For Taranaki game bird hunters who can't wait for the traditional May start of the hunting season, Fish & Game is laying on some summer hunting.
Fish & Game has declared a special hunting season over two weekends for paradise shelduck to help farmers disperse flocks that can damage pastures and crops.
The first weekend is Saturday, February 29 and Sunday, March 1, followed by March 7 and 8 in the Taranaki Game Management Area 'C' only.
This area includes the Taranaki province north of the Waitotara River and all of Stratford district.
Hunting hours on each of the four days will be from 6.30am until 8pm. The daily bag limit has been set at 10 parries per hunter.