Wellington/Taranaki Weekly Hunting Bulletin - 22 April 2026

Countdown To Opening Day Is On!  

The wet, unsettled weather over summer and particularly the last few days has really laid the groundwork for what’s shaping up to be a promising game bird season in the Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game regions.

Pictured - Excitement is building with only nine days until Opening 2026 (Photo: Hamish Carnachan) 

With only nine days 'til Opening Weekend (May 2/3) the countdown is well and truly on - the ducks are around in good numbers, so it's time to get yours in a row.   

Make sure you've got you hunting possie and gear squared away because Opening is going to roll around quickly!  

 

Grab Your Licence - Get Into The Action 

Along with your decoys, ammo and access to your hunting spot, your top priority is making sure you get your new season licence. 

Also, please ensure you are familiar with the game bird hunting regulations for Wellington and Taranaki.

If you require regulations guides for other regions, you can find them here.  

 

Follow Us On Facebook

Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game are on Facebook!

To keep up with all the happenings, news and latest information throughout the upcoming game season, be sure to follow us.

 

Season Prospects 

- WELLINGTON

The rubbish weather over summer has been good for the duck population in the Wellington region (Photo: Hamish Carnachan)

By our standards in the lower North Island, it’s been a pretty rubbish summer. But for ducks, those wet conditions arrived at exactly the right time.

The frequent rain created ideal conditions for young ducks during critical development stages, providing abundant areas to feed and hence boosting survival rates.

The result? Noticeably stronger duck numbers heading into Opening Weekend.

Our annual aerial surveys show a 16 per cent increase in mallard numbers compared to last season. That’s a really encouraging lift and something hunters should be excited about.

The wet weather has also delayed crop harvesting across the region — a major bonus for duck hunters. Mallards are opportunistic feeders and are quick to move onto freshly harvested maize and grain paddocks.

With harvest running later than usual, ducks may stay local for longer instead of shifting elsewhere for food. That creates more consistent hunting opportunities particularly at the start of the season.

With so much standing water around after the bout of heavy torrential rain this week, ducks have more options for where they feed and roost, so hunters are encouraged to stay flexible come Opening.

Unlike last season, there’s water everywhere this year so having a couple of back-up spots can really pay off if ducks aren’t flying into your usual possie on Opening morning.

- TARANAKI

Hunters should drive around ahead of Opening Weekend to locate ducks which are mobbed up in some areas.

While dry conditions in February and March concentrated ducks onto areas of permanent water, widespread rain since mid-April, which in conjunction with a series of freshes and floods in streams and rivers, has resulted in ducks moving out from their summer haunts.

During our recent pukeko surveys we saw some good mobs of parries on new grass and harvested hay paddocks, but their distribution is clumped. 

Talking to landowners and a drive-around will be worthwhile in terms of locating good areas to hunt, as ducks may be clumped in some areas and sparse in others.

Of course, standing water in newly resown paddocks of maize stubble is a magnet for ducks and also well worth seeking out.

With game bird populations looking good, the region is well placed heading into the 2026 game season. Now all we need is the weather to play ball with some productive conditions on Opening Weekend.

Check out our latest edition of the 'Hunting News' newsletter below for more in depth analysis of the season prospects.

          

School Up This Season 

Duck Nights   

Both Wairarapa and Manawatu Hunting & Fishing are holding duck nights this week - get along to hear guest speakers, win great prizes and have a go at some of the competitions...

Here are the details:

        

Hunting News  

You may already have received a copy of our 2026 'Hunting News' in the mail. 

If you haven't, click on the cover image above to download a digital version and catch up on the season prospects, new hunting opportunities, recipes, news on what we've been up to and a heap of handy tips to make your season more successful.  

Increased Opportunity For Hunters This Season

Lower North Island hunters can expect greater opportunities to harvest black sawn this season – with the birds being able to be harvested in the Wellington Fish & Game region all the way through to August 30.

The daily five-bird swan limit per hunter over the main waterfowl season remains in the Wellington region, but thereafter, in order to increase opportunities and boost harvest, swan can be targeted through to August 30, with a liberal bag of 15 birds per hunter per day.

Swan meat is a fantastic eating and versatile game meat that can be added to salami or sausages, through to more gourmet dishes such as the swan meatloaf wrapped in bacon, which featured in the latest issue of Fish & Game magazine.   

We’d encourage Taranaki hunters to make the most of the opportunity in their neighbouring region and extend their season.

Wellington Fish & Game has basic hunter accommodation on the shoreline of Lake Wairarapa – if you’re interested in a weekend swan hunting, please email the office.     

Get Your Eye In This Weekend 

The Wairarapa Clay Target Club is offering hunters a chance to get their eye in this weekend, under expert tuition. 

If you want to brush up on your shooting ahead of Opening Day, and get some expert tuition in a relaxed, no-pressure environment, then head along to the Wairarapa Clay Target Club this weekend.

The club is holding a 'Sporting Weekend' designed to help duck hunters practice at their own pace, get one-on-one tips and guidance, work o specific targets and more...  

All are welcome, but you'll need to register - click here for more details.  

Photo Comp - Win A $300 Hunting & Fishing Voucher

Jett Carston first time duck hunting last season (Photo: Ben Carston)

Send in your favourite photos from this game bird hunting season and you could be in to win a $300 voucher to spend in store at Wairarapa Hunting & Fishing.

We won't blow your secret spot, just include the name of the hunter(s), photographer's details, and general location in the Wellington or Taranaki Fish & Game region.

Click here to submit your entry.    

You can send us as many hunting photos as you like.

By submitting images to enter the competition you acknowledge that Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game, and Wairarapa Hunting and Fishing, can publish and use the photos for publicity material.

Entries must be in by 8:30pm, August 31, 2025. The winner will be notified via email.

 

Get Your Band Details In

The team at Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game have banded around 2000 mallards over the summer.

Every band matters so if you recover one this coming season, please let us know.

You are welcome to keep the bands, all we need are the details around where and when the bird was harvested to help us with game bird management.

Play your part and get those band details back to us – it only takes a minute by phoning through the info to: 0800 BIRD BAND (0800-247322). 

Dose You Duck Hunting Dogs 

It only takes one infected dog to cause a catastrophic sheep measles outbreak.

The tapeworm Taenia ovis cause sheep measles. Its immense ability to reproduce is the largest challenge facing prevention. The tapeworm requires the dog and sheep/goat to complete its lifecycle. There is no way of knowing if your flock is infected until slaughter, and dogs usually show no symptoms of infestation either.

Therefore, the easiest way to prevent the disease is to routinely dose dogs that reside near sheep every month with the single active ingredient Praziquantel. Dogs that are visiting sheep farms should be dosed at least 48 hours to ensure any potential tapeworms are flushed out.   

A sheep measles outbreak on a farming property can cost the farmer and processor thousands of dollars. On a larger scale, meat inspectors can only detect 20% of infections due to the site which cysts embed. If contaminated sheep meat reaches the market, the entire industry is at risk.

All dog owners have a part to play in ensuring that sheep meat produced by New Zealand farmers is free of sheep measles. It is important to take preventative measures seriously.

Noticeboard

If you have a game bird hunting related message or information you'd like us to publish in the Game Bird Bulletin, please contact the Wellington Fish & Game office on (06)359-0409 or flick us an email.