TIPS

We already knew Mallard Wonder Ducks were devastating on parries, but disguised as parries they proved even more deadly! The method is to simply pull a dark brown stocking or bag over the body, white material over the head, turn on the spinning wings and get set for action.

Kids love to go duckshooting. Making them feel part of the team can be as simple as decking them out in a bit of their 'own' camo. When it comes to shotguns, Hunting & Fishing New Zealand specialise in smaller gauges like .410 and 20g. A real cracker and exclusive to this franchise is the Akkar youth scale 20g pump action. Budding hunters can use it as a single barrel until they are experienced enough (and big enough) to learn to pump the action - far safer than a double barrelled gun, let alone a semi-auto in young hands!

Tip from: Andy Tannock

Whether clay bustin' or copping the blast of magnum ammo at close quarters in a maimai, we do urge hunters to take the responsibility to protect their hearing. I personally resisted wearing ear-muffs duck hunting for years, even though my hearing is already scratchy. To me it was more important not to miss out on hearing some incoming birds, than to wear 'sissy' ear-muffs. Last season I tried a set of Peltor Electronic muffs and was astounded to learn that I shot just as well with them on as without. Better still, the microphones in them picked up even more sound than my un-muffed ears could - in other words I could hear more not less!

- Feeding imprints your pond as a familiar and ‘safe’ place for game.
- Feeding assists waterfowl to survive autumn when the moult and low water levels put game birds under stress.
- More ducks die of natural causes during this period than are shot during the hunting season according to the experts.
- Feeding ensures ducks are in better shape for the 'table'.
- Feeding will hold birds in your area even when natural food sources are depleted.