b'HUNTING My grandfather and uncles, along with my father to a lesser extent were all game bird hunters and it was an annual tradition on my grandfathers farm of setting up maimais and hosting other shooters on his large beef and sheep farm for opening weekend.I can recall hundreds of ducks taken way back in the 1980s during this time and just plucking them all needed an army of helpers!Today, game bird hunters have to work a bit harder in Northland with most having to feed out ponds or dams, with better decoys and even electronic calling available than those effortless days in the 80s when duck populations were far greater.PLAN AOver the past several seasons, the weather has just been too sunny, hot, and clear over opening weekend.The winterless north has sure lived up to its name and maybe global warming has played its part too, but there has been a definite lack of wind and rain to help bring the birds down.Birds moving away from theThere is also a major river running hunter at speed prove a morethrough the region, the mighty Northern challenging shot. Wairoa and it doesnt help our cause.As soon as the shooting starts, hundreds of ducks are now sitting out in the middle of it some 200-300m away from danger for the rest of the day.We have struggled at times to get mallards into our ponds, and we have needed to change up our tactics.Feeding has helped but getting more birds in during bright and clear skied weekends means I must adapt my hunting.We first start out on Saturday morning by sitting in our maimai with decoys out and then head off after 11am to stalk small ponds and drains that we know hold birds looking to hide from all the action.Remember if you switch to upland game for pheasant or quail, to change out your steel cartridges for lead.I prefer to hunt pheasant with #6 shot and Winchester and On wet, windy winter days, pheasants will sit tight in cover and flush rightGamebore shells are myat your feet as these two birds which were taken from flax and long grass. go-to cartridges.84FISHING IN GODZONE MAY/JUNE 2022'