Wellington/Taranaki Weekly Hunting Bulletin - 14 May 2026

Coastal Areas The Best Bet This Weekend   

After a great weather system for waterfowling last weekend, resulting in some fantastic hunting, conditions have backed off and will remain reasonably settled over the coming weekend   

With fine cool conditions and a light to moderate south easterly forecast, early morning and evening shoots might be the most productive.

Pictured: Matt Diederich's Chesky Fousek 'Nero' with a brace of Rangitikei roosters.

Coastal areas along both the west and east of the lower North Island will see more consistent winds, so there could be some reasonable hunting if you've got a spot to shoot.  

The larger waterbodies and rivers in the Wellington Fish & Game region are holding good numbers of waterfowl, with the birds seeking refuge after the strong winds and a bit of hunting pressure last weekend. 

Good numbers of mallards on a farm oxidation pond (Credit: Allen Stancliff)

In Taranaki, there are plenty of ponds and oxy ponds that have not yet been shot.

Scouting out some of these to find where the ducks are hanging out and setting up for an early morning or evening shoot with a handful of decoys and a layout blind or camo net can be a good way to go.

The drier conditions in both regions mean there’s a lack of standing water in paddocks to attract ducks, but parries are still congregating on areas of new sown grass in stubble fields.

Farms where maize silage is being fed to stock can be a magnet for ducks and will also be good places to target.

Walk-up shoots along streams and targeting duck camps on the larger river pools is another option over the weekend.
 

Grab Your Licence - Get Into The Action 

If you missed the start of the season, get your licence now. 

Please ensure you are familiar with the game bird hunting regulations for the Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game regions.

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

Hot barrels - here's the outlook for the weekend... 

 

Southerlies About Both Coasts, Calm Inland

The brighter the colour, the more intense the wind (Credit: Windy.com)

Persistent and moderate south to south-east winds around both coasts of the lower North Island are the feature of weekend weather.

This could provide reasonable hunting for those targeting coastal ponds, lakes and estuaries.  

Inland, however, it looks like it will be settled and calm so early morning and evening will be the times to target a few flights of birds.   
 

Game Bird Harvest Survey

Fish & Game staff from around New Zealand will again be conducting our annual Game Bird Hunter Harvest Survey.

You may receive a phone call from us seeking to ask a few questions about how many birds you have harvested this season. 

These calls are an important part of our game bird population management, as they give us an estimate of how many birds have been harvested across the country. 

We'd really appreciate your help if you do get a call. 

Keep Those Band Returns Rolling In

Thanks to all those hunters who have sent through their band returns to date. 

So far this season we’ve received information from 23 ducks banded in Taranaki and around 100 in the Wellington region.

If you harvest a banded bird, we encourage you to report it via the Fish & Game website.

In return, you’ll receive a summary of the bird’s history, including the year and approximate location it was banded, its age and sex at the time and how far it travelled between the banding and recovery site (you can keep the band, we just need the information on it).

It’s always interesting to see the story behind your bird and by reporting it, you’re helping to protect the future of waterfowl hunting in New Zealand.

Plus, every valid band report is automatically entered into the draw for prizes through Fish & Game’s Banding Together initiative.

Whanganui Upland Hunting Opportunities

- Harakeke and Tauwhare Forests & Nukumaru Recreation Reserve

If you're keen to set your sights on pheasants near Whanganui, it’s well worth considering getting access to Harakeke and Tauwhare forests and Nukumaru Recreation Reserve.

There have been little hunting pressure in Harakeke and Tauwhare forests so far this season, so they are well worth a visit.

To hunt in Harakeke (two blocks) or Tauwhare (one block), you’ll need to be selected through a weekly draw. These areas are open for upland game hunting only on Saturdays and Sundays. Here’s how it works:

1. Ensure you have your current game bird and firearms licence information handy, then contact Taranaki Fish & Game by either calling 027 263 9152 or emailing us to claim your free hunting permit.
2. Enter the draw by getting in touch with Fish & Game before 12 noon on Wednesday each week. You can apply for one or more blocks and days. (If you're hunting with others, just one person from your group should enter).
3. You’ll be contacted on Thursday afternoon to let you know if you’ve been successful. You must win a spot in the draw to be allowed to hunt that weekend.

- Nukumaru Recreation Reserve - Permit Required, No Draw

You don’t need to enter a draw for Nukumaru, but you do need a valid permit from Fish & Game which you can also contact us for. Once you have that:

1. Contact the grazing leasee listed on your permit before you go hunting to ask for access. For Blocks 4 & 5 you must get permission directly from the leaseholder before entering these areas. This is a condition set by the Whanganui District Council.

 

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.    

Photo Comp - Win A $300 Hunting & Fishing Voucher

Ben Carston set up, ready and waiting at dawn.  

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 30, 2026. The winner will be notified via email.

 

Video Of The Week - Manawatu Opening 2026 

Despite calm Opening Weekend conditions in Manawatu, these hunters had a great couple of days. 

Click the screenshot above watch! 

Shoot Bird, Eat Bird!

So you bagged some birds over the weekend... now to make the most of them so you don't waste that delicious free-range game meat!

For a bunch of recipes, click the image above.  

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.