Both Barrels April 2026 - Auckland/Waikato

Season prospects

There has been plenty of rain in the Waikato, with lots more forecast. If this keeps up, and there is an abundance of standing water on opening weekend, you will want to incorporate this into your hunting plan. Standing water will mean that food sources that were previously unavailable will be targeted by ducks. If this is the case, some pre-season scouting to see where the ducks are holding will be worthwhile.

Coming into the start of the season, it may be helpful to keep in mind what to expect  harvest wise (assuming a similar opening weekend to last year). In 2025 the average grallard (mallard and grey ducks combined) per hunter in the Auckland/Waikato region was:

• 4.26 (95% CI from 3.86 to 4.62) for Saturday of opening weekend:
• 2.99 (95% CI from 2.55 to 3.38) for Sunday of opening weekend:

So, if you shoot more than four ducks on Saturday and three ducks on Sunday, you can probably consider yourself above average (at least in this regard).

Upcoming Duck Nights

Auckland Waikato staff will attend Hunting & Fishing Duck Nights leading up to the opening weekend.

• Hamilton (in store): 21st April
• Matamata (in store): 22nd April
• Warkworth (in store) 29th April - 6:30pm start

If you live nearby, this is a great opportunity to engage with staff, check out the latest gear and maybe even win some prizes! What better way to get the kids pumped up for the coming season.

Compliance reminder

A reminder to hunters to make sure they are above board for this coming season.

Last year, we were happy to observe many compliant hunters. However, there are some key rules to make sure you are double-checking: 

• Lead shot (tip: all unmarked shells are lead).
• Unplugged guns (should only fit two in the chamber).
• Shooting over fed ponds (feed must be removed 1 month prior to the season starting).

Ranging efforts in the 2025 season resulted in 21 enforcement actions. From this, 14 were more minor offences and resulted in diversions. The remaining 7 resulted in prosecution (with higher fines and, in some cases, forfeited firearms).

We will have rangers out on opening weekend and throughout the season.