Welcome to the August edition of Pheasant Tales, the newsletter of the New Zealand Game & Conservation Alliance. 

By the time you get to read this the 2026 Driven Pheasant season will

be done and dusted, and what a season it has been. Everything imaginable, too much flood, too much pestilence (bird variety), too much sunshine, too much rain. Too high birds, too low birds, Too many cancellations, too few days. Too many geographically challenged beaters, too few pickers. The list goes on…but hasn’t it been fun!
 

Frankly, when you think about it, 2026 has been an extraordinary season. We have had a new preserve open, and another has had its first serious season with a new keeper. Both have enjoyed great success, with plenty to build upon. Other Shoots have tried new drives, new ways of dealing with previous difficulties, introduced a new chef, and even added a Bothy. All done to make the experience of Driven Pheasant shooting better. 
Well done to you all. 

Time now to have a break, to put the feet up with an appropriate drink in hand. Time to relax a little, to think about the season that has been, and start making plans for 2027.
 

The Arms Act 2026 received Royal Assent in early August. 
While it is now officially law, its rules take effect in stages.
 

23rd September 2026: 
Most provisions and the new independent regulator begin.
 

23rd July 2027: 
Specific new requirements for commercial ammunition sellers come into force.
 

23rd February 2028: 
Existing ammunition sellers must fully transition, and final policy proposals take effect.

Well done, Nicole.

No new discoveries of bird flu deaths have been found. At this stage there have only been two confirmed cases found. 

This does not mean that the threat is over. Be aware of anything you find that seems unusual. If you should find three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, do not touch or move them. Report the details immediately to the Exotic Pest or Disease Hotline at 0800809966

NORTHMERE: Reece signs in: “Where do I start. The last 3 or 4 weeks have been very hard with the weather getting warmer. I’ve got cock birds breaking off with half a dozen hens everywhere, all looking for new territory. It has proven difficult to get them back into the drives. Luckily the guns have been very understanding and we have still had good days in spite of the challenges. It is certainly something for us to think about and plan for next season. We have still been getting a number of guns who are new to our industry. This has been great to see, especially when they are booking to come back next year. We are already working on getting sorted for next season. Lots to do”.

 

LIGHTHOUSE STATION: Jamie writes: “It’s been a funny old season, as the weather has been extremely mild. We’ve have had our share of difficulties but despite these we have had a very good time of it.

 

I’d like to thank all of our staff, beaters, pickers, loaders, and all as we can’t run our days without all their hard work. The Staff are looking forward to a well-earned holiday.

Personally, we are heading over to Scotland and Canada to visit  family and friends. I will be taking the opportunity to shoot a few days in Scotland (a busman’s holiday). We are looking forward to introducing some new drives here next year as we continue to improve, develop, and enjoy our shoot days. 

Our partridges mixed in with the pheasants seem to have been a

success and a guest highlight. Next year’s schedule is nearly full with repeat customers and a few overseas teams joining us. There are however, a few spare pegs available, but you would need to be quick to get one of these. Cheers to you all”.

 

GLEN MASSEY: Helen says: “The Glen Massey Beater’s Day shoot is always memorable. With prizes for Best dressed, Best smoko dish, Helper(s) of the year, and Shot of the Day, you can imagine how competitive things got.
 

2026 Awards went to: Best Dressed: Kevin Dodd.

Best Smoko Dish: Isabel Ellmers Scotch eggs and English Pork pie.

Helpers of the Year: Matt and Isabel Ellmers

Shot of the Day: Gareth Williams who confidently brought his own picker and dog!
 

Fines were generously distributed to anyone who caught Dickie’s eye (and who was not driving home). Jared is now well into calving season and is successfully keeping tabs on all things bovine, whilst the pheasants have a rest”.
 
 

TOTARA LODGE: Will checks in: “The 2026 season is over and it has been a good one. We even had to put in a mop-up day to take some more birds out of the system before grass and swede drilling starts. The season may be over but the job never really stops. More native

trees have already been planted. New flush points are being fenced off and miscanthus will be planted in due course. Birds are being caught up and given new homes on farms far and wide. Wild ideas have been discussed and new plans are being written with an ever-

increasing list of jobs that need to be completed before the birds come again. But the best thing about the end of the season is spending weekends and days off with the family!!

We look forward to showing everyone the ongoing development of the farm and the shoot in the 2027 season. It is already looking like it will be a good one.

On a final note, I would like to thank everyone who donated to the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter this year. Unfortunately, the Guinea fowl didn’t sacrifice themselves for the cause, but a big push on Beater’s Day put another $900 into the pot. The grand total we raised this

year was a massive $4,615. We look forward to seeing you all in 2027”.

 

PORONUI: Ben reports: “The season has gone really well. We only have Beater’s Day to go.

We have started packing up the drives and are beginning to put in place some of the new ideas we have for next season.

 

Weasel and I are off to the UK in September for a holiday and to catch up with friends and family. Ross will be going back to Ireland a bit later. Thanks to everyone for a great season”.

TE KONINI: Andy signs in: “An outstanding first year with a busy, but brilliant last month.

Included here was a shoot day attended by 3 of NZ’s keepers Chris, Will, and Reece. They didn’t criticize my amazing pheasant control and I didn’t criticize their abysmal shooting skills. Charlie now owns he individual one-day shots fired record here with over 600 for the

day. A pleasure to host you guys. 

Our Beater’s Day was a blast in every way. My exceptional team of helpers managed to get through over 6,000 rounds of ammunition! All done safely and with great humour. Their best behaviour only slipped as the whiskey flowed late into the evening. Thank you to the

sober drivers.

 

We hosted a Junior Shoot Day in collaboration with HB Fish & Game. A wet day did not dampen the spirits of the young guns. They put some of our Beaters to shame with their extraordinary shooting. Smiles on everyone’s face was the order of the day. We have also just hosted the NZ Spaniel Club trials. A great morning in the sun with plenty of game and some lovely dogs on display. We are looking to hold a final mop-up shoot on Friday 28th . August. Just $100 per bird. If you are keen email me at

tekoninishooting@newmansporting.com
 

Thank you to all the teams who supported us this year, and we look forward to seeing you all again next season. We are planning some changes which I’m sure will make shooting even more satisfying for all. 2027 Shoot days are filling fast so please contact us soon, as we

don’t want to disappoint anyone.

 

Finally, a huge thank you to my whole team, especially Richard, Amanda, and Beth. You have all been incredible and have played a massive part in helping me achieve my dream of running a commercial shoot with a family feel”.

 

LAGOON HILL: Malcolm writes: “The season has come to an end and I’m looking back on a period that has had some very testing highs and lows. A bit like the water levels at Lagoon Hills.

The last major flood caused a lot of damage to farm access, crops, and fences around the shoot. It disrupted the birds quite a bit. I think we have done well given all that has been thrown at us. We have had happy guns and we are just about fully booked for next year.
 

I would like to thank all the beaters, pickers, and others who helped throughout the year. I am especially grateful to my darling wife Flo, who has worked her socks off from start to finish working along-side me with rearing and feeding the birds all season. I hope all the NZ keepers enjoy a little breather before we all fire up again”.

 

CRAIGMORE: Oli reports: “That’s the end of another season here at Craigmore. It’s been a challenging one at times but a dedicated team has made it easier.

We held our Beater’s shoot recently with some of our crew managing to knock over their first pheasants. Harry and I would like to thank everyone who comes to Craigmore to help make the shoot possible. Many of our team drive for hours to give us a hand, and it’s very much appreciated. Just a few more hens to catch up and it won’t be long before we start

to see eggs and the hard work will begin again. Until then we will try to get some time away”.
 

SHOOT DAY DRAW AT NGAMATEA STATION

Firstly, many thanks to the person who drew my name in the shoot day lottery to win the equivalent of Willy Wonka’s golden ticket.

Being a person who could only shoot one clay target in ten (and that is being optimistic), the opportunity was definitely lost on me. Needing to gain a lot of brownie points, I decided it was best to gift my long suffering and patient husband, Torin, the chance to feel like young Charlie in awe of the Chocolate factory. A feeling I didn’t quite understand. Jeff rang to congratulate me and to organize a date. Once that was decided Torin’s excitement grew. He assured me that he was this excited heading into our wedding but I’m not so sure! With the countdown underway, appropriate shooting attire was decided upon, tweaked, then laid out, and finally after a sleepless night, his special day had arrived.
 

Dragged out of bed at an unearthly hour, we headed to Ngamatea Station, a stunning piece of paradise. Ngamatea Station is approximately 78,000 acres of beautiful farmland and native tussock with the Taruarau River on one boundary and the Rangitikei River on the other. The Kaweka, Ruahine, and Kaimanawa Ranges stand proudly in magnificent sight, dusted (heavily I might add) with the white crispness of snow. Man, New Zealand is something else!

Meeting at the homestead, we were welcomed by landowners, organisers, a familiar bunch of beaters from another shoot, and a few new famous faces. Breakfast served, I split from Torin (again trying to amass more brownie points) and headed off to beat for the day.

 

I know I had a fab day being marched up and down some extremely steep gradients by Chris the Gamekeeper. Either I am unfit or he simply had a desire to see me suffer. Despite my complaining we managed to present well prepared pheasants from four stunning, challenging drives to an enthusiastic team of guns below. It was fun and well worth the night of cramp that followed. 
 

At the conclusion of the last drive, The Burn, everyone returned to the homestead for hot nibbles and drinks.

Part of our experience was to join the syndicate for dinner. Taken upstairs we sat, drinks in hand, in front of a roaring open fire surrounded by architectural beauty that I didn’t want to leave, ever! A number of entertaining folk with good shooting stories, banter, and laughter, joined us in the room. Finally, seated around a large family dining table, we were treated to a well prepared and delicious meal. This was followed by Annabel’s sticky date pudding (something to die for!).
 

On reflection, regardless of whether Torin and I were just fortunate like Charlie to win a golden ticket, we think everyone who is involved in whatever role in driven shooting, hunting, fishing, or conservation in NZ, are all holders of a very special ticket. 
 

This year’s Hawkes Bay Fish & Game Junior shoot day was hosted generously by Andy Newman and his crew at Te Konini. 

The weather forecast for the day didn’t look good with predicted rain and wind. However, the weather gods smiled down on us and gave us a near perfect shoot day with overcast conditions, little wind, and a mild temperature.
 

The excitement levels were sky high among the team of Junior shooters, while trepidation was probably the name of the game among the beaters and pickers who knew the Te Konini drives. They need not have worried as nobody had told the juniors how high the birds were and how challenging a season of senior guns had found the shooting. 

 

The first of the two drives for the day was Tom’s Lane. A high colosseum type of geography with a crop on top and the line of guns way below. We could all just about make out the line of pheasants on the cliff edge looking down on us with utter distain on their faces. That look of arrogance soon changed as the beaters pressured the birds into flight. Whether they flew as singles, small groups, or larger flushes the birds soon discovered that these kids could shoot. 

The pickers waiting behind realized that their dogs were in for a busy time. The minders, who stood with each gun, were just as busy keeping up as the youngsters refused no opportunity to shoot. It was a fantastic drive with no shortage of birds to swing at. The entire line saw plenty of action with each gun standing among a pile of empty cartridges and all with huge smiles on their faces. Proud parents stood behind and minders were seen shaking their heads in amazement at all they had witnessed.

 

The second drive, The Orchard, went the same way as the first. It didn’t matter how high the birds flew, or how much they drifted or contoured, the birds were all under threat. Every gun managed to shoot their fair share and some that were knocked down made even the most experienced gun admire the skill on display.
 

The young guns could not only be admired for their shooting ability, but the calm manner in which they went about their work was a real feature. They handled their guns with safety in mind at all times.
 

John Lumsden from HB Fish & Game expressed his grateful thanks to Andy Newman, owner Te Konini Shoot, for generously providing the opportunity for the Junior guns. He also thanked all the team who worked so diligently to ensure such a fantastic experience. Happy faces all around.
 

Now that I have covered most of the keepers, I have decided it would only be logical to tell a few tales about the wonderful characters and personalities you can meet on or near the peg at our fantastic preserves. 

To start the ball rolling I begin this series with this Glen Massey duo.

Dickie was born in Market Harborough in Leicestershire, England. Like all English towns there are interesting Historical facts connected to them. In this case Market Harborough has a street market that had its charter granted over 800 years ago. It is the site of the Old Grammar School that was built on stilts in 1614. It was also the hub for fox hunting during the 19th century. However, the fact I like best is that it is frequently named as one of the happiest places to live in the UK. That alone seems appropriate when trying to describe Dickie.

Dickie spent his formative years living in Leighton Buzzard (how do they come up with these names?). This is close to where the Great Train Robbery took place. Dickie still claims it wasn’t him. At age 8, he was sent to boarding school in Buckinghamshire. From here he

moved on to further schooling at High Wickham. He then spent his 6th form year at Bedford School which was conveniently located close to Pubs, Bookmakers, and girls. After completing this year Dickie spent a year working on a farm before being offered a place at

Newcastle University. Here the focus was on the University rugby team. No surprises, after failing his 1st year exams he was on the move again. This time to Shuttleworth College (you might remember Andy Newman from Te Konini went to this college) to undertake a

3year Agriculture course. Dickie was successful this time and has a piece of paper to prove it.

So, what now? Where else but to Africa to drive tourists all over the continent in a Bedford truck. Morocco to Kenya to Zimbabwe to Tanzania, and wherever else people wanted to go. Here’s the good bit. It was doing this that Dickie heard of another truck from ANOTHER company that was driving a group of 16 clients, comprising 13 girls and only 3 blokes. It sounded too good to be true, so off he went to meet this truck. Who do you think was one of the passengers? Helen, of course. The attraction was immediate. After a day or two the trucks had to head off on separate paths but Dickie arranged to meet Helen in Nairobi. Helen borrowed funds to make the journey from Zimbabwe only to find Dickie had moved on to the

other side of the continent. She had been stood up! Back to England she went.

Time now to consider Helen’s background. 
 

 

Helen was born and raised in Pembury in the county of Kent. Pembury is a largish village with a population of a little over 6000 inhabitants. It was first established over 1200 years ago. The Parish Church was built in the 12th century. I’m sure you will be interested to know that Pembury, in the early 20 th . century, hosted a centre of groundbreaking research and treatment for hodophobia, a fear of road travel. The mind boggles. 
 

Helen’s family owned a mixed farm in West Farleighwith a focus on growing hops and fruit, as well as running sheep and beef. It was here that she was first introduced to horses at the local pony club. The relevance of this will appear shortly. Early schooling occurred

locally until at age 11 she was enrolled at Bedgebury Girls Boarding school. Helen was educated here until she was 16 years old. The biggest disappointment with this school was that the nearest pub was over 3 miles away! It was, however here that Helen decided that

a life with horses was the career path for her to follow.

A job at a Southwold property in Suffolk looking after event horses held an appeal that was added to by the fact that the property owners also ran a brewery. The appeal diminished dramatically with the realization that winter on the East coast of England was freezing cold with the prevailing wind from the North Sea. Back to Kent was a warmer option. It was here that Helen qualified as a British Horse Society Riding Instructor.

 

With certificate in hand, she found work at Wylye, a small village near Salisbury, not too far from Stonehenge. Her employer was a lady who trained the British Olympic Eventing team. She also trained horses and riders from other countries including Mark Todd from NZ.

Helen was part of a 3 girl group. A groom, a cook, and a secretary. The threesome have subsequently become life-long friends. The cook now lives in NZ and comes beating at Glen Massey. After a year touring Australia, Helen spent two years “mucking around” house

sitting followed by a “what now?” moment. The obvious choice was a tourist truck tour of Africa. 

 

When Helen arrived in Nairobi she met Julia who had been the secretary at Wylye. They discovered they were both booked on the same truck with a passenger list of 13 girls, 3 men, and a driver. Helen described the men as “one married, one with his girlfriend, and one who was exhausted”. This last chap ended up marrying Julia. Along the journey a cheeky looking rooster turned up in another company truck. He introduced himself as Dickie Sansome.

As mentioned previously Dickie stood Helen up in Nairobi, so back to England she went. It is here after a bit of communicating by frequent letters that the two of them finally met up again.

 

One of Dickie’s last letters suggested they meet up again in Kent.

Again, Dickie stood Helen up by attending a friend’s wedding instead!

Finally, they managed to meet up and the relationship blossomed.
 

Dickie found employment on a local turf farm, while Helen went backto college to succeed in earning a secretarial certificate. She shortly thereafter gained a position for a recruitment company in Royal Tunbridge Wells. Time passed. They purchased a home together and

in the year 2000 they married.

 

In 2002 the travel bug bit them both and it was off to Africa again. The plan was to eventually reach Australia to see the Rugby World Cup in 2003. (I forget who won this tournament). After this they thought since they were so close they should pop across the Tasman to visit family in Auckland. NZ didn’t seem such a bad place so Dickie found work on a Turf farm at Mangatawhiri. In 2005 they set up their own Turf Farm and settled into life fulltime in NZ.

As a young fellow back in Leighton Buzzard, Dickie had got involved in small family Driven Shoots. He shot ducks, and spent any spare time helping with pest control. He had a passion for gun sports and anything to do with it. So, as the turf farm business developed, and grew more successful, both he and Helen decided to look for an appropriate property where they could establish their own Driven Shoot. In 2018 after visiting numerous blocks of land, they finally found a piece of paradise in Glen Massey.
 

The years have ticked over and the Glen Massey syndicate shoot has become an outstanding example of how good a “family style” shoot can really be. As a syndicate shoot it is by invitation only. Do not be upset if you don’t receive an invitation because they are as rare as hen’s teeth. Dickie loves to shoot. Helen loves her dogs, training them, and watching them pick up. A perfect combination.

If you happen to meet up with Dickie and Helen you will soon come to the realization that you are in the presence of a couple of very fulfilled people. As Dickie says ‘I have no regrets. Everything has panned out pretty good”. I know Helen agrees.
 

As the 2026 season winds down, and the pheasants spread out, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the NZGCA Board Members for their time, dedication, and commitment they continue to invest in our industry. I am also grateful for their patience, support, and willingness to contribute their expertise for the benefit of our association and the wider sport. 

Many of our Board Members have been acting on behalf of the Alliance since it’s inception in

2019, and remain passionate advocates for the growth and improvement of driven shooting. Their ongoing efforts are invaluable, and the progress we continue to make would not be

possible without them.

Thanks also to our outgoing Secretary, Brittany. She has kept the Alliance cogs turning for the past few years, while we have been out in the field.
 

We are looking forward to connecting with many of our members at the Sika Show in November. The opportunity to engage with our community is a highlight and provides a valuable chance to share ideas, challenges, and successes. We, also, hope to rope in a few

more new members.

On that note, if you have a flair for eye catching design of exhibition booths, we would love to hear from you. The strength of our association lies in the talents and expertise of its members, and we welcome your involvement.
 

A special thank you to Robbie Danks, who has recently taken on the “Communications and Inclusivity” portfolio. We have received wonderful feedback from members about the newsletters. Robbie’s contribution is helping us strengthen connections with members

across our growing community.

Finally, the NZGCA Annual General Meeting will be held on 29 September 2026. We encourage all members to attend, participate in the discussion, and help shape the future direction of our association.
 

Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to seeing many of you in the months ahead.
 

Bridgette Karetai

Chairperson, NZGCA.

I am disappointed to report no entries for the best story of the year. I find it hard to believe that no one in our entire group has not managed to put a foot wrong. I guess I am left with no option but to nominate myself.
 

While in the beating line at Te Konini I was asked to cover an area of a drive that I was not familiar with. Part of this required scaling a fence to get to a key flushing point. Those who know me will recognize the difficulty this instruction poses. I am too old to scale anything. So, if I can’t get over, then I must go through. No one told me that the middle obviously electric wire was live. In fact, it was very live. As I clambered through my “low hanging fruit” came into

contact with the afore mentioned wire. The result came as quite a shock to me! I was through in a “flash” and apparently my rendition of the “chicken dance” was a sight to behold.

With that admitted, I now claim both bottles of wine as both the story teller and the victim.

Despite all the challenges that were faced this season, I think the 2026 season has been very successful. I also think we have got a lot to look forward to in 2027. One thing is very clear, if you have not booked your peg(s) yet, you should get your skates on as most spaces are filling fast.
 

Due to most activity on the Preserves slowing down, this is likely to be the last Pheasant Tales newsletter for a month or two unless, of course, something special occurs.

Thanks for supporting the NZGCA and our fantastic sport.