An ammunition shortage in 1946 would've been good news for ducks. Photo / Warren Buckland
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.
In 1938, the King of England had a special pond made in the duck hunting ground at the royal estate at Sandringham.
Built with a small island in the middle, it could be reached by a bridge.
There, he could conceal himself in a large barrel positioned on the island.
His guests, meanwhile, were positioned in other barrels.
The King, it is said, would get up at 4 am and go out to the marshes wearing gumboots and a mackintosh.
While it can’t have been very comfortable sitting in a barrel, he was planning to have another pond made on the estate with a high enough fence to screen the guns.
Maybe he could have taken a leaf from New Zealand duck hunters and built a maimai!
On the subject of duck hunting in New Zealand, a lack of ammunition caused a bit of tension between Southland and North Island hunters, as reported in the Central Hawke’s Bay Press in 1946.
Prospects in Waikato
Game said to be plentiful
New Zealand Herald, April 28, 1937
[From our own correspondent]
HAMILTON, Tuesday
Unsettled weather is reported to have had the effect of bringing duck shooting water in the Waikato up to the usual levels and to have split up large flocks of duck, a good season thus being indicated.
More than 2000 pheasants of good type were put out toward the end of last season and pheasants as a result are more plentiful than they have been for some time.
Quail are reported to be in fair number, with prospects best in the Kaiwhia district.
Native game is plentiful in the King Country, it is said, and good sport is promised from both pheasant and quail.
Hawke’s Bay Herald Tribune, October 19, 1940
A two-week open season for duck shooting, extended to include three week-ends, will be sought by the Council of the North Island Acclimatisation Societies for next year.
It was decided at yesterday’s conference of the council to ask the Minister of Internal Affairs for such an arrangement.
The chairman, Mr F. C. McKenzie, Auckland, moved that the Minister be asked to review the beneficial effects of the short, 1940 duck season, particularly in regard to its effect upon earlier pairing of the duck, and resultant double clutches, the saving of perhaps a quarter of the duck otherwise shot, the effect of food-plant propagation by societies, the maintained duck population where suitable habitat existed, the improved ranging and urgent need of revenue to pay for it, and the increased efficiency of vermin control.
Mr H. M. Bishop said that Hawke’s Bay was naturally well endowed with breeding grounds for water-fowl.
The try-out for the short season had been a very good thing, and sportsmen advocated short seasons, with an occasional longer one if it seemed advisable.
Paradise and shoveller duck had greatly increased.
Central Hawke’s Bay Press, May 25, 1946
Although there are still plenty of ducks, many sportsmen are unable to secure ammunition with which to shoot them.
Quite a number have already expended all their ammunition in obtaining one limit bag, and some have become so desperate that they have bought two licences to get the extra fifty rounds, states the Southland Times.
As much as 17/6 has been obtained at auction for one box normally costing 8/6.
Southland sportsmen claim that North Island stores have received ample supplies at the expense of the South, but two men who recently toured the whole of the North Island without obtaining one box are equally sure that supplies are short there.
Whichever is correct, it seems that the duck shooting season will be poor for most sportsmen.
- Source: Papers Past
“All of this is a positive step forward, but now we need the next one."