Northland Both Barrels July 2018

Flush out some pheasants

Northland has some great upland game opportunities and now’s the time to make the most of them.

Murray Brydon's wire-haired pointer Scout did well on his first season in the Far North (Photo courtesy Murray Brydon).

We’ve had good reports of pheasant numbers and bags taken, even with all the wet weather we’ve been having. Ink weed has been flourishing to provide good fodder.

The pheasant, Californian and brown quail season finishes on August 5^th for Area A, and August 26^th for the rest of the region.

Try this mouth-watering pheasant in a mushroom sauce. Click on this recipe to cook this scrumptious meal that’s sure to warm you up on these cooler days.

Pheasant and mushroom sauce from a slow cooker.

Make the most of the last days of the paradise shelduck and black swan seasons which both finish on August 5^th.

There are reports of mallard broods on the ground. This early nesting will hopefully lead to a successful breeding season in the North.

Duck nest in a Whangarei pond.

With the mallard season behind us, make sure you get your duck bands in, as there are some awesome prizes on offer in the Banding Together promotion sponsored by Hunting & Fishing. Click here to enter your duck bands.

Planting time

Now’s the time to be thinking about creating better habitat to improve your hunting success for next season. 

While the weather is still a bit wet and cold it allows plants to establish better in Northland.

Planting wetland species such Carex secta around your pond will improve habitat for mallards.

Give your wetland plantings an opportunity to get established by harvesting pukeko before the season finished August 26.

Creating refuge and loafing habitat away from predators can have a big impact on duckling survival.

Our mallard research team has come up with another way to create this habitat in open water by installing straw bales as a growing medium in situ with stakes and planting Carex secta directly into semi-submerged straw bales.

For more information about this don’t hesitate to email our office.    

To ensure good brood rearing this is the time to ramp up predator control around your pond or wetland.

The first few weeks of a duckling’s life are a critical stage for survival as as predators can do some serious damage.

Enjoy giving your dog a good run harvesting upland game. For more information about upland game opportunities get in touch by email or phone 09 - 4384135. 

Hot Barrels,

Fish & Game Field Officer Andrew Kirk

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