The process of consolidating our various driven shooting interests to one location near home here in Taupo is now complete with the adjoining properties of Harakeke and Totara Lodge giving us 6,000 acres of ground to shoot over.
The terrain is diverse allowing us to show some extremely challenging birds and with the mix of landscape there are large areas of both natural and recently established woods and hundreds of acres of winter crop, all making for perfect pheasant cover.
By far the most important feature of any shooting day should be a team of Guns who, with piece in hand, enjoy each others company and share an experience that exceeds their expectations.
For the shoot owner, the most important result is to be able to show enough sporting birds in order for the Guns to be able to shoot their elected bag. Critical to this is firstly, having put enough birds down; then secondly, having the game keeping staff to properly look after them and be able to present them on shoot day --- right through to the end of the season!
In the first instance, between the pheasants, partridges and guinea fowl released along with the indigenous turkeys, we have almost 18,000 birds available for harvest on Harakeke and Totara Lodge in 2011.
In the second instance, Jacob our underkeeper has been joined by headkeeper Tony Pierce who arrived earlier this year from Devon, the "home of high birds". Tony has established a formidable reputation both as a successful 'keeper and estate manager and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge gained from being in charge on some of the most legendary commercial shoots in England. We welcome Tony, Kerry and daughter Charlotte to Taupo.
The best known game shooter of the last century was Sir Joseph Nickerson. For him, shooting was "something of a religion". He writes: "My reverence is for the wild surroundings which make challenging shooting possible and for the splendid quarry...." Nickerson shot with pairs of 20 and 28 bore Purdey over and unders. When asked about his success he notes that "shotgun shooting is about movement --- movement of the gun and movement of the whole body. I attribute what success I have had to moving the gun more and faster than most people whom I have observed".
A lesson there for all of us!
Hot barrels, Simon & Adi
