Both Barrels July 2022

As we are getting closer to the 31st of July, which is the last day you can hunt some of our game birds.

However, there are still some other game birds you can hunt beyond this date,so be sure to check your regulations guide to see what is still available to hunt in the North Canterbury region.

We have had a good amount of rain over the month of July which will provide some great opportunitiesfor the remainder of the season.

You couldhunt either flooded paddocks or areas around our public wetlands, which haven’t had a lot of water during the season due to having very little rain.

The general report over the 2022 season from a variety of hunters that have huntedLake Ellesmere say that there haven’t been a lot of mallards out there this season.

It could have been due to the low lake level for the majority of the season, so they have moved off the lake potentially and gone elsewhere.

Thishas made hunting challenging for hunters but rewarding at the same time if everything comes to plan and manage to harvest a few game birds.

So,let’s hope for a higher lake for the 2023 opening weekend.

Riverbed hunting

The riverbed hunting and searching for duck camps have been very successful for game bird hunters.

Above right: the result of a successful riverbed hunt.

Which is great news to hear of hunters having successful hunts after goingon multiple scouting trips.

The good news is the boat ramp down at the North Rakaia Huts is now open for use.

But be aware that there is still work in progress, which will happen once the weather and water level of the lagoon are right, so take extra care when launching your boat.

The summer season for paradise shelducks starts 28th of January 2023 and goes until 12th of March 2023 and this is for both Areas A and B.

The daily bag limit is 15 birds per day in Area A and 20 birds per day in Area B.

Do your bit to help the farmers

While Canada Geese aren’t on the game bird list, these are a great bird to hunt in the off-season.

It'svery rewarding when everything comes together, as they can be quite challenging to hunt.

Not only do they provide some great shooting but good training for your dog, so when the 2023 season rolls around, your dog is going to perform well for you.

This will also keep farmers happy as Canada Geese are very destructive on grass/crops so you will also be doing them a favour as we don’t want goose numbers to get out of control.

Warm Barrels

Harry Graham-Samson, North Canterbury Fish & Game