b'EASTERN Fish and Game Bird Season Prospects Looking ahead to the game bird season for the Bay of Plenty Eastern area and Senior Fish and Game Officer, Matthew McDougall provides hunters with an early update. W e are2 BY MATTHEW MCDOUGALL o f P l e n t y Cape Runaway Easternpredicting aEastern Hunting Areasimilar season to last year for waterfowl.Upland game bird hunting however should be better.Last year the mallard and grey duck species2 Taurangahad a great breeding season whichB a y Te Kaha Te Araroa EastCaperesulted in hunters doing a little1 Te Puke Waiapu RiverG Ebetter than the three preceding5 Whakatane Motu River A N RuatoriaR Ayears in the Eastern Fish & Game2 Opotiki A RW A I K A T O Kawerau U MKRegion.After quite a few yearsRotorua A URA1 W Tokomaru Bayhof decreasing population trendsaka B1tanEeand low mallard population levelsMangakino 2 MatawaiG RNiverive Arthere was an increase in 2023.So,1 5 i R Murupara R Te Karaka Tolaga Bay gitaik UAn NERa HWalthough this years breeding season AKIappears relatively average, the henLake Taupo A2 Te Whaiti GE Waikaremoana GisborneUIARAU RANnumbers were higher than recentTaupo H Waipaoa Riveryears which should provide someWaia B2 r 2u River ivea Rroigreat hunting opportunities over theTurangi 5 Waopening weekend. 1 2 WairoaWe had been really concerned thatH A W K ESthe paradise shelduck, and possiblyB A Ythe black swan, populations on theMahia Peninsula NRiversEast Coast and Hawkes Bay couldState Highwayhave been decimated by cycloneGame AreasGabrielle, but this does not appear to2 0 25 50 75 100kmbe the case. /FISHINGINGODZONE73'