June 2007: Welcome to Both Barrels - the gamebird hunters newsletter from Fish & Game NZ – packed with season reports from around the country.

The Fish & Game NZ Game Bird Photo Competition - Enter now to win one of these great prizes

• 1 x adult whole season 2008 game bird licence
• 10 Fish & Game “Introduction to Duck Hunting” DVDs
• 10 Fish & Game caps

Send in your best Game Bird photos before the 27th August - winners will be drawn on 31st August 2007

Terms and Conditions

Images must be a minimum of 300dpi, preferably .jpeg emailed as attachments(?) to bothbarrels@inbox.net.nz , or prints posted to Ric Cullinane, Fish & Game New Zealand, PO Box 13-141 Wellington 6440

Remember to include your name, address, the location of the photo subject and other info that is not apparent

All entered images become the property of Fish & Game New Zealand and may be used for promotional or advertising purposes

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Department of Conservation Kiwi Aversion Dog Training Days

The Department of Conservation is running kiwi aversion dog training days for hunters in the wider Auckland area. Full story

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Northland - June Update 

Weather and water have done their dammedess to spoil what was shaping up to be a great season.

Autumn has turned into summer and the rain bomb near Whangarei pushed all of the dabbling duck mobs away from the Hikurangi swamp basin.

Still clear days and little wind kept ducks away from their normal autumn winter haunts as huge rafts of birds took sanctuary on northlands many large harbours and coastal wetlands.

Those determined to make the best of it have been doing well with a change in tactic to targeting these birds. Boating/shooting activity is a lot higher than usual as hunters chase birds on the salt with tidal influence playing a huge factor.

To read the full article, click here

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Auckland Waikato - The Duck Season to date

The duck hunting season to date in the Auckland / Waikato region has been very unusual in that the weather has been exceptionally calm and fine – and this has been a principal driver that has affected hunting opportunity. Opening weekend was foggy then fine with very light winds (if any) so it didn’t favour the hunters. Some places had good starts with good numbers bagged but there were large areas in traditional hotspots of the Waikato delta and Whangamarino that had very slow starts.

To read the full article , click here

John Dyer's Report on Upland Game and Ducks

Some are claiming this to be one of the best upland game seasons in 20 years with pheasants popping up everywhere. This seems quite plausible, as there were plenty of birds around before the season, but the real test is to get out and see for yourself. Upland game can be hunted with or without steel shot and fast handling double guns are preferred by many upland enthusiasts - often in 20 gauge.

To read the full article, click here

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Eastern / Hawke’s Bay - no update this issue 

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Taranaki Region - June Update 

While survey results indicate that Taranaki hunters have had mixed success so far this season, with just two weekends left in the season for dabbling duck and paradise shelduck, hunters are urged to make the most of the time available. Last season, there were some good bags of mallards taken in the last fortnight and it could well be the same again this year. Many farm ponds and oxidation ponds are still holding mobs of mallards and jump shooting along streams with good riparian cover will also be productive and not unpleasant either in the current spell of fine weather. Paradise are continuing to congregate on dairy farms feeding maize silage and newly grazed paddocks located away from farm houses and out-buildings will be good spots to set up silhouette decoys. Stalking pairs of paradise present on ponds and wet areas dotted across the farming landscape will also be worthwhile, particularly in the area east of Stratford.

To read the full article , click here

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Wellington - Rules Successful Goose Hunters Follow 

Until recently, Wellington hunters who wanted to have a serious crack at Canada geese were faced with the prospect of a full scale expedition to some far flung corner of the South Island. All that changed with the establishment of Canada geese in the Wairarapa during the 1980’s. Many local hunters decided that the Wairarapa was close enough to home to warrant the effort involved in a goose hunt. But these early converts soon discovered that the close proximity of somewhere to hunt Canada geese was no great help in getting the birds within shotgun range.

To read the full article , click here

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Nelson Marlborough - Goose hunt update 

The winter goose hunt was held on Queens Birthday Weekend in cold conditions. The hunt was small, with no major incidents, and a total of 342 geese were shot. Such a small tally is not unexpected as geese are generally in big mobs and decoy shy at this time of year.

To read the full article , click here

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West Coast – June Update 

As reported in the April edition waterfowl hunting opportunities are going to waste on the ‘Coast. But the good news is the last few weeks of the season usually provide the best hunting and with the mallard season closing on 31 July there is still plenty of time to do something about it.

A recent flight around the Region revealed very healthy concentrations of mallards in riverbed camps, especially on the Wanganui and Whataroa riverbeds in South Westland, and the Grey River further north. In fact all of the larger braided lowland rivers are supporting big numbers and there are essentially two ways to get amongst them. Both methods require a little pre-hunt research but there is little doubt that the time will not be wasted.

To read the full article , click here

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North Canterbury – no update this issue

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Central South Island – June Update 

With fine weather and mild conditions, for the first month rising early to hunt ducks has been reasonably pleasant. Since opening day there may have been one really wet day but with little wind and of course it was mid week when most of us were gainfully employed. More recently there has been an abrupt change inclimatic conditions and we are experiencing days of hard frosts nicely strung together making up for those balmy days we had become used to. Many of the smaller waters are now iced over and although late in coming the ice will send many mallards to open or moving water. Locally there has been an absence of evening shooting with only an occasional shot heard.

To read the full article , click here

Waterfowl Season Opening Weekend Ranger Activity

Media coverage prior to opening again highlighted the merits of steel v lead shot along with improved hunting conditions provided by weather in the week before opening. As it turned out the weekend’s ranging indicated neither were significant issues. Without doubt there was greater acceptance by waterfowl hunters of the decision to move to non-toxic shot and the more friendly debate in the maimai revolved around which brands and loads were best. There were still a few die-hards refusing to accept steel shot and while they may be no less vocal they are becoming fewer. The weather backed the ducks with preseason rains ensuring more water available than could be covered by hunters.

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Otago - June Update 

There has been plenty said about the poor opening due to clear and calm weather conditions but things have changed somewhat since then. The east coast and central areas received a polar blast of cold weather from the south bringing strong winds and snow to low levels for a time while the western lakes area has recently been experiencing the big freeze with morning temperatures commonly registering below zero.

Reports of hunting success since the opening weekend have been few and far between but it is expected that with the colder weather now upon us waterfowl will be tucking themselves in to traditional feeding areas which will make them more available to those hunters willing to brave the chilly temperatures.

To read the full article , click here

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Southland - Duck Hunting's What You Make It 

Most hunters will be aware that Fish & Game conduct a duck hunting harvest survey. This is an important survey for us to estimate the harvest pressure that hunting places on the various gamebirds that we manage. Basically one survey is conducted for opening weekend, and then additional surveys every fortnight throughout the season. For each survey 120 licence holders are randomly selected from our database and telephoned, and their results are extrapolated out to an estimate for all licence holders. With surveys conducted every fortnight, over the season approximately 20% of Southland hunters are interviewed.

Results and interviews always produce an interesting range of stories each season, and to me highlight the different levels of motivation, enthusiasm and skill amongst our hunters. It would be wrong to assume that all hunters strive to shoot bag limits of ducks each time they set out, although some would certainly like to!

To read the full article , click here

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