Otago - The Game Call - 31 July 2025

Switching Your Game

Welcome back to The Game Call, your fortnightly Otago Regional Hunting Report. With mallard season done and dusted, it’s now all about upland game, parries and swans.

Quail Country

Benty the Drahthaar on point with her boss, David Dodd, in Central Otago last weekend. Credit: Bruce Quirey.

Long-time upland hunter Murray Studholme spent a successful weekend near Cromwell and Tarras hunting quail with a group of mates over from the West Coast.

“We got onto three good coveys on the first day – about 30, 20 and 70 birds,” says Murray. “The third covey is where we had our most success. I was calling, and they were responding really well.”

Quail stayed close after flushing, possibly due to recent scrub clearance. “They flushed 100 metres into tight bush. They never ran. The dogs were bringing them out.”

Day two produced coveys of 80 and 35–40 birds. “Birds that have been hunted over before are hard to get. They get into the tightest scrub and don’t come out.”

They came away with 17 quail on the first day and 16 on the second day – with only one bird lost.

 

Covey Behaviour

Murray reckons there’s a natural limit to how big a quail covey gets.

“When a covey gets to about 80, they seem to disperse. You’d think they’d keep growing, but it never works like that.” 

 

Eyes and Ears

“If you get a limit of quail, which is rare, you’ve had a really good day. And a long one,” says Murray.

Knowing the country helps.

“Generally, you can either see them or hear them. I’ll glass [with binoculars] into a big open basin. I might sit down for quarter of an hour, and blow and blow the call, then move 100 metres.
“Once you know where they are, it’s game on.”

Murray uses a four-wheeler to access rough terrain, then walks.
“We don’t go too early before 9am. In a gully, they can stand out well. They look like little statues.”

 

Dogs Make the Day

Murray’s black Lab passed away in March. “It just wrecks me. I don’t like hunting ducks or quail without a dog.”

This trip, one mate brought a springer spaniel that worked well. Another had a strong German shorthair pointer that handled bush lawyer all day.

“We only lost one bird on the Sunday.”

 

Birds That Won’t Budge

Not just along for the ride. Quail whiz Benty waits for the word. Credit: Bruce Quirey.

Quail hunting in Central Otago last weekend, David Dodd put in the miles — first in a side-by-side up ridges and gullies, then on foot.

His go-to method in big country? Scout from the vehicle with a mix of looking, listening, and calling, then move in once birds are located. It’s all about making the most of limited time — upland days go fast!

Once flushed, the quail didn’t go far. Most ducked into the nearest gully scrub and stayed put. With dogs on point, they sometimes had to shake the bushes to get birds up.

Tip: Before the flush, think through your shooting angles. Birds may burst out in a split second, so where you’re positioned counts.

 

Upland Season’s Still On

The upland game bird season runs until 31 August, so there’s still time to get out.

Just remember, upland hunting land is limited and mostly private. Build good relationships with farmers if you want access.

Don’t Spread Sheep Measles

Dogs need to be dosed for tapeworm (Praziquantel-based medication) between 48 hours and one month before heading out.

Sheep measles can be devastating for farmers’ livelihoods, and a deal-breaker for future access — don’t let your dog be the reason a farmer shuts the gate.

 

On Chukar

Chukar are a true prize for upland hunters. Credit: Mason Court.

Pig hunting in Central Otago has shown one hunter something else:

“I’m seeing a lot of chukar on one station – coveys of 18, 12 and eight. I can get within 10 metres. They’re such beautiful birds.”
He hasn’t hunted them – yet.
“I’m a bit of a pacifist. I just like seeing the animals on the hill.”

Chukar are one of the south’s most elusive upland game birds. Rarely seen by a lot of hunters, they cling to steep, dry country in the high-country ranges – their harsh, rocky habitat making access difficult. For those who know where to look, encountering a covey of chukar is a rare privilege – and for upland hunters, they’re a true prize.

 

Living in Paradise

Cole Briggs with his first parrie, shot in Central Otago with Jamie Ward at the weekend. Credit: Mason Court.

Otago Fish & Game officer Cole Briggs can add ‘newly minted duck hunter’ to his credentials after successfully harvesting his first waterfowl — a paradise shelduck – at a pond near Omakau.

The former professional cricketer who recently joined the organisation headed out with work colleagues for an end-of-mallard-season hunt.

Undercover operation – makeshift maimai on final weekend of mallard season. Credit: Mason Court.

Native paradise shelduck (putangitangi) are great options for beginner game bird hunters:

• Parries are curious and often respond well to decoys and calling.
• They fly slower and more steadily than faster ducks like mallards and shoveler.
• More than 30 years of trend-count data in Otago shows parries are stable and widespread, particularly on farmland and open country.
• Most farmers are happy to allow hunters to harvest parries on their properties to manage numbers.

The paradise shelduck season in Otago remains open until 31 August.

 

Black Beauties

Spot the dummies. Black swans congegrate behind decoys on Lake Waipori. Credit: Bruce Quirey.

Swans are now seen widely on lakes Waihola and Waipori and surrounds, however, their population is largely transient.

The swans are not part of a solely local population. Rather, they belong to a wider regional group that moves between Wainono Lagoon north of Oamaru and Waituna Lagoon in Southland.

Fish & Game’s annual swan counts 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.

• The black swan season in Otago Area B remains open until 31 August.
• Area B takes 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.

Contrary to popular belief, Fish & Game’s annual swan counts since 1990 indicate a gradual increase, but their numbers remain broadly consistent.

Swans 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.

Black swans are a good source of lean protein ideal for sausages or salami. The meat also responds well to tenderising for schnitzel and stir-fry dishes or can be cured for prosciutto.

Select the links below for more info about:

• Lake Waihola
• Lake Waipori

Shot of the Season: Otago Game Bird Photo Competition

Young black Lab Bre has proved up to the job, retrieving more than 70 birds this season. Credit: Steve Abernethy.

This fortnight’s “Shot of the Season” winner is Steve Abernethy with a great photo of 14-month-old black Lab Bre.

“Seventy-plus birds retrieved this season,” Steve says. “Outstanding start to a long career doing really well, spotting, marking, finding, retrieving on land and water. Across ditches and waterways.  Boats in the big lakes.

“I'm going to have to make sure she doesn't wear me out.”

Every fortnight, we’re selecting one outstanding photo that captures the essence of game bird hunting in Otago. Each featured photographer will go into the running for our grand prize worth $250, sponsored by Dunedin Hunting & Fishing.

• Final entries must be received by 11 August.
• Grand prize winner announced on 28 August.

Submit your entries:

• Email: otago@fishandgame.org.nz
• Subject line: Photo competition
• A brief caption describing the photo including names (from left) of any people or pawed hunting buddies. 

Game Bird Recipe Competition: Put Your Wild Kai to the Test!

David Dodd’s quail with raspberry sauce.

With the last few weeks of the season about upland game, parries and swan, David Dodd has shared this quail recipe, which combines a household-name fruit syrup with cream to create a rich sauce to smother on buttery pan-fried breasts.

Quail with Raspberry Sauce

• Skin the breast area of each quail and remove the breast fillets.
• (I remove the whole breast bone with a thumb under the back, bend forward and cut through bones at wishbone/neck area, take to kitchen, wash to remove feathers, then cut fillets off.)
• I sometimes marinate the meat in soy sauce for couple of hours.
• Heat butter in fry pan and cook meat (minute or two either side).
• Place on plate in warmer.
• Into fry pan put 1/3 cup of Barkers fruit syrup (either boysenberry/ raspberry/blackcurrant or mix) and 2/3 cup cream.
• Boil to reduce. When thick, pour over cooked quail.

Got a special way in the kitchen with mallards? A tantalising technique for parries? Show off your culinary skills in our Game Bird Recipe Competition!

Every two weeks during hunting season, you’ll have the opportunity to win a copy of The Fish + Game Cookbook, by Angelo Georgalli, for the most impressive game bird recipe. Whether it's a family recipe passed down for generations or your own creative invention, we want to see how you transform your wild kai from outdoors to table.

Simply submit:

• your name
• your recipe
• a photo of your prepared dish
• a brief story about your hunt

Email to: otago@fishandgame.org.nz
Subject line: Recipe competition
Entries must be received by midnight every second Sunday.
Winners announced fortnightly!

 

Weather Outlook

Wind forecast: 9am Saturday August 2, 2025. Credit: www.windy.com.

Wind forecast: 9am Sunday, August 3, 2025. Credit: www.windy.com.

Dunedin

Saturday looks to be mainly fine, chance of shower from morning. Westerlies, becoming strong. Sunday is forecast partly cloudy. Light winds.

Clutha Rural

A few showers are expected on Saturday. Strong westerlies, easing. On Sunday, partly cloudy and light winds.

Central Otago

Fine on Saturday with north-westerlies, turning south-westerly. On Sunday, fine with light winds.

Please note: This weather update is current at the time of publishing. We recommend checking the latest forecasts and road conditions before heading out. Click here for updates from MetService or Windy.com.

 

Take a Mate Hunting

Grab your hunting licence online and let the adventures begin.

Got any Otago Game Bird Hunting News?

Send your hunting news and photos (with hunters’ names) to otago@fishandgame.org.nz for consideration in the Regional Hunting Report.