Wellington Weekly Hunting Bulletin - 22 June 2023

Great Duck Hunting Weather On The Way      

Tussock happy with his public land pheasant hunt outing in Manawatu (Credit Dave Little) 

The weekend forecast is for strong winds and periods of heavy rain - hunters can't ask for much better than that!

The weather is set to hit from today and then intensify over the weekend... perfect timing. 

Make a plan, grab your gear, get in position and hunker down because there should be some good hunting heading your way.  

Remember that this is the second to last weekend of the duck season.  

So, with great waterfowl hunting conditions imminent, and uncertainty around what the last weekend of the season will bring, make the most of what's on offer and get into it while you can.    

Grab your buddy a licence and introduce someone new to the pursuit!  

Here's the outlook for this weekend...

Weekend Weather Outlook 

The brighter the colour the stronger the wind (Credit: Windy.com)

Tightly packed isobars and a bright colour palette across the lower North Island indicates a good blow is forecast this weekend.  

The east to nor-east winds are expected to be strong across the entire region for most of the weekend, with peak intensity Saturday morning and into early afternoon.    

The weather systems generating these strong winds are funneling a moist airflow in off the Pacific Ocean, so expect some good dumps of rain too.     

All parts of the lower North Island can expect persistent showers and some heavy rain falls, particularly on Saturday and into Sunday morning.    

Awesome weather for moving ducks around!   

Click here for the latest weather updates from Metservice, or visit the Windy website to track conditions coming our way.

Wing Spinner Placement - Top Tip 

Placement of your spinning wing decoy relative to your shooting position is critical (Credit: Hamish Carnachan)

We've had a few chats with hunters in recent weeks about the pros and cons of spinning week decoys. 

Many have noted that while they bring ducks in from miles away, the birds are wary of spinners at this of the season. 

They're finding the ducks will investigate but remain well clear, or at times flare away and refuse to decoy in. 

We came across some great advice from the team at Meat Eater. 

Their rule of thumb is to put the motion decoy 5 to 10 metres upwind of your ideal landing zone. 

The reason being that most of the time when ducks get close to a downwind spinner they will flare away and start their landing approach again. 

Positioning the spinning wing decoy upwind, therefore, brings the birds closer into range.    

Top Read - Where Did All The Ducks Go?

There are always plenty of ducks around before the season - so where do they go when the shooting starts? (Credit: Hamish Carnachan)

There's an age old question in the duck hunting community, one that sparks more heated debate, clogs up more internet bandwith, and probably generates the most vitriol towards game managers...

'Why are there more ducks around before, and after the season?'

Here's a great article on studies carried out on mallards in the US to attempt to answer that very question.

While the hunting pressures and condition in North America vary from here, there are still plenty of take homes for Kiwi hunters from what the researchers found.        

Family Hunting Photo Comp

Last few days to be in to win!

You've only got until 8am, June 29, before entries close for our family hunting photo competition.

The best shot at the end of the season will win $200 worth of Hunting & Fishing NZ clothing, courtesy of Greg and the team at Wairarapa Hunting & Fishing in Masterton.

Click the image below to check out H&F's clothing range.   

The winner will be announced in the June 29 issue of the Game Bird Hunting Bulletin.   

Get snapping, and send your entries in.

Don't forget to let us know the details of who's in the picture, and where it was taken. 

(Condition of entry is that images can be used for publicity purposes).               

Concern For The Future Of Fishing And Hunting in NZ 

Last year, the Government introduced the Natural and Built Environment Bill to replace the Resource Management Act.

Fish & Game is extremely concerned about this Bill and its implications for the sustainable management of our natural environment, as well as the future of game bird hunting and freshwater fishing in this country.

While appropriately recognising Māori cultural values and indigenous species and industry, the Bill completely ignores the value Kiwis like you place on recreation and enjoyment of our great outdoors, such as being able to go duck hunting.

To find out more, and to let MPs know how you value your recreational pursuits, we got more info here. 

Firearms Registry- Heads Up For Hunters

Keep Those Band Details Coming - Win A $500 Voucher

Hunters are welcome to keep the bands from the birds they harvest - Fish & Game just needs info about where and when they were shot (Credit: Hamish Carnachan).  

Send your band details in and you'll automatically go into the draw for one of two $500 Hunting & Fishing vouchers from Simon and the team at Manawatu Hunting & Fishing.    

Got a band to be registered, ring the free phone number 0800 BIRD BAND (0800-247322).

Alternatively there's a ready-made form to fill out on the Fish & Game website here (Note: prizes may vary from what is advertised on the website).

Noticeboard

- Access to Lake Omanu has been restricted this year for all recreational users. Any hunters looking to hunt Lake Omanu this season will need to get in touch with the office for access permissions to check availability of stands after Kings Birthday Weekend. Contacted us on 06 359 0409 or via email.  

- A note to hunters using the JK Donald Block in Wairarapa: Access is restricted to quads/ATVs only. The track is currently too wet for 4WDs. Please do not park on Paula Gillett's property (without her express permission) or block access ways.

- Hunters wishing to access the JK Donald block are reminded they must have an access sticker, and follow the conditions of entry. Please ask for details through the Wellington Fish & Game office.        

​*This report was accurate at time of writing. For your safety, please ensure you check the latest weather information before you head out hunting.