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FISH & GAME NEW ZEALANDMARCH 2018SPECIAL ISSUE FORTY SIXNew Zealand $9.90 incl GST THE AUTHORITY ON FRESHWATER FISHING AND GAME BIRD HUNTING IN NEW ZEALANDHunters – Unlikely ConservationistsSixty Seasons Going StrongThe Australian ExperienceMoods of Hunting Lake WairarapaADAPTATION IS EVERYTHINGfortysixspecial issueF&G_SpIs_46_Cover.indd 16/03/18 4:51 PMPhoto: Hamish Carnachan“Sports like hunting, actively and positively followed, are an important and integral part of living. They [give]… substance and meaning and rounded form to a life that would otherwise be a monotonous passage through some seventy years of the world’s history.” - Roderick Haig-Brown WELCOME TO SPECIAL ISSUE 46Fish & Game New Zealand2PECIAL ISSUE 463Fish & Game New ZealandFish & Game New Zealand4Viewpoint 6 Chief Executive Comment 7Think Safe 8Top Tips 10Play Your Part 12Hunters – Unlikely Conservationists 14CONSERVATION ISN’T AS SIMPLE AS BLACK AND WHITE. Adaptation Is Everything 22MIX UP YOUR HUNTING TO MAXIMISE SUCCESS.The Australian Experience 32WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR NEAR NEIGHBOURS.Sixty Seasons Going Strong 38PROFILING A CHAMPION OF FISH & GAME. Mallard Research – What We’re Uncovering 44AN UPDATE ON THIS COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT.How To Create A Productive Pond 50PRACTICAL POINTERS FROM OUR MALLARD RESEARCH.Moods Of Lake Wairarapa 56A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY OF THIS FAMOUS HUNTING SITE.Outstanding Hunting Heritage 62CELEBRATING HUNTERS COMMITMENT TO WATER CONSERVATION ORDERS.The Rise Of Calling Comps 68TWO KIWIS MAKING THEIR MARK IN THE WORLD OF CALLING COMPS.Council News 72Northland Region 75Auckland/Waikato Region 77Eastern Region 79Hawke’s Bay Region 81Taranaki Region 83Wellington Region 85Nelson/Marlborough Region 87West Coast Region 89North Canterbury Region 91Central South Island Region 93Otago Region 95Southland Region 97SH & GAME NEW ZEALANDARCH 2018PECIAL ISSUE FORTY SIXNew Zealand $9.90 incl GST THE AUTHORITY ON FRESHWATER FISHING AND GAME BIRD HUNTING IN NEW ZEALANDHunters – Unlikely ConservationistsSixty Seasons Going StrongThe Australian ExperienceMoods of Hunting Lake WairarapaADAPTION IS EVERYTHINGfortysixspecial issueFeaturesRegional Supplements“Three things mark a great experience - the anticipation, the doing, and the recollection afterwards. If that’s true, then there is nothing in the world of hunting that has exactly the same qualities as the Opening Day of duck season” - Peter Ryan, Wild South GEARED UP AND READY TO GO! PHOTO: DAVID TOWGOOD MAGAZINE & ONLINEEditorHamish Carnachanhamish@fishandgamenz.co.nzAdvErtisingSonia Fredrick sonia@fishandgamenz.co.nzVincent Rayneau vince@fishandgamenz.co.nzdEsignStan Tucker stan.tucker@bdmarevolution.co.nzProduction MAnAgErVincent Rayneau vince@bdmarevolution.co.nzdigitAl ProductionAaron Fletcher fletch@bdmarevolution.co.nzTo subscribe to Fish & Game New Zealand magazine, email subs@fishandgamenz.co.nz, or phone 0800 FISHGAME (0800 347 442)Online: www.fishandgamenz.co.nz/subscriptions By mail, post to Fish & Game New Zealand magazine at P.O. Box 133075, Eastridge, Auckland 1146. Subscriptions cost; 4 issues;1 year $33, 8 issues; 2 years $60. Special Deals - please refer to the subscription offers on the opposite page.contributing PhotogrAPhErsLes Hill, Neil Stuart, Peter Ryan, Hamish Carnachan, Stan Tucker, David Towgood, Mike Kirkpatrick, Peter Carty, Graeme Marshall, David Moate, Andrew Harding, Tim Angeli, Marcus Janssen, Rob Suisted, Stu Hastie, Bob South, Mike Kirkpatrick, Nick King, Derek Grzelewski.PrintErWebstarPublishErFish & Game New Zealand magazine is published on behalf of Fish & Game New Zealand by BDMA Revolution Limited PO. Box 133075, Eastridge, Auckland, 1141, New Zealand.BDMA REVOLUTIONCopyright 2016-18 BDMA Revolution Limited. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Most articles are commissioned but quality contributions will be considered. While every care is taken we, and the New Zealand Fish & Game Council, accept no responsibility for submitted material.This magazine is subject to the New Zealand Press Council. Complaints to be first directed to hamish@fishandgamenz.co.nz with “Press Council complaint” in the subject line. If unsatisfied, the complaint may be referred to the Press Council, P. O. Box 10 879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143 or by email at: info@presscouncil.org.nz Further details and online complaints at www.presscouncil.org.nzAdvertising within this publication is subject to BDMA Revolution’s standard advertising terms and conditions.RESIGISTERED PUBLICATION - ISSN 1172-434X5The perfect companion for the bush, lake, back country river or maimai. Subscribe to Fish & Game New Zealand Magazine online and 1 of 2 ‘Ziggy’ twin burner BBQ grills, complete with collapsable trolly stand, could be yours.Subscribe to Win1 of 2 ‘Ziggy’ Portable BBQ’sgo to www.fishandgamenz.co.nz/subsNew Zealand $9.90 incl GST Huddling with Fellow ManicsA Year-Long AffairNew Season TacticsWalking on WaterissueninetyfourNew Zealand $9.90 incl GST THE AUTHORITY ON FRESHWATER FISHING AND GAME BIRD HUNTING IN NEW ZEALANDMoods Of The TutaekuriAs Good As It GetsThe Best Month For FishingCapturing Aerial AnticsissueninetyfiveFolds & fits nicely in the ute, boot or boat.Lightweight, robust & easy to use. Pops up - fast and simple.PHOTO: DAVID TOWGOODwww.fishandgamenz.co.nz/subscriptions Use the discount code HUNT18 Offer is available to New Zealand Whole Season Game Bird Licence Holders.getE USE IT EVERY DAY. AND EVERY DAY IT is harming the environment.The culprit is plastic and the scale of its environmental impact is mind-boggling.Each year it is estimated eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans, and according to a study published in Science magazine in 2015, that figure could increase ten-fold by 2025.Much of this man-made debris is carried by ocean currents and accumulates in gyres – huge rafts – of plastic. Some experts say these rafts are as big as Texas. Others say they are even bigger. Whatever their size, it is clear nowhere is immune from plastic’s insidious reach. It is found in the remote open seas, in the depths of the deepest ocean trenches and on the shores of the most isolated islands. The volume of plastic reaching remote Pacific islands gained international attention last year after researchers found 38m pieces of plastic washed up on remote Henderson Island, a small dot of land in a vast ocean, far from anywhere.The problem is bigger than the huge, unsightly expanses of litter.Plastic takes a long time to break down, and as it does, it degrades into smaller and smaller pieces, leaching chemicals into the water. It is also infiltrating the food chain where it is eaten by marine life from plankton to birds to whales. And it is killing them.This isn’t just happening somewhere far, far away either. Auckland University researchers have found eight of New Zealand’s most common commercial fish are regularly eating plastic.Governments around the world are now responding to the plastic threat.Plastic bags are being banned, taxed or phased out. In Kenya, using a plastic bag could land you in jail. By 2030, the European Union will require all packaging to be reusable or recyclable and it is looking at taxing single use plastics. Britain is already taxing plastic bags and Prime Minister Teresa May says her government wants to do the same with single use plastics.New Zealand has banned the use of plastic micro-beads in cosmetics and is looking at how to tackle plastic shopping bags and single use plastics.The decision is timely. The World Bank points out Kiwis are leading the world in how much harmful waste, including plastic, they generate – 3.6 kilograms a day, one of the biggest volumes in the developed world.Unfortunately, New Zealand’s shotgun users are contributing to the problem.In the last 60 years, plastic has provided big leaps The happiest kidIN THE WORLD E RECEIVED AN EMAIL IN THE NEW YEAR which underlined the importance of what we do and why we do it. The email was from a mother thanking me for the opportunity to take her children fishing at the Kids Fishing Day at Loch Cameron in the Mackenzie Country. Based on this experience, they decided to go fishing when holidaying down south at Lake Dunstan. Unfortunately, their first efforts were unsuccessful and her eight-year-old soon lost interest. But her six-year-old fished for hours without a break, refining his new skills. A return visit still yielded no fish but her six-year-old persisted. That evening he tasted success – a rainbow trout.His mum sent us the photo – a smiling boy clutching a small trout – and thanked me for making him what she described as “the happiest boy in the world”.Her son’s achievement is something we can all relate to. He put in the hard yards, learnt from his mistakes and was eventually rewarded.Hopefully, the happiest boy in the world will now Chief executive Martin Taylor urges licence holders to do everything in their power to protect hunters’ rights so the next generation can take as much enjoyment from the pursuit. Plastic – Is it really fantastic?VIEWPOINTforward in shotgun ammunition. Plastic shotgun shells are more waterproof and don’t swell when wet. Plastic wads protect barrels from hard steel shot and mean tighter patterns. They also cause pollution and people are starting to notice.In Taranaki, there’s been public concern about plastic wads washing up on beaches.Fish & Game NZ magazine recently published a letter from an ice skater concerned at how much pollution duck hunters left on a Canterbury lake. Not only were plastic wads posing a threat to skaters because they don’t sink and become frozen in the ice, but plastic shells, food wrappers and drink bottles were also left behind after a day’s hunting.Hunters have been reproached by farmers who don’t want plastic shells and wads left in pastures to pose a risk to stock which might eat them.Fish & Game is being asked by the public, media and licence holders what it is doing about the problem and it is now investigating how to reduce plastic’s environmental impact. New Zealand is a maritime country with an extensive coast, and while much waterfowl hunting takes place inland, wads are eventually washed out to sea, to drift in ocean currents or be swept onto beaches. Fish & Game has asked major international ammunition companies about their plans to produce bio-degradable wads for non-toxic shotgun shells. Gamebore says it has developed just such a wad. Fish & Game has also been corresponding with an American company, Green Ops Ammo, which is also developing one.Progress has been good and the shells are now ready for field testing.Realistically what can New Zealand game bird hunters do?For a start, they can pick up shells and wads floating in dams and waterways. Removing their other rubbish at the same time should go without saying.They can look at switching to other non-toxic shot such as bismuth which can be used with bio-degradable fibre wads. Hunters could also use bismuth in older double guns and avoid spending thousands of dollars on state-of-the-art steel shot-capable semi-automatics which many believe is the only option when using non-toxic shot.These options may require more effort, attention and possibly expense, but if it protects the environment, it’s a cost we have to be prepared to pay.Don Rood Communications Manager NZ Fish & Game CouncilFish & Game New Zealand6DAVID TOWGOODenjoy many future decades of fishing but Fish & Game needs to make a bigger effort to make sure more boys and girls also have their shot at happiness.Research from the United Kingdom suggests that unless someone is introduced to fishing or hunting between the ages of 4-16, they are unlikely to pick it up as an adult. This theory seems quite applicable for New Zealand and is backed up by many anecdotal experiences we all have and can relate to. How many of us were introduced into fishing and hunting as a kid by a parent or grandparent?In terms of Fish & Game’s future, one of the biggest challenges is recruiting hunters and anglers of all ages and then holding onto them as licence holders. It’s about investing now in the licence holders of the future.One way of doing this is to support the desire many families have to enjoy the outdoors by helping Kiwis experience New Zealand’s bush and mountains. I believe there is a real desire among mums and dads to get their families into the outdoors and I want it to be as easy as possible for them to learn the basic skills necessary to enjoy themselves. Fish & Game has a clear role and can IT IS UP TO ALL OF US TO PROTECT OUR INTERESTS AND THOSE OF YOUR CHILDREN AND FUTURE GENERATIONSget a clear benefit from making this happen.The return on this investment for Fish & Game – and you as licence holders – is ensuring hunting and fishing remains an important part of Kiwi life and is accepted as such by the wider non-hunting and fishing public.This acceptance and acknowledgment of our rights is vital. It protects our social licence to operate and allows us to continue hunting for ducks and other waterfowl and fishing for trout.We are lucky that both pursuits are already firmly embedded in the cultural fabric of New Zealand life. We are also very fortunate that fishing and hunting is so accessible in New Zealand. In other countries, the right to hunt and fish is controlled by the land owner as they are tied to property rights. This access in New Zealand didn’t come easily and we should be grateful our founding fathers and generations of Fish & Game councillors, staff and politicians have maintained our rights, the public’s rights in this regard.Maintaining and improving this situation is a key task for Fish & Game. We must safeguard hunting and fishing access by protecting, managing and funding wetlands, ponds and other habitat, as well as negotiating access to all privately and publicly owned hunting areas.But it isn’t all up to Fish & Game. What we do as individuals is just as important. Our actions demonstrate how serious we are about the environment, our respect for our quarry and our desire to protect our traditions so we can pass them on to the next generation. That means we – all of us – must also hold ourselves to the highest standard of ethics and behaviour as it is by these things that we are judged on by the wider public. This commitment to ethical standards begins in the field.The challenge we relish as hunters and fishers is the opportunity to pit our skills against those of our quarry on its home territory. We want to be successful. As every season draws nearer, we look for the technique, the extra bit of knowledge and the new skill that will give us the edge.We do this because we are dealing with wild creatures which are not easily fooled – a poorly placed decoy, a sloppy cast or flash of movement will undo all our preparations in an instant.Such disappointment, failure and empty bags are part of what we do. Any success is cause for quiet celebration and reflection because it is the result of skill, knowledge and while we will not always admit it, a touch of luck. This is what our long New Zealand tradition is built on and the commitment to fair chase makes sure the balance is not tipped in the hunter’s favour.We must keep it that way. While we may modify the environment to make it easier for kids to start fishing or hunting, we need to ensure our practices are in keeping with the traditions we have developed and enshrined in statute and custom and practice.We also need to keep close scrutiny on all hunting and fishing practices making sure private access and that the commercialisation of hunting and fishing is in line with tradition and current thinking. It is up to all of us to protect our interests and those of your children and future generations.Each and every hunter and angler can do this by putting a value on the privileges they presently enjoy and setting an example of responsible behaviour. New Zealand is fortunate to have a system where managing game birds and sports fish is left up to the hunters and anglers. This ‘user pays, user says’ system is the envy of other countries but has only been possible because of Fish & Game and its predecessors’ proven track record as responsible managers and environmental guardians.If we want the happiest boy in the world – and his parents – to continue supporting Fish & Game and viewing what we do as worthwhile, we need to continue supporting them in return. Hand in hand with this is we as licence holders need to do everything in our power to fiercely protect our rights and our reputation so the next generation has something to look forward to.Martin Taylor Chief ExecutiveNZ Fish & Game Council Chief Executive COMMENT7Fish & Game New ZealandGAME BIRD HUNTERS ARE BEING URGED to make safety their number one priority this hunting season.Police, Mountain Safety Council (MSC) and Water Safety NZ are all advising Fish & Game licence holders to think carefully about what they are doing while hunting and make sure they take all possible precautions to keep both themselves and others safe.“Safety is the key,” says Police spokeswoman Inspector Amelia Steel, the Southern District operations manager.“Anyone who is planning to use a firearm is required to not only be in possession of a valid firearms licence but also comply with the firearms laws and Arms Code at all times,” Steel says.And she advises all hunters to refresh their knowledge of the seven key basic firearm safety rules.“If everyone takes the time to familiarise themselves with the Arms Code and follows the seven rules, this will go a long way to ensure everyone gets home safely to their family and loved ones.”Steel says beginners wanting to try game bird hunting for the first time can use a shotgun but only under strict supervision.“If you don’t have a licence, you must be with someone who does – and they in turn must supervise the unlicensed person closely. This means the firearms licence holder must be in arms reach of the unlicensed person and can’t hunt themselves while supervising,” she says.Steel stresses that hunters must also take time to work out safe firing zones and to be aware of the HUNTERS URGED TO IMPROVE SAFETY RECORD THIS SEASONlocations of other maimais and nearby hunters. “Hunters must double and triple check it is safe to shoot at their quarry – you have to be 110% sure before taking a shot, as the slightest mistake can have lifelong and tragic consequences,” she says.“If you have any doubt, do not shoot.” In many regions, police officers accompany Fish & Game staff and rangers on their patrols, checking hunters have firearms and hunting licences and are complying with the hunting regulations.Steel says hunters should be prepared for the inspections.“Make sure you have your firearm and hunting licences with you. And save any celebratory drinks until you get home,” she advises.MSC agrees safety is the top priority for game bird hunters during the season. Last year, the council released its report on firearms accidents ‘A Hunter’s Tale’ which revealed game bird hunters are being injured at a much greater level than previously reported.While the season runs from May to August, MSC chief executive Mike Daisley says the first month is the worst. “Our insights show that 64% of all game bird hunting injuries occur in May and most of these are preventable. “The vast majority of hunting incidents involving a firearm can be traced to one or many of the firearms safety rules not being followed.”Daisley says a season without any firearm accident is possible. “It’s absolutely achievable for the hunting community to have zero fatalities and injuries if hunters heed the firearms safety rules and make sensible decisions.”And he has some simple advice on how to achieve that result.“Don’t get carried away and speak up if you see something unsafe so you all make it home to your family.”It’s not only firearms which pose a threat to game bird hunters. Water Safety NZ chief executive Jonty Mills is urging hunters to take care around water, especially when using boats or kayaks to travel to their maimais or retrieve waterfowl.“Use caution and make safety a priority. Assess the risks and look after yourself and others. We want all hunters to come back to their families this season,” he says.“It’s important to always check the forecast and remember that after heavy rain, high water levels mean increased risk.”Mills says in 2016, rivers were our deadliest aquatic environment with 23 preventable deaths. In 2017, there were 13.“Last year more people died from accidental immersion than any other cause – they ended up in the water when they had no intention to. This shows how important it is to think about water safety and to wear a lifejacket when you are on the water.”Mills echoes the “no drinking while hunting” message.“Alcohol impairs your motor function and judgement so not only could it lead to trouble but it could exacerbate the problem if you end up in the water.“Save the drink for when you get home with your family. Drinking while hunting on the water just isn’t worth the risk.”8Fish & Game New ZealandHAMISH CARNACHANHUNTERS ARE URGED TO THINK ABOUT WATER SAFETY AND WEAR A LIFEJACKET WHEN ON THE WATERFISHING & SHOOTING OUTDOORS GROUP STORE MEMBERSRIDERS SPORTS DEPOT 73 Commerce St, Kaitaia PH: 09 408 0240; NOLA SPORTS 126-130 Victoria St, Dargaville PH: 09 439 8624; WRIGHT FISHING & OUTDOORS 13 Thames St, Morrinsville PH: 07 889 3794; AND UNIT F - 168 George St, Te Awamutu PH: 07 871 8205BRONCO’S OUTDOORS 88 Willow St, Tauranga PH: 07 578 6904; TURNERS SPORTS 71-73 Manchester St, Feilding PH: 06 323 4933; KING AND HENRY LTD 35-37 Queen St, Masterton PH: 06 377 4569; THE GUNSHOP 2 Geange St, Upper Hutt PH: 04 939 6184;WILD OUTDOORSMAN - FISHING & FIREARMS 28 Tancred St, Hokitika PH: 03 755 8947 AND 63 Tainui Street Greymouth PH: 03 768 0206 shing & shootingGROUPOUTDOORSlife is better outdoorsFREE HEAD TORCHORVALUED @ $24.99WHEN YOU BUY YOUR 2018 ADULT NZ GAME LICENCE AT ANY OF OUR OUTDOORS GROUP STORESWHEN YOU BUY 4 PACKETS OF DUCK OR CENTREFIRE AMMOMIN $300ANY GUN, ANY CONDITIONLIMITED TIMEON THE ETERNAL IMPACTOR SEMI-AUTO SHOTGUNS 28” 3”MAGTRADE INSYNTHETICRRP$799 $300 TRADE IN $499 LESSONLYWALNUTRRP$899 $300 TRADE IN $599 LESSONLYIMPACTOR SEMI AUTOMATIC SHOTGUN Caliber: 3’’ (76mm), Gauge: 12, Barrel Length: 28’’ (71cm), Magazine Capacity: 4+1, Frame: Ergal Aluminium , Chokes: Internal Chokes, Overall Length: 124 cm, Weight: 3,30 kg, Synthetic or Walnut.WWW.OUTDOORSGROUP.CO.NZEXCLUSIVE PROMOSTrade In deal only applies to the Eternal Impactor semi-auto. Can be any firearm or air rifle to Trade In.One trade per Eternal shotgun. Only while stocks last* SALE PRICE IS ONLY FOR FIREARMS TRADED IN Only while stocks lastNext >