North Canterbury - Bi-weekly Hunting Report - 1 May 2025

Welcome to North Canterbury Fish & Game’s Bi-Weekly Hunting Reports for 2025

We have started this new initiative to communicate with hunters, share your hunts, discuss prospects for coming weeks, discuss potential hunting locations, share staff work, look at the weekend ahead, winds and weather, and so much more.

These reports will take a similar format each fortnight when released. The reports will be released as follows: Thursday 1st May Pre-Opening Day Report (this report), Thursday 8th May Post-Opening Weekend Report and every Thursday fortnightly after this date, e.g. 22nd May, 5th June, 19th June, etc.

Opening Day across the region

Duck numbers look good across Canterbury this year, and they are in line with the long-term average. You can expect to see similar numbers of ducks as the last couple of years.

Rain in the days leading up to Opening Weekend means lots of water across the region! While every pond will be full of water, most paddocks across Canterbury will also be holding water, which creates a feeding frenzy for mallards as they will be busy getting (worm drunk). With so much surface water around, it can be difficult because it spreads the birds, so make sure you have a trick or two to convince birds to come into your spread. Unfortunately, this rain means many riverbed hunters will need to change their plans. If you are going to try to hunt a river, be cautious of higher flows over the Opening Weekend. But remember that these areas will be good to look at after the flows drop, as most of these areas will not have been hunted during the Opening Weekend.

The Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora protocol for opening the lake has been initiated. It will be opened as soon as sea conditions allow. Be sure to check out the ECan river flow data to see what the level is at, and it also tells you when the lake is open and closed to the sea.

Have you got all your bases covered for Opening Weekend?

The non-negotiables for Opening Weekend

• Game Bird Hunting Licence from Fish & Game NZ
• Regulations Booklet for your region 
• Enough of ‘non-toxic’ ammunition for both days of hunting 
• A shotgun in its best condition 
• Confirm access with landowners (don’t forget to thank them) 
• Get and carry any hunting permits you may require 
  
  

What should already be sorted

• Claiming your maimai with a hunting tag
• Fixing any wear and tear to your maimai 
• New scrubbing up and ready 
• Fixing any leaks in waders or boots 
  
  

What you still might have to do

• Get out the clays and have a last shoot before the weekend 
• Practice you calling 
• Make sure your dog is fit, ready and has relevant vaccinations and/or worming up-to-date 
• Clean off your decoys and rig them up – a great chance to get anything that needs replacing 
• Ensure your headlamp is charged up or has fresh batteries so you can see well when setting up
• Pack your bag for the Opening morning so you have a stress-free morning!

The Do’s and Don’ts 

Do’s

• Always carry hunting and firearms licence
• Be safe with firearms and on the water - know the seven rules for safe firearm handling
• Be an ambassador for hunters - hunt ethically & responsibly
• Clean your game bird harvest quickly to ensure the best quality meat for your table
• Ensure you make sure there is no ‘toxic’ shot in your bag 
• Bury waste after cleaning your birds
• Follow the rules

Don'ts

• Don't drink & hunt
• Don't leave rubbish at your stand
• Don't be unethical – respect your quarry and the hunting regulations 

Post last season from North Canterbury Fish & Game

During the off-season, staff have been busy upgrading the Maimai’s at Boggy Creek, on the western edge of the Lake Ellesmere/ Te Waihora.

These are balloted for Opening Weekend so make sure you put your name into the ballot next season if you’re interested in experiencing hunting on big water. Six new Maimai’s have been installed and are adequately spaced out so hunters can have a good experience.

Weather Outlook

This week, much of North Canterbury and large areas of the South Island have experienced substantial rainfall.

Fortunately, conditions are expected to ease before opening morning. However, the recent weather will still impact hunting over the opening days, particularly due to widespread flooding and the state of emergency declared in the Selwyn District.

We strongly urge all hunters to exercise extra caution while travelling to your hunting spots and when making any last-minute adjustments to your maimai—especially near water.

Please note: This weather update is current at the time of publishing. We recommend checking the latest forecasts and road conditions before heading out.

Saturday 3rd May

Wind

Rain

Sunday 4th May

Wind

Rain

Monday 5th May

Wind

Rain

Tuesday 6th May

Wind

Rain

Firearm Safety

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of settling into the maimai as duck season begins.

The early morning mist, good mates, and the promise of a memorable hunt – it’s what we live for. But a successful and safe day out isn’t about luck. So don’t wing it.

Your maimai might be full of friends, family, and even the dog – which makes safety more important than ever. It only takes a few simple steps to make sure everyone enjoys the day and heads home safely. Start by nominating someone to take charge of safety. Then, discuss the plan together so everyone knows their role before the first ducks appear.

The safety lead should ensure everyone sticks to the Seven Basic Rules of Firearms Safety. Always treat every shotgun as loaded, and never forget – the time for drinks is after the firearms are safely locked away.

Let’s make this duck season a great one. Take the time, make the plan, and keep it safe.

Check out the following links, which contain a range of helpful information from the Firearms Safety Authority and the Mountain Safety Council: 

• https://www.firearmssafetyauthority.govt.nz/duck-safety
• https://www.mountainsafety.org.nz/learn/activities/game-bird

Hunting Notice Board

• Staff from around New Zealand will once again be completing Game Bird Hunter Harvest Survey Calls this year. Be prepared, as any licence holder may receive a call on each period (there is a chance you may also be called more than once throughout the season). These calls are vital for managing the populations as they give us a great estimate of how many birds have been harvested across the country. If you want to look at the full report from the 2024 South Island Harvest Survey, use this link: https://www.fishandgame.org.nz/assets/DMS/About-us/FG-Regional-Councils/North-Canterbury/Council-Downloads/2024/SI-Hunter-Harvest-Report-2024.pdf
   
• Want to improve your hunting knowledge and skills? Complete the free online Better Hunter courses to enhance your knowledge and skills. Create an account and start the courses at home in your own time. These are great for both new novice hunters and those with more experience looking for a refresher on some good practices. Use this link: https://www.betterhunting.nz/
   
• Need some help building or scrubbing up your maimai to stay hidden from Game Birds? Reach out to the North Canterbury team, which is more than happy to provide advice on safe and effective maimai builds and how to keep the maimai hidden in a variety of locations. Don’t hesitate to stop in in person or call the office phone. 
   
• Always remember the seven rules of firearms safety this season: 

1. Treat every firearm as loaded 
2. Always point firearms in a safe direction 
3. Chamber a cartridge only when ready to fire
4. Identify your target beyond all doubt 
5. Check your firing zone 
6. Store and transport firearms and ammunition safely 
7. Avoid alcohol when handling a firearm

Want your hunts to be featured in one of our reports?

Send pictures and details of your hunts to be shared with the North Canterbury community to Jackson at [email protected].

The best photos for our newsletters should be taken in landscape and should include smiling faces or hunters in action. (Bird piles will not be shared.)