What Can You Hunt in New Zealand

New Zealand has one of the more unusual hunting pictures in the world. The country has no native land mammals — every big-game animal you can hunt here was brought in from somewhere else, starting in the 1850s, when acclimatisation societies released deer, chamois, tahr, and a long list of game birds across both islands. A century and a half later, those introductions have settled into thriving free-range herds across some of the most striking country on the planet.

Here is what you can legally hunt, grouped by category.

Big-game species (the deer family)

The deer are the heart of New Zealand hunting. All are classed as introduced wild animals under the Wild Animal Control Act 1977, which means no closed season on public conservation land and no bag limits beyond what is written on your DOC permit.

• Red deer — the most widespread, found across both islands. The South Island roar in late March and early April is New Zealand's signature hunt.
• Fallow deer — patchy distribution, but well-established populations in Marlborough, Otago, and parts of the North Island.
• Sika deer — North Island only, with the heart of the herd in the Kaimanawa and Kaweka ranges.
• Sambar — limited to two North Island populations (Manawatū and the Bay of Plenty). Large, secretive, and a real challenge to hunt.
• Rusa — very limited, confined to a small Bay of Plenty population.
• Wapiti (Roosevelt elk) — confined to a defined block of Fiordland, managed by ballot. The largest huntable animal in the country.
• White-tailed deer — Stewart Island and a small population around the head of Lake Wakatipu.

Alpine game

The South Island's tops carry two animals you will not find together anywhere else in the world.

• Himalayan tahr — established in the Southern Alps and the country's iconic mountain hunt. Bulls in full winter coat, with long shaggy manes, are the trophy.
• Chamois — also South Island, ranging from Marlborough to Fiordland. Often hunted in the same country as tahr.

Wild pigs and goats

Found on both islands, often on land closer to home and easier to access than the high country.

• Wild pig — captain-cookers in the back country and feral pigs across farmland. Hunted with dogs, by spotlight, or stalked.
• Wild goat — extremely widespread on public conservation land, where DOC actively encourages recreational removal. A good starter species for new hunters.

Smaller and miscellaneous

• Wallaby — Bennett's wallaby in South Canterbury and North Otago, and dama wallaby in the Bay of Plenty. Regional pest, hunted year-round.
• Wild turkey — feral populations in Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, and parts of Canterbury and Otago. Unprotected; can be hunted year-round on land where you have permission.
• Possums — not strictly game, but a legal target year-round on public conservation land, primarily for fur and pest control.

Game birds and waterfowl

Game-bird hunting is a separate world from big game. It has its own licensing, seasons, and bag limits, managed by Fish & Game New Zealand rather than DOC. The season opens on the first Saturday of May each year and runs into July or August depending on species and region.

Species hunted under a Fish & Game licence include:

• Ducks — mallard, grey duck, paradise shelduck ("parries"), shoveler.
• Geese — Canada goose (unprotected in some regions, taken under licence in others).
• Upland game — pheasant, California quail, and pukeko in places.
• Black swan — limited to defined wetlands and dates.

A separate game-bird licence is required and must be carried in the field. Fish & Game sets and enforces all rules — confirm current season dates and bag limits with them before you hunt.

What is not huntable

• All native birds — kiwi, kea, wood pigeon, and every native waterfowl are absolutely protected.
• Marine mammals — protected.
• Animals inside protected sanctuaries — even otherwise huntable species may be off-limits inside certain mainland islands and fenced sanctuaries. Always read the conditions on your DOC permit.

How to actually go and hunt one

If you have not hunted in New Zealand before, the practical sequence looks like this:

1. Get your firearms licence — see our licensing and permits guide.
2. Pick where to hunt — the interactive map shows every public hunting block in the country, with current pesticide-operation status as a layer.
3. Get a free DOC permit for the block you choose, or enter a ballot for one of the popular roar or wapiti blocks.
4. Go. Or, if you would rather hunt with a professional, browse our directory of hunting guides and outfitters.

For the bigger picture on hunting public land in New Zealand, see our public land hunting guide.

Where this information comes from

• NZ Game Animal Council — game animals of New Zealand
• Department of Conservation — hunting
• Fish & Game New Zealand — game birds and seasons