Both Barrels July - Otago

Final mallard missions

The three-month season for mallard hunting in Otago ends on Sunday, July 27.

Don’t miss out on a chance to hunt mallards these final days until next season. Why not take a mate or whanau, and put some healthy wild kai in your freezer? Your dog will think you’re amazing, too!

Photo above: Good shot. Next time, I get the comfy seat in the canoe. Photo: Bruce Quirey

Late season, mallards are breaking into smaller groups, and their locations can be fickle as they follow winter food sources. Here are some tips for your final mallard missions of 2025:

• Mallards will be in smaller groups or pairs.
• Hunters only need a few decoy pairs.
• Lone drakes looking for partners can be more susceptible to calls.
• Focus on small ponds, streams, creeks and ditches.
• Consider leaving alone your favourite pond to avoid disturbing pre-brooding birds.
  
• Add some motion - How to make a jerk rig

Did you know Otago Fish & Game provides a fortnightly regional game bird hunting report, The Game Call? Check out what you might have missed so far this season. Select here!

You can also subscribe here to receive the latest info, tips, and photo and recipe competitions to your Inbox every second Thursday.

Hunting opportunities for paradise shelducks, black swans (Area B only) and upland game birds continue to the end of August.

Looking After Your Game Meat

Vacuum packing your game meat reduces freezer burn and extends freezer life.

Game bird meat is a prized reward of the hunt that requires proper care to ensure healthy, tasty meals all year round.

• Keep shot birds cool and clean during transport, then process within 1-2 days for best results.
• Chill meat in the fridge for a day before vacuum sealing or wrapping tightly in freezer bags, organising your freezer to rotate stock each season.
• Thaw game meat safely in the fridge, not on the bench, to maintain food safety standards.
• Make the most of lean, flavourful game bird meat by trying dishes like sausages, confit legs, or slow-cooked ragu.

Go with the Flow

Drift hunting from a canoe, raft or small rowboat opens new possibilities for waterfowlers willing to go with the flow.

It will get you to secluded spots otherwise tough or impossible to access, especially in swampy or heavily vegetated areas.

Take utmost care when navigating a river and discharging firearms from a boat.

Check the ORC’s live monitoring data for river flows before you go.

Be aware of your obligations under the Arms Act 1983 and the Wildlife Act. It is an offence to hunt from a boat under motorised power. Respect private property. 

Paradise shelduck

Paradise shelduck are an ideal species for newcomers to start waterfowl hunting. Photo: Chris Bell

• These native birds are often less challenging to hunt compared with mallards and are an ideal entry point for newcomers to waterfowl hunting.
• Introducing others to our hunting traditions helps demonstrate that ethical harvest is central to what we do.
• Help us build the next generation of conservationists who will sustain hunting opportunities for years to come.
• The winter hunting season for paradise shelduck in Otago runs through Sunday, August 31.

Black swans

Black swans take to the wing late in the day on Lake Waihola. Photo: Bruce Quirey

These majestic birds typically follow consistent flight corridors between roosting and feeding areas at dawn and dusk. Scouting to identify these flight paths will put you in the best spot for good hunting.

• Although swans are now seen widely across Lake Waihola and its surroundings, the population is largely transient. Annual counts across Otago indicate a gradual increase, but numbers remain broadly consistent with levels seen 30 years ago.
• Fish & Game continues to manage swan populations primarily through regulated hunting.
• Black swans are an excellent source of lean protein ideal for sausages or salami. The meat also responds well to tenderising for schnitzel and stir-fry preparations, or can be cured for prosciutto.
• Otago's black swan season remains open until August 31. Swan hunting is permitted in Area B, taking in the Clutha catchment below Clyde dam and all coastal watersheds from Shag Point to The Brothers Point in Otago. Hunters may take up to 10 birds daily.
• Area A, covering the Clutha River catchment above Clyde Dam, remains closed to swan hunting.

A gawky (or potter) of pukeko

A pukeko struts through the raupo at an Otago lagoon. Photo: Bruce Quirey

A “gawky” or “potter” of pukeko — which word do you prefer for a group of these birds? We are keen to know of any pukeko groups exceeding 10 individuals in Otago. Contact Steve Dixon at sdixon@fishandgame.org.nz

• Fish & Game continues to monitor the pukeko population across Otago as part of our species management. Current regulations maintain a zero-bag limit for these birds.
• Our monitoring programme has tracked pukeko populations at selected locations for several decades.
• Habitat competition may be driving these territorial birds into new areas.
• Recent years have shown pukeko establishing themselves in previously unoccupied areas, suggesting possible population growth.
• But changing food resources and weather conditions can affect populations and how easy they are to detect from one day to the next.
• Since adding nine monitoring sites in 2022, we now have three years of baseline data from these locations. While current data is insufficient to establish population trends, continued surveillance will document long-term changes.

This ongoing research will inform evidence-based management strategies.

Quail Hunting in Central Otago

A California quail harvested in Central Otago. Photo: Bruce Quirey

Central Otago's dry hills offer opportunities for California quail hunting, with these birds serving as the primary target for upland game enthusiasts.

The upland game bird season remains open until August 31.

Public hunting grounds for quail remain limited throughout Otago, making private land access essential for most hunters. Building rapport with landowners requires patience and persistence, but proves worthwhile for securing quality hunting locations.

Environmental changes, particularly the removal of briar rose thickets and the presence of pests such as possums, have impacted available habitat in certain areas.

To prevent sheep measles transmission, dog owners must administer Praziquantel-based tapeworm medication to their hunting dogs between 48 hours and one month prior to hunting expeditions to prevent sheep measles transmission.

Key dates 

Otago game bird season closure dates:

• July 27 ─ grey/mallard/shoveler.
• August 31 ─ black swan (Area B) and paradise shelduck.
• August 31 ─ California quail, chukar, cock pheasant.

Paradise shelduck special season:

• March 7-15, 2026

 

Warm barrels,

The Otago Fish & Game team