Had an afternoon on the ducks today. Mixed bag between my brother and I. 17 mallards and greys, 4 paradise and 5 pukeko.
New farm has alot of birds but the hunting areas are tough to get birds in close. But we will get that sorted over the next year or too and this season is all about trying different ideas. Today was moderately successful.

Nice effort. It's still duck season here but from what I've heard it's been a poor year in Gippsland.

You have a great opportunity to make a beauty duck pond on the farm.

Our season opener was not as good as we have had in the past. We got 35-40 birds, 50/50 mallards and paradise plus managed to drop 3 black swan out of a little mob that came over from behind and took us by surprise on the Saturday evening shoot. Only shot the Saturday of the opening weekend as farmers son and mates are old enough now to shoot and wanted to shoot Sunday and take over the irrigation pond we have had for a few years.

Once again the weather was too good, fine calm conditions first up but a cold breeze and some fog got things moving for a while until the clear weather prevailed again.

View from my laydown blind - Mt Hutt ski field on snow covered peak in background


My springer waiting patiently for some action


Not much action but nice scenery

Fantastic pics! Yep it seems we cant buy a wet day right now. It was forecast to rain today which was why we were out. But never eventuated.

Off Tahr hunting now so I dont mind if that doesn't change.

Great effort on the ducks, they have some experience now and you can't expect opening day numbers. I haven't shot one this year. The ground is too porous under my new duck pond so it is dry now. Ducks are not common here but I saw a pair of Paries the other day.
Good luck on the tops after Thar. You won't bounce when you fall like you used to!

I havnt bounced in quite a few years. I fell off a horse a couple of years ago and lay on the ground thinking, "I dont remember it hurting that much!"

The sad fact is the mature Bull Tahr cohort of the Tahr herd is in real trouble. With the herd reduction of the last few years, there are much less mature bulls about. The last of the really old bulls will die off over the next 2-3 years and the guides, knowing the end is coming, have upped thier helihunting and will be forced to take younger and younger animals. Give it 2 years and there will be bugger all 12 inch bulls left.
Im going to look at a new area this trip and its all low down bush slips and bluffs and creeks where the helicopters cant get and see if I can find one of those last really old bulls.

Best of luck on the Tahr Shanks.
Hope you find the mythical "ripper".
I was supposed to be out after them about now but life has conspired, as it sometimes does. Still hoping for an opportunity soon however.

Makes our opening look a bit ordinary - except when it came to the plucking

Went out last night as it had been a rainy day and I hoped it would make hunting easier on my little spot, which the birds approach quartering and dropping at speed. Difficult shooting.
It didnt really rain as much as I wished and the hide is the only cover, so the birds watch it intently and break at first sign of movennt.
This time I concentrated on just taking one bird from each group in the small window I had and it worked well, even allowing me a few doubles. End result was a limit of Greylards, and a limit of Spoonies. We didnt have them at the old place so thats my first limit of Spoonies too.

And went out again tonight. A few pictures