Eight young Fish & Game competition winners to enjoy unforgettable hunting weekend

Corina Jordan with young hunters at an event

Eight keen young game bird hunters from around the country will enjoy two days hunting in outstanding wetlands, as winners of a competition run by Fish & Game New Zealand.  

The youngsters, aged between 14 and 17 years old, will come from locations ranging from Auckland to Canterbury for the experience on farms near Waipukurau in central Hawke’s Bay on the weekend of 24-25 May.  

Events will include early morning and afternoon hunting adventures. Former New Zealand clay bird shooting champion Dave Hearn will also be taking the winners through gun safety and a simulated game bird clay shoot. All accommodation and meals, including a duck dinner, will be provided and participants will take home their game.  

To enter, young hunters had to outline why they would love to win and why they would not normally have the opportunity for this experience. 

Fish & Game chief executive Corina Jordan, who will be one of the supervisors for the event, said there had been some exceptional entries.  

“It was great to read all the different accounts from young people who are absolutely passionate about the whole experience of game bird hunting. 

It’s about more than just the hunt -- it’s about connecting with the outdoors, building skills, and spending time with friends and whānau, supporting conservation and enjoying the rewards of wild, sustainable kai at the end of the day. 

“Many hunters have lasting memories of those early starts -- rising before dawn buzzing with excitement and a sense of adventure and heading out to the maimai with their crew. It gives a sense of purpose and excitement and a connection with the natural environment that’s stayed with them for life. 

“That’s the experience we will be sharing with our winners in some of the most spectacular game bird hunting locations in New Zealand, in established wetlands created by farmers Gerald Wilson and Ben Wilson.  

“We are planning to provide an exceptional weekend that we hope these young people will carry with them through lifelong hunting careers.” 

The competition was open to young people from 14-17 with some gamebird hunting experience, from beginner through novice and intermediate to advanced level. 

Gerald Wilson, himself a keen gamebird hunter, began creating the 20 hectares of wetlands on his Kanui Station near Tikokino and satellite farm at Waipukurau in the 1990s. The largest has 10.2Ha of water.  

Fed by underground and spring water, these are now home to dozens of different kinds of gamebirds and others species. These include Grey Ducks, Mallards, Brown Teal, Shovelers and Paradise Ducks as well as Royal Spoonbills, Pied Stilts, Bittern, cranes and herons including the critically-endangered Kōtuku White Heron. 

Ben and Beth Wilson have been developing wetlands on their farm for the past 25 years, all adjacent to the Makaretu River and fed by underground streams. These are now populated by an extensive array of ducks, swans and other waterfowl and much other bird life.  

Both farmers’ wetland programmes have included extensive riparian planting, with many native plants, and Gerald and Ben have worked with Fish & Game on several of their larger wetland projects.  

The winners are aged 14-15 and are from Ashburton, Hawke’s Bay, mid Canterbury, Waiouru, and Auckland.

Ends

About Fish & Game New Zealand 

Fish & Game manages trout, salmon, and game birds and helps New Zealanders to connect with nature and experience the many benefits fishing and hunting offers. 

We work to protect the environment that anglers and hunters have enjoyed as a tradition for over 150 years.  

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