Outdoors: The thrill of a scrubland chase

By COLIN MOORE

My father was once given a pheasant by a Scottish neighbour with instructions to hang it. The carcass was strung under the porch. After five days it had turned green and was giving off an unhealthy pong, at which point my mother intervened and buried the thing in the back garden.

I have still never eaten pheasant, nor shot one. But like anyone who travels along our country lanes I have seen dozens of the birds flying out from the grass and scrub like sitting pheasants for any passing shooter.

Not only is my impression of the bird inaccurate, but so is the common belief about what should be done with it after it's caught, I learn from Dave Moate, a Rotorua-based fish and game officer.

On a sunny afternoon a few days before last Saturday's opening of the game-bird hunting season, I join him and his hunting buddy, fellow fish and game officer Rob Pitkethley, on a mock hunt to find out what this pursuit is all about.

First, let's dispense with the wrong impressions. Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, which I consult when I get home, recommends that pheasants should "hang some time before they are dressed, as, if they are cooked fresh, the flesh will be exceedingly dry and tasteless".

Moate says Mrs Beeton's advice is out of date and she was writing for the Northern Hemisphere. The longest he leaves his birds before dressing and freezing is overnight and instead of hanging the undressed birds he puts them in the fridge.

Our mock hunt is in Rotoehu Forest, near Rotorua, part of the many hundreds of thousands of hectares of exotic forests in the central North Island that are open to the public for recreational pursuits.

Plantation forests are the mainstay of an estimated 500,000ha of quality pheasant and quail shooting terrain in the upper North Island. Fish and Game New Zealand says the region offers some of the best wild upland game hunting in the world. And Auckland has some of the best on its doorstep in the Woodhill, Riverhead and Mahurangi Forests.

Pheasant hunting has a lot in common with trout fishing, which is why, in the United States, it carries none of the stigma of some other "blood" sports. Moate is certain the same social acceptance will happen here soon.

The hunters list the attractions: first, it is a social pursuit, a day out with a mate and a dog; it is also a reason to get into the outdoors; it is challenging because pheasants are smart and outwitting them isn't easy; it is a safe hunting option because the birds can only be shot in flight and with a shotgun, which doesn't have a long range; and at the end of a successful day you have some nice poultry to roast and eat.

Hunting regulations allow only cock birds to be shot, but this pair wouldn't shoot a hen anyway because the cock is more of a challenge. Nor would they shoot a bird from the window of a vehicle or when it was on the ground.

"It is against the traditions and challenge of the sport," says Moate. "You don't shoot sitting ducks. Roadside shooting is quite rare, thankfully. What is the sport or challenge in hunting like that?"

Pheasants live in the scrub on the edge of bush, river margins or orchards. They feed on insects and berries - the juicy red inkweed berry is a favourite - and roost in the trees at night.

We walk up a forest road that is perfect pheasant habitat. On one side, the trees have been logged and there is good scrub and inkweed cover. On the other side are mature trees, perfect for roosting.

But we are here at the wrong time of day. The scrub is getting the full force of the early afternoon sun. By now any self-respecting pheasant has filled its crop and is back in the shade of the forest. It won't come out for another feed until the sun has lost its heat.

We go through the motions anyway, with Pitkethley on the top of the ridge and Moate at the bottom. The dogs are sent to sniff around. The tail of Moate's black labrador will spin like a windmill if the dogs get on to something, so you need to stick close.

First he will run - fast - and seemingly impenetrable blackberry will be no barrier. A cock bird will also let the hens act as a decoy, so when you see hens going in one direction the chances are the cock is making his escape in another.

That is where your mate comes in because you have to out-pheasant the bird and ambush it. And if you do get it to break cover and fly you need to act pretty fast. Once airborne, pheasants can reach up to 65km/h.

We may not have flushed out any birds but by now one of the most significant aspects of this outdoor pursuit is obvious. To be successful, pheasant hunters like Moate and Pitkethley need to take more than a passing interest in ecology and wildlife habitat. In short, they are passionate about the health of the environment they hunt in.

And when Moate describes the pheasant as a "beautiful bird" you know it is said with a genuine affection for his quarry.

* Fish and Game New Zealand has junior hunting and take-a-mate hunting programmes in some regions.

* You need a game bird licence for pheasant shooting.

* In Northland, Auckland and Waikato the pheasant shooting season is until July 28; in the eastern region until August 25. Daily bag limits vary from three to five.

* Fish and Game Northland region, ph (09) 438 4136; Auckland/Waikato, ph (07) 849 1666; Eastern region, ph (07) 357 5501.

* Comprehensive Fish and Game brochures on pheasant shooting and the hunting regulations are available.

Fish & Game NZ

* colinmoore@xtra.co.nz