Otago - The Game Call - 2 July 2026

Persistence pays this winter

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

The weather many duck hunters have been waiting for may finally be arriving. After weeks of relatively settled conditions, a weekend front is expected to bring rain to much of Otago and cooler temperatures, with Saturday and Sunday offering the sort of changeable conditions that often get ducks on the move.

In this issue:

• First season, first success
• Fronting up 
• Morning breeze brings the action
•  ‘Just do it’ – wet weather pays off
• Cold snaps starting to concentrate ducks
• Prime time for a trophy mallard
• Gun dog trial weekend
• Wanted: cloak feathers
• Chinese-style duck pancakes 
• ‘Shot of the Season’ Otago photo competition
• Local regulations

First season, first successes

Tom Devonish and George Fox set decoys for an evening shoot at the Fish & Game-managed Bendigo Wildlife Management Reserve. Photo: Cole Briggs.

For many new game bird hunters, the first season is about learning — and that's exactly how it has been for Central Otago's Tom Devonish.

An Otago Fish & Game ranger caught up recently with Tom and hunting mate George Fox at Bendigo Wildlife Management Reserve as they prepared for an evening shoot. The hunting pair enjoyed a calm afternoon on the Fish & Game-managed wetland, harvesting a mallard and a paradise shelduck.

"There were quite a lot flying about," Tom says. "We managed one mallard and one parry, but a few flew in when we weren't paying attention and disappeared again."

The still conditions made hunting more challenging. "It would have been more successful if we'd had more wind because it would have been easier to predict which way they were going to approach. They were coming in from all different directions."

Already, Tom is thinking about how to improve next time. "We'll probably take a packraft and put some decoys on the other side of the water. We set up in quite a sheltered spot."

This is Tom's first full duck hunting season, although he's already been out several times, including successful hunts at Reid Lake near Glenorchy for paradise shelduck, Canada geese and mallards.

George, who returned to duck hunting last season after hunting when he was younger, introduced Tom to the sport.

"I went with George once last season and really enjoyed it,” Tom says. “So I thought, ‘Why not?’ and got my firearms licence."

There's still plenty to learn. "I can't call yet," Tom laughed. "George was doing the paradise and mallard calls."

This weekend the pair are heading to another one of Fish & Game’s managed maimais for another hunt, adding more experience to a memorable first season.

Fronting up to secure access

Learning to hunt has involved more than just improving his shooting, Tom says.

"The biggest challenges have been finding places to hunt and learning duck calling," he said. "Calling is a bit of an art."

Tom says Opening Weekend can be the hardest time to find somewhere to shoot, with many established hunting spots already spoken for.

"Everyone has their yearly rituals and traditional places they go with family and friends."

Once the season is underway, however, he has found landowners are often willing to help respectful hunters.

"My mates approached some farmers who said we could shoot their paddocks whenever."

Having lived in New Zealand for more than 10 years, Tom has also learnt the value of introducing yourself in person.

"The best way to get permission is to front up and show your face to farmers. That's the way they do things. Don't just call or text and expect permission."

And after a successful hunt?

"I love eating duck if it's done properly," Tom said. "My favourite is duck pancakes – shredded duck with hoisin sauce." [Scroll down for recipe.]

"As long as you get that one duck, it's all worth it."

Morning breeze brings the action

A decent bag from a recent morning shoot on the Taieri Plain. Photo: Jack Pow.

A good breeze can make all the difference.

Now living in Winton, Jack Pow says he's still enjoyed his best hunting back in Otago over the past few weeks. Hunting backwaters on one of Otago's major rivers, he found groups of 30 to 40 ducks and bagged about 15 mallards on each morning outing.

Another hunt on a Taieri pond, Jack and his Dad harvested 20 ducks between them.

"There was a good breeze that morning," Jack said. "Most of the action happened between 7.30am and 7.45am, then it tailed off. Once the wind settled, the ducks settled down too."

Jack says there are still good numbers of ducks holding on ponds across the Taieri, while South Otago is also carrying plenty of birds.

"There are still ducks around, and there's a bit of standing water on paddocks."

‘Just do it’ – wet weather pays off

Aftermath … John’s hunting gear drying by the fire after a wet morning. 

A recent wet Saturday didn’t deter Otago Fish & Game councillor John Highton and a mate, who decided to push ahead with a planned waterfowl hunt in the upper Clutha.

The pair hunted from dawn through to 10am, working a paddock setup from a portable blind and finishing with a mixed bag of 24 mallard-grey ducks and paradise shelduck.

“We’d already hunted together on Opening Weekend in the Waitaki Valley as well,” John says. “Even though the weather was looking bad, we decided to go ahead anyway. You don’t get too many chances.”

Their spread combined 12 full-bodied paradise shelduck decoys, half a dozen mallard decoys and a single motion parry decoy, helping draw birds in during steady wet conditions.

“Just do it,” John says. “We were very happy with the outcome.”

Despite the challenging weather, the hunt proved that persistence — and a willingness to sit it out in the rain — can still produce results for those prepared to put in the time afield.

Cold snaps starting to concentrate ducks

The first proper winter cold front has begun changing duck behaviour across Otago, with game bird hunter and Otago Fish & Game councillor Blair Trevathan noticing birds starting to gather in larger flocks.

"Last week we had our first decent cold front come through," Blair says, based in Central Otago. "The ducks are becoming a lot more centralised. They're in bigger mobs rather than being spread across the basins."

Heavy frosts in Central Otago are freezing smaller ponds, small creeks and slow-flowing waterways, forcing birds onto larger lakes and faster-flowing rivers.

"That's definitely what we're seeing in the higher reaches of Otago," he says.

Blair believes another cold snap could make hunting even better.

"I'm hoping the next cold front pushes them tighter together. That's when you get your good high numbers."

Despite the recent frosts, ducks remain in excellent condition after a relatively mild winter.

"There's been plenty of feed around in the higher reaches this year. Winter has been kind to us, with warmer ground temperatures and an abundance of food."

Those favourable conditions have meant birds have stayed widely dispersed for longer than usual.

"Normally, by this time of year we'd already have high concentrations of birds, but they're still fairly spread out."

However, in the lower parts of Otago, another change may be influencing where birds are feeding.

"There's less grain around because rising growing costs and lower grain prices meant many smaller farmers didn't plant crops last season,” Blair says.

“The bigger operators are still growing grain, but a lot of the smaller ones decided it was cheaper to buy feed than grow it."

Chinese-style duck pancakes with hoisin sauce

Ben Sowry’s Chinese-style duck pancakes with hoisin sauce.

Here’s a tasty way to use up any leftover cooked duck meat.

Watch this “Pond to Plate” cooking video by Fish & Game officer Ben Sowry, who’s now in Eastern Fish & Game region: Chinese style duck pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 dash of sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce 
• Pinch of Chinese five spice
• Spring onions, chopped
• Boiling water
• Leftover cooked duck – chopped or shredded
• Cooking oil
• White flour – for rolling dough

 Method

• Mix 1 parts flour to 1 part water to make the dough. (About 1 cup of flour per person).
• Mix thoroughly with spoon, then knead dough with your fingers.
• Roll dough into a ball, cover in cling film, and set aside.
• Mix the duck meat with remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• Sprinkle flour onto a flat surface and roll out dough flat.
• Spread the filling onto the dough. Then roll into a tight roll.
• Cut roll into 1-inch sections.
• Flatten each section into pancakes.
• Fry pancakes in a medium-hot pan until golden brown.
• Serve with another drizzle of hoisin sauce.

Enjoy!

Prime time for a trophy mallard

This fine-looking drake is an ideal specimen for taxidermy as a lasting memory. Photo: Bruce Quirey.

Mallard drakes in peak breeding plumage — with their brilliant green heads, white neck rings, chestnut breasts and grey flanks — make them some of the most striking birds you'll see.

Not every drake looks the same, however. New Zealand's mallard population has a long history of hybridising with native grey ducks, resulting in a variance of plumage colours and patterns. One feature to look for is the colourful wing patch known as the speculum. Mallards typically have a purple-blue speculum edged in white, while grey ducks display an iridescent turquoise-green version.

If you're lucky enough to harvest an exceptional bird and are considering having it mounted, preparation is critical.

To give your taxidermist the best chance of producing a quality mount:

• Cool the bird as soon as possible. 
• Avoid letting dogs mouth or play with it. 
• Check that the flight feathers are intact. 
• Clean away any blood. 
• Lay the head along the back. 
• Wrap damp paper towels around the bill and feet to prevent drying and freezer burn. 
• Place the bird in a snap-lock bag with as much air removed as possible. 
• Get it into the freezer promptly and leave it there until it can be delivered to a taxidermist.

Gundog trial weekend coming to Toko Mouth

Working Gundogs NZ Inc is inviting hunters, handlers and dog enthusiasts to its inaugural retrieving trials at Toko Mouth in South Otago.

The two-day event will run on Saturday 1 August and Sunday 2 August, featuring three trial classes from Novice through to Open Championship, showcasing the skill, steadiness and training of working gundogs in realistic field conditions.

Working Gundogs NZ Inc is a community of hunters and trainers focused on purposeful, scenario-based training that reflects the demands of New Zealand hunting. The organisation places strong emphasis on safe firearm exposure, ethical game recovery and practical field performance — helping ensure dogs are confident, reliable and effective partners in the field.

A well-trained gundog not only improves hunting success but also supports responsible harvest and reduces game wastage through efficient retrieval. It also plays a role in broader game management outcomes by improving the effectiveness of hunters working across New Zealand’s diverse landscapes.

The Toko Mouth trials will provide an opportunity to see these skills in action, as well as connect with others involved in gundog training and hunting.

• For further details or to register interest, contact Terry and Maree Wilson at [email protected].
• Local training days are also held monthly in the South Otago region for those wanting to get involved or improve their dog work ahead of the season.

Pukeko survey

Otago Fish & Game will conduct annual pukeko monitoring survey during the first week of August.

If you see any groups of pukeko greater than 10, please contact Steve Dixon with the numbers of pukeko seen and a location (GPS coordinates if possible).

Email [email protected]

Wanted: Waterfowl feathers for a kahu huruhuru

University of Otago PhD student Lia Heremia is looking for ethically sourced waterfowl feathers to make a traditional kahu huruhuru (feather cloak) using the same species that are the focus of her research.

If you have clean feathers from legally harvested ducks or swans that you would be willing to donate, Lia would love to hear from you. Feathers from a range of waterfowl species are welcome.

If you can help, please contact Lia directly at [email protected].

Ngā mihi to everyone who can help support this special project.

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

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 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.