The season opens tomorrow and Fish & Game Central South Island officer Rhys Adams said he expected about 2000 shooters to be out in the region.
"Most will be hunting in groups, utilising opening weekend as an annual social event to connect with family and friends while they harvest birds for the dinner table," he said.
"A 2025 survey of duck hunters revealed that the top two reasons why hunters value the game bird hunting season is for a source of wild meat and for the social aspects of hunting with friends and family."
Duck-shooters were expected to collectively harvest about 36,000 game birds, mostly mallard duck and paradise shelduck, over opening weekend throughout the Central South Island region, he said.
"Preparing chilly bins, ice, freezer bags, and butchering gear will ensure all the valuable meat is prepared and stored in pristine condition.
"Hunters should have their location for opening sorted and mai mais scrubbed up in advance, so they are poised and ready to go at dawn on Saturday."
The relatively wet summer had supported a productive breeding season which boded well for the 2026 season.
"Our Canterbury Plains and North Otago, as far south as Herbert, surveys of mallard duck and paradise shelduck population undertaken in March observed healthy numbers — near the long-term average for mallard duck counts and the second-to-highest count on record for paradise shelduck.
"Annual population monitoring shows black swan numbers are relatively high throughout the region and we encourage hunters to target their daily bag limit of five black swan, to utilise this great harvest opportunity."
Black swans were the largest game bird. Mature birds offered about 1.4kg of processed meat.
Fish & Game rangers would be active around the region during the weekend checking on licensing and hunter’s adherence to the game-bird hunting regulations, Mr Adams said.
"Although there are no changes to the Central South Island regional regulations for the new season, we urge new and experienced hunters alike to secure their game bird hunting licence and to study up on their requirements well ahead of opening — especially those regulations covering the use of non-toxic ammunition.
Any duck-shooters seeking clarification of any regulations were urged to get in contact with their local Fish & Game office to speak with rangers.
"We are here to help," Mr Adams said.
The Central South Island Region game bird season will run until July 26 for waterfowl species such as mallard duck, grey duck, New Zealand shoveller duck, black swan and pūkeko. — Allied Media
