Media release from Wellington Fish & Game

Hunters keen to help farmers

Attention Editors – this release pertains to the Wellington Fish & Game region ONLY. Please click here for a map showing the Wellington regional Fish & Game boundaries.

Press Release:

Game bird hunters are being invited to help farmers disperse big flocks of paradise shelduck from paddocks and crops on private land. 

A special two-week (three weekend) hunting season starting on Saturday, February 8, is being held in the Wellington region, which includes the Manawatu/Wairarapa areas. 

Wellington Fish & Game regional manager Phil Teal says the special season has been introduced to assist landowners who have groups of birds that are starting to feed on new grass and crops. 

“By harvesting some birds outside the normal game season it creates enough of a disturbance to disperse them into smaller flocks.”

Paradise shelduck are known for moulting in groups on open water sites in January, and once the birds can fly again in February they tend to aggregate in groups.

“This year we are restricting the season to private land only,” says Mr Teal. “This will hopefully focus efforts on areas where there are potential problems for crops caused by large numbers of birds.”

Public areas including DOC and Fish & Game land such as Lake Wairarapa will not be open during the special season.  

“Putting this special season in place demonstrates another way in which Fish & Game and hunters are working in good faith with land owners and local rural communities,” says Mr Teal.

The special hunting season is open to all 2013 licensed game bird hunters from February 8 to 23, 2014, with a five birds per day limit.

ENDS

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