Otago - The Game Call - 18 June 2026

Carrying on the family tradition

Welcome to another edition of The Game Call – your fortnightly Otago regional hunting report.

Pictured above: Keeping up the family tradition duck hunting are (from left) Lee, Poppy and mum Tara Sutherland at the Otago Fish & Game-managed Otokia wetland. Photo: Bruce Quirey.

 

Grandad still part of every hunt

Lee, Poppy and Tara Sutherland at the Otago Fish & Game-managed Otokia wetland. Photo: Bruce Quirey.

When Taieri Plain mum Tara Sutherland started duck hunting with her son Lee, she wasn’t just learning a new skill — she was continuing a family tradition.

After Tara’s dad passed away, Lee asked if she would get her firearms licence so they could keep hunting together. Tara eventually took the plunge, completed the process, and bought a shotgun the day before opening weekend. Now Tara, Lee and daughter Poppy are carrying on the tradition using Grandad’s gear.

“I’m still wearing his jacket, his duck callers, belt and hat,” Tara says. “He is with us doing it.”

Lee hunts with his grandad’s 12-gauge shotgun.

 

Learning the ropes

Duck hunter Lyall Nash with his grandchildren Lee and Poppy Sutherland and cocker spaniel Ruby in 2018. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery, Otago Daily Times.

For Tara and Lee, this season is all about learning, and they’ve quickly found practice made a difference.

Tara won a Fish & Game ballot for access to a managed wetland maimai on the Taieri Plain.

They attended clay target events run by Gun City and Hunting & Fishing at the Dunedin Clay Target Club, improved their shooting, learned about shot sizes, effective shotgun range, and patience — and even picked up some prizes along the way.

The pond was perfectly set up, Tara says.

“Dad always talked about how a pond should be set up, and you noticed it there with the open sides and the trees around and where the maimai was,” Tara says.

“It was a whole different game. Watching the birds circle round and round until they were within range, and calling them in.”

The experience helped the family understand the importance of patience for the right shot, preparation and safe hunting.

A special opening weekend

 Poppy sets decoys on the duck pond. Photo: Bruce Quirey.

Opening weekend was a memorable one for Tara and Lee, who harvested six ducks while hunting together.

Poppy was part of the action too, operating an electronic caller and helping set decoys and retrieve birds from the water in her waders. The family’s Labrador stays home because it gets a bit too excited.

“For me, shooting the parries — I’ve never shot a parry before — getting one each was just amazing,” Tara says.

The hunt was about much more than the birds. It was about time spent together and continuing something started years earlier.

“It’s something we can do together,” Tara says. “It’s quite exciting being able to share that with your son and have that bonding.”

 

Where to hunt in Otago

Lyall Nash’s jacket, decoys, callers and belt — reminders of a hunting legacy carried on by his daughter and grandchildren. Photo: Bruce Quirey.

The majority of duck hunting in Otago takes place on private farmland.

Finding a good spot involves scouting – using online resources like Google Earth and a good pair of binoculars from your vehicle. Obtaining permission often just takes a friendly approach to a farmer.

If you don’t know where to start, there are other opportunities. Select Where to Hunt for more advice about game bird hunting in Otago, including public land and Fish & Game managed wetlands.

 

Lessons learned

A day hunting and scouting around South Otago last weekend revealed no shortage of ducks. But harvesting them is not always a given.

Not being able to reconnoitre before the weekend, Otago Fish & Game officer Bruce Quirey headed south nonetheless. As the east horizon began to glow, he set up a decoy spread on a river spot where he had had previous luck and waited.

The day started cool and calm, like many so far this winter. But a bunch of decoys and motion rig could make no difference if ducks were not on the wing.

A mob of mallards loaf on a South Otago paddock last weekend. Photo: Bruce Quirey

Returning to the vehicle, he found a mob of mallards loafing in a near paddock. Seventy pairs of eyes staring back. An equally big mob was later spotted a kilometre upriver. Success usually comes down to preparation and being in the right place.

Another chat to the local farmers has secured permission for a return mission — next time with a layout blind. Bring it on.

 

Aya’s fifth quail season off to a flying start

German shorthaired pointer Aya on point at a California quail last weekend. Photo: Mason Court.

Otago Fish & Game officer Mason Court and his German shorthaired pointer (GSP) Aya have been making the most of the early quail season.

Now in her fifth season, Aya is a true game bird dog — energetic, intelligent and always keen to hunt. A bit of rabbit avoidance training in the lead-up to the season has helped fine-tune her tracking skills, and Mason says she has been finding plenty of coveys, holding firm on point and only needing a little encouragement to flush.

For a hunter, a dog that holds point is worth its weight in gold. Aya would rather stay locked in than jump birds early, giving Mason time to get into position.

There have been a few challenges, with retrieving quail from Central Otago’s notorious rosehips proving tricky. “Keep an eye on where they land,” Mason says — those spiky shrubs can hide a bird and make retrieval work difficult.”

Like many GSPs, Aya is stubborn but highly trainable. Mason says it’s important to condition their pads before the season by running them on rocky ground and hard surfaces. These dogs will keep hunting until their feet are sore, and you may not notice until they are limping later.

Unlike some breeds, GSPs can also feel the cold, so a warm coat in the dog box on a frosty Otago morning is a must.

A good start to the season for Mason and Aya — with plenty more birds hopefully still to come.

 

Charcoal-grilled quail with baby beets & apples

A beautiful California quail cock harvested last weekend and a delicious recipe idea! Photos: Mason Court and Fish + Game Cookbook.

Quail are great table fare. Being able to bring home wild-harvested food and prepare it for family and friends is one of the joys of game bird hunting.

Here’s a recipe by The Game Chef Angelo Georgalli in the Fish + Game cookbook. Also check out The Game Chef Facebook page.

 

BRINE

• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1L water

 

SIDE

• 100g melted butter
• 12 small apples
• 250g baby beetroot, halved
• 12 whole cloves garlic
• 60ml pomegranate molasses
• 4 pinches of Up Your Game Pepper Stake Seasoning
• 4 pinches of flaky salt

 

BIRD

• 7 quail, halved
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 5 pinches of flaky salt
• ½ tsp lemon pepper
• ½ tsp dried thyme

 

SAUCE

• Apricot & Bourbon BBQ Sauce

 

METHOD

1. To make the brine, dissolve the salt and sugar in the water.
2. Soak the birds in brine overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C.
4. In a large bowl, drizzle the melted butter over the apples and beetroot, tossing through until covered. Transfer into an oven-proof dish, adding the garlic and drizzling over the pomegranate mollases. Season with pepper steak seasoning and salt. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until softened.
5. To prepare the birds, halve each quail down the spine and pat dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, coat the quail in olive oil and season with salt, lemon pepper and thyme. Place the birds skin-side down on the BBQ, turning over every so often to ensure even cooking, for 10-15 or until the flesh appears white and the juices run clear.
6. Drizzle the BBQ sauce over the charcoal-grilled birds, beets and roast apples.
7. Enjoy!

 

UP YOUR GAME PEPPER STEAK SEASONING

• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp dried rosemary
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp coarse gourmet peppercorns
• ¼ tsp lemon pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and store in an airtight container.
2. Use this beautiful seasoning to enhance your upland game bird.
3. Store in a cool dry container for up to 6 months.

APRICOT & BOURBON BBQ SAUCE

• 1½ cups brown sugar
• 1½ cups passata tomato sauce
•  ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ½ sundried apricots, sliced
• 1½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 Tbsp hot chilli pepper sauce
• 1 tsp smoke paprika
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 50ml Bourbon

1. In a saucepan, mix brown sugar, passata sauce, red wine vinegar, water and apricots. 
2. Bring to boil, turn the heat down and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly.
3. Add Worecestershire sauce, wholegrain mustard, hot chilli pepper sauce, smoke paprika, salt and pepper.
4. Next add Bourbon.
5. Stir briskly for another 5 minutes or so until thickened.
6. Serve over barbecued fillets and wings.
7. Will store in the fridge for up to a week.

 

‘Shot of the Season’ — Otago Game Bird Photo Competition

Our favourite pick from Round 4 of the “Shot of the Season” Otago game bird photo competition: this photo of Meg the Lab with a pair of mallards and some Canada geese on a recent outing in the Maniototo. Photo: Scott Weatherall.

Show us your best photo shots from your Otago game bird hunts!

We're celebrating the photographers among our hunters with the "Shot of the Season" photo competition.

Each fortnight, we'll select a favourite photo that captures the essence of game bird hunting in this region. Every featured photographer will go into the running for a duck hunters’ prize pack thanks to Dunedin Hunting & Fishing NZ at the end of the season.

 

Submit your entries:

• Email: [email protected]
• Subject line: Photo competition
• A brief caption describing the photo including names (from left) of any people or pawed hunting buddies

Fortnightly favourites featured in each edition of The Game Call during the season.

 

Rules:

1. Photos must be taken during the 2026 game bird hunting season in the Otago Fish & Game region.
2. All entries must include the hunter's name, contact details, and date/location of the photo.
3. Photos must showcase ethical hunting practices (proper bag limits, respecting the resource etc.)
4. Submissions accepted via email or drop us your photo and details on the Otago Fish & Game Facebook page.
5. Fortnightly winners will be featured on our website and social media.
6. All fortnightly winners automatically enter the grand prize draw.
7. Staff and immediate family of Otago Fish & Game are ineligible.
8. By entering, you agree your photos may be used for future Otago Fish & Game promotional material.

 

Local regulations

Be sure you know the local game bird hunting regulations.

• Each region has its own set of regulations working in conjunction with the national regulations.
• These include bag limits and season lengths.
• Download regulation booklets for each individual region from the Fish & Game website by selecting here.

Grab your hunting licence online and let the adventures begin.

   

Got any Otago game bird hunting news?

Send your hunting news and photos (with hunters’ names) to [email protected] for consideration in the Regional Hunting Report.