A strange start to my duck season! (NZ)

[Houseplant]

Our duck season has just opened and I had an inauspicious start. Bad shooting and bad luck left me with an empty bag on opening day, but I found a farm pond which held a few ducks, so went back this morning with high hopes. Nothing turned up. After sitting it out until lunchtime, I gave up and started the long trudge back to the car. In a strange turn of events, I spotted a peacock in a paddock. Thought why not! Don't panic, they are a pest species here and are sometimes hunted as you might pheasants on a rough shoot. As I got closer, I spooked it and it started heading towards the bush. I went in to the bush at a right angle to the bird hoping our paths would cross. I had not moved far when I came across a small fat pig which was very preoccupied with feeding. Using a tree stump as a rest, I lined up on it's head and pulled the trigger. The hunting gods were not done with me. Instead of a bang and glory, I got a click. ***! I've fired a couple of hundred rounds through my shotgun and it's never missed a beat, until now. No choice, but to manually empty the chamber and reload, a noisy process with a semi-auto. I looked up expecting the pig to be gone, but it was still there feeding away. BANG! #4 shot to the head and one stone dead little pig. Roast pork for dinner! 

[Walker570]

Nice one. Reminds me of my visit. We had just begun to drive up the bed of the McCauley River when Alan spotted a duck sitting about 200yrds away on a rock. OK smart alec English sniper see if you can hit that. He had a 22rf and fed a round in and handed it to me. I rested on the truck bonnet and thought where my own 22RF would print at that sort of range. No wind and I eased the shot off and the duck collapsed in a flurry of flapping wings. Alan was stood mouth open. " I didn't expect you to hit it because Parries are not in season at the moment".  Seriously handsome duck.  I just acted like I did that sort of thing every day.  Memories memories and you keep reminding me of so many.

Thank you.

[mel b3]

those are the biggest ears ive ever seen on a duck .

well done on a cracking hunt . you have some damned fine sport out there mate.

[Scully]

Handbag! 👍

[Walker570]

4 hours ago, mel b3 said:

those are the biggest ears ive ever seen on a duck .

well done on a cracking hunt . you have some damned fine sport out there mate.

I still rue the day I didn't move out there when I was 19 ('59)  there again I haven't had a bad innings here either. It really is a beautiful country for a field sportsman.

[Houseplant]

18 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Nice one. Reminds me of my visit. We had just begun to drive up the bed of the McCauley River when Alan spotted a duck sitting about 200yrds away on a rock. OK smart alec English sniper see if you can hit that. He had a 22rf and fed a round in and handed it to me. I rested on the truck bonnet and thought where my own 22RF would print at that sort of range. No wind and I eased the shot off and the duck collapsed in a flurry of flapping wings. Alan was stood mouth open. " I didn't expect you to hit it because Parries are not in season at the moment".  Seriously handsome duck.  I just acted like I did that sort of thing every day.  Memories memories and you keep reminding me of so many.

Thank you.

 

That's a good story. Just incase you are planning on visiting again, parries (paradise shelducks) are not only a game bird with a season, you need a licence and can only be taken with a shotgun. Bag limit is 20 per day in my region. Although an indigenous bird, they have become quite a pest in the same way that canada geese cause problems in the UK (we have those too!).