Otago - The Game Call - 3 July 2025

Make Your Weekends Count

Four weekends are left in the Otago mallard season, and it’s still well worth getting out for a hunt — especially if you can stay flexible and follow the birds. With the mallard season finished in the North Island, why not invite a mate down for a mission?

Pictured above: Coffee’s on the boil for Nick Rattray while calling in birds in Central Otago. Credit: Blair Trevathan.

 

In this issue:

• The Big Freeze
• Holiday Hunting
• How Quickly Things Can Change
• Wet Paddocks Paying Dividends
• Upland Game Picking Up
• A Bird For The Wall
• Photo Competition
• Recipe Competition
• Fish & Game Wetlands – Waitapeka Reserve
• Weather Outlook

 

The Big Freeze

“The big freeze is what I wait for every year,” says Otago Fish & Game councillor Blair Trevathan. “The next three weeks for us will no doubt be our best hunting of the year.”

Deep winter has arrived, and with it comes the hunting opportunity Blair’s been waiting for. The colder weather the Otago high country is now experiencing is pushing birds onto bigger water bodies and lower country in much better numbers. Birds in high country areas will be pushing out of frozen puddles, small creeks and backwaters.

• After spending four days hunting in Southland last week, Blair says the bird population is in excellent condition – the best he’s seen in a long time. “We're well up on last season's numbers.”
• Scouting remains the number one key to successful hunting, Blair says. He’s hunting on public water and private ponds, and the effort is paying off. The birds are in very good condition and responding predictably to the weather patterns.
• Blair’s advice is simple: go and have a look. Find their flight paths and you'll discover excellent puddle duck-hunting opportunities. Focus on areas with high worm populations where ducks naturally congregate.
• The critical windows for scouting are one hour either side of first light and just before and after nightfall. This is when you need to be positioned to observe where birds are coming from and going to, Blair says.
• If you start on a large water body such as Lake Waihola, watch the direction the birds travel. Eventually, you'll trace their movements and they'll lead you closer to their preferred feeding or roosting areas.

 

Holiday Hunting

Aubrey Olsen (left, 10) holding the paradise shelduck he shot as he and brother Kase (7) enjoy Opening Weekend. These winter school holidays, take your tamariki out into the wetlands and hills and share the tradition of game bird hunting.

Nothing quite says "dedicated duck hunter" like your kids turning up to school still sporting yesterday's camouflage face paint because it hasn’t washed off! That's been the reality in the Olsen household, says the boys’ mum Hayley Olsen, from Dunedin Hunting & Fishing.

• With the winter school holidays in full swing, Hayley and husband Brad got the boys, Aubrey (10) and Kase (7), out on the water last Sunday. They headed out to a private pond near Outram, hoping to bag a duck with the .410 for the boys. The ducks had other ideas though – they were particularly cagey and weren't keen to come in close. But that's duck hunting for you, and it's all part of the learning experience.
• Aubrey had a great start to the season, successfully taking a duck on opening day with Hayley’s semi-auto 12 gauge. The Olsens are now working on getting both boys more involved, whether that's letting them have a go with the gun or teaching them to call the birds in.
• The key to keeping young hunters engaged is making it fun, Hayley says. Plenty of snacks are essential! It's all about keeping them interested and out there learning the fundamentals of hunting.
• Duck hunting with kids requires patience and humour. Some days the ducks cooperate, other days they don't. But every outing is an opportunity to pass on hunting skills, outdoor ethics, and create lasting family memories.

 

How Quickly Things Can Change

Mallards camping on an Otago river two weeks ago.

Jack Pow had recent success on a West Otago pond that produced 15 birds in a morning. Another productive pond shoot saw 12 birds taken. Ducks are looking for shelter and cover. After all the recent rain, surface water remains, and ducks are shifting accordingly.

• A large camp of ducks Jack’s been watching recently reminded him how quickly things can change—they landed 100 metres downstream from their usual spot, showing how even familiar patterns can shift. Only a few mallards and a couple of parries were taken that morning. He says duck camps are starting to break into smaller mobs of 20–40.
• Hunting pressure is evident with some hunters drifting in boats picking up only a few birds. Interestingly, Jack says the ducks haven’t been hitting the usual wholecrop silage paddocks this year — despite thousands of cows being fed daily. It could be a sign there’s more feed across the landscape, giving birds more options.
• With conditions changing and the birds spreading out, keep mobile, scout actively, and don’t be afraid to try a new spot if the old ones aren’t producing. There’s still time to finish the season strong.

 

Wet Paddocks Paying Dividends

Scouting around flooded paddocks after heavy rain has paid dividends for Gus McSkimming and Dan Kunac.

• They found ducks feeding in a flooded area last weekend and asked a farmer for permission to shoot there. The result: more than a dozen ducks. Gus says it looked like they were feeding on worms from the grass.
• With more wet weather predicted this weekend, they hope it will work in their favour for their next hunt at another location, as ducks seem to commit better when the weather is a bit foul.

 

Upland Game Interest Picking Up

The upland goods … Fish & Game officer Mason Court served up roast quail nests using Angelo Georgalli's recipe from the Fish + Game Cookbook. And it was very, very good!

There's been good interest in upland game bird hunting around the Southern Lakes district lately, with quite a few hunters heading out after quail, says Henry from Queenstown Hunting & Fishing.

“We've had half a dozen hunting parties come through the shop recently, and most are reporting decent success,” Henry says.

• The variety of ammunition going out the shop door tells the story – everything from .410 and 28 gauge up to 20 gauge and even 12 gauge shooters loading up with 7 shot trap loads for quail expeditions.
• Henry got out quail shooting the other day and can say that hunters are generally having success out there. They tried a property through the Kawarau Gorge and managed some good numbers. "If we had better shooters there would have been more birds on the ground," he admits, but there were certainly birds to be found.
• One hunting crew enjoyed their day so much that they returned for a second day on the same property. It turned out to be a location where they found more quail this season than they'd typically expect to see in that area.
• Weather patterns play a role in successful quail hunting. "Either side of those wet periods is when you'll find most people will go out after upland game birds," Henry says. “The better approach is heading out a couple of days after a weather system has passed through, once the surface water has had time to run off the steep country.”

 

Taken a Bird Worth Putting on the Wall?

This colourful shoveler drake will make a perfect mount that provides lasting memories.

Here's a few tips to prep it for taxidermy and ensure the best possible result.

If possible, collect the bird by hand. Dogs can easily dislodge feathers or cause damage. If the bird is wounded, euthanise it humanely by applying pressure under the wings to compress the chest. Avoid wringing the neck as this can damage feathers in hard to repair places. Carry the bird by the feet or cradle it gently.

• Check for broken bones, feather loss, flesh damage, and pin feathers (undeveloped feathers common early in the season). Some imperfections are inevitable as it has been shot after all, but the better the specimen, the better the final mount.
• No need to gut the bird. Use cold water to rinse off blood if necessary. Keep the bird cool, out of sunlight, and lay it with feathers naturally aligned.
• Before freezing, insert cotton wool in the beak and place paper towels on any wounds. Tuck the head under a wing, smooth the feathers, and seal in an airtight bag. Vacuum sealing is fine—just avoid crushing tail feathers, especially pheasants. Birds can be safely frozen for years, but getting it to your taxidermist sooner helps prevent freezer burn.

 

Shot of the Season: Otago Game Bird Photo Competition

Phin the Cesky Fousek is on the job in the Clutha.

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.

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.

 

Game Bird 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!

 

Fish & Game wetlands – Waitapeka Reserve

Waitapeka Wetland Reserve is a 44ha wetland near Finegand. There are three ponds within the Fish & Game-owned reserve. Travel along the Owaka Highway and turn right onto Freezing Works Rd. Access is via a farm track on the left-hand-side 300 metres from the intersection.

Hunters can now obtain a casual permit to access the wetland.

There is reasonable access to hunting positions on Ponds 1 and 2. Access to Pond 3 is challenging through thick vegetation and the water level can be variable.

 

Access across private property is by permission from the landowner. Details are provided with the permit.

To view a map and for more details, click here.

Game bird hunting is by permit only. To apply for a permit, click here.

Wind forecast: 8am Saturday July 5, 2025 (Credit: www.windy.com)

Wind forecast: 8am Sunday, July 6, 2025 (Credit: www.windy.com)

 

Weather Outlook

Dunedin: Tonight’s rain, possibly heavy, is expected to fine up before dawn tomorrow. Expect rivers to rise and surface flooding on already saturated paddocks. Easterlies should turn westerly before dawn. On Saturday, showers are expected to return, clearing in the evening. The wind will be southwesterly. Sunday, fine with light winds.

Clutha Rural: Periods of rain overnight tonight, a few showers before dawn, then mostly cloudy tomorrow. Easterlies, turning westerly in the morning. A few showers on Saturday, with southwesterlies turning northwesterly. Sunday is expected to be partly cloudy with northwesterlies easing.  

Central Otago: Snow was expected as low as 400 metres at the time of writing today. Road snowfall warnings were in place. Tomorrow is looking partly cloudy with the chance of a shower. Light winds. Saturday and Sunday are expected to be partly cloudy 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.