THE SHOOTING SEASON

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 68, 22 April 1929, Page 9

THE SHOOTING SEASON

SPOTS IN THE BAY YIEW DISTIUOT. PARADISE DUCK PLENTIFUL. Latterly it has been noticed that shootists are preparing for May 1. So far as tho Bay V'iew district is concerned, thoro are tlirce localities in wliicli it is liopcd that good "bags" will bu secured. The chief of tlicse is, 110 doubt, tlie extensiye Tangoio lagoon, part of which is privatel.v owned. The otlier and larger portion is owned by the Maoris, from wliom it is nccessary to obtain permits to slioot. Tliis year grey duck do not appear to lie so plentiful in tliis part, and judging from tlie birds 011 the wing, it is ]irohablv an indication that tlie birds are disturbed from tlieir feeding grounds. Tho second scene of action will bo at the moutli of the Esk River below the Ksk bridge. Here tlie Esk river widens out into a largc sheet of water, surrounded for tlie most part by suitable cover. Here. again, the ducks are not at all plentiful this season, tliough this water is in the line of flight from Tangoio southwards. Tlie third region is 011 the nortliern shores of the inner liarbour. Of late years, good "bags" have been secured here, and it is not unlikely tliat again tliis year results will be good. Tlie aosenco of cover, howcver . is a serious drawback, and hides here are necessarily very conspicuous. For tlie past fortnight, the swamp between Bay Yiew and tlie seliool hill has attracted great numbers of tlie protected Paradise duck. On oue day last week it was cstimated that from (500 to 700 ducks wero seen feeding here Amongst these it was reckoned tliat there were 300 to 400 grey duck. As this avea is very small, it is probablo that 011 May 1 tlie first fcw shots will put tlie birds into tlie air. It is hard to say where they will next settle, as tliis will, to a great extent, depend on weather conditions. If it is a fine, cairn morning tlie birds will prohably ascend to a great altitude and fly olf to a place so remote that they will be reasonably saf'e. Slioukl it he raining or blowing liard, the dccoys should liave the effect of bringing into range the birds for which the enthusiasts have heen waiting from ihe dark, cold liours of tlie morning.