Otago - The Game Call - 22 May 2025

In this issue:

• Untapped potential
• Reports around the region
• Second Opening
• Smart decoys
• Get set for upland action
• Aerial baiting warning
• Photo competition
• Recipe competition
• Managed wetlands - Takitakitoa
• Hunting tips: shotgun fit – the basics
• Weather outlook

Reports Around the Region

• Taieri: Dan Kunac says he’s seen plenty of ducks on the Taieri. Birds are targeting feed rather than sitting on the normal ponds. Ducks are making use of food where farmers are feeding out whole crop and what’s left of stubble. A lot of crop, such as barley and maize, has been harvested later than normal. Scott Kunac, of Dunedin Hunting & Fishing, is also seeing more ducks on the Taieri this season. One spot with oaks had about 80 mallards, more than he’s seen in recent times. Chris Bell, of Otago Waterfowlers, shot 20 mallards on a paddock with his young sons recently, but says he’s not seeing as many ducks in the usual haunts.
• Big rivers: Ducks are starting to congregate on the bigger rivers as flows drop. Scott recommends scouting for duck camps the day before the hunt. Then go in early next morning and set up before daylight. He says there’s been some good hunting on big rivers further afield, such as the Waitaki.
• Lower Clutha tributaries: Jack Pow harvested a dozen ducks recently one morning coming from a grain paddock onto a creek near the lower Clutha area.
• West Otago: Jack and some mates shot their limit of mallards recently on a stubble paddock in West Otago. With farmers feeding whole crop silage, ducks are following the cows around, he says. It’s important to put in the work to scout locations and follow the weather patterns
• Maniototo: Tom Dougherty, from Central Otago Hunting & Fishing, says he’s heard of plenty of ducks in the Maniototo area. This week Tom’s mate saw 70 mallards on some ponds there. Other hunters had recent success duck hunting on ponds around Tarras. Tom is also hearing good bags of paradise shelduck shot over stubble and crop paddocks around Patearoa and Styx.
  
  

Second Opening

We’re always encouraging licence holders to get the best value out of your licence over the game bird season, harvesting wild kai with your family and friends among nature.

Anyone reading this probably already knows having multiple locations hunted at the same time helps move ducks around and improves everyone’s chances of success.

Some farmers in Southland are suggesting a second Opening Weekend on June 7-8.

Whether you’re north or south of the Otago-Southland boundary, why not organise your own Second Opening that weekend?

Grab a few mates and family, and get out there and bag some more of this valued resource. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce new hunters. Day licences are available online and at your local agents.

Smart decoys

Marty Fraser, from Queenstown Hunting & Fishing, recently tried an elaborate decoy set-up with incredibly good results.

Marty and his mates hunted at Riverton on the weekend after Opening. They set up spinner decoys on the end of long poles above their maimai. The spinner decoys were pointed in the same direction they wanted the birds to fly in. On the water, they used some flicker motion decoys.

The rest of the decoy set-up was typical of keen hunters with large spreads. They set out two dozen mallard decoys in a U shape where they wanted the birds to land, and further out had some black swan and goose decoys. The result — 50 mallards.

To watch a Fish & Game video on Setting Decoys, select here.

Get set for upland action

Now is the time to be scouting locations and seeking permission from landowners for access for upland game bird hunting.

• WHEN: The upland game bird season in Otago opens on Saturday, May 31, 2025, the King’s Birthday long weekend.
• HABITAT: Quail are scattered in the drier parts of Central Otago and Southern Lakes districts. They can be found in shrubland on hillsides, scrubby river margins, forestry, orchards, and vineyards. Favoured habitat includes briar rose, matagouri, bracken, blackberry and gorse.
• PRIVATE ACCESS: Most hunting for California quail takes place on private land. Permission to access farmland must be obtained first from farm owners. Access to private land is a privilege, not a right.
• IMPORTANT: Be sure your dog has an up-to-date dosage with a Praziquantel drug at least 48 hours before you go to prevent the spread of tapeworms and protect farmer’s stock from sheep measles. Carry proof of vaccination.
• PUBLIC ACCESS: Publicly available land for quail hunting is limited. The Department of Conservation’s online permit system only offers access to game bird hunting on Public Conservation Land at:
  • Bendigo Scenic Reserve (upland game)
  • Blackstone Hill Conservation Area (upland game)
  • Diamond Lake and Lake Reid (waterfowl)

To obtain DOC permits to hunt game birds on other Public Conservation Land, phone 0800 275 362 and ask for your local DOC office, or email:

• DOC Alexandra Office [email protected]
• DOC Queenstown Office [email protected]
• DOC Dunedin Office [email protected]

Aerial possum control

Upland game hunters in the Cluden area in Central Otago, look out for your dogs as there is an upcoming aerial possum control operation.

Ospri advises that contractors will be using 1080 cereal pellets in the area including part of Cluden Station (private land) and the Lauder Basin Conservation Area in the west. The operation is due to take place as soon as practicable from May 26, 2025, onwards dependent on weather.

Do not bring dogs into the area until the warning signs have been officially removed.

For more details, go to this Ospri website link: Cluden bovine TB control operation

Shot of the season: Otago game bird photo competition

George and Meg return with a harvest of ducks from the family maimai on Lake Waipori.

This fortnight’s “Shot of the Season” winner is George Weatherall.

Judges thought this photo had everything! A junior hunter proudly showing a harvest of three species of waterfowl with his canine buddy, and he’s wearing a lifejacket for the boat.

Show us your best photo shots from the great outdoors!

Otago's game bird season isn't just about the harvest — it's about the memories made and stories shared. This season, we're celebrating the photographers among our hunting community with the "Shot of the Season" photo competition.

Every fortnight, we'll select one outstanding photo that captures the essence of game bird hunting in Otago. Each featured photographer will go into the running for our grand prize worth $250, sponsored by Dunedin Hunting & Fishing, to be announced at the end of the season.

Whether it's the perfect morning light across the wetlands, your trusty hunting companion on the job, a burst of upland action, or a proud moment with your harvest — we want to see it all!

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 winners featured every second Thursday throughout the season.

Recipe competition: put your wild kai to the test!

Got a special way in the kitchen with mallards? A tantalising technique for parries? Show off your culinary skills in our Game Bird Recipe Competition!

Every two weeks during hunting season, you’ll have the opportunity to win a copy of The Fish + Game Cookbook, by Angelo Georgalli, for the most impressive game bird recipe. Whether it's a family recipe passed down for generations or your own creative invention, we want to see how you transform your wild kai from outdoors to table.

• Simply submit:
  - your name,
  - your recipe,
  - a photo of your prepared dish,
  - a brief story about your hunt.
• Email to: [email protected]
• Subject line: Recipe competition
• Entries must be received by midnight every second Sunday.
• Winners announced fortnightly!

Good hunting and better cooking!

Seeking shelter

Scaup and mallard ducks seek shelter near the southern shore of Lake Waihola during a southerly wind. Black swans can be seen in the distance.

Knowing where waterfowl seek shelter during strong wind can give hunters an edge. Ducks often head for cover when the wind picks up, seeking calm spots out of the gusts.

On Lake Waihola, for example, a strong southerly will see ducks sheltering near the southern shoreline, where the bank and vegetation break the wind. On rivers, look for birds tucked under willow trees or resting in sheltered backwaters and leeward banks.

Next time the weather turns, use the wind to your advantage and check these calmer areas — chances are, the ducks will already be there.

Fish & Game wetlands - Takitakitoa Wetland

A junior hunter at Takitakitoa Wetland.

Takitakitoa is one of six Otago Fish & Game-managed wetlands where licence holders can hunt waterfowl.

The 30ha wetland offers five permanent maimais. Game bird hunting is by permit only.

Maimais and permits are allocated via ballot to novice and junior hunters for the first nine days of the season.

Other hunters may then obtain permits to access the wetland during the rest of the season. Pegging of hunting stands at Takitakitoa is not permitted.

Takitakitoa Wetland is at the end of Takitakitoa Rd, off Otokia-Kuri Bush Rd, about 40 minutes’ drive south of Dunedin.

Vehicle access is via a locked gate. The Fish & Game-owned wetland is bordered by City Forests Ltd forestry.

• To apply for a casual permit, please select here.
• For more details on game bird hunting in Otago, including Fish & Game managed wetlands, select here.

Hunting tips: Shotgun Fit – The Basics

There are things you can adjust to ensure you’re consistently hitting where you’re aiming.

How much thought have you given to fitting your shotgun correctly?

To shoot well you need to work on two components – the mount (how you bring the gun up to a shooting position) and the fit (how the gun fits to your body), writes Luke Care.

The position of your eye relative to the front bead becomes your rear sight. Where and how consistently your head sits on the comb is critical to accurate shooting.

Most males of average height and build can roughly “fit” most off-the-shelf shotguns. But people come in all shapes and sizes. There are things you can adjust to ensure you’re consistently hitting where you’re aiming. These include length of pull, cast, drop and pitch.

Read Luke’s full article in Special Issue 60 of the latest Fish & Game magazine: Shotgun Fit - The Basics.

Weather Outlook

Wind forecast: 9am Saturday May 24, 2025. Credit: www.windy.com.

The weekend is expected to start with light northerlies and fine weather.

On Sunday expect a few showers. Winds will be generally light to moderate in most places but possibly breezy in West Otago and stronger in elevated areas.

Dunedin: The Saturday forecast is fine with northerlies developing. A few showers developing on Sunday. Northerlies.

Clutha Rural: Saturday looks fine with light winds. A few showers developing on Sunday with northerlies easing.

Central Otago: Fine with light winds on Saturday. Showers developing on Sunday with light winds.

Please note: This weather update is current at the time of publishing. We recommend checking the latest forecasts and road conditions before heading out. Click here for updates from MetService or Windy.com.

Local regulations

Planning to hunt in another region? Be sure you know the local 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.