Game bird season hard to call for East Coast

Fish & Game says prospects for the game bird season on the East Coast are tough to call – given the region’s wet summer and the number of predators seen in some areas.

The season begins May 5 and runs until August 26th. Fish & Game has opted for a six week season with a 10 bird limit for mallard and grey duck.

Senior Fish & Game Officer Mathew Mc Dougall says the East Coast received lots of rain over summer resulting in many areas with temporary ponding.

“This has meant the ducks have been able to spread out over paddocks and farmland, and it’s difficult to get a handle on bird numbers. With all this rain the adults perhaps haven’t needed a free feed and kept away from the traps that we’ve put out as part of our surveys of bird populations.”

Fish & Game officers also caught lots of wild cats and ferrets during its earlier trapping programme, a disturbing sign, says Mr Mc Dougall.

“We strongly urge farmers and other landowners who have birds nesting on ponds to launch trapping programmes to control predators. This can make a real difference to the waterfowl breeding season which runs from mid-August to the end of October.”

Protecting birds between hatching and ten days old, from predators such as stoats, wild cats, rats and hawks is crucial to bird numbers.

Fish & Game has found that good aerial cover is important to the chicks survival, planting species such as carex secta can provide just the right sort of protection.

Mr Dougall points out that Fish & Game is always looking for opportunities to help farmers and landowners enhance the pond habitats on their properties and can offer all sorts of advice covering topics from trapping to planting.

Fish & Game is urging hunters to think beyond ducks and remember the season for hunting upland game birds – pheasant and quail – rolls into mid-August, well past the close of the duck season. In addition to upland game birds, a game bird licence allows the holder to hunt black swans and pukeko.

Mr Mc Dougall says hunters are reminded to check the bag limits and the seasons for different species that apply to their favoured hunting spots. Note that the NZ Shoveler season is one month only, with a bag limit of two birds. Check your regulation booklet for these details or the Fish & Game website www.fishandgame.org.nz

Fish & Game, as usual, wants to hear from hunters who harvest any birds with bands – by writing, phoning or emailing with details of the bird and its band number. Mr Dougall is also keen to hear from hunters who recover a bird with a transmitter attached. More than 40 birds were fitted with the devices in an earlier research project, and so far only a few have been recovered.

Hunters are also urged to take a fresh look at some safety pointers before heading out this season, by visiting the Fish & Game website.

This season an adult licence is $88, and a junior licence $19; children are free with a $2 contribution to the New Zealand Game Bird Habitat Trust. A licence can be used in any of the Fish & Game regions round New Zealand.

ENDS

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