New game bird season a 'mixed bag'

There's been some very mixed fortunes for thousands of hunters who turned out for the start of the new game bird hunting season yesterday, with the weather dealing 'good cards' to the ducks.

A duck decoy. Photo: supplied.

Fish & Game rangers have been out in force around the country, sometimes in combined operations with Police, to check hunters were toeing the line on bag limits and other regulations.

Communications manager Don Rood says there have been some striking contrasts between areas that have been very quiet and others where hunters are 'more than happy'.

He says the fine weather stacked the cards in favour of waterfowl in both the North and South islands.

'Instead of wet and windy weather in which the ducks fly low, it's been fine and calm in most places – which gives the birds a real edge.”

Don says areas where lots of ducks have been sighted include the Hauraki Plains. One Auckland-Waikato councillor had described it as their best opening in recent years. In other parts of the region success had been mixed.

Other bright spots included the Kaituna area near Te Puke, where there were reported to be 'birds everywhere', along with parts of Otago and North Canterbury.

One group of four people hunting in the central South Island shot 60 mallards and paradise shelduck, and in Otago most hunters had happily bagged birds, one pair had harvested 25 birds between them.

On the West Coast, there had been healthy bags of paradise shelduck and greylards.

In Southland, the calm clear conditions had made hunting hard and coastal waterways had proved a better bet. More than 10 firearms had 'regrettably' been seized for 'foolish' offences ranging from no game bird licence to using lead shot.

However, in general around the country, hunters are to be congratulated for sticking to ‘rules and regulations' with no evidence of any widespread flouting of the rules.

Don emphasised that the information which had come in was all early reports from morning hunts and in many places, things may well improve in the evening.

Fish & Game Eastern Region Manager Andy Garrick echoed the comment, saying the weather had 'gone against hunters'.

He firmly believes that prospects would improve later in the season however, with more favourable weather conditions. 'I'm very optimistic we will end up with a better season than we've had in recent years.”

You may also like....

5 comments

A mixed bag indeed

Posted on 03-05-2015 14:05 | By SonnyJim

A pair of turkeys up the road from me must certainly have a mixed bag. They've been blazing away all morning at everything; pity any swallow, sparrow or starling that passes by.


@ratepayer

Posted on 03-05-2015 14:49 | By Jimmy Ehu

grab another pill, then go back to sleep, we would not want any fun too be had, maybe there where ducks aplenty and they where bad shots, do not make assumptions.


@James assumptions

Posted on 03-05-2015 18:44 | By SonnyJim

Fun to be had and where there weren't ducks were bad sports. Fine clear day here, no ducks anywhere, and no assumptions needed for eye witnesses Jimmy, after all those who assume anything risk duck-egg-on-face.


duck shot happy

Posted on 03-05-2015 19:24 | By Kathryn

We were out at Mclarens falls park this afternoon and were surprised to hear shooting coming from across the lake from 3 young guys. With so many people at the park you would think they would not be allowed there.


jimmy ehu

Posted on 04-05-2015 07:15 | By monty1212

Whats fun about shooting helpless creatures unless you are sick?


Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.