Both Barrels June 2023 - Taranaki

Above Right: Hunting an oxidation pond using a layout blind has proven an effective technique. Photo by John Meikle

The duck hunting season is just about over for another year. We are down to our last two weekends of hunting, so be sure to make the most of any opportunity to have your last few hunts before the duck season finishes on Sunday 2^nd of July. 

Farm oxidation ponds seem to be areas of water that are shooting well at the moment if they have been holding ducks. Hunters are having success setting layout blinds or portable maimais and a handful of decoys instead of jump shooting the ponds, so if you have the means, then maybe give it a try if you haven’t already. 

At this stage of the season, birds are much warier and will spook at anything that looks off to them, so make sure you put a bit of extra detail into your decoy spread and a touch more camo into your hide. These small details may be the difference between one bird or five birds. 

A Reminder To Return Duck Bands 

Duck banding is a useful method Fish and Game uses to monitor grey duck and mallard populations.

If you've successfully harvested a duck with a band this season, we need your help. 

The band information is crucial to our research and management - so please provide as much detail as possible, including an approximate location.

This is for our records only. When we receive the weekly update of band returns from DOC’s Falcon database, we try to get the information out to hunters as soon as possible.

The data we receive allows us to inform hunters of the species, sex and age of the bird when banded (adult or juvenile), when and where the bird was banded and the distance between the recovery location and the banding site. 

The preferred method is to fill out an online form via the link: report a duck band

or else contact the Taranaki Fish & Game office at 0211987129 or email jmorison@fishandgame.org.nz

Send in your band details before August 31, and you'll go in the Banding Together draw to win one of five prizes consisting of two boxes of Banded XD (extra detail) decoys.

This includes one box of mallards and one box of NZ shoveler decoys.

Harakeke/Tauwhare/Nukumaru Forest access for pheasant hunting 

Permits for hunting in Harakeke and Tauwhare forests near Whanganui are available in a weekly draw.

To participate in the draw, hunters must obtain a free permit from Taranaki F&G (06 757 9676 or either jmorison@fishandgame.org.nz).

Before noon each Thursday, contact Taranaki F&G to go into the draw for a permit for the coming weekend. 

A successful hunt and retrieve-Photo Curly McEwen

Harakeke is divided into two blocks, and Tauwhare Forest is a single block, all available on Saturday and Sunday only.

Hunters can apply for one or more blocks and/or days, but if hunting as a group, then just one application per group.

Applicants will be advised of their success or otherwise each Thursday afternoon.

Being successful in the draw is a condition of a valid access permit for that particular time and place. 

For the Nukumaru hunting area, there is no weekly draw, but hunters need a permit from Taranaki F&G, and they must contact the respective grazing lessee listed on their permit before hunting.

A special condition for Nukumaru block’s 4 and 5, in accordance with conditions in the lease agreement with Whanganui District Council, permission must be granted by the leaseholder before access to those blocks is permitted.

Warm Barrels

Jacob Morison, Taranakai Fish and Game