Doctari Safaris Hunting Blog

Welcome to Doctari Safaris Hunting Newsletter 2 Post 2:  Autumn is Gamebird Time: May 2019 New Zealand has a strong gamebird-hunting culture. The early European pioneers wanted the aristocrat’s sport, but didn’t want the aristocrats to be the only people to enjoy it. They brought out the gamebirds, and established a society where people of all classes could hunt them. Unlike big game which lost its protection in the 1930s, game-birds are strictly protected by law, and twelve Fish and Game Councils control the season within each region of the country. Duck-hunting is a big part of rural New Zealand and the opening weekend in May is observed by hundreds of hunters. It will be May 4/5 in 2019. The Maniototo landscape where Steve and Nicky Dougherty are based is a mixture of wetland (rivers, ponds and swamps), pasture and briar covered upland cover which provides a habitat for a wide range of desirable hunting species. The licenced wetland and pasture species are grey, mallard and shoveller duck, paradise shelduck; black swan, and pukeko (similar to a coot) while the upland environment offers Californian quail. Birds not on the gamebird licence, but hunted, are Canada goose, merriam turkey, feral white geese, and rock pigeons. For the overseas hunter, the birds with the best populations in the Doctari hunting area are mallard ducks, paradise shelduck, Canada geese, turkey, and Californian quail, while the other species are essentially bonus birds. To shoot here, a visitor must have a hunting licence which costs NZ$96 a year in 2019 while weekly or daily licences are also available. A licence allows a hunter to shoot anywhere in New Zealand. Five shot semi-automatic shotguns are allowed, with steel shot only being used when shooting over water. Regulations differ slightly from province to province, but the waterfowl season is essentially May to the end of June, the upland season May to late August. A mixed duck bag may allow up to 25 birds a day, while 10 quail a day may be harvested.  Doctari Safaris offers a NZ$500 a day guiding package which may be either a) guided wetland hunting using maimai/decoy equipment, or b) guided upland hunting over gundogs on Garrawaye Station.  Clients hunting over a number of days may arrange to stay in the Lodge. Contact doctarisafaris@gmail.com Not many sleeps left.     ​