Now's the time to bag pheasant and quail

Hunters who want to get the most from their game bird hunting licence are reminded they still have several weeks to hunt pheasant and quail.

Upland game birds can be hunted until August 26, with pukeko in some regions.

In the Eastern Region, which includes Rotorua, Tauranga and the East Coast, senior fish and game officer Matt McDougall said upland game birds were a "great opportunity for duck hunters, especially dog owners, to do more hunting as pheasant are best hunted using a good dog to flush them out of scrub or other vegetation".

For most pheasant hunters, a well-trained dog is a key part of the experience, he said.

Fish and Game's Auckland/Waikato Game Bird manager David Klee said this was the time when farmers and others, such as market gardeners, who had problems with pukeko, should target the birds.

"Go and target them now where the numbers are building up," he said.

"For example, at the bottom of a farm where a flock of 40 or 50 pooks has built up."

Fish and Game can also advise hunters on obtaining permits for forests where pukeko are found.

Hawkes Bay Fish and Game say just like in Auckland and Waikato, orchardists and vegetable growers are keen to see pukeko hunted, for the sake of their crops.

The birds can be hunted until the last week of September with a daily bag limit of 10.

Hunters are urged to check bag limits, season lengths and any special conditions for the different upland game bird species in their region - either in their regulation booklet or the Fish and Game website at www.fishandgame.org.nz

Anyone interested in taking up hunting should get advice at their local Fish and Game office where they can and pick up a copy of the booklet Getting Started in Gamebird Hunting, which comes with a DVD and a CD with access information and maps.