Game bird hunters looking for a nice meal for the plate can take advantage of the special game bird hunting season weekend coming up in the King Country.

Licenced game bird hunters can harvest up to 10 paradise shelduck and 10 pukekos each per day on the 27th and 28th of February.

They can hunt all of the area of the Waitomo, Otorohanga, Taupo and Ruapehu District Councils, that lies WITHIN the Auckland/Waikato Fish and Game Region.

All hunters need to do is contact Auckland Waikato fish & Game office for a permit

The goal of the summer season is to break up and disperse flocks, so that they don’t become a problem for farmers especially those with grass and crops that, in a dry season that farmers are depending on to feed their cattle.

Northern Game bird Manager, John Dyer said, "By dispersing and breaking up larger flocks into more acceptable smaller groups, hunters are showing their commitment to managing this species and also harvesting some healthy game meat in the process".

He said that Fish & Game Rangers would be patrolling throughout this area to ensure hunters played by the rules. "It is important that hunters stick to bag limits. If a farmer has large numbers of birds on a crop, hunters should consider inviting along extra friends to legally move on the numbers required, rather than exceed their bag- limit".

Your 2020 season licence is valid but if you don’t have one you can purchase a day licence

The hours of hunting are 6.30am to 8 pm on both days.

Hunters must remember to get land owners permission, and don’t just assume because you hunt there over the winter that the land owner will let you hunt there in the summer.

Many hunters have the meat of both birds made into sausages and/or salamis.

Hunting can only be undertaken with a shotgun of a 10 gauge or smaller that is capable of holding no more than 3 shells.

Rangers will be out and about checking that hunters are carrying the special paradise shelduck season permit on them and conducting hunter surveys.

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