Game Bird Season

While hunters were out hunting ducks and other game birds at the weekend, Eastern Region Fish and Game staff were out hunting the hunters.

The atmosphere was festive and the 70 or so hunters approached were happy to chat with rangers on Saturday morning.

Chris Dominikovich was out with mates Scott Kelly and Regan Molloy (pictured) at Kaituna Wetlands after convincing them to give it a go as he’d loved duck hunting as a youngster.

“I just used to enjoy it when I was younger, just time to enjoy with a few mates, a few laughs, you get all geared up for it, it’s quite exciting, it’s nice to be out here on a beautiful day even though the ducks are staying away,” Chris said.

The hunters were happy to show their licenses and have guns checked by the Fish & Game team, which included Arash Alaeinia and Matt McDougall.

Fish & Game staff, along with Police and Firearms Safety Authority officers, were out around the region checking hunters. Many maimais had children and whole family groups.

Hunters were thick on the ground, and birds were sparse in some areas, but over in the Tolaga Bay area, it was the opposite.

Senior Fish & Game Officer Anthony van Dorp said it was a very rural area.

“Overall, the people that we saw were receptive to meeting rangers, even those found to have breached the law, such as a hunter in Tolaga Bay without a licence.”

Van Dorp said teams checked hunters had their licences, didn’t exceed bag limits, didn’t use lead shot within 200 metres of any open water while hunting waterfowl, and other rules around numbers of shot and storage of guns.

“If we don’t do compliance work, there’s no real deterrence. It’s really good to have conversations in the field about why we do compliance and what we do and our role managing game; it helps them realise the value of their hunting licence and where the money they pay goes to.”

He finds hunters want to share their passion, and they appreciate the work Fish & Game does to manage bird populations and ensure hunting is done ethically and safely.

Hunters were also surveyed about the numbers of birds they harvested.

“Some hunters in the East Coast Gisborne area reported that it was the best opening day hunting they've had in years with excellent success.”

Back in Kaituna, Ian Watson from Papamoa was out hunting with his friend of 30 years, Blair Hutchinson, on Richard Weld’s land (pictured). Ian hunted with his dad “as a pup” and enjoyed doing it with a friend.

“It’s not just the shooting, it’s all the prep, the camaraderie, it’s not just about getting the meat.”

Also at Kaituna, Rachelle Meijer, who grew up in Papamoa, goes hunting every year with her dad Chris and now her partner Mel comes too.

“It’ been something that I’ve done since I was growing up, with dad, it’s a cool activity we bond over. Just getting out in nature and doing something different from the day-to-day.

“When I met Mel, Mel started coming along too and now it’s the three of us every year, helping dad now that he’s getting a little bit older.”