Drought provides challenges to hunters

Geoff Hickson (front) and friend Brett Denholm will have to look elsewhere to hunt their quarry. Photo / Alan Gibson

Geoff Hickson is breaking tradition this morning.

The farmer, who lives in Papamoa near Tauranga, won't be shooting ducks on the pond on his family farm, as he has done for the past 10 years.

Mr Hickson is among many who will break their annual ritual - some of them family traditions stemming back generations - because they can't shoot in their usual spots for the eagerly awaited opening of duck shooting season.

Drought that is plaguing farmers throughout the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Auckland and Northland has dried up the water where ducks usually dwell.

Dry weather has forced Mr Hickson and his friend from school days, Brett Denholm - who has travelled all the way from Brisbane for opening weekend - from what was a 200m by 40m pond but is now just dirt.

It's the first time Mr Hickson has not been able to shoot there on opening weekend.

Instead, the pair will be shooting from the edge of the Kaituna River.

"We've shot there for probably 10 years," he said. "I've still got the river to shoot on but it's not as good as where we were at the beachfront there.

"It's the worst it's ever been. This would be the first year that I've never been able to shoot out there at all. It's a bit exceptional. It's been dry for probably six weeks - completely dry."

He said it was a shame because opening weekend was the best time to shoot ducks because the birds became wary as the season wore on.

"There's nothing like opening weekend."

While Mr Hickson is hoping for rain in coming weeks, he doesn't believe Mr Denholm will leave the country disappointed. "We'll find him something to shoot."

Fish and Game New Zealand spokesman Ric Cullinane said the drought was providing challenges to hunters.

"It's pretty patchy ... People who have their pond organised may be out of luck.

"Some hunters will be disappointed that their traditional ponds are a bit dry but we would encourage them to go out and have a look and try to arrange different areas."

Mr Cullinane said some ducks had changed their feeding patterns because of the drought and were feeding on seed and barley in drier "stubble paddocks", where hunters could shoot with the landowner's permission.

"Hunters will just need to use all their adaptability, innovation and ask around and they should be right."