How to find (and keep) a duck pond on private land

How to find (and keep) a duck pond on private land

Private ponds are great for a variety of reasons:
• You are most likely to be the only hunter, or one of a few that shoot that pond
• You can choose your own hunting buddies.
• You can pre-feed the pond
• You know no one will have disturbed the birds
• You can avoid “over-shooting” the pond on any one day to ensure it continues to provide ducks throughout the season.
• Over time you get to know under what conditions it is best to shoot that pond
• You don’t have to be at your maimai by 7.45am, lest someone else pinch it

However finding a private pond to shoot can be tricky. If you know people in the rural community ask around if anyone has a pond that you could shoot. Failing this find a pond in an area you want to shoot by either driving around rural roads looking for ponds or look at Google Earth. Google Earth enables you to zoom in on an area and search for a pond. Once you have identified a likely looking pond go knock on the door of the nearest farm house and ask if you can shoot it. Landowners generally like to meet someone face to face to judge if they would like them on their land.

A good idea is to offer your services on the farm for a few days a year – for example hunter Edgar Russ ‘Rusty’ tails sheep a few days a year on the farm he shoots. Expect to be turned down a few times – not all landowners will want hunters on their farms and hunters need to respect this. It’s worth taking the time - once you find a pond you may end up shooting there for years.

When you have been given permission to shoot a private pond remember to look after the relationship with the landowner through the following:
• Leave farm gates the way you found them
• If a farmer tells you a specific way to access the pond, do not deviate from that route
• Always check if it’s ok to bring your dog and keep your dog under control at all times. Make sure the dog has been wormed to prevent spreading sheep measles to stock.
• If you want to bring a hunting buddy else always ask permission
• Don’t park so you obstruct gateways
• Remove empty cartridges and other rubbish
• Avoid alcohol
• Offer the farmer a duck or two from your bag. Make sure you pluck and gut them first!

ENDS

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