Northland game bird hunters offered ‘special summer hunting’

20 February 2017

Immediate use

Northland game bird hunters offered ‘special summer hunting’

Northland game bird hunters are being offered some summer hunting – in advance of the traditional May start of the hunting season.

Fish & Game is holding a special summer hunting season for paradise shelduck in Northland over the weekend of 25 and 26 February.

Northland Fish & Game Officer Andrew Kirk says the weekend season will help the region’s
farmers protect their pastures and crops from damage caused by the birds.

The birds gather in their hundreds to moult at this time of year, and the numbers congregating on farmland can wreak havoc on chicory crops and hay paddocks, he says.

The weekend hunting helps to disperse the ducks, moving them back to their home territories after this annual moult.

“It reduces the potential for mobs to cause damage to recovering hay paddocks, chicory crops and areas of new grass, before the main game bird hunting season gets underway in May."

Another special season, for pukeko and black swan, has been declared which will run over nine days from February 25 to March 5.

Mr Kirk notes that the special seasons are confined to the Northland Fish & Game Region and hunters who wanted to take part must hold a current game bird hunting licence – that can be bought either online or from a local sports store.

The daily bag limits per hunter that apply to the special seasons in February and March are 20 paradise shelduck, 15 black swan and 12 pukeko. Birds can only be hunted between 6am and 8pm daily.

Mr Kirk says the special seasons apply to the birds that have been named only, and all other game birds remained protected.

Fish & Game rangers will be out “checking licences and the other rules and regs.”

"This is a great opportunity for some enjoyable summer hunting that helps farmers – all we ask is that hunters stick to the rules,” Mr Kirk says.

"Please remember that hunters need permission to hunt on private land – don't forget to ask the landowner."

Hunters are welcome to contact the Fish & Game office with any queries about the special seasons on 09-4384135.
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