KOHAT: The Siberian birds have swarmed the dams and lakes of Kohat district presenting a variety of migratory ducks to the hunters with the start of winter.

The hunters celebrate the season by roasting the game at the place or at hujras while discussing their performance of the day. Great competition is witnessed during hunting and everybody wants to take preference over partners by taking more birds in a single shot.

An official of wildlife department said that the arrival of geese, swans, cranes and 36 species, including mallard duck, ruddy shelduck, common teal and shoveller duck from Siberia, had started arriving in the 13 declared sanctuaries of dams and lakes in Kohat, Hangu and Karak districts.

He said that the birds did not nest during the stay and would lay eggs after returning to Siberia in summer. They come in flocks to take refuge here from the killing cold in Siberia covering hundreds of miles of distance.

He said that the price of the single permit had been fixed at Rs2,000 a day per gun. He regretted that the hunters killed birds in the wee hours when wildlife officers were not present.

The official said that the migratory birds could be seen at the Darmalak Dam, Tanda Dam, Ghurzandi Dam, Dhoda Lake and Darwazai Dam in Kohat district, Shnawarai and Bilimina areas in Hangu, and Teri, Chakto, Banda Daud Shah, Luckala, Jatta Ismailkhel and Sham Shaki in Karak district.

He said that there was no such ban on hunting, but they discouraged killing birds without licence.

An arms dealer, Saifullah, said that there was always a boom in the sale of 12-bore cartridges in the hunting season.

He said that for ducks the hunters preferred No 6 cartridge if the game was found at one place in a good number. But in case the birds are scattered they use No 8 cartridge to bring down as many as they can, he said.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2016