Fish & Game said in a statement that Otago had bounced back in 2025 after some poor recent years.
Otago Fish & Game officer Jayde Couper said game-bird shooting in the region had been poorer than long-term averages for the previous three seasons, but 2025 was a strong return to previous form.
“The average number of greylards harvested per hour in the Otago Region increased to its highest level since 2013,” Mr Couper said.
‘‘That increased availability likely contributed to very high levels of satisfaction. Eighty percent of the Otago hunters we interviewed were satisfied or very satisfied with their season.’’
The Otago region had one of the best seasons in many years, partly driven by record sales of whole-season licences, and there was anticipation that this game-bird shooting season should also be good following 2025 and a wet summer.
There was one major change in Otago’s harvest levels regarding the native shoveler duck, Mr Couper said.
“Our national monitoring programme showed a slight decline in the long-term nationwide population. As Otago is responsible for around a quarter of the country's harvest, we moved to a single-male bag limit.
‘‘This change appears to be highly effective at reducing harvest; in the three years post-change, we've averaged 400 shoveler harvested annually, compared to 1500 for the three years prior.”
Hunters across the South Island spent more than 49,000 days in the field during the 2025 game-bird season, according to Fish & Game’s research.
Overall, the amount of shooting activity was similar to the 2024 season, and the distribution across regions remained largely consistent with long-term averages.
While there had been a slight decline in shooter days since 2015, activity remained strong. The long-term average is 54,000 shooter days.
Opening weekend for ducks remained a key driver of shooting activity, accounting for 43% of total shooter days in the South Island.
Greylards — mallards and grey ducks and their hybrids — dominated the harvest at more than 254,000 birds. Paradise shelduck were next at almost 60,000.
