Both Barrels June 2025 - Eastern

There are some fascinating band recoveries. When we attach a leg band to a game bird we never know where it will end up. I have talked before about some of the more interesting sightings and recoveries such as the mallard duck we banded in 2018 at Kaituna Wildlife Reserve near Te Puke and someone photographed at Kingston Common, Norfolk Island in June 2024. And the three mallard that were banded in the Waikato and recovered in New Caledonia. But there are other recoveries that are just as interesting. A grey duck banded on a small pond near Galatea was recaptured on another small pond in the hill country behind Gisborne three days later, a trip of about 100km. But this is not why we band game birds. Recovery location does provide us interesting insights into movement and help focus monitoring effort, but banding provides so much more. Most importantly it allows us to estimate the population size and to allows us to examine the impact of harvest regulations on annual survival. After banding mallard and grey duck for 28 years we are now also able to predict the population for the up-and-coming game bird season with some accuracy. In other words, banding is Fish and Games key management tool.

The more bands that are reported the more accurate we can be with population estimates. The more accurate we are with population estimates the less conservative we need to be with the harvest regulations. In other words, longer seasons and or the larger the bag limits. So, if you have bands that you have yet to report it would be greatly appreciated if you could call them in (either on 07-357-5501 or 0800434742 or [email protected] or enter them on the Fish and Game website). We need to know approximately when you shot them (at least what year), and where abouts.

The mallard, grey duck, and shoveler season is now over in the Eastern Region. You can still hunt paradise until 29^th of June and until 13^th of July North of Tolaga Bay.  Every other game bird, for which there is an open season, can be hunted until the last weekend in August. So get out there and make the most of it.