Lucky Kiwi Bastards

It's almost hunting season and very soon some of the healthiest wild food in New Zealand will be available to Wanganui hunters
Hunter harvests are a vital component of game bird population management and all Fish and Game regions rely on hunting to reduce population numbers to a sustainable level
The tradition of duck hunting is as Kiwi as Sunday lamb roast and rugby and the season's opening weekend in May each year is eagerly anticipated by thousands of duck hunters across the country. I can report that regional bird numbers are looking good and we have a very healthy duck population. We had a relatively wet summer and mild autumn (so far) and this has kept the region's wetlands topped up with water and has provided ideal breeding and rearing conditions and as a result good sized broods have been a common sight on many of the region's wetland areas
Despite good birds numbers things do not always go in the hunter's favour and as always the weather is a key element of the season's opening weekend. Fine weather over the weekend is a worst case scenario for the hunter and a duck's delight
We are hoping for strong southerly winds which will move birds from the coast and estuaries further inland to seek shelter, it will also disperse birds over a wider area making them more accessible to hunters and more inclined to be attracted by calls and decoys
While traditional maimai pond shooting over decoys will be favoured by most hunters at the start of the season it's not the only option and it may pay to think on alternatives - especially if the weather favours the duck. If the birds are either not moving or are too high and out of range then consider switching from static to mobile tactics. Walk-up shooting along streams and rivers, or jump shooting farm ponds, is a great alternative to sitting in a hot maimai hoping the birds will drop in on you

May 5 is also the start of the upland game bird (pheasant and quail) hunting season as well.