Both Barrels June 2026 - Hawke's Bay

After an incredibly calm sunny opening day the weather has continued to be generally warm and settled with the occasional period of light rain in coastal areas, some areas in the west did get significant rain from the rain event that effected Taupo and Turangi earlier in June but it has generally been dry. Those hunting on the Tukituki, Ngarurorro and Mohaka rivers will have seen the river levels spike around the 7 June from that event affecting their headwaters, but otherwise it has been a surprisingly dry autumn.

Hunting reports have been quite variable with some hunters on rivers and smaller farm ponds having some good hunting whilst those on the Ahuriri lagoon and Waitangi area report seeing unusually low numbers of mallards, although I hear some have been getting good numbers of young parys, some swan, as well as Canadian geese. Those hunting on maize stubble continue to do well on Mallards and Paradise ducks and hunters stalking riverbeds have been getting good duck numbers with a few pheasants added in to create some much appreciated variety.

The general consensus is the smaller more sheltered ponds and rivers are producing better, a few good decoys are better than lots, especially if they are of old shiny ones and too much calling, particularly loud raucous calling maybe doing more harm than good.   Some hunters suggesting a single female decoy, particularly if it’s a quiver decoy or no decoys at all, is worth a try; particularly when the weather is calm; noting that the mallards will often have one quick look at a big lifeless decoy spread and keep going.

We have had many reports of hunters being successful hunting pheasants on both public land and in and around areas of young or harvested pine forest where they have been lucky enough to gain access. If you do shoot a pheasant, please check to see if its banded, you are encouraged to keep the band as a memento, but please let us know the general area it was shot and the band number.

The rain a couple of weeks prior to opening day had filled up many ponds that were low or even dry, so many hunters found they actually had some water to shoot on, with many hurriedly patching up their maimais. Some shot well, but many were a bit disappointing, with the pond being dry for an extended period there may not have been much feed to hold the ducks at the time. There is likely to be more natural feed there now and it maybe worth another hunt before the season ends, remembering that any rain is likely to see ducks back foraging for worms around the pond edges and the wet gulleys feeding them, the biggest challenge is getting close enough for a shot at those that land out in the paddock well away from where you are sitting.  

Image above: The results of a good riverbed hunt -  Photo Dylan Urlich

One of the key things to remember in calm conditions is that you need to create some water movement to increase your chances of success, as I said earlier, a bunch of decoys sitting on a dead calm pond looks false, so creating movement even if from just one decoy will really help, whilst all the time keeping yourself hidden and avoiding movement. Motorised quiver decoys that create their own ripples are great, but even a decoy moved by a pull string will definitely help, anything that creates ripples on the water around your decoy spread will make it look more natural and bring the birds in closer.  Late in the season good camo and avoiding movement; particularly from “the white beacon” hands and faces is a prerequisite to success. Evening shooting will generally be more successful and positioning yourself where you can see ducks against the sky will always help, just remember some will be flying very late making positive identification challenging.

Clear skies and calm ponds - note the quiver decoy sending nice ripples across the pond.

As we said in our April preseason newsletter, the local gun clubs that held pre- season gamebird hunters shoots had high attendances, they are a great opportunity to get ones “eye in” and catch up with other local gamebird hunters.  The Patangata Clay Target Club ran an open day on the 14 June and have another planned for  9 August intended as a fun, non -competition day for the more casual shooter to come along and have a go, with DTL trap, skeet and compact sporting clays options available for a minimal cost to non-members, so there is a chance for some more practise before the end of the upland season.

Our Pukeko counts showed very strong numbers again this year, and we continue to get complaints from life stylers and growers with Pukeko problems, so we remind the experienced hunters out there, that pukekos are a great opportunity for novice hunters – they don’t fly quite as fast as our other game birds, nor do they duck and dive like pheasants or quail through the trees making them easier for novices to hit. We also remind hunters that the pukeko season runs through to the 30 August along with upland species, with the duck season finishing on 28 June.  Many growers have issues with pukeko on crops, so approaching growers for permission to hunt Pukeko with your junior is recommended, and who knows what opportunities it might lead to.

If you are a landowner and have problems with Pukeko, please reach out to the Fish and Game, we may be able to organise some hunters, ideally with juniors to come out and help, or help with solutions if shooting with a shotgun isn’t an option.

There will no doubt be good duck and paradise duck hunting opportunities on maize stubble and new grass throughout the bay until the end of the season, but please do the right thing and ask for landowner permission first.

Compliance 

Our Ranging teams will continue to be out through the rest of the gamebird season checked both anglers and hunters, so please remember to carry your licence and ID with you, and we will do our best to make out meetings as quick and positive as possible.

On a very positive note, our team have been very happy not finding anyone using lead shot ammunition, within 200 meters of open water so far this season, suggesting most hunters realise how important it is for all of us protect our image as safe and responsible hunters; to maintain our Social License; and our right to hunt and fish individually and collectively.

Please continue to make a point of carefully checking your ammunition prior to going waterfowl hunting this season, our ranging teams found far too many hunters who had a mix of steel and lead ammunition at their duck ponds last year, where they had mistakenly taken lead ammunition. As a general rule, non - toxic ammunition will have what it is – eg Steel or Bismuth printed on both the box and each cartridge, lead shot doesn’t normally have the shot type printed on each cartridge, so our advice is if it hasn’t got a non - toxic shot type printed on it assume it is lead

Junior Opportunities

Driven Pheasant Hunt.

Juniors are reminded of the wonderful opportunity they have of getting a day’s driven pheasant shooting on Hawkes Bays newest preserve; by simply buying a full season junior Gamebird Licence, you have the opportunity to go in the draw – please see the attached flyer and keep an eye on our website for further information.  

HB Cock pheasant – Photo John Lumsden

2025 Junior Pheasant Hunters – will it be your turn this year?

Fish and Game Hawkes Bay “Hunt Ready Sim Studio” 

Many locals particularly our Junior Fin and Feather members have had the opportunity to try out our new shooting simulator – think movie screen with a variety of hunting/ shooting options projected onto it. The new technology allows shooters, young and old to practise a variety of hunting/shooting scenarios from clay targets; DTL trap, skeet, simulated field, through to duck hunting on a lake, driven pheasant hunting and even running boar. The moving target is projected onto a lifelike background, and the hunter shoots a laser beam from a model gun at the chosen moving target, successful shots are displayed dramatically, and the fall of the missed shots are displayed with an image of the shot pattern or bullet relative to the target, so the shooter can  adjust and learn.