'Both Barrels' Newsletter

Keep up-to-date with all the game bird hunting action, news, events and comment from across New Zealand by signing up to 'Both Barrels'- the official game bird hunting newsletter from Fish & Game New Zealand.

Why not check out some recent editions of our 'Both Barrels' newsletter on the right hand side of this page?

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Both Barrels May 2023

TBB1May 2023

The Freshwater Policy Review will set the management priorities for our wetlands, lakes and rivers for a generation.

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Both Barrels April 2023

Mallards Rigby Whangarei bismuth

It’s no secret this has been one of the wettest years in this region. Farmers carefully watching their ponds, drains and wetlands tell us this has certainly helped breeding mallards,...

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Both Barrels March 2023

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Welcome to our first Both Barrels of the 2023 hunting season.

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Both Barrels July 2022

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If you’ve been driving through the country recently, keeping an eye on likely spots, you will have noticed just how many mallard pairs there are.

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Both Barrels June 2022

June 2022 BB AWFG

Hunters in this region were somewhat divided in our phone surveys as to whether there were more, the same or less mallard ducks this year.

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Both Barrels May 2022

AW BB May 2022

Opening Weekend started well with more shooting than we have heard for years, perhaps as those hunters lucky enough to have water in their ponds capitalised on all the ducks...

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Both Barrels April 2022

AW April 22 Pic 1

The past several years of drought have been a tough time for both ducks and duck-hunters, and one would have expected that it would take several years for waterfowl to...

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Both Barrels March 2022

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Both Barrels will start in earnest in April, giving all hunters access to some of the best minds in game bird hunting in New Zealand.

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Both Barrels July 2021

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The Special Paradise Shelduck Season North of the Harbour Bridge is Gazetted for 19 and 20 February 2022, mark it in your diaries now.

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Both Barrels June 2021

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The mallard, grey and shoveler dabbling-duck part of the season is now behind us, ending Queen’s Birthday Monday, June 7 in this region.

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Both Barrels May 2021

Dave Klees hunters 2021 1

Water, or rather the lack of it, was a major problem on opening throughout the region and for the second year running.

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Both Barrels April 2021

Richard Philburn young duck hunters 1

Fingers and toes crossed that this year we have no Covid-19 delays, travel restrictions or other interruptions to our game bird season.

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Both Barrels March 2021

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With less than six weeks to go until the game bird season, we welcome our readers of Both Barrels for 2021, the place where we keep you up to date...

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Both Barrels July 2020

AW July P1

We were lucky just to have a duck season this year, ask anyone who missed out on the deer roar in April.

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Both Barrels June 2020

Police opening day 2023

Please be aware of the new season dates that were adjusted after the Covid-19 lockdown.

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Both Barrels May 2020

Bismuth Merkel non toxic cartridges 1

Covid-19 has not only taken the world by storm, but with it also the shooting community world-wide who have also been fully caught up in lockdowns just as we have.

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Special Lockdown Edition Both Barrels April 2020

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Over the first two weeks of the lockdown, Fish & Game have been scenario planning around what form the game bird season might take.

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Auckland/Waikato Both Barrels July 2019

Junior photo 410 Scott Harvey supplied2

In our recent phone survey of game bird hunters remarkably few took advantage of the extended season for paradise shelduck and swan, (which finished June 23rd), and only the hardy...

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Auckland/Waikato Both Barrels June 2019

Dave Malcolm d

For many of us who live for waterfowl hunting, the inquisition now begins.

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Auckland/Waikato Both Barrels May 2019

Scott Harvey Chessie 2019

It didn’t matter where you were this opening, fog was an issue, be it Whitianga, Waikare, Hamilton or Kaipara.

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Auckland/Waikato Both Barrels April 2019

AW Tokoroa duck photo

The countdown till opening weekend is nearly over.

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Both Barrels Special Edition March 2019

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Welcome to the first edition of Both Barrels for the 2019 game bird hunting season.

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North Island Roundup - Both Barrels 2018

Claire Heyns, NorthTec Practicum student, helping with shoveler counts.

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Both Barrels August 2018

SS 1 Phil gamebird fest

As the 2018 game bird season draws to a close, many hunters are reflecting on their success, saying it has been the best season they have experienced for a long time.

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Auckland/Waikato Both Barrels July 2018

AW 1 Grey teal price tag photo

Each Opening Weekend, and every two weeks after that, this region runs a phone survey of randomly selected hunters to monitor their success.

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Auckland/Waikato Both Barrels June 2018

AW 1 BB June

The 2018 Auckland/Waikato Region dabbling duck season is already consigned to history.

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Auckland/Waikato Both Barrels May 2018

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Opening weekend saw blue skies and hardly a breath of wind for many.

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Auckland/Waikato Both Barrels April 2018

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Looking around the Waikato, Hauraki Plains and Rodney districts, lots of groups of ducks seem to be tucked up in many likely spots, both tidal on the mud, or on...

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Both Barrels Special Edition March 2018

BBaprilCSI2 Calling birds on sunrise opening 2019

Welcome to this special issue of Both Barrels

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Both Barrels August 2017

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The game bird season has ended... or has it?

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Both Barrels South Island Roundup

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The waterfowl 2017 season has been and gone. We hope you managed to get out on a few hunting adventures this year and filled the freezer with enough duck to...

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Both Barrels North Island Roundup

N BB 1 Heath worsfolds truck pheasant with happy pup sneak2

Heath Worsfold’s truck with a nice pheasant and a happy pup named Sneak.

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Auckland Waikato Both Barrels July 2017

AW Pheasant 16ga Dessard

At time of writing the weather is rubbish but upland game birds such as pheasants are still out there, and can be chased to almost the end of August.

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Auckland Waikato Both Barrels June 2017

Leslie Dewhurst and helpers 2017

'Strange weather but some good bags'

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Auckland / Waikato Both Barrels May 2017

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The game season has got off to a good start in the Auckland/Waikato and we’ve had encouraging reports from most parts of the region.

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Auckland / Waikato Both Barrels Apr 2017

AW BB Ducks opening weekend 2016 13

The long wet spring meant a lot of ducks were breeding long after they’d normally be finished.

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Both Barrels Mar 2017

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Get set to hunt some game birds

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Southland Both Barrels May 2016

Opening day is probably the only day of the year when I wake up and I’m upset by a lack of wind!

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Auckland / Waikato Both Barrels May 2016

Opening Weekend was a good time to have remembered the sun screen.

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Otago Both BarrelsMay 2016

For what must be the 10th year in a row, Otago hunters woke to clear calm conditions for the Opening Day.

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Central South Island Both Barrels May 2016

Opening Weekend heralded fine and pleasant weather.

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North Canterbury Both Barrels May 2016

With the game bird season well underway and the hype of opening day now past, it's time to reflect on hunting successes firstly, then focus on the great game bird...

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West Coast Both Barrels May 2016

Large numbers of hunters turned out in the West Coast Region for Opening Weekend this year, both local hunters and many from other regions.

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Nelson Marlborough Both Barrels May 2016

Fish & Game had three ranging teams out in the field on Opening Day this year, concentrating on private land around Blenheim and Murchison.

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Wellington Both Barrels May 2016

The weather was largely to blame for what can only be described as a patchy Opening Weekend, with very calm conditions in the Wairarapa and resultingly few birds moving around.

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Taranaki Both Barrels May 2016

While the hunter phone survey results are yet to be analysed, initial indications are that hunters were happy with their opening weekend bags – in many areas more mallards were...

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Northland Both Barrels May 2016

Opening Weekend game bird hunting produced a “great variety” of results for hunters around the Northland Peninsula.

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Hawke's Bay Both Barrrels May 2016

Fish & Game rangers along with police officers checked 57 waterfowl hunters over Opening Weekend.

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Eastern Both Barrels May 2016

Hunters can now take advantage of being able to hunt the 20-odd Crown-owned wetlands around the region administered by Fish & Game.

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