Wellington Weekly Hunting Report - June 29 2017

Great hunting weather to see the season off

Image right: The mallards have been there for those prepared to hunt them. 

Okay, the last weekend of the main waterfowl season is upon us in the Wellington Fish & Game region.

To date, it's been a vastly improved season for duck hunting, and this weekend looks like some superb weather to bag a few more mallards before turning your sights to upland game.

Rain and strong winds are set to build from Friday evening and last through to Sunday so please make the most of your investment in a licence and get out - the ducks are there in numbers for the thinking hunter.        

 And don't put the shotty away after Sunday either - take the opportunity to chase some upland game and pooks. See below for more info. 

Here are the prospects for this weekend:

Wellington/Wairarapa

Friday		Cloud increasing and northerlies develop from the afternoon.
Saturday		Rain with strong northeasterlies in exposed places.
Sunday		Rain eases to showers but northerly reaches gale in exposed places.

Manawatu

Friday		High cloud and northerlies developing in the morning.
Saturday		Occasional rain and northeasterlies.
Sunday		Rain easing to showers and northerly wind abates in the afternoon.

Rangitikei

Friday		Cloud developing in the morning; northerly building in the evening.
Saturday		Rain, possibly heavy falls. Northeasterly building.
Sunday		Heavy rain at first turns to showers, winds ease.

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Three day rain forecast

For the latest rain forecast click here

Friday, June 30	Saturday, July 1	Sunday, July 2

Don't lock the shotty away yet

The waterfowl season ends this weekend but there's still plenty of game bird hunting on offer. (Credit: Hamish Carnachan)

If you haven't had your fill of hunting yet, even though the waterfowl season is over, don't despair. 

Wellington Fish & Game has put a big effort into enhancing wild populations of upland game birds to give our hunters more opportunities. 

Check you regs booklet for more info on where you can find quail and pheasant in our region, or give the office a buzz (06-359-0409) and we'll be able to steer you in the right direction.

You can hunt upland game in the Wellington Fish & Game region all the way through to August 27 so take the time to give this super exciting and rewarding type of hunting a shot.

Also, pukeko can be targeted through to August 27 too. These are great birds to introduce young hunters to wing shooting and can be driven quite effectively.

Pukeko are also murder on ducklings so you'll be doing your bit for next year's mallards by controlling a few pooks while the season is open.

Safety Comes First

Opening Weekend is behind us but there's plenty of duck hunting ahead over the season - firearms safety still comes foremost

1. TREAT EVERY FIREARM AS LOADED

- Check every firearm yourself.
- Pass or accept only an open or unloaded firearm.

2. ALWAYS POINT FIREARMS IN A SAFE DIRECTION

- Loaded or unloaded, always point the muzzle in a safe direction.

3. LOAD A FIREARM ONLY WHEN READY TO FIRE

- Load the magazine only after you reach your hunting area.
- Load the chamber only when ready to shoot.
- Completely unload before leaving the hunting area.

4. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET BEYOND ALL DOUBT

- Movement, colour, sound and shape can all deceive you.
- Assume colour, shape, sound, and shape to be human until proven otherwise.

5. CHECK YOUR FIRING ZONE

- THINK! What may happen if you miss your target? What might you hit between you and the target or beyond?
- Do not fire if you know others are in your firing zone.

6. STORE FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION SAFELY

- When not in use, lock away the bolt, firearm and ammunition separately.
- Never leave firearms in a vehicle that is unattended.

7. AVOID ALCOHOL AND DRUGS WHEN HANDLING FIREARMS

- Good judgement is the key to safe use of firearms.