Both Barrels July 2020

Parries, swans, pukekos, quail, and pheasant, these are some of the game birds you can still hunt in various parts of the country at the moment. 

 A lot of hunters lock away their guns at the end of the mallard season (which ends this weekend in the South Island - don’t miss out on your last chance to get some tasty mallards) but there are many more hunting opportunities through the country. 

There are many different species and many different places that your game bird licence unlocks to go hunting in – check out the regional pages below to find what is available to hunt region by region.

You will also find out about those regions which hold summer hunting seasons! 

Don’t be afraid to undertake a bit of duck tourism too, if you’re unsure of where to go in an unfamiliar region give the local Fish & Game office a call, they are more than willing to help out. 

All of us here at Fish & Game want to thank hunters for their support and perseverance over the very unique game bird season we have had. 

That so many hunters went out and enjoyed the great sport that game bird hunting despite all of the obstacles thrown in their way by covid-19 is testament to how important game bird hunting is to New Zealanders. 

All of that great free range food needs to be put to good use, the team at Southland Fish & Game have been revealing the secrets of their lunchroom with a bunch of videos to offer some suggestions of what you can do with your ducks, check them out here. 

In the Nelson Marlborough region they will be holding their popular annual game food night on August 2^nd, a great way to learn what is culinary possible from our fantastic game birds. 

If you have been lucky enough to harvest a banded bird please let Fish & Game know here, one hunter in Darfield was shocked to learn the banded bird he shot had come 600 kms from the Hawkes Bay.

Most ducks stay with 25kms of where they live, but this year we have had intrepid banded ducks show as far north as Vanuatu. 

Also, if you have any bands from previous seasons, report those too as the data is still important and it still gets you into the prize draw. 

Gun dog guru John Stevens from CSI has the next instalment of his series of Getting the most out of your gun dog available here. 

Don’t forget the Game Bird Habitat Trust photo competition is underway at the moment, the two species they are after photos of are pheasant and the NZ shoveler. 

If you have a stunning picture of these birds, enter here to have your chance to win $1000.

Hot Barrels

Fish & Game NZ