Wellington/Taranaki Weekly Hunting Bulletin - 28 May 2026

King's Birthday Gift For Hunters!    

There's been an understandable amount of grumbling amongst hunters about the weather of late - This is your weekend to make up for lost time in the maimai!

Some strong northerlies and a reasonable amount of rain is forecast from Sunday and well into Monday for both regions. 

This is welcome as both Wellington and Taranaki are starting to look very dry for this time of year.   

Pictured: A clutch of green heads from morning shoot on small pond (Photo: Hamish Carnachan) 

The rainfall is likely to see rivers and creeks rise, which is excellent news as it will move birds off these areas they've been using as refuges. 

Similarly, the strong winds will kick ducks off the larger water bodies where to date they've been safely out of range. 

If the weather forecast holds true, hunters can expect some reasonable flights on Sunday evening, as well as Monday well into late morning and again that night.    

Hunter Love gave duck hunting a crack for the first time last weekend - he got two birds using a .410 and is now hooked.

We're continuing to get reports of very late harvest grain in parts of Wairarapa, Manawatu and Taranaki, which is still drawing in good numbers of both mallards and parries. 

It's well worth scouting out this late cropping and trying to secure access to these properties.

On that note, as we mentioned in the Tip of The Week in our last report, scouting really pays dividends when it's tough to nail down where the ducks are...

A recent contributor on a waterfowling Facebook page noted how he started on Thursday evening by scouting nearby locations using satellite imagery; he found a likely spot and went and door knocked the landowner on Friday; he was granted access for Saturday and, along with his hunting mates, shot 30 fat mallards for the day.    

That's how it's done!     
 

Grab A Day Licence - Get Out There... 

Day licences are on sale now so if you missed the start of the season you can crack into it this long weekend.

If you've already got yours, a bonus day off on Monday makes an ideal opportunity to introduce someone new to game bird hunting.   

For a small outlay - as little as $27 for the day - you or your mate can enjoy an awesome outdoor experience! 

Grab a 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. 

Here's the outlook for the weekend... 

 

Solid Hunting Conditions Heading Your Way

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

A calm Saturday gives way to building northerlies throughout King's Birthday Weekend, with strong winds on Monday for most parts of the lower North Island. 

Areas around coastal Taranaki will have particularly gusty conditions from Sunday, with the wind strengthening further down the island as the day goes on. 

The weather system is bringing quite a bit of much-needed rain too. This is forecast to be widespread from late Sunday night, and should persist throughout Monday. 

Watch for very heavy falls around Mount Taranaki if you're hunting any of the rivers in the area.

All in all, some great conditions coming our way and no excuse not to get out in the thick of it on your bonus day off Monday. 

 

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

Peter Longley captured this stunning sunset from his maimai along the Turakina River.  

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.

 

Tip Of The Week - Walking To A Hunt On A Paper Road

We're getting plenty of enquiry from hunters about how they can access rivers for duck hunting.

The Walking Access Commission has written an article about the legalities around taking firearms on unformed legal roads, commonly referred to as paper roads. 

You can read it here: Carrying a gun | Herenga â Nuku Aotearoa, the Outdoor Access Commission

Some other tips for hunting public land:

• Always inform surrounding landowners of your intentions so they don't get any surprises when shots ring out.  
• It pays to also notify the local area police. 
• Ensure you are not hunting where there are any other users of the public space - check for walking tracks and other infrastructure. 
• Always follow the seven rules of firearms safety, in particular, check your firing zone.  

 

Attention Pukepuke Hunters!

Pukepuke Lagoon in Manawatu has dried out... we're trying to establish why

Wellington Fish & Game is looking into the historical environmental cycles of Pukepuke Lagoon, near Tangimoana in Manawatu, specifically tracking past low water levels or dry spells.

Because local hunters know these waters better than anyone, we are hoping you might have some records tucked away in old photo albums or scrapbooks.

How you can help:

• Photos: Any snapshots showing low water levels or exposed lagoon beds.
• Context: The approximate year, decade, or season the photo was taken.

Whether it’s a vintage print or a more recent digital snap, we’d love to see it. If you only have a hard copy, bring it to the office and we can scan and safely return it to you.

If you can help, please get in touch with us at the office [email protected]

Thanks for your time and for helping us preserve the history of the lagoon.

 

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 Details Rolling In

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

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).

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

Upland Hunting Opportunities

There are some good upland game opportunities for lower North Island hunters (Photo: Hamish Carnachan)

Both Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game have arranged hunter access to several plantation forests in the lower North Island where we periodically supplement the wild pheasant population with more birds. 

These areas are in Manawatu, Wairarapa and Whanganui. 

If you’re interested in learning more about upland game bird hunting opportunities in the lower North Island, please contact the Wellington office on (06)359-0409 or Taranaki on 027 263 9152.

 

Shoot Bird, Eat Bird!

You've bagged some birds, 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.  

Hope you have a great hunt over the long weekend - Catch you next week.