It seems like it was only yesterday when my father introduced me to duck hunting at the age of five, a mallard size duck at that age was extremely big especially when I had to carry and hold it at shoulder level as so it did not touch the ground.
From that tender age I remember the shotguns firing at day break at fast flying ducks on duck opening at Lake Hume Australia, I remember flames that came out one mtr or so out of the barrels of the hunters guns, I also remember the freshness of the air, the six inch waves that broke as they came into shore creating a sweet music of their own, the sun rising with those wonderful colours, I also remember using a old dead red gum tree as a hide and I also remember my father doing plenty of shooting but not many ducks hitting the water, when a duck did finally hit the water it was all smiles.
That first duck opening was one of the many duck hunting experiences I would have over the next 53 years, during the passing of those years I have very fond memories of people I hunted with that are still with us and some that are now long gone, lakes and swamps in remote areas that are like a paradise of their own. The loneliness, beautiful trees, birds, animals, flowers, mosquitoes, cooking on a open camp fire, excitement and preparing to go away hunting, talking a lot in the vehicle going to our hunting area and not saying much on the way back home, I also remember the laughter and the deep friendship that developed over those years with the people I hunted with and the warmth we feel inside us when we get together and remember those beautiful times at Henty Swamp and so many other waterways we hunted.
After uncountable hunting experiences the one thing that I don?t remember is the bird numbers we shot, I guess it comes second, looking back now hunting is all the above and not the number of birds we manage to bag.
Dear reader the above introduction is to remind hunters that there is more in hunting than the kill. On future hunts please try to enjoy the all hunting experience, respect the birds and animals you hunt do not harvest more than you have to, pick up your empty cartridges and rubbish and hunt in a sporting manner.
Hellenic Safaris after many years of research have chosen the four hunting destinations as being best areas to hunt the specific species in the months mentioned. All birds hunted are wild game and climate change plays a big part in migration of these birds which must be kept in mind.
In the near future there will be more hunting areas added to the Hellenic Hunting Guide as soon as we are satisfied the areas can produce the bird numbers and our hunting colleagues are up to the high standard we require. Big game hunting can also be arranged by us in the countries mentioned.
John Baritakis
Hellenic Safaris
