Duck-shooting lore being handed down

Lyall Nash with grandchildren Lee and Poppy Sutherland and cocker spaniel Ruby. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery

As dawn breaks over the Taieri Plain tomorrow, Lee Sutherland will be poised in a mai mai, waiting for any ducks unlucky enough to cross his view.

The 7-year-old Outram School pupil will wake at 5am for his third duck-shooting opening weekend.

This year, he will be enjoying the comforts of a brand new mai mai custom-built by grandfather Lyall Nash.

Taieri game birds will enjoy a brief respite mid morning when Lee shoots off to turn out for his West Taieri rugby team.

But he will come straight back to the mai mai on the banks of the Contour Channel running off Lake Waipori, between Berwick and Henley, for a full day's shooting, together with granddad and sister Poppy (nearly 5).

Mr Nash has been shooting for 50 years and is now in the process of handing over his lifetime of knowledge to his grandchildren.

He built the mai mai in Dunedin before trucking it over the hill and using a crane to put it in its prime position on the banks of the channel.

It boasts a raised platform for his grandchildren and a bungy cord to control the many decoys carefully ranged across the water.

Mr Nash said Lee had shot his first duck at age 5, and had been hooked ever since.

"He walks over with that cocky walk and wearing his Red Bands and it means the world."

It was great to see his grandchildren, who live with their parents on a farm up the road near Maungatua, keen to be "out there doing it," rather than sitting inside with their phones, he said.

"They learn quick out here."

He was not too fussed about the middling forecast for tomorrow.

High cloud and light winds were predicted, the opposite of the low fog and strong winds which are favoured by shooters for keeping the ducks low.

"If we get a dozen it'll be a good day."