Rhys Adams/Supplied
Hunters Dave Whyte, far left, and John Duff, far right, hosted Michigan, U.S.A., based hunting celeb Mark V Peterson (holding birds) and his movie team Adam Raak and Kelton Eldred.
Some South Canterbury hunters are dealing with charges after being captured with lead ammo within 200 metres of water, almost twenty years after it was prohibited, throughout the opening weekend of South Canterbury’s video game bird season.
The video game bird skilled opened on Saturday and runs till July 30. Central South Island Fish & Game Council Officer Rhys Adams 2375 video game hunting licences were provided in the area, about 0.6% lower than last season.
Adams said 4 hunters were discovered upseting over the weekend with one extra licencing matter under examination.
“Offences included hunting without a game bird licence and being in possession of prohibited lead ammunition within 200 metres of water.
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“Shot guns and prohibited ammunition were seized.
“Offences are subject to the Wildlife Act 1953 and the offenders now face penalties of criminal conviction, fines, and forfeiture of seized items.”
Most New Zealand hunters utilize bigger 10 and 12 gauge shotguns and have actually been needed to utilize non-toxic shot because 2004 when they are hunting waterfowl within 200 metres of open water.
Adams said a group of video game rangers covered the Timaru to Oamaru location on Saturday looking at 44 hunters and “all hunters were having a great time and had harvested enough birds to feed their families for a few nights”.
JOHN BISSET/Stuff
Noel Dix of Timaru visualized in 2022.
Around 20 hunting celebrations were observed hunting on Wainono Lagoon on Saturday.
He said hunters examined were both regional and from around the South Island consisting of Rangiora and Greymouth and consisted of a global hunter.
“By lunchtime on Saturday most hunters had harvested between two and 20 birds each, mainly mallard ducks,” he said.
“There was a good spread of hunters throughout this district, however the number of hunters may have been slightly lower than last year according to hunters checked on.
The-Timaru-Herald
Evan Adams out hunting ducks on the Opihi River in June 2020.
“The general feedback from hunters were that harvest were slightly lower than expected given the number of birds that were observed before opening.”
Opening Weekend and seasonal harvest will be determined through Fish & Game’s yearly nationwide harvest study.
“Every year we phone a selection of game licence holders to record their harvest.
“We use this to harvest information to compare with previous years to monitor harvest levels compared to our regional bag limit and season length regulations.
“After Opening Weekend surveys, we undertake fortnightly surveys through to the end of the season.”
DOUG FIELD/STUFF
Adam Hitchcock, left, and Alister Jones visualized throughout duck open season in 2018.
Dave Whyte of Hunter and John Duff of Glenavy hosted US-based hunting celeb Mark V Peterson to hunt a pond near Waihao.
Peterson linked with Whyte and Duff targeting mallard duck, pūkeko, New Zealand shoveler duck and paradise shelduck in South Canterbury.
Peterson’s opening day hunt in South Canterbury and another video game bird hunt prepared for the Mackenzie Basin will include on his YouTube Channel this winter season.
Adams said the main South Island is a location for hunters like Peterson as “we have healthy game bird populations and liberal bag limit regulations that provide ample opportunity to harvest birds”.
