Both Barrels - July 2016.
Welcome to our July edition of Both Barrels.
Here's hoping you bagged your share of mallards now the season is drawing to a close.
With a month still to go for the game bird season, it's time to rethink your game bird hunting and have a crack at those fast-flying, challenging upland game bird – pheasants and quail – which are still very much in season.
Pheasant numbers appear to have increased in regions such as Auckland / Waikato, and in Hawke's Bay our officers report healthy populations of pheasants and quails along all the major rivers in the region.
And think about helping those folks who are being pestered by fast-breeding pooks in a number of regions – by harvesting a few. One of the best ways to hunt them is to get a few dogs and hunting mates together for a pukeko drive.
They are fair game in most of our 12 regions, along with the upland game birds, until August 28.
We figure plenty of people are concerned about the bird, as the word 'pukeko' is one of the most searched on our website.
Hunting on public land? As always, if you're planning on shooting the likes of river beds, please think hard about safety and your firing zone. Be a good citizen/hunter and check in with your local Police station (and our access information pages!) to be sure you're entitled to be there.
P.S. This month's photo shows young South Island hunters Tom and Byron.
P.P.S - If you think you've got an image worthy of featuring on our 'cover', email it to Richard Cosgrove for consideration.
