On February 11, 2002, a juvenile duck was banded at Kaituna Wildlife Reserve near Tauranga, New Zealand. Brian Rogers was kayak hunting less than a mile away 10 years later when he downed the duck.
According to officials, in the 15 years that the Fish & Game’s Eastern Region has kept records, this is the oldest duck ever shot in the area.
“It’s an area that gets a lot of hunting pressure and to go through so many hunting seasons, it must have been a pretty wily old bird,” said Senior Fish & Game Officer Matt McDougall. “I think it’s fair to say however that this harvest could be considered a humane act, as from the description of the bird’s flying, it was nearing the end of its life.”
The recovery wasn’t an easy one for Rogers, who thought the duck looked like a juvenile, and was not in good shape when he shot it. The bird landed on some loose sand, and he had to crawl on his belly to recover the old bird.
“I said to my mate Tony that so far I’d only shot young and stupid birds, and now I can add geriatric to that. I am stunned to hear it was that old,” said Rogers.–Brian McClintock
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