It Takes a Hunter to make a Hunter Competition
It Takes a Hunter to Make a Hunter” is a joint Fish & Game NZ and Hunting & Fishing New Zealand programme with the aim of promoting experienced hunters introducing novices to the sport. It is well understood that starting game bird hunting, whether a youngster or adult, can be a daunting task on your own. Most of us recall our own beginnings in the sport, and that invariably involved a family member or mate taking us under their wing and showing us the ropes. Enter here
Fish & Game NZ Wild Game Bird Food Festival
Publicity for the third year of the Fish & Game NZ Wild Game Bird Food Festival got it off to a great start this year as newspapers, television and radio across the country once again gave valuable media space to the event.
 Several newspapers took up the opportunity we offered them to send a reporter out with a game bird hunter on opening weekend, to bag a game bird then enjoy it cooked at their regional festival restaurant.
The festival has either featured as a news story or in the food pages, and sometimes in both, of newspapers from Whangarei to Invercargill.
This year we have several new entrants to the festival – Gusto’s and Matinee in New Plymouth, Craggy Range Winery’s Terróir Restaurant in Hawkes Bay and Cook’n with Gas in Christchurch.
The festival runs for all of May so there is still ample time to take your bagged bird out to dinner!
To check out the restaurants featuring this year go to:
http://www.fishandgame.org.nz/Site/Features/NationalNewsApr08.aspx
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Opening morning this year will be remembered for all the right reasons judging by the feedback and responses from Northland hunters.
Higher than normal visible bird numbers and outstanding harvest figures from the National game bird phone survey all added up to excellent shooting across the whole region. Read the full article here
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Despite, or perhaps because of the Waikato drought, many hunters have done very well – if they have access to permanent water. The important role of maize silage too cannot be overlooked and hundreds of mallards and parries can be seen in fields gleaning the leftovers from the recently harvested stubble. High grain prices mean there should be even more maize next year. Read the full article here
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The opening of the 2008 Game Bird hunting season got off to a mixed start on the weekend with hunters over the larger water areas doing very well while those on smaller ponds struggled to attract the birds. Fish & Game Regional Manager Rob Pitkethley said “Many of the hunters that put the preparation in, and had areas with permanent water had their bag limits relatively early in the morning.” Read the full article here
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The Hawkes Bay turned up its usual calm, still morning on the 3rd of May. The night before had some real promise with plenty of rain and a good strong southerly wind. As the day progressed the wind returned and began moving birds off the bigger bodies of water. The weekends hunting turned out pretty much what we expected with lower numbers of birds in the region this year. Read the full article here
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The number of game birds reported present across the region prior to the opening weekend indicated that a good return for hunters could be expected for the opening weekend. However the opening morning dawned fine and calm across the majority of the region which meant that conditions favoured the ducks, rather than the hunters and the general impression gained is that this season’s opening morning was similar to that of 2007 with few birds reported to have been seen flying. Read the full article here
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The Gamebird season in the Wellington Fish & Game region got off to a better than expected start. In fact it was virtually the same harvest rate per hunter as last year – which was average to above average.
“The best opening in years” was the comments from many hunters in the Wellington region – this being partially due to those hunting on permanent water bodies doing very well, as mallards used these sites more intensively due to the reduction in available habitat caused by the dry summer. Read the full article here
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The gamebird hunting season started in its customary way in the Top of the South with clear skies but cool conditions this year. Hunters hoping for the southerly blast to keep ducks flying low were disappointed with a mixed bag in many areas. Many hunters have observed there are fewer ducks this year, especially paradise shelduck. Most hunters, however, were successful with bags noted by rangers from just a few ducks to near bag limit of 15. Read the full article here
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The first thing that stands out for the 2008 opening was the increase in numbers of hunters out on opening weekend from other Fish & Game regions. Rangers out on opening day had an encounter rate of approximately 1 in 3 hunters visiting from another Fish & Game region. Canterbury and Nelson hunters made up the bulk of visiting hunters but there were also groups from as far as Auckland and Central Otago. The result was that most ponds and major waterways were covered by hunters which kept the birds moving throughout the day. Read the full article here
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North Canterbury - Season starts well
For most of the hunters who braved the elements on Saturday on the Lake Ellesmere day was productive with a number of limit bags (25 mallard ducks) or very good bags reported to Fish and Game Rangers checking hunter compliance on the day. For unlucky few though, birds were elusive. Read the full article here
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For the waterfowl hunter “opening day” weather in the region was rather peculiar . Inland hunters experienced fine and calm conditions while out to sea towering storm clouds chased along by a strong cold southerly wind raced northwards. Laced with intermittent showers this front extended eastwards to include a narrow strip of the coastal region bringing what many would describe as perfect duck hunting conditions. Read the full article here
“Google ponds” are not always duck ponds
On farm irrigation creates new Waterfowl Habitats
Lake Wainono navigation regulations
Flight disrupted by hunters
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Rain, sleet and bone chilling winds failed to stop more than 3000 hardy hunters from heading to ponds and wetlands around the region for the opening day of the duck hunting season.
For the first time in a number of years, hunters enjoyed near perfect hunting conditions, on the Saturday in particular. Fish & Game Officer Ian Hadland said the passing showers and wind kept ducks in the air and moving around rather than settled on large waters or even worse out at sea. Read the full article here
Duck hunting ranging gets high tech
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Mallard hunting in Southland was pretty good over the opening weekend with an average bag of mallards of just over 14. This is pretty close to our long term average.
The weekend was a bit wet and showery close to the coast and pretty cold with snow low down on the Takitimu Mountains and on top of the Hokonui Hills. However the sun came out and made the scene from those maimais with a good view of the mountains rather striking. Read the full article here
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