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Nelson/Marlborough Hunting

The many rivers and streams, flats, estuaries, wetlands, and Marlborough Sounds offer excellent game bird hunting opportunities. Mallard duck are the dominant species with lower numbers of native ducks depending on location. Mallard thrive in the coastal estuaries of Motueka whilst there are plenty of quail in the forest margins.

Grey Duck, Mallard, Paradise Shellduck and Black Swan can all be found in the Golden Bay area. Higher numbers of Grey ducks are found in the Marlborough Sounds and Pelorus Valley but please take care to identify your target because the area is home to an abundant Grey teal population.

In addition we organise three Canada Goose hunts each year in the Marlborough high country. They are usually held during the first weekend in March, Queen's Birthday Weekend and Labour Weekend and are very popular for local hunters as well as hunters from other regions. Organised Paradise Shelduck, Pukeko and Swan shoots may occur during the year. Hunters can register their interest in all organised hunts at their local Fish & Game Office.

If you would like to be kept in touch with new maps availability and other game bird hunting information, please sign up for Both Barrels, our national Gamebird hunting email newsletter.

Nelson / Marlborough hunting News


Golden Bay hunter alert

Game bird hunters who hunt in the Aorere valley and areas north of this location are advised to watch their dogs post May this duck season. 

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Game bird trend counts

Staff undertook the annual Paradise Shelduck and Black Swan trend counts throughout the region in the last week of January.  Mallard counts are not currently undertaken in this region due to lack of an affordable methodology that will provide staff with reliable enough information on which to bas

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Nelson Marlborough Both Barrels Apr 2012

Wet summer's 'bird bonus'

This year’s flight trends research indicates black swan numbers are fairly stable but Paradise shelduck numbers are on the increase. 

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Regulation Changes for Pheasant Hunting

Nelson Marlborough Fish and Game have reviewed and liberalised the Pheasant Hunting Regulations this season

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