 In breeding years , the loud booming calls of the males at their mating arenas made it easy for Māori hunting parties to track the kakapo down , and it was also hunted while feeding or when dust @-@ bathing in dry weather . The bird was caught , generally at night , using <unk> , <unk> traps , or by groups of domesticated Polynesian dogs which accompanied hunting parties – sometimes they would use fire sticks of various sorts to <unk> a bird in the darkness , stopping it in their tracks and making the capture easier . <unk> was done in a <unk> or in <unk> of boiling oil . The flesh of the bird could be preserved in its own fat and stored in containers for later consumption – hunters of the <unk> <unk> tribe would pack the flesh in <unk> made from the inner bark of <unk> tree or in containers constructed from kelp . <unk> of kakapo tail feathers were attached to the sides of these containers to provide decoration and a way to identify their contents . Also taken by the Māori were the bird 's eggs , which are described as whitish " but not pure white " , and about the same size as a <unk> egg . 
