Both Barrels June 2020

2020 game bird opening weekend wrap

The long-awaited start to opening weekend on the West Coast seems to have come with a silver lining.

Even with the delay West Coast whole season adult and junior licence sales were up 15% on last season.

This meant an extra 50 West Coast hunters were active on opening weekend and this coupled with good numbers of out of region hunters was reflected in positive hunter feedback.

Right:First time game bird hunter Luken Bisley finding success following opening weekend on the West Coast (photo Baylee Kersten).

Several reported it was the best opening weekend in terms of action in many years.

Preliminary results from our hunter harvest survey suggests that hunting success per hunter effort was up but bear in mind this may just be a result of the late start to the season.

West Coast hunter’s willingness to diversify their bags was noticeable with paradise shelduck and pukeko harvest being double that of last opening weekend.

Good numbers of mallard and grey duck were taken at levels similar to last season.

Plenty of hunting yet to be had

Typically, hunters who persist in putting in that extra bit of effort over the remainder of the season experience even greater success.

The success of hunters over opening weekend doesn’t mean all the good hunting is over. Far from it!

Really good numbers of birds were present during our population surveys pre and post lockdown, particularly paradise shelduck, greylard and pukeko.

With some careful scouting and flexibility in hunting plans really good numbers of game birds are still being seen in easily accessible areas.

Organised Hunts start soon

This seasons installment of organized hunts has now been finalized and culminate in the return of the once very

popular Grey Valley Duck hunt on a smaller scale.

Remember preference will be given to West Coast licence holders and places are likely to fill up quickly.

These are a continuation of last season’s very successful hunts.

They are a great opportunity for hunters to get together, spending time hunting properties with good numbers of birds to help out farmers, and socializing.

For the link to the Mini Grey Valley Duck Hunt entry form click here.

Event	Date	Location	Notes
Pukeko Drive	21st June 2020	Matai, Grey Valley	Potential for out of region licence holders.
Young Hunters Shoot	28th June 2020	Barrytown	Targeted at WC new and young hunters
Pukeko Drive	5th July 2020	Birchfield, Westport	Potential for out of region licence holders.
Mini Grey Valley Duck Hunt	11-12th July 2020	Atarau-Totara Flat, Grey Valley	80 hunters max (20 teams of 4). Potential for out of region licence holders.