Both Barrels June 2026 - West Coast

Late-Season Hunting Awaits — Make the Most of It!

After a stable start to the season, late May and June’s weather has delivered far better conditions for getting game birds moving. Wind and occasional heavy rain help stir up the birds, prompting them to shift locations in search of food. As a hunter, this movement is exactly what you want, birds in the air, creating opportunities to draw them into your decoy spread.

Image above: A memorable first duck hunting trip for Wren Eddy with her dad Cam, coming away with a mix of game birds in the bag.

With the shortest day fast approaching and colder temperatures setting in, birds are beginning to mob up. This is especially true for Paradise Shelduck, which often gather in large numbers on paddocks of fresh new grass during frosty periods.

Scouting becomes even more critical during this time. When birds are concentrated in certain areas, being slightly off-target can mean a quiet morning—but with the right preparation, it can also result in an outstanding hunt.

The season is far from over. In fact, some of the best decoying action often occurs in July. As the season progresses, birds will begin to pair off. This is a great time to be selective in your harvest. Lone drakes are ideal targets, allowing you to leave established breeding pairs undisturbed to support future populations.

So keep an eye on the weather, scout smart, and make the most of the excellent hunting June and July can offer.

Hunt Somewhere New

The West Coast is unique when it comes to finding hunting opportunities for waterfowl because we have plenty of habitat and not enough hunters.

Most landowners are happy to grant access if you take the time to call or visit and ask politely. Opening Day is usually busy, but later in the season you should have no problems getting permission.

To find good spots, take a drive and look for game birds or use tools like Google Maps to scout habitat. The Fish and Game regulations booklet also includes a list of huntable properties to help you get started.

Scouting, scouting, and more scouting—good scouting is key to successful hunts.

When you find a good location, visit the nearest farmhouse. Landowners often appreciate hunters helping manage bird populations and readily grant access. We can also assist you in identifying landowners if you need help.

If you are denied access, it may be because the landowner hunts themselves or has had negative past experiences. Remember, your behaviour affects not only you but every hunter who follows.

Always respect the rules, be courteous, and thank those who allow access. This helps maintain and grow hunting opportunities for everyone.

West Coast hospitality is there—you just need to seek it out.

Get out, be visible, ask permission, and utilise the full West Coast game bird season.

Hunting Knowledge Hub

If you havent seen it already, Fish & Game has launched a free knowledge hub to help game bird hunters at every level get better results in the field. Downloadable guides cover equipment, game bird ID, maimai builds, decoy strategies, calling, cooking, and more. Be sure to check it out to get most out of your game bird hunting!

Check it out here https://www.fishandgame.org.nz/gam.../hunting-knowledge-hub/

Organised Hunts Update

We’ve now completed two of our three scheduled organised hunts for the year, and both have been a great success so far.

Our first hunt, held at Birchfield, was a great event despite the weather coming in sideways. It was great to have some new local faces from Westport along, and hunters enjoyed some exciting pūkeko drives. Some successful encompass and squeeze drives were also carried out, creating some great shooting opportunities.

Congratulations to Henry Phillips on successfully taking his first pūkeko at the Birchfield event, under the supervision of his father, Alex.

The second event, the South Westland Gamebird Hunt, took place last weekend. Participants explored new areas and harvested good numbers of paradise shelduck, pukeko and Canada geese, along with the occasional duck. It was not only a productive hunt but also a great social outing. This year the event also included hunting in the Wanganui Valley, which opened up some great opportunities. It is hoped that next year we will expand the property list in the Wanganui Valley, allowing room for even more hunters.

Karamea’s event is fast approaching and has already generated plenty of interest from hunters. Expressions of interest are requested by no later than Friday 26 June, so get in touch ASAP. It is shaping up to be another great weekend in Karamea.

If you're not on the keen hunter’s list but would like to receive updates about these events, please email [email protected].

Coming Up: The Shortest Weekend Duck Hunt – June 20–21

This weekend (Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June), Fish & Game encourages all hunters to head back out into the field for the annual Shortest Weekend Duck Hunt.

At the request of hunters, Fish & Game promotes this weekend each year as a chance to get hunters out in force again and keep birds circulating—a second opening weekend in essence.

Birds will have settled well since Opening Day in May, making it a great opportunity to check your usual spots for increased activity. With day licences available, this is also an excellent chance to introduce someone new to the sport.

 

Keep an eye on our calendar below for key event dates and updates.

Event	Date	Location
Pukeko Drive	31st May 2026	Birchfield, Westport
South Westland Hunt	13-14th June 2026	Harihari
Shortest Weekend Duck Hunt	20th & 21st June 2026	West Coast
Game Bird Hunting Trip	4th- 5th July 2026	Karamea
Closing Weekend	25th & 26th July 2026	West Coast
Opening of Summer Pukeko Season	1st January 2027	West Coast
Opening of Summer Paradise Shelduck & Swan Season	27th February 2027	Locations 200m or more from open water for Paradise Shelduck
Closing of Summer Seasons	21st March 2027	West Coast

 

Hope to see you out there.

Baylee Kersten, West Coast Fish & Game Officer