Wellington/Taranaki weekly hunting report 12 June 2025

Friday Evening, Sat Morning The Best Bet   

Last weekend saw some really wild weather whip up the island from the south resulting in some pretty awesome hunting for those who got out. 

While reports suggest it was a bit quiet in Manawatu with many ponds in the region not being shot, and subsequently providing refuge for ducks, in Wairarapa the hunting has been great.     

Ash happy with her work after a productive morning hunt in Wairarapa last Saturday (Photo: Hamish Carnachan)

While the lake was too rough to get out on for a large part of the weekend, the surrounding wetlands and ponds shot well as birds moved off the big water looking for shelter. 

Derek Mitchell and his daughter Sophia (pictured) had some quality father-daughter time on their pond in Wairarapa recently.

The southerly also pushed ducks up the valley and those hunting farm ponds had consistent shooting right throughout the day on Saturday.   

A moderate southerly moving up the island from Friday will provide some opportunities this weekend but generally the best shooting will be on Friday evening and Saturday morning, after which the weather calms for most parts of both regions. 

There are only three weekends left in the season so get amongst it while you can!   

Take A Mate Hunting!  

After several weekends of hectic hunting activity, it's a great opportunity to introduce someone new to the pursuit!

With many forces building against duck hunting - including increasingly well resourced animal rights groups, changing rural-urban demographics and other recreations encroaching on traditional shooting areas - we need strength in numbers to protect the future of our pursuit. 

The more people who hunt, the stronger our voice!      

So, collar a mate or family member who has never been duck hunting and introduce them to this amazing pursuit. Grab them a licence and do your bit to safeguard duck hunting for present and future generations.  

      

Moderate Southerly Moving In Tomorrow  

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

A moderate southerly starts building from tomorrow. 

While it won't be anywhere near as intense as the one that hit last weekend, it does bring with it moderate winds around coastal areas of Wairarapa and Taranaki. 

Inland parts of the Wellington and Taranaki Fish & Game regions remain relatively calm for most of the weekend, however, reasonable rainfall across the lower North Island on Friday with the approaching front could get birds moving around Friday evening and Saturday morning.     

Friday morning looks promising for Coastal Taranki, with light showers helping to get birds moving. Over the weekend, mixed periods of fine weather and cloud cover are on the cards, with strengthening southeasterly winds, particularly around Opunake.

In the Waimarino district and around Ohakune, cooler and damper conditions are forecast. Expect plenty of cloud and occasional showers through to Sunday, with some cold and wet mornings. As with areas further south, the ducks are likely to be most active around first light, especially after overnight showers, so setting up before dawn will be key.

Check out Windy.com for the very latest outlook. 

Notice - Drone's Over Matthew's and Boggy Pond 

All hunters using the Boggy Pond and Matthews Lagoon complex, please be aware that NIWA is conducting scientific research in the area using drones. 

The scientists are trying to differentiate whether methane in the atmosphere comes from farm animals or local wetlands. 

 

Tip of The Week - Mix It Up, Move Around

Lake Wairarapa offers ample waterfowl hunting opportunities (Photo: Hamish Carnachan). 

If you've shot your pond or the same possie regularly this season, chances are the birds will have wised up and are starting to give it a wide berth. Now's the time to mix up your hunting and moving around...  

Some of the best waterfowl hunting in the Wellington Fish & Game region can be found in the public hunting areas.

Any game bird licence holder who obtains our Game Bird Hunting Access permit, may hunt the following wetlands after Opening Weekend for the remainder of the game season, or dates as printed in the permit booklet:  

• Wairarapa Moana (Lake Wairarapa)
• Lake Omanu near Foxton  
• Makurerua Swamp 25 km south of Palmerston North 
• Pukepuke Lagoon is located 4 km north of Himatangi Beach
• Pheasant and California quail hunting is available in 3 forests and 1 reserve. Waitarere Forest (IFS Forestry); Erindale Forest (Wairarapa Estate Ltd);  Santoft Forests (Ernslaw One Ltd). The Game Bird Hunting Access Permit includes maps and conditions of access and includes a number of areas within the Wellington Fish and Game Region. 

Click here to explore hunting opportunities available in the Wellington region.

If you're after new spots or somewhere different to hunt in the Taranaki region, click here to find out more. 

 

Win A $300 Hunting & Fishing Voucher

Joel Robinson and his mates had great evening hunt on parries in Manawatu recently. 

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.

Video of The Week - Decoying Difficult Ducks

Many hunters will have noticed how ducks are starting to get increasingly "educated". It's time to start hunting smarter.

This video is from the US but the tips and advice are still relevant to mid- to late-season hunting in our part of the world.

Bear in mind, though, that when down-sizing your decoy spread dropping back to six to 12 can be sufficient for New Zealand conditions.  

Click the screen shot above to watch.      

 

Need Some Advice On Your Duck Pond?

Looking to create a duck pond or improve your existing one? Wellington-Taranaki Fish & Game are happy to help with expert advice and may even be able to secure funding to assist with the project. 

Whether you want to hold ducks on your pond longer, or are aiming to create an entirely new wetland from that unproductive boggy paddock, we have the staff expertise and experience. 

Drop us an email and we'll call to discuss your plans and how we can help. 

More Band Returns

We’ve had some more interesting band returns come through, including a mallard drake banded as a juvenile in February 2023 on the coastal Whanganui flats, and then harvested this year 471km north, near Dargaville.

In contrast, another recent band return showed a mallard drake that was banded in 2018 and harvested this season just 3km from where it was originally tagged. Based on its age at banding, we estimate this bird was at least 7½ years old.

Every band matters so if you recover one this season, please let us know via our website and you will automatically be entered into a draw to win various prizes as part of our Banding Together initiative.

Also feel free to email through any photos of banded birds shot and the stories behind them – we’d love to feature more in upcoming bulletins!

 

Firearms Safety Authority - Registry Update

This is a reminder that after June 24, 2025, licence holders may have an activating circumstance when they purchase ammunition from firearms dealers and ammunition sellers if they have not had one already.

This means that licence holders who buy ammunition after June 24 may receive a notification from the Firearms Safety Authority – Te Tari Pūreke - that they are required to register all their arms items within 30 days after their purchase of ammunition, if they have not done so already. 

Licensed dealers and ammunition sellers will be required to record ammunition sales in the Registry as part of their legal obligations on and from June 24, 2025. 

This requirement is referred to in the Arms Regulations 1992 Section 42(3). 

Dose Your Duck Hunting Dogs