Both Barrels June 2026 - Northland

Season Update

For the last few weeks duck hunting has shown mixed results. With May being very dry the ducks have been set in a particular pattern and are localised to safe loafing areas and agricultural food sources. Hunters that did the scouting and found where ducks were feeding in recently harvested maize and kumara paddocks got some good results on both mallards and paradise ducks. Scouting pays off in a big way in this type of hunting, not only to find the birds but to ensure that you get set up exactly where they are landing. If you are in the right area but are not right on the “X” it can be very frustrating having birds give you a fly by out of range then go and land nearby. The harbours have been shooting consistently, and seem to be one of the main places that ducks spend the day before heading into the paddocks and drains last thing in the evening. Bird condition is good and most ducks are reasonably fat. Pheasants seem to be around in good numbers although hunting effort has been low.

A decent dump of rain was received across much of the region on Kings Birthday Monday. This introduced some floodwater to places and combined with the high wind certainly pushed ducks inland. It wasn’t enough water to stick around for long, and unless we get more heavy rain events we could be in for a dry June as well.

What to look forward to:

Usually June has more rain and wetter conditions than May. This sees the ducks spread out into farm flats and wetlands to take advantage of the plentiful food available. This can make for rewarding hunting as it can seem like there are ducks everywhere. June is when the birds are usually at their fattest as they are putting on condition to breed. If we do not get the wet conditions we are hoping for then hunters will need to stick to what was working in May. Scouting to find loafing areas on harbours and rivers and setting up right where the ducks are living, or watching the paddocks in the evening to see where birds are going in to feed and ambushing them at dusk. Don’t overlook jumping ponds and creeks as a way to secure some birds. This can be a very exciting way to rustle up a few ducks when they are settled in their ways, particularly when big duck camps are proving hard to find. If you find a pond that has no ducks but has duck feathers around the margins it may well be a “night pond”. Sit there for the last hour of the day and see what drops in, you might find yourself getting an extra bird or two. You will also be able to see what else is flying around the locality and where they might be heading. As always, those that put in the effort to find the birds will have the best success.

Duck Bands

We are getting a good number of reports of ducks from our first banding site being harvested. Northland hunter Cam Shaw was excited to hear that we are now banding ducks in the region. He did some scouting not too far from the banding site and noted a good number of ducks dropping into a stubble paddock in the evening. He secured access and had a very successful hunt, bagging a limit of mallards. Upon inspection he had two ducks with bands, one from Parakai across the Kaipara and one from our site. The drake from the Northland site is a real trophy with unusual colouring and a leg band to boot.

If you have a band and want to report it select the link below. This information will be put into the database and a report letter(this will come from the Auckland/Waikato office) will be emailed to you with information regarding how old, sex and the distance it had flown from banding site.

https://www.fishandgame.org.nz/game-bird-hunting-in-new-zealand/hunting-in-action/banding-together/send-in-your-duck-band-details/

Upland Game Hunting

Northland Fish and Game have negotiated access to thousands of hectares of production pine forests. These forests are spread throughout Northland and give the upland game hunter walking access to large areas of productive ground. The forestry companies provide maps that show age classes of the trees so areas can be selected where suitable habitat and food is available. Read the article in the Game Magazine for detailed tips on how to hunt the pine forests successfully. Contact the office to get your permit or click here.

Northland Fish and Game Properties

In addition to this six Fish and Game owned properties can be hunted after opening weekend.

https://www.fishandgame.org.nz/game-bird-hunting-in-new-zealand/where-to-hunt/regional-info/northland/northland-hunting-permit/permit-request/

Regulation Changes and Compliance: 

No changes to regulations this season.

Grey/mallard 12 birds per day

NZ shoveler 3 birds per day

Paradise shelducks 25 birds per day

Swan 20 birds per day

Pukeko 12 birds per day

California quail 10 birds per day

Brown quail 10 birds per day

Cock pheasant 5 birds per day

 

Season Lengths:

Our season runs from opening weekend to 28 June 2026 for grey, mallard and shoveler ducks.

Paradise shelduck and swan can be hunted up until 26 July 2026

California quail, brown quail, cock pheasant and pukeko can be hunted out to 30 August 2026.

The paradise shelduck special season runs for nine days from 20 February 2026 until 28 February 2027. Swan and pukeko can also be hunted during this time. The same bag limits apply during this special season.

Please make yourself familiar with the 2026 regulation guide.

2026 Northland Hunting Regulation Guide

Hunter Surveys 

During the season we conduct gamebird hunter surveys. The results from these surveys help us determine harvest rates and subsequent population changes. It is vital information for sustainable management of gamebird populations. If you purchase a game licence then you should expect a call from the team at some stage during the season. Even if you have not been out hunting it provides us with valuable data regarding resource use. This adds to our knowledge of gamebird distribution changes in the region. The surveys only take a few minutes to complete. We appreciate your continued cooperation with the surveys.

Happy hunting!