Just trialling a new image hosting site, so thought id give it a try with some pictures from Sunday, when an informal goose cull was carried out at Kawhia.
Was completely wrong weather, sunny and no wind which made it really hard, and we had probably close to 1000 geese sitting on the water below us, but we got a few and learnt a bit and have some ideas to try for next time.
Good stuff, I have just developed a dislike for geese, while we where on the Whanganui river. I had forgotten about that till I saw your post. We would be drifting by not even close to them, what a racket they would make. Even fly off from 50 meters up in the Bush honking there horrible squalky squeaky honk. A dead goose is a good goose. Sunny still weather makes for nice photos
Oh yes, luckily we don't have to many over hear. One of my mates has some wild peacocks in the paddock next to him. Maybe 30, told him he needs to ask his neighbor if he can dispose of them. Don't want those things established. Maybe to late.
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Re: Weekend goose hunt at Kawhia Reply #5 - Sep 4th, 2019 at 12:40pm
I spent more than fifty years as an avid waterfowl hunter. For the last 20 years I focused on Canada geese. I consider them the top waterfowl target in New Zealand. Very intelligent. It's a shame our shooters allowed them to be declared a pest -- most didn't even put pen to paper when it was mooted. Now they are slaughtered from helicopters when flightless on the lakes. Funding by Federated farmers. Obviously I disagree with the opinions expressed here. Except for Micky duck.
The fraternity of shooters is rather like the fraternity of blind men -- each one walks alone.&&: Ian Niall.
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Micky Duck
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Re: Weekend goose hunt at Kawhia Reply #6 - Sep 4th, 2019 at 12:48pm
they are the king of gamebirds reguardless of thier status. awesome fun to shoot and great to eat,cubed up small and fried quickly in beer batter.... I dont sit over dekes but get my share of the big honkers jump shooting, if and when situation allows it...coming up over a berm/stop bank and seeing geese panic as they realise you are 20 yards away with the pumpgum shucking furiously is absolutely priceless. Ive managed 5 twice with my 6 shots. awesome photos.Kawhia is a magic place that holds many happy childhood memories.
Yep they are a fantastic bird. very frustrating at times though. I must be an argumentative bugger. I seem to spend my time with farmers explaining the value of geese to the hunting community. And here I feel the need to put across the point of view of farmers about how harmful they can be. The guys out there can have 500 geese per night on their best paddocks and hunting them successfully is difficult. The population is exploding and I can understand a guy who doesn't hunt saying that he want much fewer on his land. I think there is a middle ground,, as usual, and getting hunters out regularly is a key part. Its 40 minutes drive from my place so I think ill be doing my part quite regularly.
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DHDS (Deerhunter Duckshooter)
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Re: Weekend goose hunt at Kawhia Reply #8 - Sep 4th, 2019 at 4:37pm
Oh I feel bad now for hating them, I have never shot or eaten one though so I will take your guys word over mine. They definitely are very aware and cautious birds when on the river bank. I think in the 70 or so kilometers we drifted and the 1000 or so geese we saw we probably only would have got close enough to shoot a couple.
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XRhunter
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Re: Weekend goose hunt at Kawhia Reply #9 - Sep 4th, 2019 at 5:30pm
I hunt in an area that they have recently occupied and are not wanted there. We target them at the flapper stage with centrefires.
I breasted a couple and left them in the fridge a week or so. Having conveniently forgotten about them I fried up some 'venison inside steaks' I must have defrosted?? Yummy! Then I realised what I had done. Most impressed
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Re: Weekend goose hunt at Kawhia Reply #10 - Sep 4th, 2019 at 8:01pm
Nothing makes me happier than the sound of a happy goose honking. I see the valid opinions of our farmer friends who don't want 100s on their paddocks and I help out by shooting them. I personally wouldn't want any less of them around and I remember a time before goose armargedden when there were more of them. The first goose hunt I went on (through the forum, organised by Benelli Boy) there were so many they struggled to find places to land.
The mighty goose is the best gamebird to hunt as they respond to calling better than any other species.
If you want an annoying bird that spoils deer hunting then thats the paradise duck. I won't want to see any less of those either, they are a cool, native bird.
Farmers will always see anything thats not stock as pests. The real problem with the world is that habitat destruction had left no space for the wildlife on this planet. It's a problem humans have created so while wild animals should be managed I don't think we should blame them and relegate them all to pest status.
It's great to see a hunting report and some phots on here.
This is my rifle, there are many like it but this one is mine. Without my rifle I am useless, without me it is useless.
agree 100% massive. parries should be allowed to be shot with bow......that would be an interesting challenge and great for stalkers whos deer had bolted.....
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Re: Weekend goose hunt at Kawhia Reply #13 - Sep 5th, 2019 at 12:44pm
But there are far too many myopic people blindly stating that all non natives have to be gone. Conveniently not them though
The prattle around rats and mast years for beech seeds is one. Rats got here with the whalers in the 1700's, and will have been experiencing mast years throughout the intervening centuries. But the way DoC and twig and tweet prattle on, one would expect it to have been a brand new phenomenum
Game birds have their place: in my freezer
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Re: Weekend goose hunt at Kawhia Reply #14 - Sep 5th, 2019 at 6:03pm