As well as seeking bragging rights about who killed the most ducks on the opening day of duck-shooting season, those who gathered at Lauder farmer James Armstrong's property every year took pride in another important win, Mr Armstrong said.
Ever since 1977, the duck-shooters who have gone there have awarded a ''You Twit'' trophy to the duck-shooter who had the ''most stupid'' story of the day, Mr Armstrong said.
The late Charlie Brown, of Oturehua, first took the honours with an episode of questionable shooting.
He was shooting furiously, wondering why the duck he was aiming for was still standing when he realised what he thought was a duck was in fact just a dead thistle.
His was the first name on the trophy, which was a toilet seat suspended from the barrel of an old shotgun. The trophy was the idea of Bill Wade, of Clyde, who had just done up his motels and found himself with ''lots of old toilet seats'' left over, Mr Armstrong said.
Last year, Mr Armstrong won the prize, accidentally dumping his friend Robert Drake, of Christchurch, into the lake when he tipped his tractor front-end loader too quickly.
In between, there had been ''plenty'' of other escapades, and the trophy also recorded the number of ducks shot by the group on the property each year.
The most ducks shot was 376 in 1997; last year 126 were shot.
He did not know how many would be bagged this season, but said the opening weekend of duck-shooting was a much-loved affair.
''It's a bit like a family reunion but it's a friend reunion too. Some of these guys we don't see all year until they come back for this weekend.''
About 14 shooters were in five mai mais on two ponds on his property and the mai mais were named ''to avoid confusion'', he said.
They are The Tin Possie, The Willows, The Wall, Randolph's Pond and The Last of the Summer Wine.
Made of wood, corrugated iron and assorted branches, the mai mais had featured an assortment of chairs and sofas over the years but are now all fitted out with bus seats.
