Both Barrels May 2025 - Taranaki

Opening weekend review 

Clear skies and low winds were on the cards again for Taranaki for opening weekend 2025, with hunters reporting mixed levels of success. Coastal Taranaki shot well with some parties achieving bag limits quickly on both Saturday and Sunday, while things were a bit slower on the shooting front for others.

Image above: Brooklyn Hale (5) and Vinnie Jackson (11) with results of their first duck shoot on opening morning. - Credit Scott Hale

Andrew & Heidi Bennetts & Steve Matheson at Lake Waikato

It must be said that the lack of birds for some parties didn’t seem to be dampening any spirits, with groups enjoying passing time in the sun with friends and family on some spectacular waterways. It was great to note a solid proportion of junior hunters being shown the ropes.

Our ranger teams were pleased to report excellent levels of compliance with hunters supportive of ranging efforts.

Steve McGill at Lake Waikato, opening day 2025

As we move deeper through May and into winter, the Taranaki region is finally receiving some much-needed rainfall. Areas of standing water will be popping up, and gamebirds will be seeking these out as they offer prime feeding opportunities for emerging grubs and worms.

Band Returns

We’ve had a few bands returned already which has been great to see, particularly from coastal dune lakes around Whanganui.

Returning band information is extremely useful for us as it builds on existing population distribution data and aids management of hunting regulations.

If you shoot (or have shot) a banded bird, please let us know via our website or email at [email protected].

All band information is shared with the hunter including the year and approximate location of banding, the age and sex of the bird, and the distance between the banding site and band retrieval location – it’s often pretty interesting!

You will also be automatically entered to win a range of prizes via Fish and Games Banding Together initiative.

Wellington/Taranaki - Weekly Hunting Bulletin

Hamish Carnachan, from Wellington Fish & Game puts out an excellent weekly hunting bulletin on a Thursday with prospects for the coming weekend and heaps of useful tips and videos to help increase your success and enjoyment. If you’ve not already signed up, you can do so by emailing [email protected].