Both Barrels April 2021

When the sun rises on the first of May this year, game bird hunters will continue the tradition that we have been enjoying for over a hundred years and be able to harvest some delicious meat for the plate. 

The 2021 game bird hunting season is just days away. That means a few final preparations so nothing is left to chance or the last minute. Most important of all, making sure you have your licence. 

Be sure to check out our regional links, wherever you hunt our staff have years of hunting experience and can share loads of valuable information to improve your chance of hunting success. 

Surveys of game bird population trends have been recorded as very high comparatively in some of our regions like Southland, Otago and Taranaki. 

The teams in Otago and Wellington have included helpful checklists to aid in your preparation for Opening Weekend. 

All regions have handy updates on any regulation and bag limit changes so be sure to check them out for any areas you hunt in. 

Regions like West Coast and Nelson Marlborough also undertake organised hunts so if you are going to be hunting in those areas check out their pages to avail yourself of some great hunting opportunities with like-minded people. 

Also, don’t forget to spend a few seconds to check if your Firearms Licence is valid to save yourself from any issues during the season. 

Remember that your game bird licence doesn’t limit you to just ducks, it opens the door to harvest a range of waterfowl and upland game birds all of which will delight your friends and family when they make it to the table! 

On that note, the team at Central South Island Fish & Game remind us of that “ducks are yum”. Be sure to check out the Fish & Game NZ YouTube channel for “how to” videos on preparing your game birds and some quick and easy recipes to make game birds a bigger part of your diet. 

Best of luck for a productive and safe opening morning from the team at Fish & Game.