Both Barrels July 2023 - North Canterbury

With only two weekends left here in North Canterbury to hunt for most of our game birds, it is a good opportunity to get take a newbie out hunting.

So they get to experience game bird hunting and find a true passion for the sport and partake in it for the following season.

a great pheasant from the Selwyn area.

Remember there are still some great upland game hunting opportunities with the quail hunting season ending on the 27^th of August.

The best place to find quail is in our braided riverbeds e.g. Rakaia, and Waimakariri, remember to watch the weather forecast, because if we get still bluebird frosty days then the quail will be out sunning themselves trying to warm up.

Which gets them out of the thick scrub and a good dog is key for not only flushing them but also retrieving them.

We also have one more pheasant weekend which is on the 5^th-6^th August.

Which you can hunt for while out looking for some quail so the first weekend of August makes a great upland game opportunity being able to target pheasants and quail.

Super dog Whio in some prime quail habitat.

The summer season here in North Canterbury kicks off for Paradise ducks from the 3^rd of February to the 10^th of March in areas A and B and the mallard season runs over the first two weekends in February (3^rd to 4^th and 10^th to 11^th).

Mallards can only be hunted in area B which is on the west side of State Highway 1.

Both game bird species can only be hunted over agricultural grain crops and green feed paddocks and more than 200 metres from any water body.

Good luck for the remainder of the season and the preparation has only just begun for the 2024 opening weekend.

Warm Barrels

Harry Graham-Samson, North Canterbury Fish and Game Officer.