Napier brewer finds ducks are just the shot - for 63 years of gameshooting

Basil Diack armed and ready east of Putorino ready for the start of the 2022 duckshooting season. Photo / Supplied

When veteran Napier game shooter Basil Diack settles into his favourite maimai at the start of the duckshooting season this weekend he should find it a well-worn spot.

On the eve of the big first-day shoot, a first-Saturday-of-May national event ever since the mallard was a cowboy, the 83-year-old confirmed from a regular hangout towards the coast east of Putorino in Northern Hawke's Bay it's his 63rd season there in a row.

Not that he needs any claim to fame. He "finally" retired at the end of last month after more than 60 years also in the "licensed trade", running pubs like now long-gone Marine Pde hostelry the Victoria Hotel and being founding director of Napier's Hawke's Bay Independent Brewery, which established the Mates brand of beer.

In 2019 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Hospitality New Zealand, formerly the Hotel Association of New Zealand (HANZ).

Settling in yesterday for about three days - with two sons and a grandson set to help thin-out the flock of mallards, grey ducks and paradise shelducks - for the dawn start of the Hawke's Bay season, he said his father-in-law introduced him to duckshooting when he was 19.

The family shoot on two properties in the area, but despite generally drier seasons and tougher conditions, he says he'll "still go out" as long as he can.

His long experience made him a bit of an expert on the waterfowl, and says the best years were when the "greys" were more prolific, being easier quarry than the mallards.

"The mals are the smarter bird," he said. "He has a good look around before he comes in."

The duckshooting season in Hawke's Bay runs from May 7 to July 3.