It Takes a Hunter to make a Hunter Competition
The winners were as follows:
Beretta / Suzuki prize - Bryce & William Dunstan, Lake Mahinerangi, RD2, Outram, Otago
South Island Hunt - Leigh Tobeck & sons Alec & Hugh, 4 Hegan Pl, Rangiora
North Island Hunt - W L Holmes & Aidan Fleming, 20 Harheh Glen, Bethlem, Tauranga
North Island Hunt - Greg & Brad Kroef, 1275B Ararimu Rd, RD3, Drury
Congratulations to the winners, and well done to all entrants.
RETURN THAT BAND: EVERY BAND COUNTS.
If you have a duck band that you haven't reported, quick, grab it and free-phone 0800 BIRD BAND. Do this before you misplace it, forget where and when you bagged it or mix it up with another band. We've just received one return from a mallard banded on Norfolk Island by the Australian CSIRO and later shot in the Waikato. But this band was not reported for 20 years, having been lost under the carpet all that time.
Even if the band you got was put on the bird just down the road, that information is just as vital to managing your gamebird resource. Please free-phone that band number in today. It's a 24-hour number, (answer-phone after hours), so no excuses. Don't forget to include your name and postal address so we can send you information about when and where the bird was banded. Do be very careful to get the number on the band right. Read the full article from the recent special issue of Fish and Game magazine.
Correspondence about Takahe shooting
The shooting of a Takahe on Mana Island provoked a strong reaction from one reader. You can read his letter and Fish & Game's response here.
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Weather and water have done their dammedess to spoil what was shaping up to be a great season.
Autumns turned into summer and the rain bomb near Whangarei pushed all of the dabbling duck mobs away from the Hikurangi swamp basin. Read the full article here
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We frequently get asked, in the Game Bird Hunter Phone Survey, “How did the rest of the region go ?”. So here's a quick summary for the rest of you, based on those many hundreds of survey replies. Read the full article here
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Eastern - no news this month
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The past two spring/summer’s have been very dry in fact they were drought like, and as a result, waterfowl productivity (numbers of young birds produced) has been poor. This was obvious during our banding programme over the summer and was reflected in the lower bag limits for the 2008 season. So even before the season began, we knew it was not going to be a world beater. Read the full article here
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While the season closed on 29th June for the hunting of dabbling duck, paradise shelduck and swan in Taranaki, hunters are still able to target pheasant and california quail, pukeko and canada geese. Read the full article here
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The main waterfowl season for 2008 has concluded with most hunters relatively contented with their season’s tallies. The season start in May was slightly better than expected with average to above average bags taken – although the patchiness predicted due to the continuing dry periods was also prevalent. Read the full article here Back to the top
With the 27th of July signalling end of the dabbling duck season, hunters are reminded that it’s not all over just yet in terms of remaining hunting opportunities in the Nelson/Marlborough region. Read the full article here
Para Wetland Development progress update Back to the top
Introduced in 1978 Canada Geese were initially slow to establish. A letter received by The West Coast Acclimatisation society regarding the proposed introductions from the Greymouth branch of Federated Farmers in 1977 suggested this may be the case, with it stating;
“…several members thought that you may have a difficult task, as there have been small colonies of Canada Geese on the Coast before, but they have always disappeared. We wish you every success with your venture.” Read the full article here
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North Canterbury - no news this month
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As the season progresses, time and time again we are told “There’s no ducks around”. Then we’re asked “Where have they gone?” Read the full article here
2008 Waterfowl Season Opening Weekend
2008 Regional Canada Goose Trend Count
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The tenure review process has seen a significant area of central Otago upland game habitat return to crown ownership. Much of this area was previously unavailable to the average hunter as access was controlled by the manager of the pastoral lease. Read the full article here
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The end of the season hunt was well attended by Southland hunters with a few reasonable bags taken to tuck away into the freezer for a few nice roast duck meals over the next few months.
Aside from a few no licenses and some people still using lead shot the season has been pretty trouble free. Read the full article here
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