Both Barrels July 2021

Despite there being only a few days left in the traditional North Canterbury Fish & Game game bird hunting season, with Sunday the 25^th the last day, there are heaps of other options.

Right:Hunting at dawn can be rewarding even on a calm morning with little activity.

While many hunters will have already stowed their guns until next year’s much anticipated opening day, there are some great opportunities for a number of species that hunters can still target after Sunday, namely;

• Black Swan in area A, (the area east of SH1 between the Rakaia River to the south and Woodend Beach Road in the north), with hunters allowed to take up to 20 swans each day from next Monday through to September 26^th. Lakes Ellesmere and Forsyth are good options here, with many traditional hunters no longer using their maimais once the mallard season finishes.

• Californian quail may be harvested at up to 10 per day until August 29^th. The scrub margins of all our riverbeds are good options for this.

• Pukeko may be harvested at up to 5 per day until September 26^th. Although not targeted by most hunters, can make for some great sport especially with a few hunters spread out.

• Paradise shelduck in Area B (the remainder of the North Canterbury Fish & Game region outside Area A) may be harvested at up to 20 per day until September 19^th. A great table bird and many hunters around the region will continue to target these in areas where they are targeting young pasture.

• Paradise shelduck may also be hunted in a special season between 29^th January 2022 to 13^th March, with a daily limit of 15 in Area A and 20 in Area B, where they may be hunted from 5 am to 10 pm.

• A special mallard hunting season has been introduced for two weekends in February 2022 (5^th & 6^th and 12^th & 13^th February). Hunting is only permitted over agricultural grain crops and greenfeed paddocks more than 200m from any waterbody.

Warm Barrels

Steve Terry, North Canterbury Fish & Game Officer.