E
ditor Matt Hewetson 
headed up to Northland’s 
west coast to hunt for 
pheasant in late August.
Pheasant hunting is 
one of my favourite ways 
to hunt for gamebirds 
and I have been doing it 
since my teenage years in Northland, 
where I grew up. My grandfather was 
a keen duck and pheasant hunter 
and he would often pick me up on 
a Sunday when I was a teen and we 
would head off to look for birds on 
either his farm or mate’s farms with 
big gulleys that had a bit of scrub.
I spent a lot of time getting out in 
the countryside walking through 
farms, or along coastal dunes with 
a gundog, as you must cover the 
ground to locate and flush birds.
His main rule of thumb was to 
always go out after lunch when 
the sun was out, as the birds 
would be enjoying the warmer 
conditions and feeding out in 
paddocks and away from the heavy 
cover they like to retreat too.
Pheasants don’t have down like 
ducks, so they aren’t as fond of 
the rain or water as waterfowl and 
prefer dry or sunny conditions.  
So, it is best to find them during 
the day when the sun is out.
GREAT COASTAL DUNES
As noted earlier, pheasant hunting 
involves plenty of walking: the more 
ground you cover, the more birds you 
are likely to find. One of my favourite 
habitats near Dargaville’s west 
coast is the coastal dune country 
along Ripiro Beach, the longest 
stretch of its kind in Godzone.
Along Ripiro, the dry sandy 
dunes border farmland with big 
sloping cliffs covered with flax 
and scrub for pheasant to hide in 
when they feel threatened.  While 
fresh grass and clover run along 
The writer hunts along Northland’s 
west coast where thick scrub and 
flax come down the hills for ideal 
cover for pheasant – note the pink 
heather that blooms in late winter.
Lupin in the dune country is a food 
source when the seed pods dry.
66  FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE
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