event, be it disaster/calamity or triumph, will be and what will need to be covered. Mitch has raised birds before as well, not in the numbers we're talking about but his experience will be really useful.

17/18 Sep, we're holding a working bee to prepare the raising pen. Craig had put pigs in to turn the soil and expose it to sunlight, as UV kills Coxiellosis which can lay dormant. Unfortunately with the high rainfall the pen is a quagmire, so our first mission will be to establish a scoria base, and then thanks to the generosity of Dickie Sansome, we'll lay Rolawn grassed turf over the top. This is a very generous gesture from Dickie and Helen. Tim, Simon and I will pick up the turf which will weigh 2.5 tonnes and drag it down to PPPP and then we'll all get in boots and all and take care of the tasks at hand. Craig has the DOC license to hold and release. The trapping program will be stepped up, as with the lengthening days all those pesky little feckers will be breeding like mad.

I'll report as we go.